Meet Jeff Scott, CMHC

Jeff Scott, CMHC

Parent Coach, Young Person Mentor, Treatment Aftercare Specialist

Over the past 30 years, I have worked in a variety of settings, from therapeutic boarding schools to wilderness therapy, helping young people and their parents deepen their bonds of affection and understanding. I have spent most of my career in wilderness therapy as a primary therapist and clinical director.

I believe deeply in the power of wilderness to help young people find their purpose and place in the world. Now I am inspired by the opportunity to support adolescents and young adults as they transition home and weave what they have learned into the fabric of their daily lives.

My approach balances warmth and steadiness: I can be gentle and nurturing when someone needs to feel safe, and direct and challenging when they are ready to grow. I am particularly skilled at working with older adolescents and young adults who struggle with anxiety, depression, and a sense of their own powerlessness. I connect well with young people who may seem lost and who are struggling to meet the demands of life.

Man with dark curly hair smiling outdoors in front of greenery, wearing a striped brown and beige shirt.

Many of them carry a deep sense of shame and inadequacy that leads them to turn inward, withdrawing from their world and its challenges. They often struggle quietly, internalizing their anger, fear, and shame. I help them build a growth mindset, discover what gives their lives meaning, and find the courage to invest in their own future.

My own sons have been my biggest teachers. Carl Jung believed that “children swim in the sea of our own unconscious.” Once a child is born into a family, whether or not we realize it, we parents have signed up for at least an 18-year spiritual retreat. As a parent, I have learned that my children have a remarkable ability to reflect back the parts of myself I would rather ignore. Yet if we approach them with grace, courage, and humility, our kids can also be our teachers and healers.

I received my bachelor’s degree in psychology and my master’s degree in mental health counseling from the University of Florida. I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina and Georgia.

When I’m not chasing after two energetic boys, I love to mountain bike, ski, and hike. I am also working to fulfill a multi-year New Year’s resolution by learning Spanish.

What Jeff’s Client’s Say

  • “Jeff has been remarkable, and I’ve done lots of great work with him over the course of multiple years. He has helped me reconstruct my relationship with both my parents and turned what was a sinking ship into a thriving, functional family vessel… Jeff is kind and compassionate; he doesn’t gang up on the kid with the parents in order to validate them.”

  • “Out of anybody I’ve gone to for help, Jeff has been the most down to earth and most understanding. He’s very easy to talk to about personal topics and challenges you when you need to be challenged. Jeff really cares about the people he works with even at our lowest points in our lives.”

  • “When I was going through an incredibly hard and uncomfortable time in my life filled with discovery, Jeff did an incredible job at guiding me through the foggy parts… Perhaps my favorite quality about Jeff is that he’s still able to connect and communicate with teens like he’s one of the guys. It feels like you’re talking to an old best friend.”