Therapy and counseling

I work with all sorts of people who are looking for help in maintaining healthy lives and building satisfying relationships.  While I work with many types of problems, I most often help people with:

Depression and anxiety — particularly social anxiety

Relationships — dating and singleness, starting or ending relationships, making relationships better

Sexuality and intimacy — addressing concerns, finding more fulfillment and pleasure

I work with individuals and couples. My relationship counseling includes same-sex and heterosexual couples, as well as individuals who are in non-traditional relationships. How do I approach therapy?  A competent therapist has access to several ways of helping clients, including mindfulness and cognitive behavior therapy.

How I work with clients depends on the concerns they bring to my office and our mutual decision about what will work best for them; I certainly want to understand my clients expectations and specific needs and interests. Some people I work with are looking for short-term, focused help in dealing with very specific issues.  Others are looking at making bigger changes, or are looking for a therapist to help keep their lives grounded and moving in a positive direction. 

Information about my counseling and therapy policies and practices will help you find out more about how I work.  Please feel free to ask questions if you need more information.

John R. Ballew is listed at AllTherapist.com

 About John

I am a professional counselor licensed by the State of Georgia for more than 25 years, I provide both individual therapy and couples counseling to all sorts of people. I have a Master of Science degree in clinical psychology from Purdue University.  I am a member of the American Counseling Association, the LGBTQ Therapist Resource and the Metropolitan Atlanta Therapists’ Network.

My approach is nonjudgmental and compassionate.  One of the great things about being in Atlanta is the opportunity to work with a very diverse community – busy professionals, people of varied economic, ethnic or racial backgrounds, LGBT men and women, people who have relationships or sexual interests that come in all varieties.  Our work together is determined by your goals, not a per-conceived or one-size-fits-all approach to emotional health.

Good therapy goes beyond just listening and support. I am engaged with my clients to help them gain greater self-understanding and make the changes that make life better.

I limit the number of clients I work with so I can provide each person with the best possible care and attention.  My intention is to keep us focused on your goals, which helps make therapy more effective. I invite you to explore the articles I’ve  written on topics many of my clients have brought to therapy.  And whether you choose to work with me or not, you may want to look at my recommendations for getting the most from work with your counselor.

If you want to talk with me about working together, I’m happy to answer your questions.