Johanna W. Wendell
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor who specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, OCD), depression, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, ADHD, trauma, grief, addictions, substance use disorders, relationship/marital difficulties, insomnia, anger/rage issues, and gender dysphoria. I work with adolescents and adults and provide individual counseling, couple’s counseling, life coaching, and guidance counseling. Please contact me at 404-981-3235 or johannawhitneywendell@gmail.com to schedule an initial appointment or to contact me with any questions. I look forward to speaking to and meeting with you soon!
My Goal
My goal as a mental health counselor is to help you achieve your goals. I will certainly help you define your goals if right now you are simply not sure what is wrong and/or what you want to change, but my place is not to impose my values, judgments, or goals on you. I am here for you. My purpose is to help you figure out what the problem(s) is that is impacting your life, which you may already know, (e.g., chronic depression, a painful trauma history, overwhelming anxiety, problems at home, a stressful work environment, etc) and how you and I can collaboratively work together to treat the problem, whether it be externally, internally, or in most cases both. I will teach techniques and strategies that I have learned are most helpful for particular concerns (e.g., coping techniques for anxiety) and help you work through your difficulties by identifying the root of the problem, what is maintaining the problem, and identifying feasible, do-able, effective ways to treat the problem that appeal to your strengths and preferences. We will consistently monitor your progress with regard to your goals and accordingly direct our future sessions. I will provide the utmost support, empathy, and care I can to help you get to where you want to be.
My Motto: Practice What You Preach
I would never recommend something unless I had personally tried it, as I am a huge proponent of “Practice what you preach.” I will be the first to proudly say that therapy has completely transformed my life. It is a way for us to solve our problems in the long-term, identify blind spots we have lived with our entire lives and change thoughts/behaviors that may have been negatively impacting us without our awareness for years, and help us recognize and enhance our strengths (e.g., increase work productivity, increase social skills). I would never ask something of you that I would not ask of myself. I have been where you may be right now-feeling like all hope is lost and that things could never possibly change or get better. A therapist changed my mind when he helped change my life, and I have been dedicated to this field ever since.
Anyone can benefit from counseling, as we all can benefit from self-improvement, and counseling is simply deciding to take measures to improve ourselves, by enhancing our coping skills, strengths, work-life balance, relationships, holistic well-being and happiness. Through personal experience and seeing the lives of my clients dramatically improve, I know therapy is extremely effective. I have had severely depressed clients who had lost all hope and contemplated suicide become some of the most positive, happy people I have ever met. I have had clients who suffered from severe anxiety disorders (OCD, panic disorder, social phobia) overcome their fears, which they never would have imagined possible. I have helped clients overcome their eating disorders that they suffered with for far too many years, which nearly killed them. There is no bigger reward than seeing my clients’ lives dramatically transform in front of my eyes. Helping my clients overcome their struggles and live the life they never dreamed possible is the best feeling in the world. I aspire to help you achieve the life you so desire and deserve. It is amazing to just have the opportunity to work with you and be a part of your life journey of self-improvement and see the positive transformations that take place. I am 110% invested in your treatment.
Treatment Approaches and Types of Disorders/Concerns I Treat
I utilize different theoretical orientations (e.g., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, psychodynamic) contingent upon the clients’ needs. I have extensive training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Christian Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Family Systems Therapy, and Psychodynamic Therapy. I primarily counsel adolescents and adults with eating disorders, anxiety disorders (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, specific phobias, Generalized Anxiety Disorder), PTSD, trauma, severe depression, ADHD, substance use disorders, relationship/marital difficulties, insomnia, addictions, grief, low self-esteem, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders. Much of my counseling has also focused on replacing maladaptive coping with more adaptive and long-lasting effective coping strategies, improving relationship problems, parenting, social skills, assertive communication, and anger/rage difficulties. I also provide life coaching and guidance counseling for those who would like assistance with achieving present and future life (e.g., career, relationship, education, spirituality, finance, etc.) goals to optimize their life satisfaction.
Background
I received my Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Georgia State University. Prior to private practice, I worked at Grady Hospital, leading groups to individuals suffering from severe mental disorders, Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders, an outpatient eating disorder facility in which I provided individual as well as many different group therapies to clients suffering from eating and other related disorders, and Emory University’s Counseling center, where I counseled undergraduate and graduate students with an array of mental health concerns. I also worked at the Regents Center for Learning Disorders for two years, where under the supervision of licensed psychologists, I provided comprehensive neuro-psychological evaluations to college students, scored and interpreted results, wrote reports, held feedback sessions, and provided recommendations for accommodations. I also worked at the Georgia State University Psychology Clinic for three years, providing long-term individual counseling services to members of the community.
Location
I have been in private practice for a little over two years in Marietta, GA. If my location is not convenient or feasible for you, I offer Skype and phone sessions as well.
Availability
I have available times Monday through Friday 12- 7 pm and offer phone and video sessions, as I realize sometimes it is not feasible to schedule appointments during typical work hours or drive to my office. I am happy to see you at your convenience. I am extremely flexible and will do my best to ensure that you can be seen at a convenient time, as I am happy to work with your schedule. I have seen so many clients who desire to receive and would benefit from counseling, but not be able to because they cannot afford it or they cannot come in during the typically available 9-5 Mon-Fri times because they need to work to provide for their families and pay the bills. My goal is to decrease these barriers by offering affordable therapy at convenient times because I do not want that to be a deterrent for those who desire to receive help but are unable to do so for these reasons.
Fees for Services
I currently do not take insurance, so my sessions are all self-pay. That being said, I am aware of financial difficulties and will do everything I can to ensure that we can work something out so that you can come in at a price you can afford. I offer affordable sessions as well as a sliding scale. My goal is to provide affordable therapy because I do not want paying for sessions to be an additional stressor and hinder you from receiving services, especially when financial difficulties may be one of your primary concerns.
Please contact me at 404-981-3235 or johannawhitneywendell@gmail.com to schedule an initial appointment or to contact me with any questions. I look forward to speaking to and meeting with you soon!