Development of Clients and Professional Counselors
Evidence and Faith Base Approach
Biography
Dr. Laklieshia Izzard Ed.D, LPC, NCC, ACS
Background
Dr. Izzard is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) licensed in Georgia and New Jersey. Dr. Izzard is approved by the North Carolina Board (NCBLCMHC) to serve clients during the COVID crisis. Dr. Izzard is certified by the National Board of Certified Counselors as an NCC ("National Certified Counselor") by Center of Credentialing Education as an ("Approved Clinical Supervisor") by Tri-Care Military Insurance as a ("Tri-Care Mental Health Counselor") Dr. Izzard is also Certified by Georgia Professional Standards as a (School Counselor) Dr. Izzard has over a decade of counseling in community mental health and private practice experience.
Dr. Izzard is a global practitioner as she has served clients in the United Kingdom, Pacific Islands, Jamaica, Australia, Germany, Malaysia, Canada, and more. Dr. Izzard has extensive experience working with African American Males in active Military service, as US Veterans, and within the Georgia medical prison system. Dr. Izzard utilizes her faith based, evidence based, clinical counseling expertise, multicultural competence, counselor education knowledge, and technology approach to create a unique serving environment for clients and professionals.
Professional History
To add to Dr. Izzard’s private practice, training management, and supervision experience. Dr. Izzard is also trained in multiple evidence based therapies and culturally competent practices. To name a few Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Informed Therapy, Existential Therapy, Reality Therapy, Seeking Safety, Strength Based, Mental Health Corrections and more. Dr. Izzard has experience in diverse population mental health agencies, fast paced, and high-technology outpatient treatment programs. These environments included hospitals, state agencies, residential settings, corrections, and in home services. Dr. Izzard has experience in all levels of education; early childhood, primary, and secondary school settings. Dr. Izzard has been employed in the middle school setting as a special education teacher. Dr. Izzard has held faculty positions at all levels of higher education from Technical, Undergraduate, Graduate, to Doctorate at multiple hybrid Colleges and Universities in Counseling and Psychology.
Service
Dr. Izzard is a founding member and has served as President for The American Counseling Association of Georgia in 2019-2020. Dr. Izzard’s Presidential term was one of history making as she strategically led ACA of Georgia in its first full year of Professional Development, Advocacy, Leadership Development, Service Projects, Counselor Support Groups, and over twenty-five Community Stakeholder Collaborations. During Dr. Izzard’s term she served on the American Counseling Association’s historic licensure Interstate Compact Advisory Board in Collaboration with the National Council for Interstate Compacts; the Council of State Governments. Dr. Izzard served on the Compact Board as the only African American female Doctorate level Licensed Counselor and Counselor Leader member. Dr. Izzard also served on the Georgia Mental Health Policy Partnership in collaboration with NAMI Georgia, Mental Health America of Georgia, and many more Mental Health Advocacy organizations. Dr. Izzard’s term ended strong leading the first Multicultural Symposium focused exclusively on African American Male Wellness in May of 2020. Dr. Izzard received the American Counseling Association Southern Region Chair’s Award in April 2021 for her Leadership and Advocacy during her term. Dr. Izzard served as a mentor for the American Counseling Association’s first national 2021 mentoring program (ACAMP) for new counseling professionals. Dr. Izzard served as a mentor for the American Psychological Association and National Board of Certified Counselor’s inaugural collaborative Interdisciplinary Minority Fellowship Mentoring Program (IMFP) in 2021 for graduate counseling students of color and continues to serve.
Dr. Izzard serves on the Board of Directors and is a founding member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Georgia). Dr. Izzard created, coordinated, and moderated the first virtual Courageous Conversations amid COVID panel series focused on BIPOC communities, Diversity, and Mental Health collaborating with more than thirty Georgia Community Stakeholders in 2021. Dr. Izzard led and hosted NAMI Georgia's first ever African American Male Mental Health Symposium focused on Mental Health Restoration, Racial Equity, and Social Justice in June of 2021. Dr. Izzard received NAMI Georgia’s President Award in May 2021 for her Innovative leadership as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion founding member. Dr. Izzard developed NAMI Georgia and ACA of Georgia's first collaborative Counselor Support Group in April 2020 just as the COVID pandemic began. Dr. Izzard has continued to spearhead this historic and much needed group as a NAMI Georgia signature program. Dr. Izzard received NAMI Georgia's 2021 Outstanding Leader Award at their state conference in October 2021 for her exemplary and innovative program leadership. Dr. Izzard is a founding member and served as Advocacy leader for NAMI in Rockdale and Newton Counties GA affiliate.
Dr. Izzard was appointed by the Newton County Board of Commissioners to serve on the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health Advisory Council as the first and only Newton County Doctorate level Licensed Counselor member. Dr. Izzard was honored with the historic OneNewton award at the Newton County Bicentennial Celebration in December 2021 for her innovative service to diverse communities. Dr. Izzard recently made history in March of 2022 qualifying in the Primary race as the only Newton County resident and first time candidate for Georgia State House of Representatives in the new district 93 that encompasses Newton, Rockdale, and Dekalb counties. Dr. Izzard was able to obtain more than a thousand votes. While the tally was not enough to win the seat, Dr. Izzard ran a strong 11 week grassroots campaign with a small core team that included hosting the first Community Recovery and Mental Health panel event in collaboration with CAT10ENT radio and developed more than 20 new community/faith based partnerships across all three counties! Shortly after Dr. Izzard's campaign she did it again hosting her 3rd AnnualAfrican American Male Symposium in June of 2022 this time collaborating with the Men's Ministry at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. Dr. Izzard received the Newton County Champion award for continued impeccable service to the residents of Newton County in October of 2022!
Education
Dr. Izzard is a native of Greensboro, North Carolina and graduated from Walter Hines Page in the Guilford County School System. Dr. Izzard spent a portion of her adolescent childhood in Georgia attending Miller Grove Junior High and Columbia High School in Decatur, Georgia. Dr. Izzard resides in Newton County, Georgia. Dr. Izzard has a Doctorate of Education in Counselor Education and Supervision from Argosy University Sarasota, Masters of Science degree in Mental Health Counseling from the largest HBCU in the nation North Carolina Agriculture & Technical State University and a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology from another great HBCU Fayetteville State University. Dr. Izzard’s Dissertation, The Influence of Narcotics Anonymous on Long-term Recovery, Family Relationships, and Career Development a Qualitative Study is published in Proquest Database.