Athens Counseling & Psychotherapy, LLC

04/02/2026

The Supreme Court just struck down a state ban on conversion therapy, framing it as “protected speech.” (Reuters) Let me be clear. Harm does not become ethical because it is legal.
The National Association of Social Workers maintains that conversion therapy is harmful, not evidence-based, and has no place in care. (NASW)
Liberation in practice means we protect people, not ideologies.

04/02/2026

What This Ruling Means—and What It Doesn’t Change: The Supreme Court’s decision does not change NASW’s unwavering stance on conversion therapy. NASW’s official policy, outlined in Social Work Speaks, affirms that s*xual identity, gender identity, and gender expression are fundamental and irrefutable aspects of personal identity. Conversion therapy undermines these core aspects and should have no place in social work.

Despite the setback, NASW remains committed to fighting against this harmful practice

03/25/2026

Nowruz Mubarak!
Wishing our Iranian community and their families peace and hope during this time of renewal and rebirth.

We are holding prayerful intentions for peace for the land and people who hold the roots of your ancestral heritage.

I hope that all of us who have traveled away from the lands of our births and ancestral lineages find rest in the midst of these long journeys. That the epigenetic histories we contain in our bones sustain us in the wisdom we embody.
~Marielle Stair, LCSW

01/03/2026

2026 Practice Update.
I hope your New Year is off to a restful start.

In the interest of transparency, and to offer our clients agency, I decided this post needed to be as honest as possible.

Due to the insurance quagmire, we have not been reembursed in a timely manner by our biggest insurance panel for the month of December. This has serious consequences on our stability as a business, and the financial security of our clinicians.

As a result, in 2026, we are transitioning more fully to utilizing the now established Headway partnership for all our insurance-based clients. We have previously maintained our own panels for Athens Counseling. What this change means, is that we will now be contracting with Headway under their contract with both Anthem and Aetna. This also means, all copay, and deductible costs will be collected through the Headway platform at time of service.

We set this collaboration up earlier last year and have had time to navigate and work through any and all the kinks and problems on the platform, including how they handled Anthem's nationwide audit in the last quarter of 2025. There will be no downtime with service provision as Athens Counseling clinicians are all paneled and reimbursable with Anthem and Aetna under Headway.

The reality for you is that we can no longer afford to put in the barriers we normally do for our insurance-based clients. Your clinical notes will be accessible to Headway, Anthem and Aetna auditors both internal and external. The only precautionary measure we can afford to take is the neutrality in our documentation, while we continue to maintain panel standards and requirements in documentation.

While this economy and political climate has egregiously impacted the agency and care we can provide to our insurance-based private practice clients, which is a hallmark of non-agency based service, it has been and is always my heart to continue offering access through insurance for our community. So, this will continue to be available through Athens Counseling. We will also be expanding this area in the coming year to include select new insurance panels.

Reminder: If you have Anthem or Aetna and choose not to use your insurance with us, you will be asked to sign a waiver, and your out of pocket cost will not count toward your deductible. We can't provide you with a Superbill in this case, as this is only for out of network benefits.

In more exciting news, I'm launching another arm of my practice that will focus on emerging specializations in my personal clinical work.
I'm excited about this new path, that will focus more fully into Q***r identity, s*xuality and attachment. Stay tuned for more on this exciting journey in 2026!

Marielle. 🩷

12/04/2025

I am doing a thing! Join myself and other wonderful speakers for an evening of learning and stimulating conversation with Amanda Auchenpaugh, LCSW and Shameless Sexuality. This Friday, 12/5, 6-8pm at Revolution Yoga.

Register at the link below: https://linktr.ee/shamelesss*xuality?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAb21jcAOeGDRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA81NjcwNjczNDMzNTI0MjcAAaf-ZOjf6BmB8wEGAvO2ebCsTCGHXCOyXX_rdIUp3886Zyz-qroyBNCW8Z-8QA_aem_j6qSbB3HgZqSyU9IG8eAbA

07/29/2025

Discover how ADHD and trauma intersect, why emotional intensity is often misunderstood, and why targeted, neurodivergent-informed therapy is essential for healing....

Discover how ADHD and trauma intersect, why emotional intensity is often misunderstood, and why targeted, neurodivergent-informed therapy is essential for healing.

06/21/2025

Chronic health symptoms impact our lives in unforeseen ways. I just got done with this fascinating process, a Brain MRI!

For women, chronic illness can impact our s*xual wellbeing, marriages and relationships. I have worked seemingly my entire adult life to maintain my physical and s*xual health, and today, I love helping my clients navigate this space.

So, here's a tidbit of information on your s*xual health:

Did you know that women can be more s*xually aroused during menstruation? Higher levels of Testosterone, lower levels of Progesterone, and increased blood flow and sensitivity to the pelvic region can all foster s*xual arousal and interest in s*x. Women also experience less stress around s*x and increased arousal because of the lower risk of pregnancy and so are more easily engaged s*xually.

Moral of the story, MRI machines are fascinating, and there are so many fun ways to play during a woman's menstrual time. How do these two things go together? Ask my neurodivergent brain another day. Happy Friday!

*xualhealth

04/02/2025

Shame is a deeply painful emotion that traps us in cycles of self-judgment and isolation. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) provides a powerful framework for healing by helping us accept our experiences, clarify our values, and take meaningful action....

Shame is a deeply painful emotion that traps us in cycles of self-judgment and isolation. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) provides a powerful framework for healing by helping us accept our …

03/18/2025

Conflict is natural in relationships, but it doesn’t have to be destructive. Small shifts in how we communicate make a world of difference.

Dr. John Gottman identified four key behaviors that predict relationship distress with over 90% accuracy. Learn to recognize and counteract them with healthier communication habits.

03/11/2025

Anxiety often feels like a storm, pulling us into worst-case scenarios and overwhelming emotions. But what if you could step outside that storm and watch it from a distance? This is where the cognitive technique known as The Observer Mind comes in....

Anxiety often feels like a storm, pulling us into worst-case scenarios and overwhelming emotions. But what if you could step outside that storm and watch it from a distance? This is where the cogni…

03/10/2025

The next Athens Access to Justice clinic will occur, March 22nd, from 9:30-11:30 at the Athens Regional Library, 2025 Baxter St, Athens, GA 30606.

For those not familiar with the concept of the pop-up clinic, attorneys at the clinic provide brief individual consultations on topics including family law (e.g. divorce, child support, legitimation), adoption law, probate law, employment law, criminal record restriction, and landlord-tenant law.

The AATJ clinics have the reputation of providing high quality legal advice in a friendly and caring manner to those who are legally disadvantaged. The volunteer attorneys provide these services free of charge!

If the issue requires more in-depth consultation, a list of legal service/attorney resources is provided for individuals who may wish to seek further assistance beyond the Pop-Up Clinic.

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03/06/2025

I walked out of this documentary wondering how to go back to my life tomorrow. Should we be changed by these moments? What does that mean, to change?
So thankful Ciné continues to feature this powerful documentary in Athens.
(Trigger warning for anyone going to see it due to graphic and violent war-related content).

How do we build capacity for all of what is occurring in our world and country right now, and still be a part of our lives? How do we find relative safety in the midst of it all? These are questions many of our clients are facing, even as we contend with similar facets as providers.

We are here and have availability.
We don't do waitlists, and generally have space within two weeks.

You can schedule a free virtual consult or go directly to a first session at https://therapyathens.clientsecure.me

In-office and virtual sessions.
BCBS/Aetna/private pay.
Adults 18+