He and his family moved to Graham in 2006 to raise their children and be a part of a community he and his wife, Kerri, believe in. Being a native of Graham, he is excited about being able to give back to the community that gave so much to him. Dr. Bates graduated from Tarleton State University in 1998 with his Bachelor’s degree and from Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in 2002 with a Doctorate of Psychology. His internship and residency training led him to Porterville, California as well as South Texas. He then moved to Oklahoma where he was the Mental Health Authority at a medium security prison for three years before going into private practice in Graham in 2006.