Our Therapists

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Sarena is the founder and clinical director of Elevate Behavior Services.  Sarena is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst originally from Gainesville, Florida. She received her Masters Degree in Special Education from the University of Florida. After starting her career in the classroom, she was introduced to ABA and immediately began to pursue certification. Sarena completed her Applied Behavior Analysis coursework through Florida Institute of Technology. Since obtaining her certification, she has gained experience working with children with autism and related disabilities in home, clinic, and school settings, as well, as job coaching through Vocational Rehabilitation.

Cory is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and the Assistant Clinical Director at Elevate. He is from a small town in west Tennessee and moved to Chattanooga in 2009 to attend UTC. After earning his Bachelor's in Secondary English Education, he taught for the Hamilton County Department of Education for 5 years. While teaching, he obtained his Master’s Degree in Applied Behavioral Analysis from the University of Cincinnati in 2017. He obtained his Board Certification and licensure in 2019. Cory has recently completed his Doctor of Behavioral Health degree from Cummings Graduate Institute.

Emily worked as a BCaBA and RBT in Tampa before moving to Chattanooga in 2019 and joining the Elevate team. She’s been working in the field of applied behavior analysis for 8 years now. She completed her Masters degree in Exceptional Student Education with a focus in Applied Behavior Analysis at the University of West Florida, and passed her BCBA exam in 2022! In her off time she enjoys hiking, gardening, and going to festivals and markets with her husband.

Tori has been an Elevate employee since May of 2019. After receiving her bachelor's in Psychology from UTC and  years of providing ABA therapy and developing an intense appreciation for the field, she quickly realized her true passion was in Behavioral Analysis. She recently completed a master's degree in Applied Behavioral Analysis at The Florida Institute of Technology and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. In her free time, she enjoys trips to Walt Disney World, brunch with her husband and friends, and long drives listening to her favorite playlists.

Kayley is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who moved to Chattanooga from Louisiana and started working at Elevate Behavior in July 2023.  She has been working in the field of ABA for 3 1/2 years.  She earned a bachelors degree in Human Development and Family Science with and earned a Master’s in Behavior Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology.  Kayley has a special interest in teaching children how to communicate using different modalities like PECS and AAC.  She also enjoys teaching social skills and daily living skills.  In her free time she likes to go on hikes, cook, watch movies and take care of her plant children.

Micha'el grew up in a small town in Georgia and moved to Chattanooga in 2006 after falling in love with the area. Micha'el comes to Elevate with numerous years of experience managing medical practices in both billing and practice management. Micha'el has 4 adult children and 8 grandchildren! Spending time with them is one of her favorite things to do. When not with the family, Micha'el loves to explore downtown Chattanooga and the surrounding areas, drive the backroads in her convertible, read, garden and travel. 

Haven joined the team at Elevate in hopes of getting experience working with children who have specialized needs. She is so excited to be working with such an amazing team and wonderful kids! Haven hopes she can make a positive impact on these kids lives and take the positive impacts they leave with her! In her free time Haven enjoys crocheting, reading new books, going to the movies, crafting, and hiking!

Fran King is Elevate Academy’s head teacher, specializing in personalized education for students with autism. She is dedicated to creating an inclusive, supportive, and engaging learning environment tailored to students’ needs. She began her journey in the field of ABA as a RBT In October of 2022 right before she graduated with a  degree in Child and Family Studies from the UTC. She was born and raised in Chattanooga, and has always loved working with people and families. She spent a large majority of her high school and college years working as a nanny and server at Pizzeria Cortile. Outside of work, you can catch Fran spending time with friends or family, watching movies, or hanging with her tiny dogs Oscar and Steve! 

Riana was born in Nebraska, but moved to Chattanooga at a young age, so she considers Chattanooga home. She graduated from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a B.S in psychology and is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Social Work.  After completing an internship for school at a local behavior clinic, she learned how important ABA is and decided to begin RBT training. In her free time Riana enjoys exploring new places around town, spending time with family, and going to watch the sunset with friends.

Katti is from Michigan and attended Western Michigan University where she was first introduced to ABA therapy. She knew right away she had a passion for the ABA field. Katti moved to TN to finish her undergraduate degree in psychology at UTC. She loves working with children and making a positive impact in their lives. In her free time, you'll find her playing with her chinchilla, exploring new places in Chattanooga, and spending time with her friends. 

Destiny is from a small town in Georgia and moved to Chattanooga in 2019 after falling in love with the area and all its beauty! She is a Senior at Dalton State College and is studying Psychology, with plans to get her masters at UTC starting next fall. In her free time Destiny loves to be outdoors, playing with her dog, going to festivals and traveling! She started her journey in ABA when doing research on what career path she want to pursue with Psychology. Destiny is excited to be a part of this team and continue to learn everyday! 

Larissa is from a small town outside of Knoxville and moved to Chattanooga to pursue a bachelor's degree in psychology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She is currently a senior with the hopes of continuing her education in occupational therapy. Larissa has always enjoyed working with children and helping them reach new goals. When she is not busy, Larissa enjoys going to the gym, hiking with her dog, and spending time with her family and friends. 

Ashlynn was born and raised in Cookeville, Tennessee. She moved to Chattanooga to attend UTC and pursue her bachelors degree in psychology. Her first interest in psychology was mainly based around clinical mental health, but she is so happy to have learned more about ABA. She is currently obtaining her Master's Degree in ABA to pursue certification. She has loved working with children of many different backgrounds, and has always found behavior fascinating. When Ashlynn is not working, you can find her spending time with friends and family. 

McKinley is originally from Athens, Georgia. She moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee to attend UTC where she obtained her Undergraduate Degree in Psychology. After graduating, she knew she was passionate about working with people with disabilities, but she was unsure where to begin. After being introduced to ABA Therapy, she knew this job would be a great fit. She is currently getting her Masters Degree in ABA. In her free time, she enjoys serving her church, spending time with friends, and playing volleyball and pickle ball. 

Chloe grew up in Chattanooga. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor's degree in psychology from UTC. After graduation she plans to continue her education and get her Masters degree in mental health counseling. She has a passion for the field of psychology and discovering fun new ways to enrich others' lives. She loves working with children and has experience in a variety of different settings. She found out about ABA through her own research and immediately took steps to pursue her goal of becoming an RBT. In her free time Chloe loves going to the gym, cooking, and spending time with friends.

Alyson is originally from Rainsville, Alabama but moved to Dalton, Georgia in late 2022 after getting engaged. She is in the process of transferring schools so she can further her degree in social work with a concentration on child and youth service opportunities. Alyson began her journey with Elevate after researching careers in the area that would best align with her studies and learned about ABA therapy. Alyson is the oldest of seven girls, so she has always had a passion for children and knew it would be something she wanted to pursue a career in. In her free time you can find her hanging out with her sisters, on a new adventure with her fiance, or spending time with friends and family!

Hadley is from Chattanooga, Tennessee born and raised. She was introduced to ABA and its impacts on individuals diagnosed with ASD by a friend. Hadley has loved ones diagnosed with ASD, so she immediately knew ABA was something she wanted to pursue. ABA holds a special place in her heart and she loves making a meaningful impact on the ASD community. When she is not at work, you can find her at the gym, reading, hanging out with friends and cooking.

Kes is from Chattanooga, Tennessee. She completed her bachelors degree in psychology from UTC in 2024. She has always loved working with children and helping them express their individuality. She is currently Elevate Academy’s assistant teacher. She assists Mrs. Fran in providing creative learning experiences to their students. She appreciates watching her students progress over the year while keeping their experiences enjoyable. In her pass time she enjoys swimming, crafting, and spending time with her cats.

Ana found Elevate through UTC and an old psychology professor. Through high school, along with her grandmother who is a psychologist, she tutored children in the spectrum. She loves that though Elevate she can make a bigger difference in these children who are our future. Studying psychology has always being a passion because she wants to help make people's life better in any small way she can. In her off time, Ana loves to read, skate, and spend time with family and friends. 

Lauren grew up in Murfreesboro, TN and moved to Chattanooga in 2019 to attend UTC. She recently obtained her B.S in Exercise Science with a minor in Psychology in hopes to pursue Occupational Therapy. After graduating, she began looking into careers surrounding therapy and discovered ABA. She felt like this aligned perfect with her passion for creativity and playing a direct role in helping others improve! When Lauren isn’t at Elevate you can find her traveling, outdoors, getting coffee, or spending time with friends and family.

Morgan was born and raised from Nashville, TN but moved to Chattanooga in 2021 to pursue a Psychology degree at UTC. She found she enjoyed studying children’s behavior and wanted to work directly with them. She  was introduced to ABA therapy by a professor and immediately knew this was where she was meant to be. Morgan is passionate about seeing the direct impact ABA therapy has on children and their families! Inter free time, she enjoys going to Pilates, hanging out with friends and family, traveling, and binging tv shows. 

Laci started working at Elevate because she has always had a huge heart for kids, and she knew that working here would be an amazing opportunity to make an impact on their lives. Laci is graduating from UTC in December with a Bachelor’s of Psychology minoring in Child and Family studies, so Elevate is the perfect place to be! After graduating, she hopes to pursue a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling, and ultimately, continue to work with children! In her free time, you can find Laci spending time with her dog and friends.