Accountability and compassion are not opposites.
Central Arkansas Group Counseling, PLLC is the licensed practice behind Arkansas Counseling and Wellness Services. Three offices. Statewide telehealth. Court approved programming. NBCC approved continuing education. Built by clinicians who came up through the system.
We do three things most practices do not do under one roof.
Central Arkansas Group Counseling operates as a single legal entity with three distinct service lines, each built to a different professional standard and serving a different audience.
We see clients.
Individuals, couples, families, adolescents, and older adults. In person at our Fayetteville, Bentonville, and North Little Rock offices, or by secure telehealth across Arkansas and Missouri. Operated as Arkansas Counseling and Wellness Services.
Visit ARCW →We serve the courts.
Court approved Domestic Violence Intervention, anger management, substance abuse education, theft prevention, and DOT SAP evaluations. Documentation built for judges, attorneys, probation officers, and DERs.
For courts →We train other counselors.
Hope Builders Clinical Training Collective is our NBCC approved continuing education program. Ethics, motivational interviewing, trauma informed care, supervision. Built for working clinicians.
Hope Builders →
Dr. Kristy Burton, PhD
Before she was a counselor, Dr. Burton was a law enforcement officer. She graduated from Harding University in 2001 with a degree in criminal justice and spent nearly two decades with Arkansas Community Corrections and U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, working with people at their lowest, most difficult, and most dangerous moments.
She watched what happened when the system held people accountable without offering treatment. She watched what happened when people received treatment without accountability. And she set out to build something that held both.
I believe healing happens when people are met with honesty, structure, and the kind of compassion that doesn't flinch.
Programming that works inside the system.
Court approved groups, classes, and evaluations built by a clinician who spent nearly two decades in law enforcement. We understand the workflow, the paperwork, the deadlines, and the standards.
Documentation goes directly to your office.
Attendance tracking per session. Completion certificates issued same day. Progress narratives available for higher stakes cases. Referrals accepted from judges, attorneys, probation officers, employer DERs, and TPAs.
Make a referral →Continuing education for counselors, by counselors.
The Hope Builders Clinical Training Collective is our NBCC approved continuing education arm. Practical, interactive trainings designed for working clinicians, supervisors, and peer professionals committed to ethical, compassionate care.
Trust marks that do real work.
Every credential below is independently verifiable. We name them not as decoration, but because the courts, employers, and clinical professionals who refer to us need to know exactly what we are.
Accreditations
- NBCC Approved Continuing Education Provider ACEP #7353
- Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence DVIP accreditation
- Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling supervisor approval, LPC-S
- Arkansas State Board of Examiners of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors addictions supervision, LADAC and AADC
Memberships and Leadership
- Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers Burton, member
- Arkansas Addiction Professionals Association Burton, President
- Arkansas Counseling Association Burton, President-Elect
- Arkansas Substance Abuse Certification Board Burton, board member
Federal Compliance
- DOT Substance Abuse Professional 49 CFR Part 40 qualified
- HIPAA compliant secure telehealth Arkansas and Missouri
- HHS Office for Civil Rights compliance Notice of Privacy Practices
Recognition
- Marquis Who's Who 2024 selection, mental health and substance abuse counseling
- Rosenthal Award Arkansas Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
- Champion Award Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence
About the Entity
Central Arkansas Group Counseling, PLLC was incorporated in Arkansas in 2015. The practice operates under the trade name Arkansas Counseling and Wellness Services for clinical service delivery, and through the Hope Builders Clinical Training Collective for continuing education and clinician training.
Looking for a counselor?
Schedule with our clinical team across three Arkansas offices and statewide telehealth. We accept most major insurance, including Arkansas Medicaid.
Visit ARCW →Make a referral.
For judges, attorneys, probation officers, DERs, and employer compliance teams. Documentation is sent directly to your office in your preferred format.
Referral form →Supervision, CE, and training.
Hope Builders trainings, clinical supervision with Dr. Burton, and a path for interns and newly licensed counselors looking for a place to grow.
Browse trainings →