Kirsten Banks is a Georgia State Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), a nationally Certified Interventionist (CAI and CIP), and a Certified PC Trauma Therapist. She earned her BA and BS degrees in Sociology and a minor in Rehabilitative Services in Women’s Studies from the University of Florida in 1998. In 2005, she earned her Master’s Degree in Professional Counseling from Argosy University.  Kirsten has worked in the addiction field for over 20 years and specializes in substance use disorders, mental health, codependency, and trauma, as well as families, couples, and individuals struggling with addiction and mental health issues. She is the founder of Therapeutic Recovery Network and offers counseling, intervention, and consulting services for mental health and substance abuse. Kirsten uses a network approach to facilitate the necessary services for each individual in the family. She has found that this collaborative approach is the most effective. It allows her to assess and develop a tailored plan for individuals and families to find their paths to healing. In addition to her work as a therapist and interventionist, Kirsten has extensive involvement in the local area to help combat the impact of drug addiction on the community. She developed and facilitates a local support group and an online support community called Parent Recovery Network (PRN) for parents and grandparents with loved ones struggling with addiction. 

Andy is a licensed psychologist who specializes in both clinical and neuropsychological services and consultation. He has over 18 years of experience as a licensed clinician and consultant to individuals, couples, and families, as well as business, non-profits, and ministry organizations. Professional services include counseling, psychological testing and assessment, and behavioral health consultation. He has specialized training in providing therapy from a faith-based perspective for those interested in that approach. As an engaging speaker and trainer, he is frequently sought after to speak about a variety of areas including relational skills, leadership, marriage, emotional health, and effective stress management at home and in the workplace. He has been married to his wife, who is a licensed professional counselor (LPC), for 18 years and they are the parents of three boys. They are active in their local church and together they enjoy leading marriage intensives at WinShape Retreat in Rome, GA.

Reality is hard. We often find ourselves wondering how life is so much different than we anticipated. We experience hurdles at work, conflict in our relationships, and stagnation in our faith. And we can’t shake the gnawing sense that we aren’t operating at our full potential. Drawing from her personal experience and extensive training with Dr. John Townsend, Becca collaborates with her clients to help them develop the capacities necessary to navigate life's challenges and create fulfilling lives. She works with male and female clients, personally and professionally, with a wide array of hurdles such as perfectionism, people- pleasing, imposter syndrome, burned-out leaders or helpers, trauma, relational dissatisfaction, spiritual formation, and addiction. Her focus is to dig underneath the unwanted symptoms to find the root causes that will facilitate long-term transformation. In addition to her therapy practice, Becca teaches for the Townsend Institute for Leadership and Counseling. She also facilitates the Townsend Leadership Program, a one-year training cohort designed for leaders and helpers that want to expand their capacity, personally and professionally.

Dr. Penny Hays is a licensed psychologist who specializes in school-related problems with children. She conducts psychoeducational evaluations to diagnose learning disabilities including dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and attention deficit disorders.

Jim brings a rich blend of life and professional experience to his practice to enhance his ability to walk alongside people facing difficult challenges. Jim particularly has a heart for couples that lack the deep connection they long for. He has completed training and has experience in Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT), which is an approach to couple counseling that has been proven to help couples deepen the bond between them. Furthermore, Jim has experience working with couples whose relationships have been injured by infidelity or betrayal. As a PREPARE/ENRICH facilitator, he enjoys working with premarital couples that desire an enriching experience as they prepare for life together. In addition to working with couples, Jim has extensive experience working with individuals, both adults and adolescents, who find themselves distressed or impaired because of anxiety, depression, grief, or traumatic events. He has training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a highly effective therapy to help people impacted by trauma in their lives.

Sarah is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in working with women on identity formation and development, building healthy relationships with others and self, life-stage transitions, spiritual concerns, and grief and loss. Sarah’s work with clients centers around exploring and strengthening the foundational relationship with the self, to include: identity formation and personal growth, building self-trust, and the integration of faith/spirituality as desired. Sarah supports her clients in bringing their lives into greater alignment with their personal values so they may feel more at home within themselves and more empowered to express themselves authentically. She listens for the wisdom in her clients’ experiences and empowers them as active participants in their growth process. Sarah assists clients with values clarification, identifying and expressing emotions, establishing and maintaining boundaries, exploring purpose and meaning, self-esteem/self-worth, living and communicating authentically, codependence recovery, and developing personal agency.  Sarah’s personal and professional identity has been shaped by her dual training in mental/emotional health and spiritual health. She earned a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Sarah previously worked as a Board-Certified Chaplain (BCC) in the fields of palliative care, hospice, and mental health. She earned a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Mercer University. Sarah gained experience in acute mental health treatment, substance abuse recovery, and group counseling prior to transitioning into private practice at Cultivate Counseling in Buckhead. 

Multidisciplinary Mental Health Practice serving the community for all ages and disorders

Do you often find yourself questioning your worth or feeling like you're not enough? Are you struggling with comparison and want to finally feel comfortable in your own skin? Maybe you're wanting to heal your relationship with food and accept your body. I've been there, and you don't have to continue feeling this way. As a Licensed Professional Counselor and owner of The Grove Counseling & Consulting, my specialty is helping teen girls and women in the areas of anxiety, self-esteem, perfectionism, and eating disorders. I am certain that you can be equipped with the tools you need to meet your goals, learn to be kinder to yourself, build confidence, and begin to thrive in this season of your life.  It is a great passion of mine to provide a safe, genuine, and welcoming space for my clients. I will meet you exactly where you are, so that you can grow and heal in the way that makes the most sense for you. I believe that you are the expert on yourself, so we will collaborate to determine which approaches and techniques are best for your needs. My style is warm and caring, and my goal is for you to feel free to be yourself in therapy- maybe even laugh along the way! You deserve to feel calm, empowered, and in control of your life. I'm so glad you're here. If you are ready to start feeling better and take your power back, send me a message. It would be an honor to partner with you on your journey!

Maureen S. Bixler, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker with a Master’s and Bachelor’s of Social Work from the University of Georgia. She has years of experience working with children, adolescents and families in both individual and group settings. She has worked in different social work settings such as schools, in-home counseling and child welfare. Maureen created Live Life Counseling, LLC in 2014, with the main goal to help others live life to its fullest potential. Maureen offers a holistic, healing approach to therapy. She utilizes many different treatment modalities; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT), Existential Therapy, Family Systems, Attachment and Bonding Based Parenting, Strength Perspective and Client-Center Therapy. She offers individual, couple and family therapy. Often clients come to her with complex trauma which surfaces through addiction, anxiety and or depression. She utilizes Dialectical Behavioral Techniques (DBT) and Progressive Counting (PC) which allow a client to work through their issue and underlying trauma. In every session with Maureen she hopes to be a place for one to feel heard, validated and encouraged. Maureen loves spending time with her husband and being a mom to their four young children.