Ellie Mental Health - Johns Creek, GA

08/21/2025

While I am at it, I forgot to post this gem from the April 2025 Client Satisfaction Survey. This client definitely wanted to recognize Marina, and I let it fall into my "never ending task list of doom." Better late than never, right?

Therapist shoutout to Marina Pate for being "the best one yet" in this client's therapeutic journey. We love to hear it! If you have not completed the most recent Client Satisfaction Survey (check your spam folder because I rarely send emails so they can end up there), it's not too late.

08/21/2025

We are a TEAM at Ellie Mental Health Johns Creek and Ellie Mental Health Alpharetta. When our clients identify a family need, our other therapists step in so that family members can have their own space, independent of the family concern.

We send out Client Satisfaction Surveys each quarter as part of quality improvement. We love when our clients give therapist shoutouts, and this quarter, Joey and Angela are highlighted by a particularly grateful family, "We are so happy that our family has a space that we can connect in and feel safe." 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉

08/20/2025

You're invited to join Ellie Mental Health Johns Creek & Alpharetta's Friday Lunch & Learn discussion titled "Mental Health Diagnoses Are Not Permanent."

Our Clinic Director, Dr. Hudgins, has opened up our Lunch & Learns to the greater professional community by getting CE approvals from Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia (LPCA), Georgia Society for Clinical Social Work (GSCSW), and Georgia Association for Marriage & Family Therapy (GAMFT). Each organization has awarded 2 core CEs for attending.

We have plenty of room in our group space. Bring a lunch, or order a lunch (we're surrounded by restaurants), to be delivered to our suite of offices. The presentation is led by Dr. Hudgins from 12pm-2pm. While we prefer to see your lovely faces, if you're too far away, inquire about a Peanut Gallery via Microsoft Teams option. 😁

$25 for the first 10 paid registrants or 50% off; $50 is the actual fee.

Synopsis:

This presentation is designed to help clinicians with their diagnostic confidence. Dr. Hudgins will discuss how symptoms change over time and within diagnoses; factors that influence diagnostic changes; the fallacy of identifying with a diagnosis; and instilling hope in clients within their diagnostic labels.

We vow to be really and truly different from other mental health providers.

08/07/2025

Think your kid might be socially anxious? Check out our podcast to help know the signs, how to respond, and when to get help!

Help your child overcome social anxiety: learn to spot signs, understand diagnosis & use evidence-based CBT tools with supportive parental strategies.

07/31/2025

Oh no! It's the Back to School Dread! Anxious about this year's tests? Check out Test Anxiety Help: Study Hacks & Relaxation Tips.

Conquer test anxiety with proven strategies: effective study habits, relaxation techniques & supportive tips for students to excel under pressure.

07/30/2025

Today, on , we hold space for the losses that changed us— the ones we speak of often and the ones we carry quietly.

Whether your grief is fresh or decades old, visible or invisible, your pain is real. We're thinking of you today.

Here are some tips and book recommendations from one of our therapists for helping kids navigate grief and loss.

07/29/2025

Back-to-school nerves? Totally normal. Help kids feel more in control with a variety of simple coping skills they can use anytime. What coping skills work best for you or your kids?

07/28/2025

Ever zoned out during a meeting, driven somewhere and not remembered how you got there, or felt totally disconnected in a stressful moment?

These aren’t just quirks.... they can be signs of dissociation, a powerful and often misunderstood coping mechanism.

In therapy spaces, we talk about dissociation often. But outside of them, people may not recognize it or know what to do when it shows up. For folks with trauma histories, dissociation isn’t just occasional spacing out—it’s the nervous system protecting itself when things feel too overwhelming to process.

➡️ In this new blog post, Ellie therapist Miranda Barker, LICSW, breaks down:
- What dissociation actually is (and isn’t)
- Why the body uses it as a survival response
- How trauma-informed approaches like EMDR, parts work, and somatic therapy can help
- Practical grounding strategies that reconnect people to the present

Whether you're a clinician, a mental health advocate, or someone who’s felt disconnected and didn’t have a word for it—this is worth the read.

🔗 Check it out here: https://elliementalhealth.com/feeling-disconnected-a-therapists-guide-to-understanding-dissociation/

🎧 Bonus: Watch this related podcast episode featuring trauma therapist Amy Wilkerson, LICSW, for more insights. https://youtu.be/2Cxr5KB8Atg?si=p-mTzj5ZgGmwveOx

Explore how dissociation serves as a trauma coping mechanism and discover therapeutic approaches for healing.

07/25/2025

Ever heard of DBT?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a powerful, evidence-based approach that helps people manage intense emotions, improve relationships, and build a life worth living.

Originally developed for borderline personality disorder, DBT is now used to support anyone struggling with:
💥 Big emotional swings
🧠 Anxiety or depression
🗣️ Conflict in relationships
🧍‍♀️ Feeling stuck in unhelpful patterns

DBT teaches skills in 4 key areas:
Mindfulness
Emotion Regulation
Distress Tolerance
Interpersonal Effectiveness

It’s not just about coping, it’s about thriving with tools that actually work.

07/24/2025

It's Parent Appreciation Day! Thanks to the wonderful parents for rocking these summer months. It's now time to shift gears back to school life. Got a child feeling a bit anxious about the transition? Try reading our Calming First-Day Fears: A Parent's Guide Back-to-School Anxiety. You got this!

Help kids conquer back-to-school anxiety with practical tips, calming routines, and coping strategies for a smooth transition.

07/22/2025

Understanding your health insurance doesn’t have to be scary, in fact, the more you know, the more you can avoid surprise bills. In this video, we break down key terms like premiums, deductibles, copays, and coinsurance, and explain how benefit checks really work behind the scenes. 🧾✨

07/21/2025

Our Ellie Mental Health- Alpharetta, GA location has a New Women's Group beginning August 19, 2025, Tuesdays, at 7pm.

This group is for women 21+ who are wearing multiple hats (i.e., child, sibling, mother, wife, employer, employee, any and all of the above really); a space to move from People Pleaser to Self-Advocate.

If you or if you have a client struggling with boundaries, and people-pleasing, and find yourself (themselves) pulling away from loved ones, this group is for you/them!

Please spread the word by sharing this post.

Group Leader: Angela Paggett, LMFT

Self-Pay is $50, and we are able to bill the major insurance carriers.