Discover how starting sand tray therapy can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.
3 therapists available in Alpharetta
Stephanie Catrett is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Georgia. She has over 8 years of experience working with ad...
About
Stephanie Catrett is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Georgia. She has over 8 years of experience working with adults in the state mental health system and 6 years of experience working with adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders by providing clinical assessments and therapeutic care for individuals with anger, depression, trauma, rape or abuse, personality disorders, and behavioral disorders.
Stephanie received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, and her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health from Troy University in Phenix City, AL. She utilizes a person-centered, cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused, and Christian-based approach to therapy in collaboration with the individual to determine and achieve the goals of the client. She is always striving to develop the creative and flexible skills to aid individuals to reach and maintain their therapeutic goals and live their healthiest and happiest life.
Stephanie looks forward to developing a caring and professional relationship with you to build a therapeutic alliance aimed at reaching your personal goals, building skills to reach and maintain those goals, and living the most meaningful life that you can.
Education and training
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As an open-minded, compassionate mother with eclectic life experiences, I understand many diverse personalities and situations....
As an open-minded, compassionate mother with eclectic life experiences, I understand many diverse personalities and situations.
Jessalyn Palmer is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the State of Georgia and a National Certified Counselor (NCC) who has 15 years of experience working with adolescents and adults in a variety of settings. She has a keen interest in helping you through the challenges and opportunities of life through a compassionate and non-threatening process. She believes mental wellness is just as important as physical health.
Jessalyn completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from LaGrange College in 2003 and received her Master of Science in Professional Counseling from Georgia State University in 2005. She uses an integrative approach drawing from cognitive-behavioral, developmental, interpersonal, and attachment theories.
Jessalyn will help you create balance, have increased confidence, and help you to thrive! She believes in creating a warm, collaborative, positive, therapeutic relationship with each client. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and kids. She plays the cello in the local symphony and loves to walk and play with her two dogs!
I am a compassionate therapist who values open, collaborative conversations and walks alongside teens, adults, couples, and famili...
I am a compassionate therapist who values open, collaborative conversations and walks alongside teens, adults, couples, and families to help them feel truly seen, supported, and empowered in their growth.
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with 6 years of experience in community mental health, hospital mental health, and private practice. I’m passionate about supporting adolescents, teens, adults, couples, and families as they navigate life’s challenges. Many of my clients feel burdened by anxiety, self-doubt, or struggles in relationships and want a safe place to rest, heal, and grow. Together, we focus on building self-esteem, setting healthy boundaries, and rediscovering joy, so you can feel more confident and at peace in daily life.
I earned my Master’s in Clinical Counseling from Point Loma Nazarene University. I use a client-centered, trauma-informed approach that blends cognitive behavioral therapy, Gottman methods, and experiential therapy. I help clients shift unhelpful thought patterns, explore emotions, and develop assertive communication and conflict resolution skills.
When you’re ready to lay down the weight you’ve been carrying, I’ll walk beside you. You don’t have to climb this mountain alone; I provide a safe, supportive space where you can bring whatever you’re facing. My goal is to offer empathy, hope, and healing as we navigate the path toward peace together. Schedule your first appointment today.
You deserve dedicated time with a mental health professional — it can be life-changing.
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Sand tray therapy is a therapeutic method that fosters non-verbal emotional expression through the use of sand and assorted toys, tools, and figurines. This technique helps individuals cope with conditions like stress, anxiety, and trauma through self-expression.
Sand tray therapy is a structured setting in which clients are given tools and toys along with a sand tray, and are asked to express themselves with the sand. This can give therapists a way to connect with clients or lead them to ask more specific questions. It also gives individuals the time and space to clear their minds and process their emotions and experiences, as well as allowing them to spend their energy on feeling their feelings rather than finding ways to articulate them. This can be freeing for both children and adults.
Sand tray therapy at Thriveworks is conducted both in person and online by video. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.
Sand tray therapy can be used for a few minutes at a time or as the main focus of sessions. Depending on the concerns of the client, their symptoms, and the effectiveness of the technique, sand tray therapy might be implemented for anywhere from one session to many sessions over the course of years.
Sand tray therapy is a technique which can be used to facilitate healing in adults, adolescents, and children, allowing them to express their thoughts and feelings when words alone are not enough. In addition to its therapeutic use, sand tray can be a tool for personal growth and the development of creativity.
A sand tray therapist’s office is equipped with a specially proportioned sand tray with a blue interior, water and a large collection of miniatures, including human figures, fantasy and folklore figures, animals, buildings, objects from nature, vehicles, and others. The miniatures represent all of the elements of life-the good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly, the comforting, the frightening, the happy and the sad. The therapists at Thriveworks Alpharetta who have been specially trained in the use of the sand tray provide an accepting environment in which the client is invited to create a world in the tray using the sand and miniatures.
People think not only in words but in images. The use of the sand and miniatures activates this nonverbal manner of thinking, allowing the client to express images, emotions, perceptions, and conflicts about which they may not be able to talk. New solutions to emotional struggles can be experimented with through the “play.”
The meaning of the work in the sand tray emerges as the client shares the world with the therapist. Through the use of the sand tray, emotional struggles which previously were not conscious or could not be talked about are brought into awareness so that they can be understood and resolved. An increased capacity for self-expression, self-awareness and communication can be developed through the use of sand tray.
The use of sand tray is very effective with children who are not yet mature enough to express complex thoughts and feelings. Most children take to the use of the sand tray very readily.
However, sand tray therapy is also a powerful therapeutic tool for adolescents and adults, with whom it can be used along with verbal therapy. Working in the sand tray allows clients to move to a deep level more quickly than they might when relying on words alone.
Sand tray therapy can be particularly helpful with adults and teenagers when they are “stuck” in verbal therapy. Using the sand and the miniatures can open the way to feelings which we have been unable to reach by talk alone. For people who tend to rely too much on their intellect to the exclusion of their emotion, struggle with perfectionism, have a history of trauma or loss, or have unresolved family issues, the use of the sand tray can be especially effective. Sand tray therapy can also be employed in counseling families or couples.
If you think you could benefit from sand tray therapy, reach out to Thriveworks in Alpharetta to get scheduled for your first session. We offer evening and weekend appointments, and accept most major insurances. Call today to get started.
Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy
Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management
Shown in ET
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