Stephanie Townsend, LMSW, CCTP, ART Practitioner
Trauma
Trauma rewrites our entire nervous system. It does not matter much logic you pull, or how much you think you can gaslight yourself out of a fear or physical reaction. Trauma can be the big things like experiencing war, natural disasters, robberies, car crashes, physical violence, or sexual violence. Trauma can also look like the slow burn of subtle threats hidden behind caring tones, it can look like needs going unmet for extended amounts of time, or being made to feel guilty for your own emotions and experiences. I can help you re-establish safety in your own body, gain confidence in your emotions and thoughts, and help you set boundaries and advocate for yourself in the life you’re wanting to build.
Sometimes it can feel like your entire body is working against you. It can be the racing thoughts that never seem to give you a moment’s peace, the random heart flutters that take your breath away, or the heaviness of our mind and the fact that nothing seems to be enjoyable or even worthwhile anymore. You go through the motions, hoping that something “resparks” in you, but it never seems to come. You may be multiple years and a few prescription in on trying to manage, or you’re looking to adjust in ways without medication, there can be hope for either story. I can help you get back “in your body,” experiencing the life you used to know and love before depression or anxiety took over. I help you better understand your thoughts and emotions, work with the physical sensations, instead of turning blind eye and crossing your fingers extra hard they’ll go away.
Anxiety & Depression
The Adult Child of Emotionally Immature Parents
Did you grow up noticing that your friends tended to have different relationships with their parents than you did? Did you watch movies of loving parents and try and put that “filter” on your own family, and it never seemed to work? Did you feel like you were “tagged in” for emotional relief if your parent had a bad day or a fight with their spouse or partner? As an adult, do you find yourself wanting to dodge phone calls, get anxious before visits, or feel like you’ve been hit by a bus when you have to save the day? Anytime you’ve said “no” was met with a Broadway level of dissatisfaction, or maybe even a week’s worth of the silent treatment? You love your parents and don’t want to push them away, but you also can’t seem to find a sustainable way to interact with them. I can help you navigate the difficulties of “I love them, but this isn’t healthy for me.” We can work together on practicing boundaries, saying the hard things, and sometimes even making the hard decisions. There can be repair after rupture, but you deserve rest and care after that rupture.
Therapy with me is…
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I strive to keep a delicate balance between evidence-based practice and lived experience. I will not offer anything that doesn’t have science backing it but I understand that not everything is one size fits all.
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I’m not a quiet therapist. I do not adopt a philosophy of being passive within a session that leaves room for a lot of long pauses. I will not over-ride your session but I am more likely to share feedback, ask more questions, and dive a little deeper into the conversation.
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The way I do therapy is heavily based on including you in your treatment. I want you to be bought in just as much as I am. I take special efforts in talking out my thoughts on what therapies I think would be best and hear your feedback on my recommendations.
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You never have to worry about, “Is my therapist sugarcoating this?” I’m always a fan of honest and direct communication. I’ll tell you my thoughts on whatever you bring to the session. I have a want for you to not need therapy at some point and dancing around topics is not how you effectively get there.
Credentials:
Stephanie received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of North Georgia in 2016 and then her Master of Social Work from Louisiana State University in 2020.
Stephanie received her License in Masters Social Work in 2021 and then went on to complete her Certified Clinical Trauma Professional in the same year.
Stephanie is always looking for new, evidence-based interactions to best serve her clients and received her Accelerated Resolution Therapy Practitioner certification in 2022.
During her time in social work, Stephanie has worked in populations that have served highly traumatized individuals, immigration needs, foster care work, substance abuse, and within the legal system of Cobb County. As a result, Stephanie has experience in a wide range of cultures, backgrounds, races, and ethnicities, and works to always offer culturally appropriate care.
Fees: Sessions range from $155-$200 depending on services provided.
