Find the Right Fit!
Below you will find a variety of practitioners for children, adolescents, and parents. I recommend speaking with at least three practitioners in order to find the right fit for your needs.
Click here for referrals for Adults & Couples
Children
Finding the right support for your child depends on their life experience, onset of challenges, and nature of their struggles. Please explore the following information as a guide, and scroll down for recommended mental health care professionals and parent coaches.
Was your child born into the world emotionally and/or physically intense? Are they constantly on the move or running in to things? Do they seem clumsy, or avoid certain textures or foods? If any of this sounds familiar, your child will likely benefit most from an Occupational Therapist (OT) evaluation and treatment for sensory system / reflex integration therapy. I recommend contacting We Play Atlanta.
Does your child struggles with receptive or expressive language, social or cognitive communication, or producing speech sounds? If so, they will likely benefit most from working with a Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP). I recommend contacting Anita Bullock-Morley & Associates for an evaluation. Anita also provides parent coaching!
If your child has a sudden onset of emotional and physical intensity following a tick bite or strep throat they are best served by professionals who specialize in PANS/PANDAS and/or is Lyme Literate. I recommend contacting Dr. Eric Frier for treatment or a referral.
If your child struggles with school/school work, but does not have any of the above challenges, it may be helpful to get a Psychoeducational evaluation to determine the types of supports they need to be successful. Children who are gifted, have learning differences, or are neurodivergent will need more support than schools typically offer students. I recommend contacting Dr. Paul Cohen for a full evaluation or a referral.
If your child experienced any form of trauma, including medical trauma, abuse, or witnessing violence, play therapy (0-10) can help them find some relief. Play is a child's language, and through play they are able to work through the fearful experience and reconsolidate the memory. Tweens and teens are best helped through therapists who are aligned with the neurobiological approach to trauma-healing, which includes such things as talking, art, sandtray, Safe Sound Protocol, relational safety, and therapeutic movement.
Child & Adolescent Therapists
Children and adolescents need a therapist who understands child development, neurodiversity, how they experience the world, and the importance of their sense of belonging and significance. Below you will find therapists who understand the the role of somatic experiencing, play, art, and connection in a therapeutic relationship that allows children to grow and heal.
Julie Carnes, LPC
Julie works primarily with preschool and elementary aged children and their parents using a DIR/Floortime approach. Julie offers individual counseling, and parent coaching. She also does school observations and consultations.
Rita Patel, LCSW, RPT, SE
Rita uses somatic psychotherapy, play therapy, yoga, sandtray and art to address anxiety, chronic illness, depression, stress management, self-esteem, trauma, grief and loss, parenting, and relationship concerns.
Sarah K. Morgan, LPC
Sara works with adolescents, teens, and young adults experiencing anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, stress related issues, identity exploration, executive functioning challenges, and/or autistic individuals individuals and those with other non-visible related challenges.
Janie Mardis, MSW, LCSW
Janie helps adolescents and adults navigate stress, grief, and life transitions using a nonjudgmental, research-informed approach to healing. Her work is rooted in humanistic, Attachment Theory and Interpersonal Neurobiology, influenced by "third wave" CBTs like MBCT and DBT, creatively-guided by a love of philosophy, the arts, humor, and play.
Laura Ladefian, EdS, LPC, RPT
Laura works with children, teens and families with grief and loss, anxiety, trauma, and depression. She specializes in play therapy and parent-child relationships, and uses a strengths-based collaborative approach with teens.
Robbi Anne Strauss, LPC
Robbi specializes in working with parents of toddlers and therapy for moms. She helps parents feel equipped and empowered to approach parenting with confidence and connection.
Lauren Stinson, MS, LPC
Lauren uses a collaborative approach to help adolescents and adults understand their struggles and develop coping skills to manage strong emotions. She utilizes evidence-based approaches to treat anxiety, depression, trauma, and overwhelm, including talk therapy, Somatic and Attachment Focused EMDR and Hypnotherapy.
Rebecca Pollock, MS, LPC
Rebecca Pollock, MS, LPC specializes in working with adolescents and adults, treating anxiety, depression, and trauma using hypnotherapy, Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), and a client-centered approach to talk therapy.
rpollock@pactatl.com
Summit's Edge is a counseling center comprised of a diverse group of therapist offering specialties ranging from individual and marriage counseling, to adolescent DBT Skills Groups and LGBTQI Support Groups.
Gaia Counseling Center offers individual, family and couples counseling, play therapy, and parent coaching. Their range of therapists include a canine therapy assistant, and therapists have a wide range of specialized training to address issues from grief and chronic pain, to family discord and trauma.
Parents
Parenting is hard because nurting the growing needs of young people is physically and emotionally demanding. You may also notice that becoming a parent revealed to you the areas in your that need your attention and care. Sometimes parents need a therapist, and other times they need a parent coach.
Parent-focused counseling centers around exploring healing triggers that get in the way of your long-term parenting goals. The Inner Work group is for moms ready to explore their shadow side and heal their triggers in a supportive hypnotherapy group.
Parent Coaching helps you understand your child's needs and skills, develop your long-term parenting goals, and use your goals to guide the way you teach and connect with your unique children. Check out my parent coaching referrals below, as well as other communities and resources.
Leslie Arreola-Hillenbrand Coaching, workshops and support circles for BIPOC and biracial parents.
Sheena Hill
Responsive parenting & holistic sleep coach. Emotional intelligence, effective limit setting, and therapeutic play.
Amy Phoenix
Coaching on mindfulness, parenting, and mindful parenting.
DJ Johnson is a coach and counselor who helps families create family structures that allow children to thrive.
Shonnie Lavender
Coaching and classes for parents tired of struggling with their kids.
Sarah MacLaughlin
Compassion-based coaching for building skills, decoding behavior, and support.
Lori Petro
TEACH Through Love
Online courses for learning conscious communication skills and parenting tools.
Vivek Patel & Sujai Johnston
Group coaching calls, podcasts, workshops and support for parents.
Cindy Brandt
Blog and podcast about learning to raise our children with justice, mercy, and kindness.
Trina Greene Brown
Parenting for Liberation
A virtual community that connects, inspires, and uplifts Black folks as they navigate and negotiate raising Black children within the social and political context of the US.