Meet our Counseling Staff

Mallory Dean, MA
Director of Counseling Services

Mallory has over 15 years in the mental health field, specializing in crisis counseling for youth and adolescents. He graduated with a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from Reformed Theological Seminary and a BA in Psychology from 德赢体育. Mallory desires to create a safe environment in the counseling office to help students reach their mental health and personal goals. He brings an eclectic approach to counseling with influences from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Interpersonal Therapy. Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning and Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend are books that have had a shaping influence on him.

mallory.dean@covenant.edu
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Kathryn Tackett, MA, LPC-MHSP(Temp), NCC
Campus Counselor

Kat has experience working with children, adolescents, and young adults in diverse settings, including community mental health, private practice, ministry, and nonprofit organizations. Kat earned her Bachelor鈥檚 degree in Psychology from Berry College and her Master鈥檚 in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Richmont Graduate University. Her counseling approach is warm, trauma-informed, and student-centered, drawing from evidence-based modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness-based practices. Kat is passionate about holistic self-care, valuing the integration of spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional well-being in fostering a balanced and healthy life. Some recent books that have impacted her include Sacred Self-Care by Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes, Prayer in the Night by Tish Harrison Warren, and Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortland.

kat.tackett@covenant.edu
706.419.1271

Mako Gilchrist
Office Coordinator

Mako serves as the Office Manager for the Priesthill Center Health and Counseling Services, where she provides support to both staff and students and helps ensure students receive the care they need. With a background in middle and high school education, along with more than a decade at Fairyland Elementary School on Lookout Mountain, she brings years of experience in caring for and supporting young people.

As the wife and mother of Covenant alumni and current students, Mako feels deeply connected to the college community. She is passionate about student well-being and considers it a privilege to support their mental and physical health during such a formative season of life.

mako.gilchrist@covenant.edu

Graduate Intern Counseling Team

Eliot Gardner
Intern

Eliot is a practicum student at Tennessee Tech, pursuing a graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health. He earned his BA in Psychology from Covenant in 2017. Eliot firmly believes humans have a strong desire to overcome challenges and engage in positive growth. He seeks to create a safe environment where life鈥檚 challenges can be explored and healing can be fostered. Through this healing process, Eliot works to help clients find their strengths and develop strategies to engage in healthy living. Eliot brings an integrated approach to therapy pulling from Cognitive Behavioral, Strengths-based, and Adlerian theories. Books that have inspired Eliot are Try Softer by Aundi Kobler and Man鈥檚 Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl.

eliot.gardner@covenant.edu

Mallory Nicoll
Intern

Mallory Nicoll earned her B.S. in Health and Human Sciences from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and is currently a graduate-level counseling intern at Richmont Graduate University. She takes a collaborative approach to therapy, believing that clients are the experts on their own stories. Mallory is passionate about working with children, families, and college students, and her goal is to create a space where clients feel safe, supported, and free to be themselves as they work toward healing and growth. Two books that have been impactful to Mallory are Daring Greatly by Bren茅 Brown and Garden City by John Mark Comer.

mallory.nicoll@covenant.edu

Tessa Terlep
Intern

Tessa graduated from Southeastern University in 2022 and felt called to the field of counseling through her own life experiences, believing God has placed her here to walk alongside others in their hurt. Currently a graduate-level intern at Richmont Graduate University, Tessa takes a collaborative, client-centered approach to counseling. She is deeply committed to creating a safe, warm, and supportive environment where clients feel seen, heard, and valued. Tessa enjoys drawing from Existential theories, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), helping clients explore their core beliefs and values to discover what makes life meaningful. She offers a holistic approach that honors the mind, body, and spirit, and she believes that true healing and wholeness are found only in Christ.

Tessa has been especially impacted by the writings of Louie Giglio, particularly I Am Not But I Know I AM and Don鈥檛 Give the Enemy a Seat at the Table.

tessa.terlep@covenant.edu

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