Mary is a licensed professional counselor who has been working with teenagers, adults, and couples for more than 10 years. She loves her work because it allows her the opportunity to learn from all different types of people as they work to grow through their struggles and experiences. Outside the office, Mary enjoys time at home with her husband of more than 18 years, their two kids, and their assortment of furry family members who ruin their furniture.

Barbara works with adults on a number of issues such as anxiety, depression, grief/loss, trauma, divorce recovery, chronic illness, work situations, relational challenges, and family struggles. Everyone experiences stress in life, and professional, competent counseling can help. She is relational and collaborative and finds great satisfaction in helping clients experience effective change for personal and spiritual growth. Barbara specializes in spiritual integration and is a nationally board certified counselor and a licensed professional counselor (LPC) of Georgia. She has been in private practice supporting the metro-Atlanta community for 15 years. Barbara has been married for 40 years and has two adult children and two grandchildren. She enjoys reading, writing, painting, travel, and the great outdoors. She is passionate about serving and loving the body of Christ.

Kristen is a licensed professional counselor with more than 18 years of experience as a licensed clinician and consultant to individuals, couples, and families. Professional services include counseling and wellness coaching. She has specialized training in providing therapy from a faith-based perspective to serve clients who are interested in that approach. Since 2004, Kristen has been walking alongside individuals as they begin to uncover the larger story that God might be working in their hearts. Often, as individuals reflect on the journey of their lives, it seems as if the story they are living is not the story they had hoped to find themselves in. Heartache from the past, and even anxiety about an uncertain future, can serve to distort one’s view of oneself and the unfolding story. Watching God use brokenness to move people toward redemption and wholeness is one of Kristen's greatest privileges as a therapist. Kristen takes an integrative approach to therapy and feels that one of the most important catalysts for change is found in the strength of the therapeutic alliance. Within that alliance is a collaboration and an agreement on a client's goals and treatment tasks.

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.

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. 

"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.

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

Melissa is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) with a Master of Science in professional counseling from Georgia State University. She is passionate about serving children, individuals, and families through counseling. She has a passion to see her clients thrive so that they are able to overcome challenges that are negatively affecting their lives. Melissa is committed to assisting in the process of growth to help clients break dysfunctional cycles. She approaches therapy with individuals, children, and families using creative methods. Since obtaining her degree, Melissa has received continuing education and specializes in providing play therapy services for children ages 4–12 and is trained in working with children who experience anxiety, anger, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social skills, among other issues. In addition, Melissa enjoys helping adult women who are facing challenges and difficulties such as depression, anxiety, and more, as well as adults with anxiety, and couples facing conflict. Melissa has served in various settings using her skills in the role of kindergarten teacher and church staff member.

Whether you or a family member is struggling with depression, anxiety, anger, or relationship problems, you are here because you're looking for a change. Jason enjoys helping people move past the band-aid approach to a problem to really finding lasting change. Early on in his work with clients, he collaborates with them to find practical interventions that will bring relief. Then they explore the internal and external factors that can keep people stuck. The more understanding people have about themselves and their situation, the better they’ll know what to do about it. Jason provides a safe environment for clients to process their struggles. He wants to make sure he understands their life from their perspective. He encourages, challenges, and is present with his clients as they face their hard places.

I help marriages strengthen communication and become skilled at conflict resolution. I specialize in affair recovery, porn / sex addiction recovery, and women's issues. My therapeutic support group provides an opportunity for women to get support and heal from the sexual betrayal mentioned above (whether by the parents they were raised by or by a significant other / spouse). Being a certified sex therapist I help couples heal and grow through sexual intimacy challenges.