Awaken Counseling

12/29/2025

💙 Grateful for Our Community Partners 💙

One of our favorite holiday traditions at Awaken Counseling is getting the chance to thank the doctors and fellow professionals we work alongside to support clients and families.

Collaboration matters to us — especially when it comes to supporting parents and families in meaningful, connected ways.

A huge thank you to Savannah Candy Kitchen for their delicious holiday boxes, which made the perfect way to share our appreciation this season 🍫✨

We are so grateful for the relationships and community that help make this work possible.

12/25/2025

Happy Holidays from all of us at Awaken Counseling! ☃

Whether this time of year brings joy, stress, or a mix of both, we hope you find space to rest, breathe, and care for yourself. ❤

12/22/2025

The unmotivated teenager is practically a cultural cliché: the kid who’d rather game all day than tackle homework or help around the house. While this behavior can be incredibly frustrating for parents, it’s rarely simple laziness.

Your teen’s lack of motivation often signals something deeper. Understanding what drives (or doesn’t drive) your teenager can change how you approach this challenge and help you support them more effectively.

Read more on our latest blog about understanding and motivating an unmotivated teen.

Motivating an unmotivated teen requires patience, strategy, and sometimes support beyond what parents can provide alone. If your teen’s lack of motivation

12/21/2025

The holidays aren't always cheer and good memories. It can be a difficult time for many who may be grieving, homesick, or overwhelmed with the busyness of the season.

It's ok not feel the holiday cheer, but you're not alone. ❤

12/19/2025

Struggling with the lingering effects of trauma?

Sometimes a sight, sound, or moment can suddenly pull you back into a painful memory. That’s because trauma gets “stuck” in the brain, making your body react like it’s happening all over again.

EMDR therapy can help. 🧠

EMDR uses gentle bilateral stimulation (like guided eye movements or tapping) to help your brain reprocess traumatic memories so they feel less intense, less triggering, and more distant.

Many people say that after EMDR they feel:
▪ Calmer
▪ More in control
▪ Less reactive to triggers
▪ More connected to themselves

One of the best parts? You don’t have to talk through every detail. EMDR helps your mind and body release what’s been holding you back all at your pace and in a safe space.

If you’re curious whether EMDR could help you, we offer a free 15-minute consultation.

Schedule here: https://awakencounseling.com/contact

12/16/2025

✨ Awaken Counseling Holiday Celebration ✨

The Awaken Counseling team gathered at Mac’s Chophouse for a festive holiday party and gift exchange — and it was such a joyful way to celebrate the season! 🎄

The afternoon was filled with laughter, connection, and meaningful moments as the team enjoyed good food, thoughtful gifts, and time together outside the office. It was a wonderful opportunity to pause and recognize the dedication, compassion, and heart each therapist pours into their clients and the community throughout the year.

Awaken Counseling is incredibly proud of this group of clinicians who consistently show up with professionalism, warmth, and a deep commitment to supporting individuals and families in Marietta and beyond.

Wishing everyone a warm and peaceful holiday season from all of us at Awaken Counseling! ❤️

12/15/2025

📚 Book of the Month: Month Three!
We’re excited to continue our Book of the Month series — a space to highlight reads that support growth, resilience, and mental well-being.

🌟 This month's pick is Stopping the Noise in Your Head by Dr. Reid Wilson, recommended by our therapist Ashley Hooper, LMSW.

💬“This book is an excellent source of information for tackling anxiety in a realistic way.”

About the Book:
Dr. Reid Wilson introduces a groundbreaking, paradoxical approach to overcoming anxiety, worry, OCD, panic, and phobias by intentionally moving toward discomfort, uncertainty, and fear. With practical tools and unconventional strategies, readers learn how to face anxiety head-on, build resilience, and develop a healthier relationship with worry.

If you find yourself stuck in cycles of worry or anxiety, this book offers a refreshing perspective — one that helps you lean into discomfort instead of fighting it. With practical strategies and a fresh way of understanding our thoughts, Wilson guides readers to quiet anxious noise and move toward fear with courage and curiosity.

Let’s read and grow, together.

12/12/2025

The holidays are wonderful… and also overwhelming for many people.
If you’re feeling stretched thin, you’re not alone. 🎄

Here are 3 simple ways to protect your peace this season:

Set healthy boundaries.
You don’t have to attend every event or meet every expectation. It’s okay to say no.

Keep one steady routine.
A short walk, a few quiet minutes in the morning, or a consistent bedtime can help calm the nervous system during busy weeks.

Release the pressure to be perfect.
Trying to do everything “just right” creates stress. Let things be simpler this year and focus on connection instead.

From all of us at Awaken Counseling, we’re wishing you a holiday season filled with peace, rest, and moments of joy. ☃🎄

12/09/2025

Struggling with infertility is one of the most emotionally draining experiences you can face. When you add the complexity of watching your friends announce pregnancies and celebrate milestones you desperately want for yourself, the pain can feel unbearable. You might feel caught between genuine happiness for them and overwhelming grief for what you don’t have yet.

Read more about coping strategies in our latest blog.

Struggling with infertility is one of the most emotionally draining experiences you can face. When you add the complexity of watching your friends announce

12/08/2025

We’re so grateful for our amazing team this season!
Our therapists came together with such generosity to sponsor a family in need, and we couldn’t be more proud of their hearts.

A special thank-you to Megan Heller-Foley, LCSW, for organizing everything and making sure it all went smoothly, and to Megan’s mom for lending a hand as well!

We’re thankful for this team and the way they show up for our community. 💛

12/05/2025

Ever heard of the Four Horsemen of relationships?

According to Dr. John Gottman, a leading researcher in relationship dynamics, these communication patterns can spell trouble in any relationship: Criticism, Defensiveness, Contempt, and Stonewalling. Dr. Gottman's research at The Gottman Institute helps couples understand and navigate these challenges with the goal of building healthier communication and a better relationship.

The Gottman Method is research-based therapy used by many couples' therapists. Our couples' therapists have been trained in the Gottman Method and offer proven strategies for relationship success.

12/03/2025

Let People Feel Their Feelings.

A lot of us hold back our emotions because we’re afraid of how others might react.

“I don’t want to upset them,”
“I don’t want to seem dramatic,”
“I don’t want to be a problem.”

But that’s not self-care—that’s self-abandonment.

You’re allowed to feel and express your emotions.
Other people are allowed to have their reactions.
Both can exist.

You are responsible for your feelings.
They’re responsible for theirs.

You don’t have to shrink yourself to keep others comfortable. 🤍