WHO WE ARE
11 Highly Recommended Atlanta Anxiety Therapists
Have your worries become excessive, unmanageable, or overwhelming? Do you feel nervous or experience a sense of dread, anticipating the worst? If so, you may be experiencing something more than worry.
Anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults, which makes it one of the most common mental illnesses. With that number, almost 1 in 5 adults experience an anxiety disorder.
So, if that's you, you’re not alone, and we have some really good news. Anxiety is highly treatable, and there are a variety of treatment options! At Steady Hope Counseling, our Atlanta anxiety specialists are here to help you find what works for you and finally start feeling relief from anxiety. Meet our team here to find the right match and contact us when you’re ready to start therapy.
Jump to a therapist
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Best for anxiety therapy for panic attacks: Fern Lima & Lauren Jarrell
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Best for OCD and ERP therapy: Brenley Wiley & McCayla Berry
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Best for anxiety with ADHD: Jessica Pentsil & Amanda Peters
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Best for postpartum anxiety: Jenny Romano & Sam Merrill
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Best for anxiety with trauma: Phylicia Clemons & Angie Hartley
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Best for anxiety therapy for couples: Angie Hartley
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Best for anxiety with depression: Amanda Peters & Fern Lima
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Best for anxiety therapy for high-achieving professionals: Kim DeRamus Lareau & Jessica Pentsil
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Best for anxiety therapy for children and teens: McCayla Berry
Not sure which therapist is right for you? Contact us for a free consultation so we can help match you!
Meet our Atlanta anxiety specialists
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Fern Lima
Best for:
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Anxiety therapy for panic attacks
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Anxiety with depression
Fern brings a laid-back, approachable style to working with teens and young adults experiencing panic attacks, overwhelming anxiety, and depression. Using IFS, DBT skills, and attachment-based approaches, she creates a judgment-free space where you can understand what's happening in your body, process difficult emotions, and develop tools that actually work in the moment.
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Credentials: Master Level Social Worker
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Location: Decatur, GA 30030
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Virtual therapy?: Yes (GA)
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Lauren Jarrell
Best for:
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Anxiety therapy for panic attacks
Lauren specializes in working with adolescents and young adults whose anxiety shows up as panic attacks and intense emotional dysregulation. With training in DBT interventions and attachment theory, she helps you understand your nervous system responses, build distress tolerance skills, and feel more grounded when anxiety feels totally overwhelming.
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Credentials: Licensed Associate Professional Counselor
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Location: Decatur, GA 30030
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Virtual therapy?: Yes (GA)
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Brenley Wiley
Best for:
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OCD and ERP therapy
Brenley is trained in Exposure & Response Prevention (the gold standard for OCD treatment) and has specialized experience helping clients break free from OCD patterns and intrusive thoughts. She works with kids, teens, and adults using evidence-based approaches like CBT and trauma-focused interventions, meeting you exactly where you are with compassion and practical strategies.
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Credentials: Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Perinatal Mental Health Certified Provider
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Location: Decatur, GA 30030
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Virtual therapy?: Yes (GA, SC, FL)
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Jessica Pentsil
Best for:
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Anxiety with ADHD
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Anxiety therapy for high-achieving professionals
Jessica understands how ADHD and anxiety often show up together, especially for high-achieving professionals managing overwhelm, shame, and the exhaustion of constant productivity. Using methods like CBT and solution-focused therapy, she helps clients identify their needs, set meaningful priorities, implement boundaries, navigate burnout, and build sustainable strategies for managing stress.
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Credentials: Licensed Professional Counselor
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Location: Decatur, GA 30030
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Virtual therapy?: Yes (GA)
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Amanda Peters
Best for:
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Anxiety with depression
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Anxiety with ADHD
Amanda brings years of experience working with adolescents and young adults navigating the intersection of anxiety, depression, and ADHD. With training in trauma-focused CBT and IFS, she creates a safe, compassionate space where you can explore how these struggles interact, develop practical coping strategies, and address the full picture of what you're experiencing.
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Credentials: Master Level Clinician
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Location: Decatur, GA 30030
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Virtual therapy?: Yes (GA)
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Jenny Romano
Best for:
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Postpartum anxiety
Jenny specializes in supporting women through the anxiety that can accompany pregnancy, postpartum, and early motherhood. Drawing from her own experiences and her training in IFS and trauma-informed care, she provides warmth and understanding as you navigate the complex emotions of becoming or being a mother.
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Credentials: Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor
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Location: Decatur, GA 30030
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Virtual therapy?: Yes (GA)
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Sam Merrill
Best for:
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Postpartum anxiety
Sam brings over a decade of experience supporting women and families through perinatal anxiety, offering specialized training through Postpartum Support International. Using EMDR, Internal Family Systems, and attachment-based approaches, she helps women process the overwhelming emotions of pregnancy and postpartum and build practical tools for managing anxiety in their day-to-day lives.
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Credentials: Licensed Associate Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor
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Location: Decatur, GA 30030
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Virtual therapy?: Yes (GA)
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Phylicia Clemons
Best for:
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Anxiety with trauma
Phylicia specializes in helping adolescents and young adults whose anxiety is rooted in past trauma. With training in EMDR and trauma-focused CBT, she understands how trauma keeps your nervous system stuck in survival mode and works with you to build regulation skills, process difficult experiences, and find a genuine sense of safety in your body and life.
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Credentials: Master's Level Clinician
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Location: Decatur, GA 30030
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Virtual therapy?: Yes (GA)
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Angie Hartley
Best for:
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Anxiety therapy for couples
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Anxiety with trauma
Angie is trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy and understands how anxiety and trauma impact both individuals and relationships—creating distance, fueling conflict, or leaving you feeling disconnected. She helps individuals process trauma while also supporting couples to build safety, learn to support each other through anxious moments, and develop communication patterns that bring them closer.
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Credentials: Associate Professional Counselor
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Location: Decatur, GA 30030
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Virtual therapy?: Yes (GA)
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Kim DeRamus Lareau
Best for:
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Anxiety therapy for high-achieving professionals
Kim specializes in working with driven professionals whose anxiety shows up as perfectionism, overworking, or constant pressure to perform. With 14 years of experience and training in EMDR, trauma-informed care, and perinatal mental health, she helps high-achievers understand where their anxiety stems from and build sustainable ways to manage stress without sacrificing excellence.
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Credentials: Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor, Perinatal Mental Health-Certified, National Certified Counselor
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Location: Decatur, GA 30030
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Virtual therapy?: Yes (GA, FL, SC)
McCayla Berry
Best for:
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OCD therapy
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Anxiety therapy for children & teens
McCayla specializes in working with kids, teens, and adults navigating OCD, intrusive thoughts, and emotional dysregulation. With training in EMDR and play therapy, she uses a trauma-informed approach alongside expressive modalities like art, writing, and sand tray to help clients of all ages break free from anxious patterns and reconnect with themselves.
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Credentials: Licensed Professional Counselor
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Location: Decatur, GA 30030
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Virtual therapy?: Yes (GA & TX)
"Anxiety’s like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you very far.”
-Jodi Picoult
What sets our practice apart from other Atlanta anxiety treatment providers
Finding the right therapist matters, and we've intentionally built Steady Hope to offer something different. Our diverse team offers specialized support for anxiety in all its forms, treating anxiety at the root instead of simply managing symptoms. Here’s why our clients choose us:
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Evening and weekend availability to work with your schedule
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In-person and virtual options across GA, FL, and SC
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Holistic approach that considers your whole self—mind, body, relationships, and spirit
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Women and mama-owned practice that values authenticity and collaborative community
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Specialized training in methods like EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, IFS, DBT, CBT, and EFT
We're not about quick fixes or cookie-cutter approaches. We build genuine relationships with our clients, creating the steady, grounded presence you need to do the deeper work of healing.
Types of anxiety we can help with
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
If your mind feels like it's always on, running through worst-case scenarios and finding new things to worry about, you might be dealing with GAD. We help you understand where this pattern comes from and develop nervous system regulation skills.
Social Anxiety
Social anxiety goes beyond typical nervousness—it's the fear of judgment or humiliating yourself that keeps you from connecting with others. We work with you to build confidence, challenge anxious thoughts, and show up more authentically in social situations.
Panic Disorder & Panic Attacks
Panic attacks can feel terrifying—your heart races, you can't catch your breath, and the fear of having another attack creates more anxiety. We help you understand what's happening in your body and teach grounding techniques that work in the moment.
Health Anxiety
Social anxiety goes beyond typical nervousness—it's the fear of judgment or humiliating yourself that keeps you from connecting with others. We work with you to build confidence, challenge anxious thoughts, and show up more authentically in social situations.
Perinatal Anxiety
Anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum is incredibly common but often goes unaddressed. Whether you're experiencing intrusive thoughts about your baby's safety or overwhelming fear about motherhood, our perinatal specialists provide compassionate, specialized support.
High-Functioning Anxiety
You might look successful on the outside, but inside, you're running on fumes, driven by perfectionism and fear of failure. We help high-achievers understand the cost of constant striving and find worth beyond productivity and performance.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Panic attacks can feel terrifying—your heart races, you can't catch your breath, and the fear of having another attack creates more anxiety. We help you understand what's happening in your body and teach grounding techniques that work in the moment.
What to expect from the therapy process
Step 1. Building safety and trust first
Before diving into the deeper work, we focus on creating a relationship where you feel genuinely safe and understood. We take time to hear your story, learn what matters to you, and establish the foundation of trust that makes real healing possible.
Step 2. Understanding your unique anxiety patterns
Everyone's anxiety has a history and a reason for being there. We work together to understand where your anxiety comes from—past experiences, attachment patterns, or nervous system activation—and help you make sense of why your body responds the way it does.
Step 3. Learning practical tools and skills
While understanding is important, you also need tools that work right now. Depending on your needs, we might integrate somatic techniques, DBT skills, CBT strategies, or EMDR to process underlying trauma—tailored to what actually helps you.
Step 4. Building lasting change
As therapy progresses, we shift from anxiety management to sustainable healing. You'll notice yourself responding differently to triggers, feeling more grounded in daily life, and trusting your ability to handle whatever comes up as you move toward your goals.
FAQs about anxiety counseling
Start working with an Atlanta anxiety therapist today
You’re not alone. Our team of anxiety therapists can help you get relief from anxiety symptoms, face the present and find hope for the future.
