Embrace Life Consulting & Wellness is a private practice offering both Christian and secular counseling through Tele-mental health. I specialize in issues that negatively affect your mental health such as trauma stemming from mid-life crises, separation/divorce, narcissistic abuse, sexual abuse, or abuse of any kind to marital/family discord and co-parenting/parenting support. I would love to support you through many other life defining moments. Located in Atlanta, GA, I am excited to not only help you heal, but to heal well!

Embrace Life Consulting & Wellness is a private practice offering both Christian and secular counseling through Tele-mental health. I specialize in issues that negatively affect your mental health such as trauma stemming from separation/divorce, narcissistic abuse and recovery, or abuse of any kind, grief, marital/family discord, and co-parenting/parenting support. I would love to support you through many other life defining moments. Located in Atlanta, GA, I am excited to not only help you heal, but to heal well!

ABOUT Your Therapist

Picture of Martina Watson, LPC

Martina Watson, LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

Welcome! I am so glad that you’re here! My name is Martina Watson, and I am the owner of Embrace Life Consulting & Wellness, Inc. which I began after graduating in 2009 from Richmont Graduate University. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Atlanta, GA. I have served in many different communities and organizations as a therapist in Georgia. 

I love working with clients who are committed to achieving their own happiness even if they feel ambivalent, afraid, or doubtful about it. That’s normal. In fact, most of my clients enter into therapy at some of the hardest, painful and most difficult points in their lives. Therefore, you are not alone.

 Some clients are couples who are entertaining divorce or a temporary separation; others are parents who want to connect with their children but find their relationship strained or near destruction; still, many of my clients are individuals who feel stuck, lonely, and are having a difficult time making decisions based off of their current life stressors.

Nevertheless, life will always present us with challenges, but we can either struggle through them or learn how to embrace them.  

Into every life, a little pain must come; the real question is how will you turn that pain into potential?

Our Services

True healing begins not only, when the self is acknowledged, but when it feels overwhelmingly heard to the satisfaction of its own height and depth.

Individual Counseling

Everyone experiences life challenges, but it can be especially difficult when you’re single and/or feel all alone in the world. Estrangement from your family, difficulty establishing achieving a work + life balance, or coping with other personal adversity, or a desire to live a new and unfulfilled life are just a few of the issues that are great for working through in individual counseling. 

Individual Counseling

Among many skills, in Individual Counseling you will learn various skills such as finding and using your voice to advocate for yourself, establishing and maintaining personal/professional boundaries, and how to navigate set goals and work towards them. You will be heard, validated, and encouraged as you carve out YOUR life on YOUR terms.

Couples Counseling

Whether your relationship is in trouble because of an affair, empty nesting, a vast difference in financial attitudes or some other issue, I can help you overcome those barriers in couples counseling.

Couples Counseling

In Couples Counseling, we will explore how your childhood and other negative events have shaped you into the spouse you are today. We will also observe how relationships from your pre-marital past has impacted the dynamics in your current relationships. Through Couples Counseling , you both will learn how to empathize and resolve your own individual struggles, problem solve relational conflict, and reignite the passion that you once had for each other.

Family Counseling

Families are the cornerstone of our society, which is why it takes so much to make them run smoothly. Although parents and caregivers  can have the best intentions, a family often must compete with jobs, financial difficulties, and other social providers, among other things. Oftentimes, this leads to discord, disengagement, and difficulty with making sure that everyone feels seen, heard, and most of all loved. In family counseling, we will work together to repair those bonds for the better.

Family Counseling

Being in a family can sometimes feel like being in a war zone in which everyone is both an aggressor and a victim. Favoritism, generational cycles, and the death of a parent can all perpetuate ongoing discord, estrangement, and even lawsuits. In Family Counseling you will develop empathy, compassion, and forgiveness for each other among other things.

Trauma Resolution Therapy

While it is not a new, Trauma Resolution Therapy (TRT) is one of the best kept secrets in mental health counseling for many reasons. First, it allows clients to process traumas in an environment that is contained by the therapeutic relationship. Furthermore, it is also supportive, validating, and empathic in nature. Next, it allows clients to resolve not only the original trauma, but also the triggers, emotions, and negative ways of coping that often are attached with an unresolved trauma. Moreover, this resolution allows minimizes and/or greatly reduces undesirable behaviors.  Lastly, TRT helps the client to establish healthy boundaries with others, is transformative, and allows clients to take back control of their lives. This means that clients get to live their lives on their terms. 

Reviews

Another Satisfied Client
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Peeling back the layers to the issues I’m having is the hardest thing I have ever done but doing with Martina gives me hope for a brighter, clearer path to true healing and freedom. We are just getting started but even when we aren’t speaking, I’m now thinking about things in a deeper way & it helps when I make decisions. I’m excited about coming on the other side of the confusion, pain & trauma and leading a healthy, meaningful and more authentic life.
Another Satisfied Client
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Martina listens to me, and then helps me reframe my own thoughts in a more constructive way. she seems to know when I need to be pushed to think differently about a situation or when I am emotional and need a more gentle response. she has been amazing as I have been going through some very difficult situation in my life and I can’t say enough about her support as I have been processing a wide range of emotions as I navigate through this curve ball that life threw me.
Another Satisfied Client
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Literally the best Therapist we have had yet , we are better day by day because she truly pushes us to be the better versions of ourselves , very grateful to have her as our therapist!
Another Satisfied Client
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Martina is wonderful. She is very attentive, compassionate and understanding.
Another Satisfied Client
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I can’t say enough about Martina. She has been amazing to work with as I’ve been dealing with some tough life situations. I’m in a much better place since I’ve been working with her.
Another Satisfied Client
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Martina is a great listener. She quickly developed a plan that allowed me to experience true breakthrough and healing from past traumas. I was ready to move forward and develop from my negative experiences. Martina is doing an excellent job of getting me to there.
Another Satisfied Client
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Martina is awesome! She is very professional and is spot on with her assessments. She is very helpful and is an amazing listener!
Another Satisfied Client
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I love her she truly understands me and how to help me deal with my past and move forward.
Another Satisfied Client
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I feel such a difference in my energy since meeting with Martina! She is a great listener and makes amazing suggestions! I highly recommend her
Another Satisfied Client
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She's great at listening and giving sound advice to my current situation. She even gives me tools to help going forward. I love talking with her
Another Satisfied Client
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First time I feel heard and questioned. That is extremely important to me.
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Don't just heal, heal well!

WHAT's In a Consultation?

Beginning counseling isn’t always easy. It can be scary to admit that you need help let alone make the first move. Your first consultation with me will be free and will last 15-20 minutes. In this consultation, I will attentively listen as you give me a summary of what has brought you to counseling. I will ask several questions related to your issue to examine if we can build a healthy therapeutic relationship. If I determine that we are a good fit, we will discuss next steps. Nevertheless, I may also determine that there are other therapists with a specialization that may be a better fit for you. If so, I will provide you with three contacts as referrals. If you choose, you may follow up with these prospective providers so that you can continue to prioritize your mental health and get the help that you need.

Request a Consultation

Embrace Life Consulting & Wellness is for trauma survivors, adult children of dysfunctional families, couples experiencing marital discord, older adults who desire to do something different with their lives, parents who want to repair, strengthen, build and or improve their relationships with their children no matter the age, and adults who are dating and who desire to understand more about themselves so that they can attract the right partner/spouse, and families

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

My hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Final appoints begin at 8:00 p.m. 

Yes, I currently am on the panels of Cigna, EAP: Cigna, EAP: Optum, and United Healthcare/ Optum, Aetna, Ambetter, Anthem, Humana, and Kaiser Permanente. I also see clients who pay out of pocket. Please keep in mind that should you desire to utilize your insurance, I will be required to give you a formal diagnosis using the DSM-V-TR. This formal diagnosis will go into your health records and remain there permanently throughout your life. All healthcare professionals and staff will have access to it. Moreover, this means that should you visit the hospital for medical treatment, you may be screened and/or assessed by a mental health professional even if you are not experiencing any psychiatric or mental health issues. Utilizing insurance can be a very cost-effective way to receive treatment. However, if you are concerned about maintaining your privacy then paying a monthly out of pocket expense may be the best option instead.

No, I do not treat these clients solely and exclusively. There are times when I do see clients with Narcissistic Personality Disorder and/or Major Depressive Disorder, but this usually occurs in the context of a family or marital dynamic. If you are in need of referrals for disorders that I do not see, please do not hesitate to email me a referral list. Please note that referrals are not recommendations therefore if you receive or request a referral, you assume responsibility for any outcomes that result from your having chosen any mental health provider on the referral list.

No. Like others who utilize their weekend to rest, I too, look forward to not only recharging on the weekend, but also connecting further with my family as well as outside hobbies and interests. 

In our first session, which will last between 45-60 minutes, clients can expect to meet with a very compassionate, warm, and welcoming professional eager to listen to their most pressing concerns. I will also ask about your family of origin as well as other people, events and areas of concerns. These questions help me create a mental map to explore exceptions to your initial problems, possible solutions, and conscious and unconscious strengths to build and work from. I will also inquire about desired goals for treatment to create a direction and focal point with which to travel. 

Because my Master’s in Marriage and Family therapy, I am well versed in a myriad of theoretical orientations. Since I have also learned to integrate many of the therapies that I use from session to session, I consider myself to be an eclectic therapist. However, the therapies that I utilize and integrate most are from theories in cognitive behavior and object relations, brief solution focused, structural/Minuchin, Bowenian, transactional analysis, and Trauma Resolution Therapy among many others.

Currently I do not see any children as clients below the age of about 13 at this particular time. However, I do know Play and Expressive therapy. Typically, if parents desire counseling for a younger child, I may do family therapy and work more closely with the parents than I do with their children. 

Unfortunately, I do not currently see clients in person however, I hope to begin seeing clients in person in the near future.

Presently, I do not see clients who self-harm or have a tendency towards suicidal ideation. 

Currently, I do not offer any counseling groups as I enjoy working with clients individually or jointly with their significant others and/or their families.

Every person is different, therefore the duration of counseling for each client varies greatly as well. However, motivation is the commonality that I have found with which all clients seem to have who want to successfully make changes in their lives or overcome a serious problem. Furthermore, willingness to trust the therapeutic relationship (i.e. therapist-client relationship) is also key. This relationship often serves as an anchor to help sustain and support clients as they transition through many rough and difficult periods throughout the therapeutic process. Clients are usually done with therapy when they experience a reduction or elimination of symptoms, view themselves as capable and competent enough to manage their own life or problems, and perceive themselves as being free to move on without any additional counseling sessions.

In a world of transactional relationships and dynamics, my clients have continuously praised my ability to remain constant and consistent during our therapeutic alliance. They have all agreed that it is my unwavering empathy, compassion, and attentiveness. Clients acknowledge how relieved they are to feel heard, seen, validated, confident, and encouraged after each session. Likewise, they have emphasized that no matter what they disclose, they do not feel judged, condemned, or criticized. Want to read more? Check out the multiple reviews that have been written by past clients.

Yes, I have done speaking engagements. Speaking engagements begin at $250/hr. with an additional $160 traveling fee for places that are 30 miles or more from my home roundtrip ($80 from my home and $80 back to my home for all speaking engagements that are within 30 miles of my home).

Unfortunately, I do not see clients and their families within their homes.

Occasionally, there may be a time when both you and I may agree that the client-therapist relationship is no longer suitable for working together. In addition, it is possible that other therapeutic relationships may be more beneficial in helping to meet your goals. If this is ever the case, then we will begin to decrease sessions and agree on a certain number of sessions to work towards healthy termination of the relationship. If so desired, the client would receive additional referrals for professionals who might be of better assistance to them in their journey of healing and growth. All fees for sessions paid for would be  would be non-refundable. If clients paid for advanced sessions, that money would be returned to them within 2 weeks depending on the client’s banking institution and its process for returning money to their customers.