Theresa Thweatt Rulien, Ph.D.

Theresa is a native of Jacksonville, having attended Duval County Public Schools for her primary and secondary education. She earned her Associates degree (AA) from Florida Junior College, Jacksonville, continuing her post-secondary education at the University of Florida, Gainesville, receiving her Bachelors degree (BA) in Psychology, her Masters (MEd) and Specialist (EdS) degrees in Counselor Education specializing in Agency, Correctional and Developmental Counseling and her Doctorate (PhD) also in Counselor Education with a specialty in Marriage and Family Therapy. Theresa is dually licensed in the state of Florida as a Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT).

After graduation, Theresa was employed by Mental Health Services, Inc. in Gainesville as an outpatient therapist, working primarily with children and families involved in the Florida HRS system. She continued with MHS at the Alachua County Juvenile Detention Center as an assessment and referral specialist. After moving to Jacksonville, Theresa joined Psychological Associates (later Baptist Behavioral Health System) as an outpatient family therapist before opening a private practice with offices in the Arlington and Mandarin areas of Jacksonville.

Theresa joined Child Guidance Center in February, 2005 to coordinate the development of the then Crisis Response Team (now Rapid Response Team). She was later promoted to Program Director adding the Comprehensive Assessments and the Community Family Services teams to her direction. Theresa has been the President/Chief Executive Officer of Child Guidance Center since July, 2010.