Natalie is a licensed clinical social worker with over 25 years of professional experience working with individuals, children, adolescents and families. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree from UNC at Greensboro and a Master’s Degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C. She is currently licensed by the North Carolina Certification and Licensure Board (license C002946). In addition, she is a Duke University Integrative Medicine trained Health Coach and certified in Financial Social Work.

Natalie has practiced social work in social service agencies, schools, university and hospitals – including the Duke UMC Child Protection Team (later, Center for Child and Family Health) where she assessed and provided treatment to abused and sexually abused children. Her theoretical base is integrative – drawing clinical techniques from Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Family (Systems) Therapy and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy.

Natalie’s specialties areas include:

·         Parenting

·         Anxiety, stress and anger management

·         Life transitions

·         Relationships

·         Loss and grief

·         Trauma treatment

·         ADHD

·         Financial social work

·         The promotion of positive living through healthy practices

In addition to the Armstrong Center for Hope, Natalie works full time for the Durham Public School system. She is originally from a suburban area outside of Cleveland, Ohio, where she and her family integrated not only the neighborhood but the schools in which she matriculated. Although this did not create a lack of friends for her, she remembers feeling an outsider as a result of discrimination and prejudice that she experienced first-hand. These experiences are some of Natalie’s first memories of vocational calling which has led her into a profession where she now meets with others who themselves have experiences as outsiders. Natalie has one son, who is in school at North Carolina State University (GoPack!).

Contact Natalie at ngcole@armstrongcfh.com.