Meet The Team
Our Clinicians
Allison Bender, PhD, HSP, is a Tennessee-licensed clinical psychologist with more than 30 years of experience in forensic psychological practice, psychological assessment, and psychotherapy. She has extensive experience providing forensic services across family, civil, and criminal matters and has been qualified or stipulated as an expert witness in multiple Tennessee Circuit, Chancery, and Criminal Courts, as well as federal court.
Dr. Bender conducts court-appointed psychological and custodial evaluations, including evaluations pursuant to Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure 35 and Tennessee Rules of Evidence 706, as well as other forensic evaluations in civil and criminal matters. Her current forensic work includes assessment of complex psychological, developmental, behavioral, parenting, and family-system concerns, with an emphasis on objective evaluation, careful integration of collateral information, and clear, practical recommendations for courts and referral sources.
In addition to her forensic practice, Dr. Bender provides comprehensive psychological and psychoeducational evaluations for children, adolescents, and adults. Her assessment work includes attention, learning, developmental, intellectual, emotional, and behavioral concerns, as well as autism spectrum disorder and giftedness. Her evaluations emphasize not only diagnostic clarity, but also an understanding of individual strengths and needs and the translation of findings into practical, research-based recommendations.
She also serves as a court-appointed therapist in complex family cases involving strained or disrupted parent-child relationships and other clinically significant family-system concerns. Her clinical work is informed by evidence-based approaches and a collaborative, strengths-based perspective.
Dr. Bender previously served as Clinical Director of the Diagnostic Center at Currey Ingram Academy, where she helped lead a multidisciplinary assessment center serving children and adolescents with complex learning, developmental, and emotional needs. She has also trained and supervised master’s- and doctoral-level clinicians in psychological assessment throughout much of her career.
Dr. Bender earned her MA in Psychology and PhD in Clinical and School Psychology from Hofstra University and is designated as a Health Service Provider in Tennessee. Across her forensic, assessment, and clinical work, she emphasizes thoughtful, objective, research-informed evaluation and practical guidance tailored to the needs of the individuals and systems involved.
Kimberlee Owen, LCSW, is a Tennessee-licensed clinical social worker with over a decade of clinical experience. Her work focuses primarily on high-conflict and court-involved individuals and families. Her areas of practice include court-appointed therapy, parenting assessment, co-parenting intervention, parent coaching, parent-child reunification, domestic violence assessment and intervention, and multidisciplinary consultation.
Kimberlee has extensive experience working with families in which conflict, trauma, disrupted attachment, communication difficulties, and other complex dynamics affect family functioning. Her clinical approach is grounded in family systems theory, trauma-informed care, and research-informed intervention, with an emphasis on clear assessment, collaborative problem-solving, and structured next steps. Her residential treatment experience included work with trauma, substance use, crisis intervention, and the long-term impact of childhood family dynamics on emotional and behavioral functioning. That experience continues to inform her work with families and her emphasis on early, child-centered intervention.
She works closely with attorneys, evaluators, guardians ad litem, treatment providers, and law enforcement. Her work frequently includes treatment coordination and helping families translate clinical findings, recommendations, and court directives into workable plans.
Kimberlee has been qualified as an expert witness and has testified in multiple Tennessee civil and criminal courts. She has also served as an expert pursuant to Tennessee Rule of Evidence 706 in a range of court-involved matters.
Kimberlee oversees professional parent supervision services, including training and consultation for those facilitating court-ordered supervised parenting time. She also provides clinical supervision and training to graduate-level clinical interns, emphasizing ethical practice, forensic awareness, critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and professional development within complex systems.
Kimberlee earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a clinical concentration in interpersonal practice. She approaches complex family systems from a strengths-based, child-centered perspective, helping families move toward greater clarity and a workable path forward.
Ava Cross
Clinical Intern
Kimberlee Owen
LCSW
Dr. Allison Bender
PhD, HSP
Ava Cross is a graduate-level clinical social work intern completing her final year at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she is pursuing her Master of Science in Social Work with a clinical concentration and forensic certificate track. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice.
Ava’s previous clinical experience includes correctional mental health, high-acuity mental health treatment, co-occurring disorders, eating disorders, and adolescent behavioral health. At True North FCS, she provides therapeutic services to individuals and families navigating conflict, distress, transitions, and other mental health concerns, including work with families involved in divorce, custody disputes, disrupted relationships, and other court-involved circumstances.
Her clinical approach is grounded in a person-in-environment perspective and emphasizes not only areas of concern, but also individual and family strengths, available resources, and opportunities for meaningful change. She works collaboratively with clients and, when appropriate, with other treatment providers, attorneys, and professionals involved in the family system to improve communication, support emotional regulation and coping, and identify practical next steps. Her therapeutic approach is trauma-informed, holistic, and uniquely tailored to individual client circumstances. She believes in drawing understanding from the past in order to build a strong, meaningful, and healthy future.
Ava is also involved in the operation and development of True North FCS’s professional parent supervision services and serves as a professional parent supervisor during court-ordered supervised parenting time. Her work spans clinical, family-system, and forensic contexts within complex court-involved matters. Her clinical services are provided under the supervision of Kimberlee Owen, LCSW.
Parent Supervisors
Amelia Rossettie is a graduate-level social work student in a clinical track completing her Master of Social Work at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She has a substantial history of supervising court-ordered parenting time and a background working with individuals affected by substance use and addiction.
Her training has also included assessment of and engagement with families navigating high-conflict and court-involved circumstances, giving her familiarity with complex family dynamics, disrupted relationships, and the practical challenges families often face within the court system.
At True North FCS, Amelia serves as a professional parent supervisor, facilitating court-ordered parenting time in community settings and, when appropriate, in the home. Her background in social work and behavioral health informs a calm, flexible, and family-centered approach to working with parents and children.