Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine Moon.
Hi Cat, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Since I was a kid, people and psychology fascinated me. I always wanted to know why people did the things they did — what their story was and how that informed how they treated others. I loved being a confidant to my friends, and I was curious, and nosy, when it came to my own family system.
I wanted to be a therapist, but when I went to college, I became an English Major, encouraged by my family to shy away from becoming a therapist as I was “sensitive.” Thankfully, therapy kept coming back into my life.
I dipped my toe in by volunteering at a private group practice as an administrative assistant. I read the clinic’s notes voraciously. I became friends with the clinicians and asked them if they could do it all over as a therapist, what would they do? Most of them said social work. So, I decided to get my Master’s of Social Work.
Once a therapist, I started at Skyland Trail, one of the top Psychiatric Residential facilities in the US. I worked primarily with people who had depression or bipolar disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Skyland was a great place to learn — and it was like drinking out a firehose: acute patients, full days, lots of training and consultation.
I adored my clients and my co-workers, and something was missing. I wanted to have longer relationships with my clients and see how they grow into trusting themselves and seeing themselves as good — not just “problems” to be solved.
So much of the work in a higher level of care is about helping our clients feel stable, then it’s out the door and back to their lives — but I wanted to help people heal from the roots of what was causing the problems, not just help them replace harmful behaviors with helpful skills.
I realized that so many of the people who had BPD had deep trauma and self-blame. When I got to know them deeply, they were just overwhelmed with pain, blaming themselves for all of their problems and trying to find ways to get the pain to stop — when so much of the trauma was systemic or deep invalidation due to others in their lives not knowing how to deal with their emotions, either.
When I was able to just sit with my clients and help them to see themselves as the worthy, loveable people that they are, they were able to treat themselves differently and have more hope for their future. And…they also needed to heal the wounds that created the painful symptoms in the first place.
A few years after beginning my own EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy, I decided to pursue training in EMDR, a modality that helps to heal trauma. To make my dream of being in private practice a reality, I worked nights and weekends after my full-time job at a really supportive environment, Lullwater Counseling.
Eventually I decided it was time to open my own practice. I couldn’t decide where to rent space. I had a beautiful painting that I wanted to be in my office. Dayle said to me, “Close your eyes. Where do you imagine that painting?” I saw my new office. It was in Oakhurst — serene, calm, spacious, full of light.
Being on my own was lovely but lonely. I missed walking next door to a friend’s office to decompress after a difficult session or just chat about our plans after work. I wanted others to consult with and to learn alongside.
Being a therapist is really unique — it is so emotionally taxing, and as much as our partners try to support us, no one can truly know what it’s like to hold so many people in your mind and heart that you care about while not being able to talk about it. I missed having therapist friends around me.
I had a lot to be grateful for. My practice was full, and I was turning people away. As I consulted with other therapists, I felt it was time to bring on an associate who I trusted, I could train, and I could support in a healthy environment. I brought on Julie, who was an ideal fit, fantastic clinician, and wonderful human being. I was able to support her in her dream to work in private practice and help give her clients, and I had more of a community, which I was longing for.
From there, it snowballed. It felt like this joy and earnestness to create a safe community attracted other like-minded clinicians. I created a list of values and mission statements to put into writing what I wanted our practice to be: inclusive, work/life balance, abundant, caring, and skilled. In two years, we had four clinicians. We had this special crew of people who I could laugh with, have real talks with, and know they were deeply helping clients in Atlanta to heal. Our client base grew through word of mouth. Everything felt organic and validating that there was magic in this little community.
Soon, we attracted more clinicians who saw our reputation for being inclusive, fair, honest, well-trained, and having an abundance mindset. We added another four clinicians. Now, we have 14 clinicians in our practice, including two interns and an office manager who is my right hand. It still feels like magic. I deeply trust each one of my clinicians, who are ethical, caring, skilled, inclusive, and have a sense of humor. We have this special community. We like to spend time together and have monthly hangouts outside of the office meetings. I am so grateful for what each clinician brings to our beautiful, big table.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
So much of the creation of East Atlanta Counseling (EAC) feels organic and smooth. I had a clear vision for wanting to create a supportive, encouraging environment for my clinicians, and that includes supervising their cases so they feel supported in their abilities to help their clients heal.
As someone who grew up as a people pleaser, I’ve had to grow a lot in my ability to own my limits as a therapist, supervisor, and practice owner — and say no a lot more than I ever have. I’ve had to learn to outsource what I’m not good at rather than trying to do all the things well.
I have two small kids (2 and 4), so juggling scaling my practice while pregnant, postpartum, and being the “default parent” means learning which balls can bounce and which ones shatter. I have dropped many balls. But my priority will always be my family.
Being a parent has taught me how deeply good and loved each person deserves to feel. I remember holding my newborn and thinking, “Does every mom think their baby is as special as I do?” And that led me to see my clients with a deep awe that I can’t describe. It reignited my love for people and seeing people as deeply good, just trying their best with the means that they have.
Being a business owner where quite often things are life and death means that sometimes I have to put on Bluey while consulting with a clinician on whether a suicidal client needs to be hospitalized. It’s not easy work, but damn, do I come home every day feeling fulfilled and loving my job. I want my kids to see me as an example of a woman who works hard and loves them deeply — someone who makes plenty of mistakes but will get on the floor and wrestle with them every day.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
EAC is a private group practice with offices located in Decatur and Smyrna. We have 14 clinicians who specialize in helping support clients heal from trauma, anxiety, and depression. We particularly love working with clients who have experienced complex trauma — often having repeated painful wounds in childhood that were never fully supported — that leads people to feel disconnected from themselves and their relationships.
Each of our clinicians is intensively trained in an evidence-based modality; however, we don’t believe in just trying to change behavior at all costs. We want to encounter a person and the fullness of their story, believing each person is fundamentally good and capable of change. Our goal is to see the strengths in each person and help them to see themselves rightly — taking responsibility for their actions while also understanding that we’re all just trying to survive and do the best with what we can.
Many of our clinicians utilize Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), EMDR, Radically Open DBT (RO DBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Somatic Experiencing (SE). Most of these modalities boil down to us being able to feel what we feel without judging it, and choosing to live in ways that live more in line with our values.
We work with clients 8+, and we also have two interns who can see clients at a greatly reduced cost. We believe therapy is a fundamental right and should be much more accessible to all people. We aim to do our best with what we do best and to refer anyone who isn’t in our wheelhouse to someone who would do great work with them. I love connecting people and therapists “matchmaking.”
We are inclusive of all people regardless of gender expression, sexual orientation, race, religious beliefs, physical and cognitive abilities, and diagnosis. We believe all people can heal and deserve excellent therapy. Our clinicians love to read, hike, dark humor, and to eat good food. You may find us laughing way too loud at Poor Hendrix, hiking Arabia Mountain together, or winning trivia at the Imperial.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I feel like a deep desire to see people’s strengths is most important to my success. I just truly love people, even if I can be cynical and dark. I believe everyone deserves grace and if you listen closely to their story, people make sense. Being able to see the good in people helps me to reflect that back to them, which empowers them to become the fullness of who they truly are. Don’t we all just need someone to see us and believe we’re good despite our mistakes?
Pricing:
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Group Therapy – $75
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Individual Therapy – $150-180 depending on the clinician’s rates and training
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Intern Rate – $75 (sliding scale available)
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Couple/Family Therapy – $165 – 200
Contact Info:
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Website: eastatlantacounseling.com
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Instagram: instagram.com/
eastatlantacounseling -
Other: https://www.psychologytoday.
com/us/therapists/catherine- moon-decatur-ga/289354
Image Credits
Kayla Johnson Photography
