Now accepting applications for licensed, pre-licensed associates and interns for fall and spring!

Dr. Stacy Jagger, LMFT, RPT-S, DMin

Founder, Clinical Director

Dr. Stacy Jagger is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S), and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor with her Doctorate in Ministry. She is a mother of four, guest speaker, author, mentor, and transformational coach.

A native of Nashville, Stacy is the founder and clinical director of Music City Family Therapy – a unique counseling practice serving Greater Nashville that specializes in integrating play and expressive arts therapies for children, individuals, and families. Music City Family Therapy utilizes a systemic, whole-family approach to helping clients heal from disconnection, depression, anxiety, trauma, behavioral problems, divorce, addiction, and alcoholism. Stacy is the creator of Stacy Jagger’s Mountain Method™ – a proprietary experiential family therapy treatment process designed to help children, individuals, and families heal, grow, and thrive.

As a believer in multicultural competencies and serving the underserved , Stacy has written a heartfelt children’s book, A Letter from Emma, which addresses the sexual exploitation of children. This book has been endorsed by well-loved play therapist Dr. David Crenshaw and is used as a resource in the Old Order Amish community.

Stacy is also the author of the book 30 Day Blackout: How to help your kids turn off the screen and turn to their family, which outlines her technique for bringing parents and children closer together by temporarily removing screens and electronics from the family system. Stacy’s book was written to unleash the natural creativity in all of us and has been endorsed by world-renowned pediatrician, Dr. Williams Sears.

Stacy enjoys designing programs and products for the family, including her parent-child bonding program, Music with Mommie, and her highly effective Magic Mats communication tool that can be used as a resource for conflict resolution and connecting conversations in any relationship. She is the owner of The Little House at Sunnybrook Farm, an inspired retreat location in Columbia, TN where she holds screen-free retreats and intensives for families.

Stacy is on a mission to restore wonder to childhood, connection to families, and intimacy to relationships. Drawing on over a decade of experience helping families, she integrates lessons from her own trauma history to offer hope to those who feel there is no hope. She enjoys growing flowers, writing songs and ballroom dancing. She has appeared on Nashville’s Talk of the Town, has written numerous articles for parents, has been featured as a child expert on the morning and evening news and is a regular guest on local ABC and NBC affiliate shows Local On 2 and Today in Nashville.

Stacy is a guest speaker for universities, churches, and conferences, and enjoys offering clinical training and consultation for family therapists across the country.

Ron Jagger, BCND, CNHP

Family Holistic Health Practitioner, Neurofeedback

Technician, Biofeedback Technician, Director of Operations

Raised in a pediatrician’s office as a “doctor’s kid”, Ron has a long-time interest in health and wellness, culminating in his Doctorate in Holistic Health from Trinity School of Natural Health and his current work as a Holistic Health Practitioner.  Ron’s Health Minister training in 2003, combined with his 30 years of experience in music production in Nashville, has inspired him to combine these skills in the study of light/sound frequency and music therapies.

Ron serves both his local community and distance clients, helping families and individuals improve their health through nutrition, exercise, good hydration, and trust in and practice of spiritual principles. He is a Holistic Health Practitioner, a Certified Natural Health Professional, a Neurofeedback Provider, a Provider for The Listening Program® by Advanced Brain Technologies, and a Certified LifeSystems Biofeedback Technician and advocate for children’s nutrition.

With a special interest in helping others achieve a natural, healthier state of being physically, emotionally, and spiritually, he and his wife Stacy host workshops and retreats for families, individuals, and couples seeking to improve their health and relationships.

Rebekah Pharr, MMFT

Rebekah joined MCFT in April of 2022 after previously counseling at Lipscomb University and being in private practice. She is a native of Williamson County and attended Lipscomb Academy, earned a BS from MTSU, and MMFT from TNU. Rebekah enjoys working with couples and families dealing with co-parenting issues, as well as teens and adolescents. She uses different approaches to counseling but focuses on attachment and experiential techniques. Rebekah has 4 children. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, camping, kayaking, reading, and spending time with her family. She practices in the Cool Springs office.

Macy Butler, MMFT

Macy grew up in Baton Rouge and the Florida Panhandle and has been in the Nashville area for nine years. She’s married to her husband Rick and has two bonus daughters, Isabella and Camille, and is a new mama to baby Birdie. Macy has a unique background coming from the corporate sales world and blends her drive for results with her passion for personal growth and transformation with her Marriage and Family Therapy Master’s degree from Trevecca Nazarene University. Her calling is to help systems change their lives, whether it’s couples, children and families, or individuals through practical tools to help them get what they want so they can graduate therapy and move through their lives in a new, meaningful way. 

Jacklyn Whiteheart, MMFT

Originally from North Carolina and Florida, Jacklyn has been living in the Middle Tennessee area for the past five years. She has a Master’s Degree in Family and Marriage Therapy from Liberty University, and she is currently working towards licensure.

Jacklyn received her undergraduate degree in Recreation Therapy helping individuals with disabilities improve their overall functioning and quality of life. She found a passion for working with children who have special needs, and she wanted to take her education to the next level by pursuing a Master’s Degree to help individuals at a higher level of care. Her personal mission is to help others realize their potential, and she enjoys being able to utilize a family systems approach in order to do so.

When she’s not working with clients, Jacklyn enjoys practicing hot yoga/barre, spending time with friends and family, taking care of her pups, trying new coffee shops, and spending time out on the lake.

Camden Betchick, MMFT

Camden Betchick is from Memphis Tennessee and is a graduate of the University of Tennessee. She has lived in Nashville for three years and is pursuing a Master’s degree at Trevecca Nazarene University. She spends her free time following Memphis Tigers athletics or working out at Cyclebar. She is also always looking for the best gluten-free meal in Nashville – accepting all recommendations!

Having been in ministry with Young Life for the past seven years working with high school girls and being a full-time nanny for the past three years, Camden has a heart for kids and adolescents. She is looking forward to working with children and their families and finding peace in the family system.

John Hinson, Intern

John is a Middle Tennessee native with a passion for helping individuals and families who are struggling as a result of substance abuse and addiction. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Marriage Family Therapy from Trevecca Nazarene University. John obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee where he studied Plant Science & Horticulture. He worked for over 12 years as a leader in the landscape industry before pursuing his second career in counseling.

John has been married for almost 18 years to his college sweetheart and together they have three wonderful children. In his free time, he enjoys reading, coaching little league baseball, and mostly just spending time with his family.

Jeffery Loritz

Intern

Originally from Southern California, Jeff recently moved to Franklin, TN with his wife of over 30 years. He enjoys spending time with his children & granddaughter and is excited about many new adventures in Tennessee.

Jeff’s desire to help people stems from his lifelong passion to serve others in his community. He has extensive experience as a first responder, crisis response counselor, ordained chaplain, church ministry leader, and youth sports coach. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and is completing his Master’s in Counseling from The Townsend Institute at Concordia University Irvine.

Utilizing his life experiences and education, he plans to guide his clients as they work through and overcome problematic behavioral patterns that can lead to marriage and family chaos. Jeff’s greatest hope for people is to explore their true purpose in a safe therapeutic environment and is looking forward to the opportunity of helping your family transform from a life of coping to a life of thriving.

Proverbs 20:5 states, “The heart of a man is deep waters. Only a person of understanding can draw them out.”

Jessica Bare

Intern

Jessica is originally from Pensacola, FL, and moved to Tennessee 5 years ago from New York City. She has a BFA in musical theater from the Boston Conservatory of Music and spent many years pursuing her love for acting, singing, and dance. Jessica is currently pursuing her master’s degree at Lipscomb University in Marriage and Family therapy. Jessica taught Kids Zumba, dance, and acting classes for children and teens and discovered her love of working with children, adolescents, and their families.

She has a passion for finding creative ways to help individuals, couples, and families. Her background in the arts has cultivated a passion for working with professionals in the art/music/film industry and working through issues such as anxiety, self-esteem, life cycle transitions, and communication.

When not working she loves going on walks with her dog Chip, yoga, attending live music shows and theater, and spending time with her family and friends.

Allison Earley

Intern

Allison is originally from Knoxville, Tennessee but moved to Nashville five years ago to attend college. She is pursuing her Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from Lipscomb University. She is also a member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. She has a B.S. in Psychology and Family Studies from Lipscomb University.

Allison began her college career as a nursing major and found a passion for understanding and learning about various family dynamics. She saw the need to bring family connection back into the home. She finds joy in helping people see they are capable of change and can create a meaningful life. She enjoys working with children, teens, and families to help through seasons of anxiety, depression, and life transitions, and ultimately creating a healthier lifestyle.

Anna Boneh

Care Coordinator

Anna Boneh is the Care Coordinator for Music City Family Therapy and the Executive Assistant to Stacy Jagger. A native of Nashville and the mother of four daughters, Anna has a background in ministry, marketing, and mentorship, was the director of a dance and day school, and has a passion for writing in all forms. Anna thrives when creating beauty, seeing beauty in individuals, and encouraging the beauty within each heart to be expressed.

LeTizia Baxter Smith, DNP, PMHNP-BC

Lead Medical Management Provider

LeTizia Baxter Smith is a Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and a Co-founder of Silver Lining Psychiatric Consultants. She is a native of the Middle Tennessee area. With 13 years of experience in the mental health field, LeTizia uses her warm, supportive approach to assist clients in their journey to discovering their best selves. She believes in taking a holistic approach to mental health care and utilizes a combination of both medication and non-medication-based interventions.

LeTizia attended Vanderbilt University for her undergraduate career and completed her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) at Vanderbilt School of Nursing. She then completed her Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) at Emory School of Nursing. She regularly engages in continuing education in the field of psychiatry. She is a member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA), Tennessee Nurses Association (TNA), and the American Nurses Association (ANA). She was also chosen to be a SAMHSA Minority Fellow from 2018-2020.

Currently, she is on faculty at Vanderbilt School of Nursing where she is the current chair of the diversity and inclusion committee. She has joined the Music City Family Therapy team to serve clients as the Lead Medical Management Provider. LeTizia and her family live in Spring Hill, TN. When not working, she enjoys traveling, reading, going to the gym, and spending time with her family and friends.

Brandy Storck MS SLP AVT

Listening and Spoken Language Specialist

Brandy is a Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist, Listening and Spoken Language Specialist, wife, and mother to three little boys. A native of Missouri, her family relocated to Nashville in 2017. She is the owner of The Emphasis Project in Franklin, TN, and specializes in hearing impairment, executive function, learning differences, and trauma-informed care.

With over 20 years of experience in the field, the passion for what she does is founded on a fundamental belief that the family is the greatest expert their child will ever have. She has spent the entirety of her career coaching, consulting, and investing in the whole team rather than just the child, recognizing that in so doing, you get a far greater return on your teaching investment in the developmental magnitude of the child.

As she came to understand her childhood trauma and the effect it had on her learning and social/emotional experiences throughout academia, she realized that the work she did in helping children establish new pathways in the prefrontal cortex was only as effective as the health of the limbic system operating below it. While simultaneously seeing that the family-centered therapies provided were only as effective as the mental health of the families carrying them out.

She learned that the information, education, and understanding supporting this connection across fields was painfully limited, to the detriment of optimal, holistic child development. As a result, she has been on a mission to close the gap between Speech-Language Pathology, Neuroscience, and Mental Health, for the children AND the families served, and has aligned her practice with Music City Family Therapy in seeking to do so.

Now accepting applications for Interns for Fall and Spring!

Music City Family Therapy is brought to you by Dr. Stacy Jagger