Jessica Donaldson
Owner, B.S., MSW, LCSW
Psychotherapist
Awareness. Presence. Authenticity.
“Trauma is anything that changes you in a way that makes your future responses to the world more limited.” – Gabor Mate.
I truly enjoy connecting with clients in order to engage them in discovering their truth. I work with a variety of individuals, families, and couples who are seeking to live consciously and in authenticity. The presenting concerns are rarely the sources of distress- depression, anxiety, mania, psychosis, any type of addiction, self harm, avoidance, relationship/family challenges, anger/aggression, mood instability, distraction/impulsivity, or trauma reactions. We will work to improve connection between every person to their true self.
Jessica ♡
The Wounded Healer
Everybody’s at war with different things, I’m at war with my own heart sometimes. -Tupac
As a Grady baby growing up in Atlanta, I consider the School of Hard Knocks my first Alma Mater. First surviving, then adapting, and finally overcoming a host of difficult situations ultimately inspired me professionally.
While narrowly avoiding prison or death in my teens, and graduating high school by the skin of my teeth, I enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves. College would be delayed after being called upon to serve my country in Iraq and Afghanistan, but once I returned education would become the priority in my life.
I transferred into the University of Georgia after a few semesters at the University of West Georgia, where I earned a B.S. in psychology and met my future partner. After a few years in corporate America, we returned to UGA to pursue our master’s in social work, and dreamed of one day opening our own practice together.
I practice through an Adlerian framework, and use several modalities in my practice (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Imago to name a few). I was educated using the integrative health approach, and assess physical, mental, financial, social, and spiritual health holistically.
With over a decade in experience working with vulnerable populations in urban environments, I was exposed to a variety of situations: supportive housing with wrap around services, grant writing, community program development, individual and family therapy, addiction counseling, and acute inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations.
In 2020, during the height of the COVID pandemic, my partner and I were invited to join a group practice, where we both invested ourselves in working with individuals, families, and couples before launching A Way of Being in 2022. We are fully committed to working with our clients through the process of individuation, navigating transitions, and moving toward authenticity.
Be kind to yourself.
In order to live in truth, you have to understand your experience and be compassionate towards yourself.
Understanding and acceptance is key
It's time to...
- Prioritize yourself and your overall wellbeing
- Work towards self acceptance
- Notice and experience your emotions in the present moment
- Recognize automatic unconscious reaction patterns
- Have faith in your process
- Have faith in your intuition
- Take responsibility
- Have compassion for yourself
- Be curious about what comes up for you
- Whatever arises, don't make it wrong, but see it as a teacher
