Foundation Medical Group is accepting new therapy patients in Atlanta by secure video. Georgia adults can start talk therapy with a licensed therapist through our telehealth service, usually within 1 to 2 weeks. In-person therapy at our Decatur clinic (160 Clairemont Ave, Suite 200) is planned but not offered yet. Cigna is the carrier we list as accepted in Georgia, with other plans being added. Call (706) 534-8574 to book an intake.
That in-person gap matters, so we’d rather name it now. Plenty of people want a therapist in Atlanta they can sit across from, and that’s a fair preference. For those people, the rest of this page covers how to check any therapist: licensed in Georgia, treats what you’re dealing with, takes your insurance. Most people land with a licensed professional counselor, a licensed clinical social worker, or a psychologist.
Does Foundation Medical Group offer therapy in Atlanta?
Yes, by video. Here’s the honest picture for a Georgia patient today.
| What you need | Decatur clinic, in person | By secure video in Georgia |
|---|---|---|
| Talk therapy (CBT, DBT, ACT, trauma-focused, supportive) | Not yet, planned | Yes |
| Couples therapy | Not yet | Yes |
| Psychiatric evaluation and medication management | Not yet, planned | Yes |
| Suboxone and Subutex for opioid use disorder | Yes | Yes, with in-person visits as rules require |
| Therapy intake length | Not applicable | About 50 minutes |
Our therapy work is led by Allie Bashkoff, LCSW, Clinical Director of Therapy Services, who oversees therapeutic care at every FMG location. You’re matched with a therapist whose style fits what you’re carrying. If it isn’t the right fit, we switch you, no awkwardness required. And because your therapist and prescriber can work from the same chart, a patient already in our Decatur clinic for Suboxone can add therapy without starting from scratch somewhere else.
You need to be physically in Georgia for each video session. We confirm that every time, because licensing rules require it.
How do you start video therapy with us from Atlanta?
- Call (706) 534-8574 or our toll-free line at (800) 983-1974, or use our appointment page. Say you’re looking for therapy by video in Georgia.
- Insurance check. We verify your benefits before the first session.
- Intake. About 50 minutes. Your therapist learns your history and goals, and by the end you’ll know which approach they recommend and why.
- Weekly sessions to start. Standard sessions run about 55 minutes. CBT, DBT, ACT, and trauma-focused work often run 12 to 20 sessions, then space out to every other week and monthly.
Reaching out is the hard part. Maybe you’re tired of white-knuckling your way through the week. Maybe you’re worried about a partner, a teen, or a parent who isn’t doing well. That’s reason enough to start. Here’s how therapy works around metro Atlanta, what it costs, and how to tell a good fit from a poor one.
What does a therapist in Atlanta actually do?
A therapist is a trained clinician who provides talk therapy. You talk, they listen, and together you build skills that make an ordinary week feel less heavy. That’s mental health care in its plainest form. Nobody is going to dissect your childhood unless you decide you want to go there.
The letters after a name confuse people, so here’s the short version. An LPC is a licensed professional counselor who finished a graduate program in clinical mental health counseling. An LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker, trained in therapy and also in the practical scaffolding around it, like benefits or housing. A psychologist holds a doctorate and often handles testing. Each is a licensed therapist. Each can treat anxiety, depression, or trauma.
One question matters more than the credentials: how much experience does this person have with your concern? A mental health therapist who sees trauma every week works differently from one who mostly handles career stress. Ask directly. A good licensed professional counselor answers without getting defensive.
Here’s the line that surprises callers most. A therapist doesn’t prescribe medicine. If medication belongs in your plan, a psychiatrist near me search points you toward a medical doctor who can prescribe it and monitor how you respond. A licensed clinical social worker and a psychiatrist often share a patient, and the two sides talk to each other.
Which type of therapy is right for me?
There’s no single answer, though the options sort out fast once you know what each one targets. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most studied approach for anxiety and depression. It teaches you to catch a spiraling thought and answer it with something steadier. Dialectical behavior therapy adds skills for riding out intense emotions, which helps with self-harm urges and some personality disorders. Acceptance and commitment therapy takes a different angle. Make room for the hard feeling, then act on what you value anyway.
Other approaches turn up around town too. Narrative therapy helps you retell your own story with more room in it. Solution focused therapy keeps the lens on what’s already working. Motivational interviewing shows up when someone feels stuck between changing and staying put.
| Therapy option | What it targets | Usual format |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive behavioral therapy | Anxiety, panic, depression | Individual therapy, weekly |
| Dialectical behavior therapy | Emotional regulation, self-harm urges | Individual plus group therapy |
| Trauma-focused therapy | PTSD, abuse, grief, healing after loss | Individual, paced slowly |
| Family therapy | Teens, conflict at home, big transitions | Whole family in the room |
| Couples counseling | Communication, trust, relationship therapy | Both partners together |
| Online therapy | Tight schedules, long commutes | Secure video visit |
Most clinicians blend two or three of these. In our experience, a plan that mixes behavioral therapy skills with steady support beats a rigid protocol. The therapeutic approach matters less than whether you trust the person across from you.
What can therapy help with?
Most people arrive with something specific. Anxiety that won’t switch off. Depression that flattens the color out of everything. A trauma carried quietly since childhood. All of it responds to treatment.
- Anxiety. Constant worry, panic attacks, social fear, or a body that stays braced.
- Depression and mood disorders. Low mood, no energy, no interest in what you used to enjoy.
- Trauma. Healing after abuse, an accident, a loss, or violence.
- Relationships. Couples counseling, family therapy, and the strain of parenting.
- Bipolar disorder and personality disorders. Usually therapy paired with medication.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States. Research from the same agency puts anxiety disorders among the most common mental health concerns adults face. So if your mental health challenges feel huge and private, look around the waiting room. It’s full of people carrying something similar.
Trauma deserves its own note, because it’s often what people mention last. Healing from trauma isn’t about retelling the worst day until it stops stinging. A therapist with real trauma experience paces the work, builds coping skills first, and follows your lead on timing. If anxiety is the loudest thread for you, our guide to finding an anxiety therapist near me walks through that search in more detail.
Does therapy help teens and families in Atlanta?
Yes, and it’s one of the most common reasons parents start looking for a therapist. A teenager who’s withdrawn, sleeping at odd hours, or fighting more than usual is often carrying anxiety or depression they don’t have words for yet. Family therapy brings everyone into the same room so the load stops sitting on one person. A skilled therapist keeps the session from turning into a blame contest and helps the family hear each other again.
Adolescents do best with clinicians who treat teens regularly, because the approach differs from adult work. Sessions move at a teen’s pace, respect their privacy within safe limits, and often pull in school stress, friendships, and social media. Ask any office, ours included, whether the clinician has real experience with adolescents before you book, since not every counselor takes younger clients.
Parents often ask whether they should sit in on the visits. The honest answer is that it depends on the age and the goal. Younger children usually do better with a parent involved, while older teens often need a private space to speak freely. A good clinician tells you which setup fits your family and adjusts as trust builds. Group therapy can help teens too, since hearing a peer describe the same struggle lands differently than hearing it from a parent.
If your teen refuses to go at first, that’s common, and it isn’t a dead end. Sometimes a single parent session gives you tools to lower the temperature at home while your teen warms up to the idea. A small step beats waiting for a perfect one.
How do I find a therapist in Atlanta accepting new patients?
Build a short list, then make short calls. Atlanta therapists book up unevenly, so the office quoting a three-week wait may sit two doors from one with an opening Thursday. Four questions sort the list quickly.
- Are you accepting new patients this month?
- Do you take my insurance plan, and what’s my copay?
- What’s your experience treating anxiety, trauma, or whatever brings me in?
- Do you offer in person visits, online therapy, or both?
Geography still counts, even now that video visits are ordinary. Traffic on I-285 can stretch a 20-minute drive into an hour, so nearby therapists in Decatur, Brookhaven, or Midtown save you more than mileage. If you want in-person sessions, a clinician close to home or work across DeKalb or Fulton counties is easier to keep showing up for. Metro Atlanta therapy offices cluster around Decatur, Midtown, and Buckhead, which helps if you want to walk from a MARTA stop. When a clinic can’t take you, ask who they’d send a friend to. Most will give you a name on the spot.
Word of mouth still finds a therapist Atlanta neighbors trust faster than any listing. Insurance, though, shapes your cost more than anything else on the list. If you’re covered by Medicaid, our guide to finding a therapist near me that takes Medicaid covers the questions worth asking before you book.
What happens in your first therapy session?
A therapy session runs 45 to 60 minutes. The first one is mostly history. What brought you in, what you’ve already tried, what you want to be different six months from now. You share what you’re ready to share, and nothing gets pried out of you.
Bring your insurance card, a list of your medicines, and a rough timeline of when things got hard. That’s all you need. No notes, no speech, no tidy story. For a video intake, add a private room and a charged phone or laptop.
By the second or third visit, the work turns practical. You set a goal. You learn a skill or two. You start noticing patterns in what you experience between sessions, which is where most of the change actually happens. The therapeutic relationship builds during that stretch, and honestly, that bond matters as much as the method.
Give it two or three visits before you judge the fit. Feeling raw after a hard hour is normal, and healing isn’t always comfortable. Feeling judged, rushed, or unheard is a different signal entirely. You can switch, and a decent counselor won’t take it personally. Individual progress runs on its own clock, so compare yourself to last month rather than to anyone else.
How do you know therapy is working?
Progress is quiet. It rarely lands as one big breakthrough. You sleep better. You snap at your kids less. A worry that used to eat a whole day now takes an hour.
Ask your counselor to name what you’re working on, then write it down. Check that list once a month. Did the panic get shorter? Did depression loosen its grip on your mornings? Did you go back to the gym? Small wins count, and they stack up.
Healing after trauma moves slower than that. Some weeks feel like a step back. That’s normal, and it doesn’t mean the work failed. Tell your counselor when it happens. A counselor with real clinical expertise will ease the pace and rebuild your footing first.
If nothing shifts after a few months, say so out loud. A good counselor changes the plan, adds a skill, or brings in a psychiatrist. Sitting quietly through a stalled year isn’t worth your hour or your money.
What does therapy cost in Atlanta, and does insurance help?
With insurance, you typically pay a copay and your plan covers the rest of the visit. Without it, you pay the full session fee, which varies by clinic and by the clinician’s credentials. Ask three questions before your first appointment: am I in network, what’s my copay, and do I have a deductible to meet first?
Write the answers down along with the date and the name of whoever told you. Benefits get quoted differently by different people on the same phone line, which is how surprise bills happen. Our team runs that benefits check for new patients before the first visit and explains the numbers in plain language.
For Foundation Medical Group in Georgia, Cigna is the carrier our clinic lists as accepted today. Medicare, Medicaid, Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare, Humana, TRICARE, and Optum Behavioral Health are listed as being added in Georgia. Coverage varies by plan and state. Call our office to confirm your plan before your first visit.
Georgia Medicaid is run by the Georgia Department of Community Health, and most members get benefits through a care management organization, so the name on your card may be a health plan rather than “Medicaid.” Read the plan name and member ID to any office you call.
Two other doors are worth knowing about. Some Georgia clinics keep a sliding scale for patients paying cash, so ask what the lowest fee is instead of the sticker price. Plenty of employers also run an EAP, which pays for a handful of visits before your insurance gets billed at all.
Cost isn’t only money, either. Weekly individual therapy asks for an hour plus travel, and honestly, that’s the part people underestimate. Online therapy trims the travel. Group therapy usually costs less per session and adds something individual work can’t, which is hearing your own story in somebody else’s words.
Should you choose in-person or online therapy in Georgia?
Both work, and the right pick usually comes down to your week rather than your diagnosis. With us, video is the option right now. Talk therapy translates well to secure video, so online therapy is a solid fit for anxiety, depression, and steady maintenance work. It also erases the drive, which matters when I-285 turns a short trip into an ordeal. For people with tight schedules, young kids at home, or long commutes, video is often the format they can actually keep.
In-person visits still hold an edge in a few situations. A first meeting can feel warmer face to face, and some people focus better away from home, where the laundry and the dog aren’t in frame. Certain kinds of care, like a psychiatric evaluation that includes vitals or an in-office treatment, simply need you in the building. Trauma work sometimes goes smoother in person too, where a clinician can read the room and slow down at the right moment.
| Situation | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Long commute or packed schedule | Online therapy across Georgia |
| First visit and you want a warmer read | In person, with a local therapist |
| Physical exam or in-office treatment | In person |
| Steady maintenance once you’re settled | Online, with in-person when needed |
You don’t have to choose once and stick with it. Ask whether a clinic offers both before you commit, since a mix gives you the most room to keep care going when life gets busy. If in-person therapy is a must for you, we’ll tell you so honestly when you call, rather than book you into something that doesn’t fit.
What if you need help right now?
A waitlist is useless in a crisis. If you’re thinking about hurting yourself, call or text 988. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline answers 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and it costs nothing.
To find treatment, the SAMHSA National Helpline is free and confidential at 1-800-662-4357. It runs around the clock, all year, and staff can point you toward care in metro Atlanta. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 or head to the nearest emergency room.
Key Takeaways
- A therapist provides therapy and doesn’t prescribe medicine; a psychiatrist handles medication, and many patients see both.
- A licensed professional counselor, a licensed clinical social worker, and a psychologist can all treat anxiety, depression, and trauma.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy has the strongest evidence for anxiety and depression, while DBT skills target emotional regulation.
- Call several offices and ask about openings, insurance, and the clinician’s experience with your concern.
- Give a new therapist two or three sessions, then switch if the fit still feels wrong.
- Foundation Medical Group offers therapy by secure video across Georgia; in-person therapy at the Decatur clinic is planned but not offered yet.
- In Georgia, Cigna is the carrier listed as accepted today, with others being added. Confirm your plan before the first session.
- In a crisis, call or text 988, or reach the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
Start Therapy With Our Georgia Team
If you’ve been meaning to call somebody, this is a fine week to do it. You don’t need tidy words or a clear diagnosis first. Foundation Medical Group’s Decatur clinic sits at 160 Clairemont Ave, Suite 200, Decatur, GA 30030, walkable from the Decatur MARTA station. In person, it treats opioid use disorder with Suboxone and Subutex today. Therapy and psychiatric care for Georgia patients run by secure video while in-person services are added. Our Georgia clinic page has the details, and our online therapist guide covers video therapy in more depth. Call (706) 534-8574 when you’re ready, and we’ll walk you through the first step.
Sources
- National Institute of Mental Health, Depression: nimh.nih.gov.
- National Institute of Mental Health, Anxiety Disorders: nimh.nih.gov.
- National Institute of Mental Health, Psychotherapies: nimh.nih.gov.
- Georgia Medicaid, Georgia Department of Community Health: medicaid.georgia.gov.
- SAMHSA National Helpline: samhsa.gov.