Authentic-Life Counseling provides effective, results-oriented individual therapy and marriage counseling for clients in Suwanee, Duluth, Sugar Hill, and Buford, Georgia.

Effective Therapy Goes Beyond Simply Talking

At Authentic-Life Counseling we empower growth and change, supporting and guiding you every step of the way.

Close up of blooming flowers representing personal growth and well-being.

"The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don't wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy."

Thich Nhat Hanh

Serving Suwanee, Sugar Hill, Buford, and Duluth, GA - In Person or Telehealth

Calm, neutral-toned background used for therapeutic setting

Individual Therapy

Life can become overwhelming, and at times, our usual coping mechanisms are no longer effective.

Recognizing the need for change is the first step toward improving your emotional and mental well-being.

Effective therapy might feel unsettling at times, but that is often where growth begins.

If you're ready to embark on this transformative journey, I would be honored to accompany and support you every step of the way.

Start Your Journey

Anxiety Therapy

Anxiety can affect both your mind and body-causing symptoms like restlessness, difficulty sleeping, feeling on edge, and excessive worry.

At Authentic-Life Counseling, we provide evidence-based anxiety therapy to help you reduce symptoms, regain control and experience a greater sense of calm,

Therapy for anxiety can help you feel more in control and less overwhelmed.

You can read more about our approach to anxiety on the Therapy page.

Depression Therapy

Depression can make even simple tasks feel overwhelming.

Whether you're struggling with low energy, hopelessness, or difficulty concentrating, therapy can help you reconnect with your motivation and sense of self.

At Authentic-Life Counseling, we use evidence-based approaches to support clients navigating depression with compassion and care.

Learn more about our work with depression and mood concerns on the Therapy page

Marriage Counseling

Relationships can be hard to navigate.

We may love our partner deeply, yet still struggle to communicate, feel heard, or trust one another.

Over time, relationships evolve — from the early emotional highs of new love to the painful lows that can come with distance, disappointment, or even separation. Each stage brings unique challenges.

In our work together, I’ll help you and your partner build practical strategies to reconnect, deepen emotional intimacy, and improve communication and conflict resolution.

Transform Your Relationship

Communication

Healthy communication is at the heart of every strong relationship.

In marriage counseling, we help couples identify unhelpfu patterns, express needs more effectively and learn to listen.

You will gain tools to reduce misunderstandings and build respect and connection through honest and respectful dialogue.

Read more about how we support healthy communication in relationships.

Affair Recovery

Healing from an affair is possible, but it takes time, honesty, and support.

We provide a safe space for both partners to process emotions, rebuild trust, and understand what led to the breach.

Through guided conversations and structured therapy, couples can begin to repair their bond and redefine their relationship.

You can learn more about our approach to affair recovery and trust rebuilding on the Marriage Counseling page.

Symptoms I Can Help You Manage

Session 1: Come Back to Now

Duration: 45-60 minutes Most workplace stress comes from our minds being somewhere other than where we are. This foundational session teaches the therapeutic skill of present-moment awareness—not as a relaxation technique, but as a way of fundamentally changing how we relate to workplace challenges. Core Skills Developed: The fundamentals of mindfulness practice as a therapeutic tool How to direct attention to the present moment for stress reduction and enhanced employee well-being Why our minds naturally wander and hijack our focus Practical techniques for attention regulation and emotional stability Using breath awareness as an anchor during difficult conversations or decisions Impact on Employee Well-being: Reduced mental exhaustion from constant multitasking Improved focus and decision-making under pressure Greater sense of calm and centeredness throughout the workday
Session 2: Cultivating Resilience

Duration: 45-60 minutes Building on fundamental practices, this session develops your team's capacity to recognize and regulate stress responses, directly supporting employee well-being and workplace effectiveness. Core Skills Developed: How to mindfully respond to early signs of workplace stress The connection between physical sensations and emotional states Practical tools for improving emotional self-regulation and employee well-being Distinguishing between subtle and acute stress activation cues Responding intentionally versus reactively to workplace pressures Impact on Employee Well-being: Enhanced ability to stay composed during challenging situations Improved response flexibility when faced with workplace stress Faster recovery from setbacks, supporting overall employee well-being
Session 3: Notice Your Narrative

Duration: 45-60 minutes This session explores how cognitive appraisals influence resilience and employee well-being, providing tools for healthier thought processes and stress management. Core Skills Developed: How cognitive appraisals influence resilience and workplace performance The reasons for irrational thoughts and their impact on employee well-being Methods for examining the accuracy of mental narratives How to reframe challenges as growth opportunities Understanding how mental habits shape our stress response Impact on Employee Well-being: Reduced stress levels through healthier thought patterns Improved problem-solving capabilities Greater emotional stability and workplace satisfaction Enhanced ability to handle criticism and feedback constructively
Session 4: Beyond Limited Thinking

Duration: 45-60 minutes Learn how attributional styles influence our response to stress and challenges, introducing advanced mindfulness concepts that support both individual and organizational employee well-being. Core Skills Developed: The basic framework of attributional styles and their impact on problem-solving, perception and emotional regulation Advanced mindfulness practices of impermanence and dependent-coarising Techniques to shift from a pessimistic to optimistic attributional style Understanding how we attribute causes to positive and negative events Applying mindfulness skills of impermanence to build resilience and enhance employee well-being Impact on Employee Well-being: Maintain optimism during challenging times Improved capacity to recognize and leverage personal strengths and resources Greater emotional stability and workplace resilience
Session 5: Developing Personal Emotional Intelligence

Duration: 45-60 minutes Transform emotional awareness from reactive patterns to intelligent responses. This session introduces the basic concepts of emotional intelligence and then focuses specifically on developing personal EI - understanding and working skillfully with your own emotional landscape to support employee well-being. Core Skills Developed: How to identify and accurately label your own emotional states Understanding the causes, intensity, and duration of your emotional experiences Recognizing personal emotional triggers and workplace patterns that impact employee well-being Recognizing and developing personal EI through the lens of the ego, specifically the inferiority/superiority complex Techniques for emotional self-awareness in real-time workplace situations Impact on Employee Well-being: Enhanced clarity in daily workplace interactions and team dynamics Improved focus and concentration abilities during emotionally challenging situations Better decision-making through increased emotional awareness and understanding Increased emotional stability and workplace satisfaction
Session 6: Building Stronger Connections

Duration: 45-60 minutes Learn how awareness of interpersonal dynamics impacts emotional intelligence in relationships. This session pivots from personal EI to EI with others, exploring how judgment creates workplace conflict and how compassion-based practices enhance team connections and employee well-being. Core Skills Developed: How judgment creates duality and conflict in workplace relationships Scientific evidence supporting compassion benefits in professional settings Softening around difficult emotions in interpersonal interactions Embracing impermanence in workplace relationships and its scientific foundations The Sacred Pause practice for mindful responses with colleagues Impact on Employee Well-being: Reduced workplace conflict and improved team relationships Enhanced empathy and social connection with colleagues Greater emotional resilience during challenging interpersonal situations Increased emotional stability and workplace harmony
Session 7: Mastering EI at Work

Duration: 45-60 minutes This session explores how automatic response patterns shape professional interactions. Participants learn to distinguish between present reality and desired outcomes, reducing emotional resistance while developing workplace compassion that enhances both individual employee well-being and collective intelligence. Core Skills Developed: Acceptance practices: distinguishing between the Now and the desired Now to reduce emotional resistance Recognizing automaticity - impulse and unconscious reactions in workplace interactions Techniques for breaking automatic cycles and responding mindfully Embracing impermanence with both unpleasant and pleasant workplace experiences Developing compassion to understand colleagues' suffering and enhance workplace relationships Impact on Employee Well-being: Reduced emotional reactivity and workplace stress through acceptance practices Enhanced collective intelligence leading to improved productivity and team motivation Greater emotional resilience during challenging workplace situations Increased workplace harmony through compassionate understanding of others
Session 8: Applied Emotional Intelligence

Duration: 45-60 minutes The final session focuses on practical, real-world applications of emotional intelligence in workplace settings. Participants learn concrete tools including the O.A.R.D decision-making model and develop self-compassion practices that enhance both personal resilience and employee well-being. Core Skills Developed: How to apply the O.A.R.D decision-making model in workplace scenarios Developing self-compassion practices and understanding their importance for workplace resilience Practical applications of emotional intelligence for daily workplace interactions Techniques for integrating EI skills into professional communication and conflict resolution Building sustainable practices that support ongoing emotional intelligence development Impact on Employee Well-being: Enhanced decision-making clarity through structured EI approaches Increased workplace resilience through self-compassion practices Improved professional relationships through applied emotional intelligence skills Sustainable emotional well-being practices that continue beyond training

Find Help For Depression

Session 1: Come Back to Now

Duration: 45-60 minutes Most workplace stress comes from our minds being somewhere other than where we are. This foundational session teaches the therapeutic skill of present-moment awareness—not as a relaxation technique, but as a way of fundamentally changing how we relate to workplace challenges. Core Skills Developed: The fundamentals of mindfulness practice as a therapeutic tool How to direct attention to the present moment for stress reduction and enhanced employee well-being Why our minds naturally wander and hijack our focus Practical techniques for attention regulation and emotional stability Using breath awareness as an anchor during difficult conversations or decisions Impact on Employee Well-being: Reduced mental exhaustion from constant multitasking Improved focus and decision-making under pressure Greater sense of calm and centeredness throughout the workday
Session 2: Cultivating Resilience

Duration: 45-60 minutes Building on fundamental practices, this session develops your team's capacity to recognize and regulate stress responses, directly supporting employee well-being and workplace effectiveness. Core Skills Developed: How to mindfully respond to early signs of workplace stress The connection between physical sensations and emotional states Practical tools for improving emotional self-regulation and employee well-being Distinguishing between subtle and acute stress activation cues Responding intentionally versus reactively to workplace pressures Impact on Employee Well-being: Enhanced ability to stay composed during challenging situations Improved response flexibility when faced with workplace stress Faster recovery from setbacks, supporting overall employee well-being
Session 3: Notice Your Narrative

Duration: 45-60 minutes This session explores how cognitive appraisals influence resilience and employee well-being, providing tools for healthier thought processes and stress management. Core Skills Developed: How cognitive appraisals influence resilience and workplace performance The reasons for irrational thoughts and their impact on employee well-being Methods for examining the accuracy of mental narratives How to reframe challenges as growth opportunities Understanding how mental habits shape our stress response Impact on Employee Well-being: Reduced stress levels through healthier thought patterns Improved problem-solving capabilities Greater emotional stability and workplace satisfaction Enhanced ability to handle criticism and feedback constructively
Session 4: Beyond Limited Thinking

Duration: 45-60 minutes Learn how attributional styles influence our response to stress and challenges, introducing advanced mindfulness concepts that support both individual and organizational employee well-being. Core Skills Developed: The basic framework of attributional styles and their impact on problem-solving, perception and emotional regulation Advanced mindfulness practices of impermanence and dependent-coarising Techniques to shift from a pessimistic to optimistic attributional style Understanding how we attribute causes to positive and negative events Applying mindfulness skills of impermanence to build resilience and enhance employee well-being Impact on Employee Well-being: Maintain optimism during challenging times Improved capacity to recognize and leverage personal strengths and resources Greater emotional stability and workplace resilience
Session 5: Developing Personal Emotional Intelligence

Duration: 45-60 minutes Transform emotional awareness from reactive patterns to intelligent responses. This session introduces the basic concepts of emotional intelligence and then focuses specifically on developing personal EI - understanding and working skillfully with your own emotional landscape to support employee well-being. Core Skills Developed: How to identify and accurately label your own emotional states Understanding the causes, intensity, and duration of your emotional experiences Recognizing personal emotional triggers and workplace patterns that impact employee well-being Recognizing and developing personal EI through the lens of the ego, specifically the inferiority/superiority complex Techniques for emotional self-awareness in real-time workplace situations Impact on Employee Well-being: Enhanced clarity in daily workplace interactions and team dynamics Improved focus and concentration abilities during emotionally challenging situations Better decision-making through increased emotional awareness and understanding Increased emotional stability and workplace satisfaction
Session 6: Building Stronger Connections

Duration: 45-60 minutes Learn how awareness of interpersonal dynamics impacts emotional intelligence in relationships. This session pivots from personal EI to EI with others, exploring how judgment creates workplace conflict and how compassion-based practices enhance team connections and employee well-being. Core Skills Developed: How judgment creates duality and conflict in workplace relationships Scientific evidence supporting compassion benefits in professional settings Softening around difficult emotions in interpersonal interactions Embracing impermanence in workplace relationships and its scientific foundations The Sacred Pause practice for mindful responses with colleagues Impact on Employee Well-being: Reduced workplace conflict and improved team relationships Enhanced empathy and social connection with colleagues Greater emotional resilience during challenging interpersonal situations Increased emotional stability and workplace harmony
Session 7: Mastering EI at Work

Duration: 45-60 minutes This session explores how automatic response patterns shape professional interactions. Participants learn to distinguish between present reality and desired outcomes, reducing emotional resistance while developing workplace compassion that enhances both individual employee well-being and collective intelligence. Core Skills Developed: Acceptance practices: distinguishing between the Now and the desired Now to reduce emotional resistance Recognizing automaticity - impulse and unconscious reactions in workplace interactions Techniques for breaking automatic cycles and responding mindfully Embracing impermanence with both unpleasant and pleasant workplace experiences Developing compassion to understand colleagues' suffering and enhance workplace relationships Impact on Employee Well-being: Reduced emotional reactivity and workplace stress through acceptance practices Enhanced collective intelligence leading to improved productivity and team motivation Greater emotional resilience during challenging workplace situations Increased workplace harmony through compassionate understanding of others
Session 8: Applied Emotional Intelligence

Duration: 45-60 minutes The final session focuses on practical, real-world applications of emotional intelligence in workplace settings. Participants learn concrete tools including the O.A.R.D decision-making model and develop self-compassion practices that enhance both personal resilience and employee well-being. Core Skills Developed: How to apply the O.A.R.D decision-making model in workplace scenarios Developing self-compassion practices and understanding their importance for workplace resilience Practical applications of emotional intelligence for daily workplace interactions Techniques for integrating EI skills into professional communication and conflict resolution Building sustainable practices that support ongoing emotional intelligence development Impact on Employee Well-being: Enhanced decision-making clarity through structured EI approaches Increased workplace resilience through self-compassion practices Improved professional relationships through applied emotional intelligence skills Sustainable emotional well-being practices that continue beyond training

Explore OCD Treatment

Session 1: Come Back to Now

Duration: 45-60 minutes Most workplace stress comes from our minds being somewhere other than where we are. This foundational session teaches the therapeutic skill of present-moment awareness—not as a relaxation technique, but as a way of fundamentally changing how we relate to workplace challenges. Core Skills Developed: The fundamentals of mindfulness practice as a therapeutic tool How to direct attention to the present moment for stress reduction and enhanced employee well-being Why our minds naturally wander and hijack our focus Practical techniques for attention regulation and emotional stability Using breath awareness as an anchor during difficult conversations or decisions Impact on Employee Well-being: Reduced mental exhaustion from constant multitasking Improved focus and decision-making under pressure Greater sense of calm and centeredness throughout the workday
Session 2: Cultivating Resilience

Duration: 45-60 minutes Building on fundamental practices, this session develops your team's capacity to recognize and regulate stress responses, directly supporting employee well-being and workplace effectiveness. Core Skills Developed: How to mindfully respond to early signs of workplace stress The connection between physical sensations and emotional states Practical tools for improving emotional self-regulation and employee well-being Distinguishing between subtle and acute stress activation cues Responding intentionally versus reactively to workplace pressures Impact on Employee Well-being: Enhanced ability to stay composed during challenging situations Improved response flexibility when faced with workplace stress Faster recovery from setbacks, supporting overall employee well-being
Session 3: Notice Your Narrative

Duration: 45-60 minutes This session explores how cognitive appraisals influence resilience and employee well-being, providing tools for healthier thought processes and stress management. Core Skills Developed: How cognitive appraisals influence resilience and workplace performance The reasons for irrational thoughts and their impact on employee well-being Methods for examining the accuracy of mental narratives How to reframe challenges as growth opportunities Understanding how mental habits shape our stress response Impact on Employee Well-being: Reduced stress levels through healthier thought patterns Improved problem-solving capabilities Greater emotional stability and workplace satisfaction Enhanced ability to handle criticism and feedback constructively
Session 4: Beyond Limited Thinking

Duration: 45-60 minutes Learn how attributional styles influence our response to stress and challenges, introducing advanced mindfulness concepts that support both individual and organizational employee well-being. Core Skills Developed: The basic framework of attributional styles and their impact on problem-solving, perception and emotional regulation Advanced mindfulness practices of impermanence and dependent-coarising Techniques to shift from a pessimistic to optimistic attributional style Understanding how we attribute causes to positive and negative events Applying mindfulness skills of impermanence to build resilience and enhance employee well-being Impact on Employee Well-being: Maintain optimism during challenging times Improved capacity to recognize and leverage personal strengths and resources Greater emotional stability and workplace resilience
Session 5: Developing Personal Emotional Intelligence

Duration: 45-60 minutes Transform emotional awareness from reactive patterns to intelligent responses. This session introduces the basic concepts of emotional intelligence and then focuses specifically on developing personal EI - understanding and working skillfully with your own emotional landscape to support employee well-being. Core Skills Developed: How to identify and accurately label your own emotional states Understanding the causes, intensity, and duration of your emotional experiences Recognizing personal emotional triggers and workplace patterns that impact employee well-being Recognizing and developing personal EI through the lens of the ego, specifically the inferiority/superiority complex Techniques for emotional self-awareness in real-time workplace situations Impact on Employee Well-being: Enhanced clarity in daily workplace interactions and team dynamics Improved focus and concentration abilities during emotionally challenging situations Better decision-making through increased emotional awareness and understanding Increased emotional stability and workplace satisfaction
Session 6: Building Stronger Connections

Duration: 45-60 minutes Learn how awareness of interpersonal dynamics impacts emotional intelligence in relationships. This session pivots from personal EI to EI with others, exploring how judgment creates workplace conflict and how compassion-based practices enhance team connections and employee well-being. Core Skills Developed: How judgment creates duality and conflict in workplace relationships Scientific evidence supporting compassion benefits in professional settings Softening around difficult emotions in interpersonal interactions Embracing impermanence in workplace relationships and its scientific foundations The Sacred Pause practice for mindful responses with colleagues Impact on Employee Well-being: Reduced workplace conflict and improved team relationships Enhanced empathy and social connection with colleagues Greater emotional resilience during challenging interpersonal situations Increased emotional stability and workplace harmony
Session 7: Mastering EI at Work

Duration: 45-60 minutes This session explores how automatic response patterns shape professional interactions. Participants learn to distinguish between present reality and desired outcomes, reducing emotional resistance while developing workplace compassion that enhances both individual employee well-being and collective intelligence. Core Skills Developed: Acceptance practices: distinguishing between the Now and the desired Now to reduce emotional resistance Recognizing automaticity - impulse and unconscious reactions in workplace interactions Techniques for breaking automatic cycles and responding mindfully Embracing impermanence with both unpleasant and pleasant workplace experiences Developing compassion to understand colleagues' suffering and enhance workplace relationships Impact on Employee Well-being: Reduced emotional reactivity and workplace stress through acceptance practices Enhanced collective intelligence leading to improved productivity and team motivation Greater emotional resilience during challenging workplace situations Increased workplace harmony through compassionate understanding of others
Session 8: Applied Emotional Intelligence

Duration: 45-60 minutes The final session focuses on practical, real-world applications of emotional intelligence in workplace settings. Participants learn concrete tools including the O.A.R.D decision-making model and develop self-compassion practices that enhance both personal resilience and employee well-being. Core Skills Developed: How to apply the O.A.R.D decision-making model in workplace scenarios Developing self-compassion practices and understanding their importance for workplace resilience Practical applications of emotional intelligence for daily workplace interactions Techniques for integrating EI skills into professional communication and conflict resolution Building sustainable practices that support ongoing emotional intelligence development Impact on Employee Well-being: Enhanced decision-making clarity through structured EI approaches Increased workplace resilience through self-compassion practices Improved professional relationships through applied emotional intelligence skills Sustainable emotional well-being practices that continue beyond training

Find PTSD Relief

Session 1: Come Back to Now

Duration: 45-60 minutes Most workplace stress comes from our minds being somewhere other than where we are. This foundational session teaches the therapeutic skill of present-moment awareness—not as a relaxation technique, but as a way of fundamentally changing how we relate to workplace challenges. Core Skills Developed: The fundamentals of mindfulness practice as a therapeutic tool How to direct attention to the present moment for stress reduction and enhanced employee well-being Why our minds naturally wander and hijack our focus Practical techniques for attention regulation and emotional stability Using breath awareness as an anchor during difficult conversations or decisions Impact on Employee Well-being: Reduced mental exhaustion from constant multitasking Improved focus and decision-making under pressure Greater sense of calm and centeredness throughout the workday
Session 2: Cultivating Resilience

Duration: 45-60 minutes Building on fundamental practices, this session develops your team's capacity to recognize and regulate stress responses, directly supporting employee well-being and workplace effectiveness. Core Skills Developed: How to mindfully respond to early signs of workplace stress The connection between physical sensations and emotional states Practical tools for improving emotional self-regulation and employee well-being Distinguishing between subtle and acute stress activation cues Responding intentionally versus reactively to workplace pressures Impact on Employee Well-being: Enhanced ability to stay composed during challenging situations Improved response flexibility when faced with workplace stress Faster recovery from setbacks, supporting overall employee well-being
Session 3: Notice Your Narrative

Duration: 45-60 minutes This session explores how cognitive appraisals influence resilience and employee well-being, providing tools for healthier thought processes and stress management. Core Skills Developed: How cognitive appraisals influence resilience and workplace performance The reasons for irrational thoughts and their impact on employee well-being Methods for examining the accuracy of mental narratives How to reframe challenges as growth opportunities Understanding how mental habits shape our stress response Impact on Employee Well-being: Reduced stress levels through healthier thought patterns Improved problem-solving capabilities Greater emotional stability and workplace satisfaction Enhanced ability to handle criticism and feedback constructively
Session 4: Beyond Limited Thinking

Duration: 45-60 minutes Learn how attributional styles influence our response to stress and challenges, introducing advanced mindfulness concepts that support both individual and organizational employee well-being. Core Skills Developed: The basic framework of attributional styles and their impact on problem-solving, perception and emotional regulation Advanced mindfulness practices of impermanence and dependent-coarising Techniques to shift from a pessimistic to optimistic attributional style Understanding how we attribute causes to positive and negative events Applying mindfulness skills of impermanence to build resilience and enhance employee well-being Impact on Employee Well-being: Maintain optimism during challenging times Improved capacity to recognize and leverage personal strengths and resources Greater emotional stability and workplace resilience
Session 5: Developing Personal Emotional Intelligence

Duration: 45-60 minutes Transform emotional awareness from reactive patterns to intelligent responses. This session introduces the basic concepts of emotional intelligence and then focuses specifically on developing personal EI - understanding and working skillfully with your own emotional landscape to support employee well-being. Core Skills Developed: How to identify and accurately label your own emotional states Understanding the causes, intensity, and duration of your emotional experiences Recognizing personal emotional triggers and workplace patterns that impact employee well-being Recognizing and developing personal EI through the lens of the ego, specifically the inferiority/superiority complex Techniques for emotional self-awareness in real-time workplace situations Impact on Employee Well-being: Enhanced clarity in daily workplace interactions and team dynamics Improved focus and concentration abilities during emotionally challenging situations Better decision-making through increased emotional awareness and understanding Increased emotional stability and workplace satisfaction
Session 6: Building Stronger Connections

Duration: 45-60 minutes Learn how awareness of interpersonal dynamics impacts emotional intelligence in relationships. This session pivots from personal EI to EI with others, exploring how judgment creates workplace conflict and how compassion-based practices enhance team connections and employee well-being. Core Skills Developed: How judgment creates duality and conflict in workplace relationships Scientific evidence supporting compassion benefits in professional settings Softening around difficult emotions in interpersonal interactions Embracing impermanence in workplace relationships and its scientific foundations The Sacred Pause practice for mindful responses with colleagues Impact on Employee Well-being: Reduced workplace conflict and improved team relationships Enhanced empathy and social connection with colleagues Greater emotional resilience during challenging interpersonal situations Increased emotional stability and workplace harmony
Session 7: Mastering EI at Work

Duration: 45-60 minutes This session explores how automatic response patterns shape professional interactions. Participants learn to distinguish between present reality and desired outcomes, reducing emotional resistance while developing workplace compassion that enhances both individual employee well-being and collective intelligence. Core Skills Developed: Acceptance practices: distinguishing between the Now and the desired Now to reduce emotional resistance Recognizing automaticity - impulse and unconscious reactions in workplace interactions Techniques for breaking automatic cycles and responding mindfully Embracing impermanence with both unpleasant and pleasant workplace experiences Developing compassion to understand colleagues' suffering and enhance workplace relationships Impact on Employee Well-being: Reduced emotional reactivity and workplace stress through acceptance practices Enhanced collective intelligence leading to improved productivity and team motivation Greater emotional resilience during challenging workplace situations Increased workplace harmony through compassionate understanding of others
Session 8: Applied Emotional Intelligence

Duration: 45-60 minutes The final session focuses on practical, real-world applications of emotional intelligence in workplace settings. Participants learn concrete tools including the O.A.R.D decision-making model and develop self-compassion practices that enhance both personal resilience and employee well-being. Core Skills Developed: How to apply the O.A.R.D decision-making model in workplace scenarios Developing self-compassion practices and understanding their importance for workplace resilience Practical applications of emotional intelligence for daily workplace interactions Techniques for integrating EI skills into professional communication and conflict resolution Building sustainable practices that support ongoing emotional intelligence development Impact on Employee Well-being: Enhanced decision-making clarity through structured EI approaches Increased workplace resilience through self-compassion practices Improved professional relationships through applied emotional intelligence skills Sustainable emotional well-being practices that continue beyond training

Overcome Agoraphobia

Welcome to Authentic-Life Counseling! Offering individual therapy and marriage counseling in Suwanee, Duluth, Sugar Hill, and Buford.

I'm Diane Chrestman, LCSW, and from my office in Suwanee, Georgia I provide an approach to therapy that is "results-oriented."

For therapy to be effective, there needs to be a time and space for clients to "tell their story".

I provide a safe and non-judgmental environment where you can talk about your history as well as the incidents that make your world feel like it is crumbling.

Once I have a good sense of why you have come to therapy, it is time to roll up your sleeves and begin the hard work of changing the ineffective responses and patterns that no longer serve you.

You have limited control over the problems that are causing you pain, but you have unlimited control over how you respond to those problems.

Creating new patterns is not easy. But until new emotional, cognitive, and behavioral patterns are identified and developed it is unlikely that you will cope or respond to your problems any differently.

You won't be leaving your appointment without "homework assignments". The homework assignments are designed to help you live and love and adapt to the crazy roller coaster of life more effectively.

The value I bring to your journey is in identifying tools that will help you realize the changes you want.

Change and growth are not necessarily easy, but with the right tools, the process is definitely easier.

A Buddhist Psychology Approach to Therapy

My approach to psychotherapy is quite different because I am one of the few therapists in Georgia that utilize a theoretical approach of Buddhist Psychology.

One of the main differences between Buddhist Psychology and many "Western" therapeutic approaches is the lens through which "mental health disorders" are defined and treated.

In very general terms, Buddhist Psychology focuses on conducting a personal investigation to understand your suffering. Freedom from that suffering relies on personal autonomy, building strength, and more than a dab of courage and diligence.

Consider an analogy of your sense organs. Your eyes, nose, ears, skin, and mouth provide sensory data about your environment. The sensory input from the eyes, which allows you to see colors, shapes, and objects is not better or worse than the sensory input of sound waves you receive from your ears. Both provide information about the environment. One is not better or worse than the other.

In the same way, Buddhist Psychology is just a different experience of recognizing what is going on around us and within us. The therapeutic approaches of Buddhist Psychology provides very beneficial perspectives in regards to how we respond to those conditions.

Buddhist Psychology is not a theoretical approach that requires the exclusion of any spiritual belief including Christianity. It does provide a path that helps us to be free from suffering through self-examination, awareness, and personal autonomy. I work, and am spirituall cross-pollinated by clients of many faiths, which is quite beautiful.

Explore My Therapy Style

Therapy Is Offered Either Through Telehealth Or In Person Conveniently Serving Suwanee, Duluth, Sugar Hill, and Buford Ga

Our office is located at
4485 Tench Rd Suite 1220 A, Suwanee, GA 30024
and conveniently serves the local communities of Suwanee, Sugar Hill, and Lawrenceville, GA.

Services

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Meet Your Therapist
Diane Chrestman, LCSW

For over 10 years I have been providing therapy to clients in Georgia, and I feel grateful to be doing the life's work that I was intended to do.

l obtained a Master's Degree from Georgia State University and later obtained additional certifications in "alternative" treatment approaches such as Energy Psychology. I hold a professional License of Clinical Social Work from the state of Georgia.

In 2019 I published Zenergy Mindfulness which examines perspectives of energy and Buddhist Psychology for mental health healing. I have also contributed to several online publications most often related to the topic of mindfulness and meditation and offer regular meditation instruction to the community.

My greatest education, however, bar none, has been the education I received sitting on my meditation pillow.

More About Diane

Marrige counselor and mental health therapist Diane Chrestman. LCSW

Testimonials

"Diane is amazing! She is very professional, knowledgeable, and possesses so many tools and techniques. I thoroughly enjoyed my visits and have learned so much from her. She’s a rare gem!"

-CC