Hi, I’m Thorn!

I’m the owner and clinical director of Stonegate Counseling Associates, and I’m so glad you’re here. Reaching out for help takes courage, and I count it a great privilege to walk with my clients through their pain and difficult seasons of life. Whether you’re working through relationship issues, addiction, past trauma, sexual difficulties, or personal growth challenges, I'm committed to providing you a nurturing space to regain your footing and live with confidence. I work with clients in person at my office and via secure telehealth throughout Georgia.

How I Approach Therapy:

My education, training, and experience allow me to integrate a wide variety of counseling models into my clinical work, including Attachment Theory, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Emotionally Focused Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Internal Family Systems, various Family Systems theories, Cognitive-Behavioral strategies, and more. If I'm doing my job well, I'm listening to you to determine which therapeutic approaches may work best for your personality, preferences, needs, and goals.

You can expect your work with me to be both supportive and challenging. Good therapy will inevitably bring up difficult feelings, and my commitment to you is that we will face them together. You'll come out on the other side more courageous, free, and whole.

I work with people from all walks of life and religious backgrounds, and I especially enjoy incorporating Christian theology and spiritual practices into work with my clients who share a Christian faith and want this to be part of our work together.

Who I Work With:

I work with adult men and women, couples, families, and adolescent males. While I see all kinds of clients experiencing a variety of concerns, I am at my best helping people navigate:
  • Sexual addiction, unwanted sexual behavior, and pornography use
  • Marriage conflict, communication problems, and intimacy issues
  • Relationship difficulties
  • Depression, anxiety, and stress management
  • Codependency and family conflict
  • Trauma, abuse, and addiction recovery (including EMDR therapy)
  • Personal and spiritual growth and soul care
  • ​Premarital and pre-engagement counseling
Having served in a variety of roles in church leadership, including as a church elder for over five years, I have a unique interest in helping pastors, church leaders, and parachurch ministry leaders navigate the difficulties of ministry. Relational and spiritual work like ministry can often bring up the sore places within ourselves still in need of healing, and I want to provide a soft place for ministry leaders to tend to those areas.

As a Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor (CPCS) and AAMFT Supervisor in Training, I also provide clinical supervision for graduate level interns and associate-level clinicians seeking full licensure.

My Background & Experience:

I hold a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy and a Graduate Certificate in Christian Sex Therapy from Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta. I am licensed in Georgia as a Marriage and Family Therapist and Professional Counselor and am a member of:
I am formally trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and integrate it into work with clients seeking trauma therapy and addiction counseling.

I also have completed advanced training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and use it as the basis for my work with couples and families.

Let’s Work Together!

You’ve already taken the first step toward therapy - well done! When you’re ready to take the next step toward healing and personal growth, I’d love to connect with you. I offer both in-person sessions at my Watkinsville office and secure telehealth appointments for clients throughout the state of Georgia. ​