Today we’d like to introduce you to Mandy Miller.
Hi Mandy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
When I was 13 I knew that I wanted to help people who are in emotional/mental distress. I was the kind of kid that random people would talk to about anything and everything. I began to notice patterns, that all people, no matter their age, gender, race, etc. had many of the same stressors and problems. I also noticed that people just want someone to listen to them. I decided to go to college and study psychology. I graduated from LaGrange College with a Bachelor’s in psychology and then earned my Masters in Early Childhood Development, and my Master’s in Social Work. I am still the kind of person that people like to talk to about anything and everything, I just know a little bit more about how to support people than I did then.
As I began my career, I worked with many non-profit organizations in fields like child welfare, education, clinical practice, home and school based therapy. Eventually, I decided to create a company that aligned with my personal values. I made a choice to begin Creative Center for Wellness, Inc (CC4W) as a nonprofit to ensure that everyone would have equal access to mental health care. CC4W was created in 2017 and opened in 2018.Since then we have grown from one licensed therapist, to 7 licensed therapists, and 2 interns from the UGA School of Social Work. We are able to provide a listening ear, therapy, and support to around 200 patients a week, and we continue to grow our ability to serve our community.
We recently opened another office in Athens GA, to complement the main office in Monroe GA. I am very excited about our ability to accept insurance, to offer a sliding scale to our patients who are underinsured or uninsured. I appreciate that we are able to accept and gratefully receive financial donations and support from the community to ensure that we are able to meet the mental and emotional needs of our community. We know that our growth is a testament to people’s trust in us, and the work that we are doing. We remain committed to ensuring that we offer the research- based best practices for mental health care, offering services like Hypnotherapy, EMDR, DBT, TF-CBT, CBT, IFS, IMH, and many other tools, resources and techniques.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
While I am quite happy with where we are now, there are definitely many challenges. Learning how to create a non-profit, how to run an organization, how to hire clinicians and office staff that are capable of doing the work that we value. Creating a team that works well together, even though we do difficult work. All of these things were challenges that we faced, made a bit more difficult by building the company during the pandemic. And I have learned so much with each moment of challenge. I have learned to trust my instincts about potential employees, I have learned to advocate for patients, bill insurance, file taxes, learn new therapeutic techniques and modalities, and develop relationships with other clinicians in the community.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At the Creative Center for Wellness, we want you to feel completely comfortable with seeking help with any issue. Here’s what you can expect when you attend a counseling session:
Sometimes life is just hard, you are going along, and everything is fine, when, suddenly, wham!…everything changes, and leaves you asking, “now what?” You were taught how to do Algebra, but not how to deal with the situation you find yourself in.
For us, therapy is about finding the right tools for you so that you can, in the healthiest way possible, thrive in the hardest times. We want you to know that you are amazing, and infinitely capable, and that sometimes you just need a little bit of help learning how to deal with life’s curveballs.
A lot of our work has focused on treating trauma, and working through the hard things that have happened in a client’s life. We have assisted many individuals process through and overcome childhood trauma, sexual assault, neglect, abuse, abandonment, anxiety, depression, and many of the other problems created by trauma.
We believe in treating the whole person. While you may come to us because you are struggling with emotional concerns, we believe that the mind and body are connected, and we will work with you to help you improve your mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I am incredibly passionate, stubborn, and sometimes forget that there are things that I cannot do. It is not that I do not fail, or struggle, it is more that when I do, I just get up and try again. I am direct, blunt, and honest about everything, which creates a culture of trust and understanding. Finally, I think that my desire to build a community where every voice is heard equally has been essential in recruiting staff and clinicians, as well as minimizing turn-over and maximizing the investment in staff and clinicians. I really do love and appreciate them all.
Pricing:
- We take almost all health insurance
- We offer sliding scales, with costs ranging from $0.00 to $180.00 depending on income and family size
- We see patients at school, in person, and virtually throughout GA.
- We offer therapy modalities including KAP, Hypnotherapy, IFS, DBT, CBT, play, Theraplay, developmental, trauma focused, and many others.
- We work with patients of all ages.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.creativecenterinc.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creativecenter4wellness
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Q8TgnpxXzXl1MoQYmvbOx
