TOPIC: What Is Play Therapy? How It Helps Children Process Emotions and Create Lasting Change

WRITTEN: June 19, 2026

WILL BE REVIEWED: June 2029

LEARN MORE ABOUT PLAY THERAPY AT JCAC: https://www.alpharettajohnscreekcounseling.com/play-therapy-for-children

As parents, it can be difficult to know when a behavior is simply a developmental phase and when your child may need additional support.

You may notice more tantrums, frequent meltdowns, increased anxiety, difficulty separating from you, withdrawal from family or friends, trouble at school, or sudden changes in mood. Many parents wonder:

"Are they just acting out?"
"Will they grow out of this?"
"Should I be worried?"

The truth is that children do...

TOPIC: Postpartum Support Group for Moms: You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

POST BY: Mikayla Minehart, LPC, NCC, PMH-C, EDIT-C - CLICK HERE TO SEE HER BIO

WRITTEN: May 19, 2026

WILL BE REVIEWED: June 2029

No one talks enough about how emotionally complex postpartum life can be.

One moment you may feel deep love and gratitude, and the next you may feel overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted, disconnected, or unlike yourself. The transition into motherhood is huge, and even when it’s beautiful, it can also feel incredibly hard.

Many moms silently wonder:
“Why am I struggling?”
“Why do I feel so overwhelmed?”
“Why does everyone else seem to handle this better than me?&r...

At Johns Creek and Alpharetta Counseling (JCAC), we believe connection changes everything. When individuals are equipped with the tools to recognize, assess, and cope with mental health challenges, they’re more likely to reach out for help and support others in doing the same. That’s the heart behind our annual Connection With A Purpose event — a day dedicated to mental health awareness, education, and community connection.

💛 Event Details

📅 Date: Saturday, October 25
🕙 Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Location: Milton Community Center
🎟️ Admission: FREE (Register to receive a free meal ticket)

To register, visit Connection With A Purpose Tickets

This free family-friendly ev...

TOPIC: The Teen Guide to Self-Esteem, Body Image, and Anxiety: Tools for a Healthier You

POST BY: Lillie Bamberg, LPC - CLICK HERE TO SEE HER BIO

WRITTEN: June 26, 2025

WILL BE REVIEWED: June 2028

You’re Not Alone: Understanding Teen Self-Esteem

If you're a teen who feels insecure, anxious, or uncomfortable in your own skin, you’re not the only one. Millions of teens struggle daily with low self-esteem, lack of confidence, and body image issues—and it can feel overwhelming. Add in pressure from school, family, friends, and social media, and it’s no surprise that teen mental health is more important than ever.

But here’s something you should know: it’s okay to...

TOPIC: How to Cope with Body Changes After Being an Athlete

POST BY: Makenna Vacek, Masters Level Clinical Intern - CLICK HERE TO SEE HER BIO

WRITTEN: June 26, 2025

WILL BE REVIEWED: June 2028

From being an athlete competing regularly, working out multiple hours a week, having some meals provided and then suddenly you are done with athletics. It can be a really big jolt from being basically a full time athlete to being free from that and having to figure out your identity but also deal with a lot of change. One of the biggest changes that my athletes come to me about sometimes is their body and exercise.

As we know, bodies change all the time as we get older and grow and go through life events. ...

TOPIC: How to Stop the ED Voice: Therapy That Helps with Eating Disorders

POST BY: Lyla Mills, LMSW - CLICK HERE TO SEE HER BIO

WRITTEN: June 26, 2025

WILL BE REVIEWED: June 2028

Eating disorders are complex — anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other specified feeding or eating disorders, are extremely challenging. They can be life-threatening and have a vast amount of emotional consequences.

Eating disorders can feel like an internal war - a battle between control and chaos and the body and the mind.

Living with an “ED”, eating disorder, voice in your head is incredibly challenging... and in so many different ways. Whether it is a consistent fear of
ga...

TOPIC: Building Mental Toughness: Navigating the Transition from High School to College Athletics with Resilience

POST BY: Makenna Vacek, Master's Level Clinical Intern - CLICK HERE TO SEE HER BIO

WRITTEN: June 26, 2025

WILL BE REVIEWED: June 2028

Many high school athletes aspire to the day they step on campus repping their new school gear and get to take their playing to a higher level. While this is an exciting time for them, it also comes with a whole new set of demands and experiences as they transition. Sometimes it is the first time away from home, maybe expectations of playing time are different, coaches may be harsher, maybe you just went from being the best on a team to now hardly not...

TOPIC: Postpartum Hormones Explained: What’s Happening to Your Mind and Body After Birth

POST BY: Mikayla Minehart, Certified Perinatal Mental Health Therapist - CLICK HERE TO SEE HER BIO

WRITTEN: June 26, 2025

WILL BE REVIEWED: June 2028

If you’ve recently had a baby and find yourself crying more than usual, feeling overwhelmed, or wondering, “Why don’t I feel like myself?”, you are not alone, and you are not broken. The truth is your body and brain are going through massive changes. And at the heart of it all? Hormones.

As a therapist certified in perinatal mental health, I’ve worked with many women who are shocked by how much their mood, energy, and emotion...

TOPIC: EMDR Explained: The Science of Emotional Healing and Brain Rewiring

POST BY: Lindsey Wheeler, LPC, CPCS - CLICK HERE TO SEE HER BIO

WRITTEN: June 26, 2025

WILL BE REVIEWED: June 2028

If you’ve ever felt like you're trapped in a loop of painful memories, reactions that feel too big for the moment, or emotions that seem to control your life—you're not alone. For many people, trauma doesn't just live in the past. It gets stored in the body, in the brain, and the nervous system. And while talk therapy can help bring awareness, sometimes it feels like insight alone isn’t enough. That’s where EMDR therapy can offer profound healing.

EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization ...

TOPIC: Healing After Trauma: A Path to Safety, Resilience, and Self-Discovery

POST BY: Lindsey Wheeler, LPC, CPCS - CLICK HERE TO SEE HER BIO

WRITTEN: June 26, 2025

WILL BE REVIEWED: June 2028

If you're reading this, chances are you're carrying something heavy. Maybe it's a memory that won't fade, a sense of danger that never seems to leave, or a deep exhaustion from holding everything together for too long. You might look like you're functioning to the outside world—successful, capable, resilient—but on the inside, there’s a lingering ache, a fracture you can’t quite name. Trauma is often invisible. But its impact? That’s very, very real.

As a trauma therapist who ...