Center For Resilience
Supporting children, families, and educators through connection, healing, & resilience-building services.
OUR MISSION:
Building resilience,
Strengthening Futures.
The Center for Resilience works with teachers and families!
The Verner Center for Resilience is committed to becoming a leader in developing and delivering responsive, meaningful, and evidence-based clinical services that strengthen resilience in young children and their caregivers.
We accept BCBS, Atena, United Healthcare, and most Medicaid plans.
2006-2020
Recognized the growing need for mental health support for infants, toddlers, families, and educators.
2020-2022
The COVID - 19 pandemic sparked curiosity and wonder, giving us time to rethink how to address the growing need in our community.
August 2022
“Finding our roots” - First therapy session for Verner children and families.
January 2023
Dogwood Health Trust award received to support teacher mental health initiatives.
April 2023
In partnership with Warren Wilson College, the modular (“The Mod”) was reimagined and a vibrant mural was installed.
August 2023
Verner’s Center for Resilience Grand Opening Celebration
September 2024
Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) program was launched. Community therapeutic play groups were implemented in response to Hurricane Helene.
What you discuss in sessions will remain confidential and protected under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Nothing you share in session will be shared with anyone.
We offer child and family therapy services designed to strengthen relationships, support emotional well-being, and help families navigate life's challenges together.
Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is an evidence-based model designed for children aged 0-5 and their caregiver(s).
This could be a good fit for you and your family if:
- You want to improve the relationship between you and your child
- You are noticing disregulation and you are not sure what to do (examples: problems eating, problems sleeping, emotional difficulties, tantrums, etc.)
Sessions include both the child and the primary caregiver, fostering a supportive environment for healing and growth.
Typically involves weekly, 1-hour sessions over the course of one year.
Big feelings, challenging behaviors, and family stress don't happen in isolation—and healing doesn't have to either.
We help young children and their caregivers strengthen their relationship, make sense of difficult behaviors, and build the skills needed to navigate life's challenges together.
You may find yourself wondering why your child reacts so strongly, how to help them through difficult moments, or how to strengthen your relationship.
We specialize in providing compassionate, evidence-based therapy for parents/caregivers who are experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, stress, burnout, or substance use concerns.
Our therapists understand the unique challenges of caring for young children and offer a safe, nonjudgmental space to explore your experiences, strengthen coping skills, and reconnect with your own resilience.
What you discuss in sessions will remain confidential and protected under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Nothing you share in session will be shared with anyone.
Teachers deserve to feel good, love their job, take care of themselves, and have energy when they go home to their families.
So, are you looking for a place of refuge, protection, and reflection? A safe and collaborative space in which you are able to slow down, reflect, and feel supported?
If so, click the button below this menu to express your interest in joining a group!
The Verner Center for Resilience offers free individual & group therapy to those who qualify.
- Individual Therapy Twice a Month
Work with a licensed clinician, who specializes in the field of early education. In your sessions, you are encouraged to talk about work and /or personal stressors.
- Group Therapy Once a Month
Facilitated by a licensed clinician, early educators from across Buncombe County gather in small groups to explore session topics such as big self, little self, biology of stress, and cycle of anxiety.
- “On-the-Clock” Therapy
By collaborating with your center director, individual and group sessions will be facilitated during work hours. By supplying qualified individuals, we can offer ratio support to centers who need it.
**Qualified individuals will have traveling licensing files**
Meet The Clinicians
Supporting children, families, and educators through connection, healing, and resilience-building services.
Laura Martin is the Vice President of Clinical Services at Verner and has played a key role in developing The Center for Resilience, a clinical mental health program embedded within Verner’s early childhood education setting. Over the past 20 years, her work with young children, families, teachers, and caregivers has shaped her deep commitment to relationship-based, trauma-informed care.
Laura is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist (LCAS) who specializes in supporting infants and young children, parents, and early childhood educators. She is especially honored to work alongside mothers of young children who are exploring or reevaluating their relationship with substances, offering compassionate, nonjudgmental support grounded in attachment and resilience.
In addition, Laura provides trauma-informed therapy for teachers and early educators seeking a therapist who understands the emotional complexity, stress, and demands of classroom work. Her approach integrates reflective practice, developmental understanding, and a belief in the healing power of safe, supportive relationships.
Lauren is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSWA) specializing in infant and early childhood mental health. She is trained in Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) and is passionate about supporting young children and their caregivers in strengthening relationships, building emotional safety, and healing through connection.
Lauren approaches her work with warmth, curiosity, and a trauma-informed lens, partnering closely with families to support emotional development, attachment, and co-regulation. She has experience working with children and caregivers navigating trauma, behavioral challenges, anxiety, family transitions, and relational stress.
Outside of her clinical work, Lauren enjoys reading, spending time with friends, and fully embracing her role as the “fun aunt.” She believes strong, supportive relationships are at the heart of healing and strives to create a therapeutic space where children and caregivers feel seen, supported, and understood.
Paul Ryland is a dedicated mental health clinician with a passion for supporting the youngest members of our community and the caring adults who shape their lives. They specialize in early childhood mental health and partner closely with early childhood educators to promote wellbeing in the spaces where children learn and grow. Paul is a trained Circle of Security Parenting (COSP).
Paul’s work is centered in relationship and grounded in trauma-informed care, honoring each person's and family's unique experiences with compassion and sensitivity.
Click here to check out Paul's Psychology Today profile.
The funding to create our impactful teacher therapy program was made possible by:
