Madeline Thompson Smith, Licensed Professional Counselor

11/26/2025

11/25/2025

08/06/2025

No shame this school year!

Here’s why I don’t think chicken nuggets are good or bad...⁠
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“Why are you recommending nuggets?” she asked, and then said, “Then I realized you were talking about ‘access.’” Nope. ⁠
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When the person said this to me, they assumed I thought chicken nuggets were bad or a compromise. They assumed chicken nuggets were bad, a lesser food. They assumed chicken nuggets were bad for everyone. They assumed that I should only tell parents about “good” “whole foods” with no added sugar or salt that are “minimally processed.”⁠
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But if I were to ONLY talk about that 👆definition of foods, I would also likely be spreading guilt to most parents who don’t eat those sorts of foods, and a superior feeling to those parents who do. I don’t believe that we need any more parent comparison wars. ⁠
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Is it good for us to eat a variety of foods, yes. Is it good for us to serve our children a variety of foods, yes. Do I assume chicken nuggets are bad? No, actually I do not. ⁠
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Do I think it’s bad to just serve your child chicken nuggets 3 times a day, every day? If you’re doing that, I’m guessing you are doing that for a reason, and I support you in doing the best thing for your family.⁠
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Life is more complicated than pat answers about foods. Most of Kids Eat in Color is about helping your child learn to eat more colorful foods, more variety, and more meals that keep them full to the next meal or snack. ⁠
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The rest of Kids Eat in Color is about helping YOU feel good about feeding your child. You can succeed at feeding your child based on the foods that make sense for your family. ⁠
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If you’ve got a picky eater and you’d like to get them more comfortable hearing about fruits and veggies, you may like my free 14-page picky eater guide. DM or comment GUIDE25 and I’ll send you the link. ⁠

05/16/2025

As a neuro-affirming counselor, I don't "teach social skills". Instead, I work with the kid to help them achieve what THEY want. Do they want to interact more with peers? Or are they happy with the connections they have? Would they like to learn small talk skills to feel more comfortable meeting new friends? And if they do, can I also help them see the value in and embrace their natural way of communicating?

I'm not teaching "quiet hands", I'm embracing stimming. We're not teaching eye contact, because it can feel painful!

What I can help teach: turn-taking in games if they want to play more games with others, sharing toys when appropriate like at daycare, and respecting others personal boundaries as well as upholding their own, such as not touching others without permission.

05/08/2025

Introducing summer LGBTQ+ tween & teen empowerment groups at Sunrise Counseling!

My favorite part of being a therapist is facilitating our tween & teen groups. Watching the kids grow together from beginning to end of group never gets old.

We'll focus on building confidence in identity, inner-strength and resiliency for facing hardship, healthy coping skills for expressing emotions, and visualizing and building goals that lead to the future they want.

Dates are not yet set, so make sure to fill out the potential interest form so we can take into account your preferred dates!

Don't let the art part make your teen nervous - I don't have natural artistic talent ;) The focus is on expressing yourself, engaging in guided crafts, and exploring your power and identity through a variety of projects.
https://forms.gle/MMbPmvrqhB4C2e9T9

Child, Teen, and Adult Counseling and Therapy in Snellville, Georgia. In Person and Online. Play Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Trauma, ADHD, DBT, CBT, Depression, Anxiety, Self-Harm, LGBTQ+, Couples Therapy, Family Therapy, Relationsh

05/08/2025

Did you know that LGBTQ+ kids who parents are unaccepting of their identity are more than twice as likely to attempt su***de as LGBTQ+ kids whose parents are accepting? (source: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2022/).

You don't have to understand. You just have to respect, be open, and love.

03/29/2025

Providing empathy and autonomy gives your child the strength to trust their feelings, their bodies, and themselves and then make a courageous choice- even when they’re scared!

“We clarified that she did want to do it but was scared.

And I reminded her that we can do things scared.

And so she did. She okayed every step. And the second ear was done. She claims it hurt worse…

Yes it hurt. Yes she cried. But she did it. She did it scared.

And it was her choice.”

Her ears.
Her choice.

I am here to shame no one. I know there’s lots of cultures where babies ears are pierced.

I’m simply here to give an example and assurance about our experience today when we got my daughter’s ears pierced at six years old.

First of all, we went to a tattoo shop. I am not shaming anyone who goes to Claire’s or a place like it, but it is a fact that piercing with a gun leads to the ears not healing as well, getting infected, etc. likely- you will be getting them pierced again

Again, you do you.

We went to a professional. He was amazing. He carved out an hour of time. He let her pick out jewelry- she had to sign waivers alongside me. He showed her every step and asked permission every time he did anything.

“Can I put this gauze on your ear? Is it ok if I do that?”

Making sure she said yes every time.

We were fine- until right before the first piercing. She said no and that she wanted to go home.

The response was a simple “ok” - we could try again another day. No pressure. No “we came all this way just do it!”

I knew she wanted it done. She explained she wanted to talk through the process, as a distraction. And so that’s what we did. We asked her questions about school, and when the needle went through- it was a shock. There were tears. And more pain than she was expecting.

Then came the second part- the hardest choice of the day. Do we leave a pirate? 🏴‍☠️ or do we push through and do it again?

I told her we could leave and try again. I also said though- it would be better to do it today and just be done!

He said “these are your ears, and it’s your choice. I know it hurts and it’s scary. But it doesn’t matter what I say or what mom says - this is YOUR choice. “

I loved that.

We clarified that she did want to do it but was scared.

And I reminded her that we can do things scared.

And so she did. She okayed every step. And the second ear was done. She claims it hurt worse…

Yes it hurt. Yes she cried. But she did it. She did it scared.

And it was her choice.

03/18/2025

Know the signs that you or a loved one may be struggling. If you can get help early, the less time you have to suffer and easier it is to get back to feeling like yourself again.

Mental illnesses are disorders that can affect a person’s thinking, mood or behavior. These early warning signs and symptoms can help determine if you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health condition.

Learn more & get support: http://samhsa.gov/mental-health

03/12/2025

There's a Daniel Tiger song that goes, "Saying I'm sorry is the first step - then how can I help?" But really, pointing out how the other person is feeling or how they were affected and asking your child, "How could you help?" can actually lead to the sorry.

Example:
--Evan pushes Jaxon away so that Evan can be first to the swings.

--You say, "Evan, you pushed Jaxon away so you could be first. Jaxon is crying. How do you think he's feeling?"

--Maybe Evan is embarrassed. He says, "I don't know" or "I don't care". That's okay, we can roll with that.

--You say, "I'm thinking he's sad. I cry when I'm sad. What do you think we can do to fix this?"

--Then let Evan lead. He may say sorry and give Jaxon the swing, or he may simply give Jaxon the swing and walk away.

Either way, this conversation has sparked Evan's empathy skills, helped him pay attention to how his actions affect others, and strengthen his ability to solve problems and help others.