Wendy’s journey to becoming a therapist began as a desire to help others through encouragement when she was very young. As an educator, mother, and minister's wife, she has been learning how to create and sustain a spiritually and emotionally healthy life, marriage, and family for more than 28 years. Her family spent more than 12 years living in a cross-cultural environment. Wendy knows what it feels like to be an outsider and misunderstood, facing circumstances beyond her control. Her compassion for others has grown as she has faced trials that have taught her to let go of fear and judgment. She strives to live daily in a spirit of grace toward herself and others, remembering the grace that she has been given throughout her lifetime. Wendy earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Valdosta State University in 1993. After returning from three separate tours as a cross-cultural worker in Central Asia, she attended Richmont Graduate University, earning a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling and a certificate in marriage and family therapy. She worked with children, adolescents, and families under board-certified art therapist Teresa Woodruff's direction at Art It Out Therapy in East Cobb. There she learned to incorporate creative expression into various therapy modalities, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and person-centered and group therapy. Wendy also worked with individual adults and couples at Hope Counseling Center in Marietta. To further her work with couples and families and gain a better understanding of the role of attachment in relationships, she studied emotionally focused therapy (EFT) under James Hawk, PhD., LPC. Wendy is in the certification process for EFT. Wendy receives strength and encouragement from her faith in Christ and believes it informs every area of her life. As a follower of Christ, she is compelled to love others as she has been loved. To Wendy, that includes respecting the personal beliefs of others, even if they differ from her own. She hopes that every person she is with experiences compassion and a nonjudgmental spirit from her. If incorporating your personal faith into therapy is something you want, Wendy will gladly do so. However, she will not force her beliefs on you. Wendy welcomes clients from any faith or with no faith background at all. Wendy loves working with school-aged children, adolescents, individual adults, couples, and families. She believes that play is the primary language of children and incorporates creative expression, play therapy, and games into her work with them. She also uses media and art therapy with adolescents—and adults! Wendy believes everyone can benefit from creative expression. She has a passion for working with couples and families and has chosen EFT as her primary therapy model. According to authors Candice C. Beasley and Richard Ager (2019), EFT is one of the most effective, researched-based, relational therapies for couples. Having experienced EFT as both a client and therapist, Wendy can vouch for its effectiveness. At Family Renewal Counseling in Woodstock, she is now under the direction and supervision of Christie Poole, MS, LMFT, and board-certified supervisor Erin Holcomb, MS, LPC.

Dr. Goodman specializes in helping clients create a solid foundation and solid relationships in order to live their best life.

Mayra is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and holds a master’s degree in clinical mental health from Richmont Graduate University. Her clinical experience includes an emphasis on depression and anxiety disorders, addiction, spiritual growth, life transitions, emotional intelligence, and building healthy relationships. In her practice, Mayra utilizes attachment theory, cognitive behavioral theory (CBT), family systems, and emotionally focused therapy, among others. She is currently PREPARE/ENRICH certified, trained in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and telemental health. She will soon be a certified clinical anxiety treatment professional (CCATP) and is completing certifications in the Gottman Method and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).Mayra values the impact of childhood and adolescent experiences on adult identity, relationships, and behavior. Consequently, her heart as a therapist is to help people connect with God, themselves, and others so they can find fulfillment and purpose. She believes that a strong, therapeutic relationship provides a safe environment, which allows the individual to explore and discover who they are created to be. Mayra was born in Lima, Peru, and is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Laura is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University where she received her B.A. in Psychology from the Honors Program. She then moved to Atlanta and earned her Masters of Family Therapy degree from Mercer University. She gained extensive experience in her clinical work at Laurel Heights Psychiatric Hospital where she worked with children and adolescents as well as their families in an inpatient setting. She also has specialized training that helps her work with people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities from the Nisonger Center at The Ohio State University. She is comfortable adapting the therapy to the appropriate developmental level of the child or adolescent as well as including art therapy and play therapy techniques into her sessions.

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. 

Joanne Gonzalez is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia. Her practice focuses on working with young adults, teens, children, and their families in exploring needs, developing strengths, making better choices, healing trauma, and finding clarity toward change and growth. She has over 10 years of experience working with various populations from different races, ethnicities, cultures, religions, economic backgrounds, learning levels, and languages. Joanne is fully fluent in Spanish and English. In her free time, Joanne is a volunteer at her local church. She enjoys reading or listening to up to three books at a time, nature walks, spending  time with family and friends, going on mission trips, and striking up conversations with random people (she rarely meets a stranger).

Ash Blanton is passionate about helping teens/adolescents, college students, and men thrive in all areas of life! Specializing in helping clients with anxiety, depression, addictions, and self-esteem, Ash believes that counseling is for anyone who has a problem and wants to see improvement in their life. He works with parents to find the best care for their sons and wants to see young men empowered to be all they can be.   Ash earned an education specialist degree in professional counseling from the University of West Georgia. He is a national board certified counselor and a guide for Onsite Workshops. Ash is a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist Candidate (CSAT-C). He is trained in experiential therapy, psychodrama, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and is internal family systems (IFS) informed.

Katie grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta and studied business at the University of Georgia. She began her career as a campus recruiter at a public accounting firm. It was quickly apparent that she enjoyed the relational aspect of recruiting far more than filling her hiring goals. As a result, she decided to earn a master’s degree in counseling. Katie has since worked in residential treatment as well as intensive outpatient addiction therapy.  Katie seeks to provide a safe and welcoming environment for clients to pursue insight, hope, and healing through introspection. She approaches counseling holistically and believes in using her authenticity and empathy to foster the client-counselor relationship. She recognizes that making the choice to attend counseling is not an easy one and is honored to offer care.

Brittny has a heart for helping individuals discover more of their true selves, assisting couples in learning how to get to “know” each other as God intended by design, and building cohesion in families. Brittny's approach to counseling is holistic, person-centered, solution-focused, cognitive-behavioral, systemic, and structural (i.e., cycles, systems, and boundaries). She enjoys teaching clients about their symptoms, thought processes, emotional responses, and behavioral and social patterns. She also values learning from them about what they need most as indicated through the therapeutic relationship. The goal is to help clients discover new ways to express their needs, practice gratitude and self-care, and set healthy boundaries to cultivate and maintain wellness. When working with couples, for example, Brittny may utilize PREPARE/ENRICH, Gottman Method, and/or Woodfellow’s Love Cycles/Fear Cycles model. She joins with them as they learn how to highlight their strengths, communicate effectively, rebuild trust and intimacy, and share their deepest desires and dreams. And because she believes that mental health derives from one’s soul health, she integrates spirituality into the healing process, as guided by the client. Brittny navigates her life with a Christian compass, but she welcomes her clients’ beliefs and positions on spirituality and in no way tries to impose her beliefs on them. Brittny's style of therapy involves homework (i.e., journaling, reading, completing worksheets, practicing coping skills, and utilizing support) to keep clients engaged in the healing process, so be prepared to get to work! Homework teaches clients how to practice new skills and cope independently between sessions to become advocates for their own healing. With a combination of collaborating with Brittny, God’s wisdom and guidance, and your commitment to the process, nothing less than transformative possibilities await you. Are you ready to do this good work?