Book a therapist or psychiatrist in Hickory, NC covered by United Healthcare

Hello, I am a double graduate of NCA & T with a Bachelor of Social Work & Master in Counseling as first-generation college student. I have 20+ years’ experience in child welfare and family well-being. In which, I have a passion for helping others with emphasis on self-esteem, positive thinking, domestic violence, family dynamics & the impact of trauma & adverse childhood effects. I am a boy mom (human & fur baby) & for that reason, I love sports & enjoy cultivating males. & women empowerment!

LaToya Harley is a Board Certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. She receive a Master of Science in Nursing in Psychiatry at the University of South Alabama. She has worked inpatient and outpatient, psychiatric, and community health settings. In Lifespan Psychiatry: Substance Abuse, Psychotic Disorders, Mood Disorders, PTSD, Cognitive Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Eating Disorders, Gender Identity Disorders, Personality, Autism/ADHD, Mental Retardation, Developmental Conduct Disorders

I work with children, adolescents, adults, and families. My expertise includes trauma, depression, anxiety, ADHD, behavior management, family conflict, life transitions, and relationship issues through a predominantly Cognitive Behavior Therapy approach. As a queer female, I especially enjoy working with the LGBTQIA+ community.

I specialize in treating trauma, with extensive training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy to treat youth and Cognitive Processing Therapy for adults. I also have training in and incorporate principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

I specialize in the treatment of adult women who have ADHD.

Women and girls are shamed, gaslit and neglected by many aspects of the medical system. The ability required to recognize and adequately treat ADHD in women requires a specialized knowledge of the disorder, but many healthcare providers are still missing the mark — and the client ends up suffering needlessly.

I am actively working to help women with ADHD learn about, and master, their symptoms using an individualized approach that creates new possibilities for thriving with ADHD, and paves the path toward recovery from the lifetime of shame caused by this misunderstood condition.

I work with people who are female-identifying or nonbinary, ages 18 and up, and I have special interest in Women’s Issues. I am also neurodivergent-affirming, disability-affirming, and proudly Queer-Allied.

ADHD has been, is, and will be present for the lifetime of the person. It does not have a “cure,” but it can effectively be treated. One does not “grow out of it,” despite what you may have been told. One cannot simply ignore it or choose to pretend it’s not real. But we can educate ourselves about it, learn how to work with it and thrive.

Bottom line, ADHD is often a diagnosis that does not get a lot of attention (hah!). People struggle from the anxiety and depression that results from the unmanaged symptoms of ADHD, and that’s what typically brings them to seek out therapy or medication. Therapy aims to alleviate that depression and anxiety with strong research-based methods, but you still have unchecked and unaddressed ADHD. If we don’t examine specifically how your particular version of ADHD shows up, it can end up being overlooked and ignored, but ignoring something doesn’t mean it’s gone.

My background is in all aspects of mental health and substance abuse.

I have been a therapist since 2008. I have experience working with child and adolescent mental health, families and trauma. I am trained in several modalities including child parent relational therapy, play therapy, CBT, TF- CBT and person-centered therapy. I also work with adults with an emphasis on managing stress and supporting clients in reaching their best version of themselves. I believe in the power of empathy and resilience to foster positive change.

Martha Ochako is a Board-Certified PMHNP who is competent in assessing patients, diagnosing disorders, and prescribing appropriate treatments. She does not just cover a symptom with a drug before investigating and addressing its root causes.

She graduated from Metro State University, in MN with an E L M Sc. in nursing. She completed a Post Masters Certification of PHMNP from R M University of Health Professions, Utah. She holds a doctorate (DHSC) from Nova SE University, Florida.