Is your marriage strained? Has your spouse had an affair and you need help picking up the pieces? Are you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed? Are you getting a divorce and want to make sure your kids are okay? Are you having trouble relating to your older kids or teenagers? Have you lost someone dear to you? As a marriage and family therapist, Christie helps people find strength while supporting them through the pain. She has worked with clients dealing with recovery from a divorce, an affair, or an abortion. Christie also has experience in marriage and family conflict, parenting, peer relationships, and premarital counseling. In addition to her work regarding life transition issues, coping with illness and menopause, and spiritual abuse, she also works with clients who are struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, loss, miscarriage, self-esteem, and self-worth. Christie has her degree in marriage and family therapy and is trained in emotionally focused therapy (EFT), the number one treatment for marriages and relationships. If you are hurting, please call to find a resolution that brings relief and peace.

Dara delights in assisting couples and individuals in challenging situations. She enjoys working with couples as they prepare for marriage as well as couples confronting crises who require more than mere skill building for an enduring solution. Problems such as recovering from an affair or betrayal or overcoming the effects of pornography and compulsive sexual behaviors can destroy a marriage without guided intervention, but Dara is available to join a couple in the fight to preserve their marriage and establish a more intimate and satisfying partnership. To facilitate her goals with couples, she has received advanced training in emotionally focused therapy (EFT), earned a specialization in Christian sex therapy, and received training to become a certified sex addiction therapist (CSAT). Her plans are to complete the final module of CSAT training in August 2019. In individual therapy, Dara assists those who have experienced loss, abuse, trauma, or relational problems. She has received training in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and internal family systems (IFS). She particularly enjoys working with those suffering from betrayal trauma.

Anna Gould enjoys working with individuals and couples experiencing a variety of concerns such as anxiety and self-doubt, people-pleasing, relationship issues and conflict, marital distress, and questions concerning faith and spirituality. She has a special passion for helping clients and families impacted by alcohol and drug addiction. She’s a proponent of 12-step programs and has seen the healing power of acknowledging and accepting what we cannot change or control and taking action to change those things we can. Anna is passionate about the power of authenticity to help foster hope and healing for relationships. She’s certified as a “ Prepare and Enrich” premarital facilitator and is now completing advanced training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Levels 1 and 2. Both therapies offer structure and support when working with couples desiring stronger relationships. In addition to practicing at Atlanta Wellness Collective, Anna enjoys spending time with her grown children, honing her basketball and football skills with the help of her grandson, and exploring local hiking trails with her husband. Anna is a member of a local church where she has the opportunity to serve (and learn from) a wonderful group of middle school students. Anna and her family are huge dog lovers. (Boxers rule!) Anna has lived in the Kennesaw area for over 25 years. She earned a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Richmont Graduate University, with a focus on marriage and family therapy and addictions counseling. She graduated from Shorter University with a bachelor’s degree in Biblical studies, minoring in human services. Anna is board-certified by the National Board for Certified Counselors and is a Licensed Associate Professional Counselor under the supervision of Kim Ostrander.

Madison received an undergraduate degree from UNC Chapel Hill and her master's degree in social work from UNC Charlotte. Madison received training in play therapy and other courses to advance her knowledge of children and families. She has spent time in a private practice as well as an integrated health center.    Madison has a passion for working with young children, adolescents, and families who need a safe place to process and grow. She utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy and child-centered approaches to help individuals. She commonly helps clients navigate anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD, and behavioral concerns. Madison aims to provide a space where clients feel the love and grace of Jesus.    Outside of the office, Madison enjoys nutrition and fitness, going to coffee shops, and being with friends and family. 

Women and adolescents face unique challenges in our culture today. From adolescence to adulthood, each individual's journey is filled with both expected and unexpected changes. In spite of so many ways to connect with others via technology, many of us feel more isolated than ever before. And while social media opens many doors to opportunity, it can also bring unintended negative consequences such as the comparison factor, fear of missing out, and an unhealthy desire to manage our image. Though this can be unsettling and overwhelming, Victoria holds to the belief that there is always hope! She specializes in treating women and adolescents who are experiencing anxiety, depression, eating disorders, grief, divorce recovery, and young-adult life and career transitions. She uses her training and experience to help individuals explore their beliefs about God's love, God’s forgiveness, and other important questions in a nonjudgmental environment. Victoria believes that by addressing the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual self as a whole, clients are better equipped to see personal growth and lasting change as opposed to just a temporary fix. Her desire is to provide a safe place for you on your journey in whatever season of life you find yourself.

Micah Moore believes that the process of therapy should be collaborative and relational. He works closely with each client to better understand their unique experience and needs. He’s passionate about helping clients experiencing anxiety and depression, life transitions, identity issues, relationship issues, and spiritual issues. Each client is important, and Micah considers it an honor to join you on your journey toward healing, personal growth, and wholeness.    Micah values authenticity and connection and hopes that by believing in his clients, they will feel empowered to believe in themselves. With students and teens, he’s highly effective in working directly with parents to better understand their teen's challenges and what they are going through. When appropriate, Micah also enjoys working with clients who wish to incorporate their faith into counseling.    Micah is a Georgia native and currently lives in Cobb County. He’s a graduate of the University of Georgia and is working toward a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta.    At Atlanta Wellness Collective, Micah is closely supervised by an in-house clinical supervisor, meaning that his clients benefit from having multiple counselors whose time and expertise are applied to working with them. Micah is currently under the supervision of Jonathan Smith, LPC. Micah also offers counseling sessions at a significantly reduced rate.

"Being a teenager has never been harder.” “You are a brave, courageous person.” “Depression and anxiety are no joke.” These are statements Chip makes every day in his office to validate the very legitimate concerns his clients bring to him. He considers it a great honor to walk alongside his clients as they walk and talk out their issues. Chip has over 15 years of experience working with teenagers, adults, and families in private practice and in-home, residential settings. For the past three years, he feels that he has found his greatest joy by working in a private practice setting where he builds healthy, trusting relationships with his clients who are looking to make changes in their personal life and within their family. Chip is patient, compassionate, and not afraid to share a bit of his own story if it’s helpful in facilitating someone's healing and growth. If you are reading this, it means you are ready to take a new step in your life. Counseling isn't necessarily the easiest thing in the world, but it is one of the bravest and often one of the most rewarding.

Above and Beyond Counseling Services was designed to incorporate God (Above) and clinical therapeutic techniques (Beyond) into counseling services. Our staff all have different clinical treatment modality training, but all have a core belief that without God our treatment is limited. We offer individual, marriage, and family counseling. We also serve children as young as 5 in our office. Most children come into our office with behavioral issues that the whole family needs support with. We offer classes to help families with parenting skills and therapists to help parents with the stress. Our hope is that when one family member comes into our office with the "symptom," the whole family considers treatment. Most mental health symptoms are a part of a system, not isolated to one person. We also offer several support groups because life is hard! It's our hope that when you come into a group here you'll feel comfortable and realize others are in the boat with you. Depression Support Group, Wounded by Infidelity, Survivors of Sexual Abuse, Positive Discipline Class, and Bible studies are here to support our community.

Your mind races with thoughts that begin with What if? Your anxiety gets in the way of your relationships, steals your joy, and limits your potential for happiness at home and at work. Worrying about things you cannot control has become a habit, which is hard to break because you believe that the worry prevents the thing from happening. You worry about your relationships, your family, your kids, and your work. Worry turns to guilt about not doing enough and not being enough. You long to quiet the inner critic, let go of the anxiety, feel like you are enough, and live a more fully engaged and balanced life. Through our collaborative efforts, you will learn the skills you need to conquer your worries and unwanted negative, anxious thoughts, communicate your needs effectively, and overcome feelings of guilt and self-doubt. We will work together to help you enjoy your life and relationships again, live fully in the present, and look forward to your future. As a licensed psychologist for over 15 years, I utilize research-supported interventions including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Using a positive psychology approach, we will identify your strengths and uncover ones you may not even recognize. When nurtured and channeled in the best way, these strengths will help you cope with the past, conquer current fears, and overcome future obstacles on your path. My job is to give you the tools you need to be your own therapist. I am also trained in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), which is considered a best practice in the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

My passion is helping couples and individuals understand their current story of shutdown or strife so healing can begin.  I started where you are. I was smart and competent in many ways, but I didn’t understand how my early relationships and experiences affected the choices I was making. I struggled the first few years of marriage and felt defeated. Almost three decades later, I find joy helping couples and individuals find a new way.  In sessions with couples, I use Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) to track the steps in the relationship's negative cycle, a cycle of disconnect that you’ve unconsciously fallen into over time. We step away from blame and discover that the vulnerable feelings of rejection and abandonment are fueling the cyclical fights. We see that under surface tensions are attachment cries: Are you there? Do I matter?  In individual sessions, I use Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) to help you explore how your default responses might be getting in the way of the love and the life you want. These default responses are related to your attachment style. Instead of feeling defeated by your repeated "failings" or “mistakes,” you’ll see that you make sense in the context of your life’s experience.  Read more about my approach and schedule a free consultation with me here: https://newstorycounselingatl.com/services