Welcome to Anomaly Counseling Center.  We are a husband-and-wife team who offer a private practice catering to the professional counseling needs of teenagers, families, couples, and individuals.  Sessions are available with either Chris, Jan, or both, depending on the needs of the client(s).  Our passion has always been for teenagers and their families.  After 18 years in youth ministry, and receiving master’s degrees in clinical mental health counseling from Regent University in 2015, we decided to open a private professional counseling center focused on teenagers.  Over the years, we realized unless the family as a whole can be addressed, issues and concerns for teenagers rarely change.  Therefore, we advocate for reaching out to the entire family eventually.  As a married couple, we also believe our counseling services offer a unique experience for couples, as both partners feel “heard” during sessions by having counseling from another couple.  Our counseling techniques are evidenced-based, holistic-minded, ethically sound, and originate from a Biblical worldview.  We have experiences in counseling a diverse population and a variety of concerns, from domestic violence to suicide to career decision-making.  If you are looking for a different experience in counseling, and wish to discover the unexpected beauty of who you are as an individual, come journey with us today toward achieving your full potential.

Jan Elliott

I have worked with children, teens, and families for the past sixteen years, first in an educational capacity and then in roles more closely associated with counseling and mentorship. My undergraduate degree, received in 1995 from Elon College, is in physics and secondary science education, with a minor in mathematics. Prior to my graduate studies in counseling, I have performed lay counseling as a youth minister in two Christian churches for fifteen years. I began studying counseling in the fall of 2011 as a full-time graduate student. Coursework has included family systems, marital conflict, crisis, career, human sexuality, and addictive behaviors counseling. My practicum has involved counseling domestic violence survivors, sexual assault victims, and individuals with dual diagnoses. My internship at The Counseling Center at Winston- Salem First has included clients from all demographic backgrounds of the Winston-Salem area seeking counseling for a variety of concerns. After offering licensed professional counseling for a couple of years, my training and experience has only grown more diverse, but my heart remains the same. Serving those in need and helping teens and families achieve their maximum potential is my passion.

Specific populations may benefit in particular from my heart to counsel those in need of a safe harbor to share their concerns. After homeschooling for 15 years, I have a special desire to work with homeschool families and possess an understanding of their unique struggles. Being the daughter of a pastor and the wife of a youth pastor for years, I wish to work with families who are in ministry, because I know the amount of anonymity and safety needed by ministerial families when sharing their struggles and burdens with a counselor.   The ability to remove the mask and be completely human for a moment without judgment is invaluable toward overcoming burnout or healing the wounds. Offering animal-assisted therapy allows me to interact with my dogs and cats while seeing others benefit from the animals’ love and affection. When not in the office, I enjoy spending quality time with my husband and children, hiking trails, reading good books, and playing the piano and flute.

Chris Elliott

I have worked with children, teens, and families since the late nineteen nineties. My roles have included youth minister, secondary education teacher, and mentor. The primary success of all roles is rooted in my relationship orientation. While in graduate school at Regent University for counseling, coursework has included family systems, marital conflict, crisis, career, human sexuality, and addictive behaviors. My practicum has involved domestic violence and sexual assault while seeing the perceptive from both the victims and perpetrators. Although internship and practice has included a very diverse population and a variety of concerns, I have developed my focus toward teenagers, families, and couples. My passion is to help teens and families achieve their potential and live from a perspective of optimal holistic wellness.

My orientation is existential and cognitive-behavioral therapy. In an atmosphere of unconditional positive regard, cognitive-behavioral therapy allows you to see that you can have control. Existentialism allows us to address the big questions. Emotions and thoughts are regulated by setting proper boundaries in relationships, empowering one’s decision making processes, and taking charge. Integrated techniques from play therapy, reality therapy, and family systems may be tailored to individuals.

Animal-assisted therapy and movement therapy are additional tools available if the technique is in the best interest of the client. Additionally, I operate from a biblical worldview, which may influence other areas of my life, including my skills and actions as a counselor. On a personal note, being a husband and father of two, I enjoy spending my free time with the family pursuing activities such as hiking, water skiing, and hanging with the running community of the Triad.