New Leaf Counseling Group was founded by Mr. Logan Cohen in 2014 and established in the Dilworth neighborhood of Charlotte. Over the last 12 years, New Leaf has been dedicated to serving community members who are in need of emotional and psychological support, especially those struggling with disruption in their most personal and intimate social relationships. Kissy Cohen is one of our most favorite therapists to carry on this philosophy.

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Our founder met “Kissy The K9 Cotherapist” when he lived in Portland, Oregon.  He was going to graduate school at Lewis & Clark College and had a few different jobs to pay the bills. At night, he worked third shift at a group home for adults with developmental and intellectual delays. During the day when Logan wasn’t in class, he trained dogs with behavioral issues.  While training dogs in the Portland area, he worked closely with a local county animal corrections officer whose job it was to pursue criminal charges against owners who neglected or abused their domestic animals. As you might imagine, the officer came upon a LOT of sad scenes of dogs in heart-wrenching situations and not all dogs would do well and get adopted at the shelter, so she started a non-profit organization that rescued Pit Bulls from the local animal control shelters who were headed for euthanasia to find and place them in their "furever home".

 

Oftentimes these dogs had emotional and behavioral issues as a result of the abuse they survived, so Logan would step in to foster an unstable dog in his own home on a temporary basis, while the dog learned how to live in a family setting before adoption.  One of those Pit Bulls and Logan became especially attached to each other and while he couldn't tell you who adopted who, “Kissy” was aptly named (if she can get her face close enough to yours, then you will get a guaranteed KISS). Needless to say….she wasn’t going anywhere. Within a few months, she went from being a foster dog to becoming a permanent member of Logan's family. She actually became so stable, patient, and social, that Kissy began helping Logan in training efforts with other dogs who had aggression issues.  When Logan saw “Kissy” exhibit these qualities around other dogs with aggression/emotional issues, he knew she could be trained to do similar work with human clients, so Kissy began to attend some Group Therapy work with him in Portland, Oregon as a young dog.

 

When it was time to travel back home from the West Coast, “Kissy” joined Logan and his Family for the Journey. "Kissy" still resides with Logan and his Family and works with Logan in his practice as an integral team member. He utilizes her professionally as a trusted co-therapist with both children and adults, however she admittedly is especially drawn to children and has a special knack for helping clients feel safe as they are engaged in trauma recovery work, which is something that she knows about surviving all too well herself.

 

If you would like a big ole Pit Bull grin in your newsfeed every now and again, you can now follow Kissy on Instagram at @Kissy.K9.Cotherapist, where of course you will also find links to our practice. Just...please be patient with her following back since she doesn’t have thumbs, right girl?