My name is Christie Wakefield. I have lived all my life in the Atlanta area. I have a passion for helping people and for alternative healing practices. While working in corporate accounting for many years, I sought various certifications in alternative modalities for personal enrichment and became a Reiki. Being a counselor is a second career for me like for many of us. I finally followed my passion for helping others reach a healthier and happier life by going back to school and earning a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from Mercer University School of Medicine. My journey of becoming a therapist has been one of excitement and fulfillment.

I believe that each couple, family, individual, or child has his or her own strengths and the collaborative work done in therapy is to uncover and use those strengths to find solutions to existing problems or struggles, thus helping the client move to a more empowered narrative.  My goal in therapy is to create a relaxed atmosphere and invite everyone to feel comfortable, truly be themselves, and share their story in a non-judgmental space. 

While working as a counselor,  I realized I have a passion for working with children. I believe that helping children acquire new coping skills and overcome life transitions leads to a healthier happier adult. I work from a perspective that therapy and the change process is a co-creative and collaborative journey between the client and his or her therapist. Because of that, I am a client centered therapist working through an integrative play therapy narrative lens. I use sand tray and other play modalities to build trust and allow the child to open up and relate his or her struggles. Because our lives are made up of all the series of events we have experienced and that are unique to each individual, my approach is to meet people where they are and each session is customized to the needs of each client.

I am also Gottman Level 2 trained and offer pre-marital and marital counseling. I am the female couples’ specialist in the office, Scott Pennington being the male Gottman Level 2 couples’ therapist. I have experience working with individuals, families, children, and couples including LGBT couples. 

In my work as a counselor, I also have clinical experience and worked a few years in a recovery center helping families with children struggling with addiction recovery. Addiction does not only affect one individual but it also affects everyone in their life and has a lifelong effect on everyone involved. Helping not only the individual manage his or her addiction but also providing support and education to the people in his or her life will strengthen the person’s support system and help the family better cope and improve their life. 

I have also worked with people struggling with anxiety and various other issues.