In-person counseling in Southeast Decatur and virtual therapy throughout Georgia for neurodivergent, disabled, chronically ill, and LGBTQIA+ clients.
I offer both virtual and in-person mental health counseling sessions for adults and adolescents. I specialize in gender identity, sexuality, and relationship counseling, especially for non-traditional kinds of relationships such as polyamory. My approach is empathetic, warm, and client-centered; I consider clients to be the experts of their own lives and minds, so I will always meet you where you’re at. I believe that identifying and building upon an individual’s strengths, while also collaborating to find ways we can work with your mind/neurotype, rather than against it or trying to change it, is essential for effective, beneficial therapy. I support clients in exploring whether identities or diagnostic labels fit their experience using a neuro-affirming approach that questions the deficit-based assumptions of the DSM-5 and the medical model.
I generally practice with a mix of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy, Somatic Experiencing (body-based work,) and Parts work that is informed by Internal Family Systems. I often focus on helping clients improve communication skills and build healthier relationships, improve self-esteem and self-compassion, learn how to manage symptoms and systemic consequences of living with ADHD, Autism, and AuDHD, and build or add to an existing toolbox of coping skills. Each client benefits from an individually tailored approach, so there is no one-size-fits-all system that I use. I am particularly equipped to support:
- Neurodivergent adults, including people with ADHD, Autistic people, and AuDHD people.
- People living with chronic illness, disability, chronic pain, or fluctuating capacity
- LGBTQIA+ clients, particularly transgender individuals. Transgender clients have consistently made up at least 70% of my caseload, and I can provide letters of recommendation for gender-affirming healthcare when needed. The fee for these letters is $50.
- Individuals who practice, are interested in exploring, or are uncertain about non-monogomus relationship styles and identities.
When you’ve had to explain yourself too many times
You may be used to holding a lot together while privately struggling. You may have left therapy feeling misunderstood, had your needs minimized, or been offered advice that didn’t account for your body, brain, relationships, or circumstances.
I offer a thoughtful, collaborative space where we can take the full context seriously. You don’t need to simplify your story to make it easier to hear. We can work at a pace that respects what you’re carrying and focus on what would make a meaningful difference to you.
What I bring to the work
Lived experience can help me recognize the emotional texture of experiences that are often misunderstood. Clinical experience helps me use that recognition intentionally: to ask better questions, adapt the work to your needs, and keep our focus on your goals.
You remain the expert on your life. My role is to bring curiosity, perspective, and clinical skill to the parts you want help understanding or changing.
Pricing
My fee is $250 for a 50-60 minute session. If you think we’d be a great fit but can’t afford my standard fee, I have limited sliding scale fee spots available. Please reach out and let me know what would be affordable for you. I only offer sliding scale fee options to clients who schedule sessions at least once every two weeks. I do not accept insurance, but will provide super bills for out-of-network benefits.
I understand how important it can be to be able to use insurance to cover your mental healthcare costs. If you have insurance, I encourage you to check whether you have out of network (OON) benefits for mental healthcare providers. If so, you are eligible for at least partial reimbursement of your fees and can effectively use your insurance to partially or fully cover your therapy expenses, even though I am private-pay only. Please feel free to reach out if you have questions about how this works.
I offer a free 15 minute consultation call for prospective counseling clients. If you would like more information or to schedule a consultation call, email me at counseling@amariahlove.com.
Emotional Support Animal Assessments and Letters
I provide assessments for clients seeking an emotional support animal (ESA) letter. This process can take a little bit of time: we’ll typically meet for one to three sessions so I can understand your needs, how an animal may support your well-being, and whether an ESA recommendation is clinically appropriate.
The fee for an ESA letter is $75.
Availability and Scheduling
I see counseling clients on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with my first appointment starting at 1:00 pm or 1:30 pm and my last starting at 5:00 or 5:30 pm, with some flexibility.
I believe transparency is important for the therapeutic relationship, so I advise all clients upfront that I have several lifelong chronic illnesses. Consequently, my sick days are more frequent than for the average person, sometimes occurring unexpectedly. I always notify clients as quickly as possible and do my best to reschedule within the same week to meet their needs.
This is largely why I generally don’t schedule clients for Tuesdays and Thursdays: it allows me to both get the rest I need and usually enables me to reschedule clients within the same week if I must cancel due to health issues. I take my responsibility for providing ethical treatment very seriously, so if pain or illness prevents me from giving a client my full attention and care, I will reschedule. While this doesn’t work for everyone, it does work for many.