Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Kristy Christopher-Holloway.
Hi Dr. Kristy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey as a counselor began long before I opened New Vision Counseling Center in Douglasville, GA. I started my clinical work in over 20 years ago at a residential treatment facility serving at-risk youth in DFCS and DJJ custody. My goal was to help them reunify with their families or find stable foster placements. That experience shaped me in ways I’ll never forget — it’s where I truly learned how to be a clinician. I not only learned to serve individuals and families, but also how to build community and collaborate with others doing the same work. I was fortunate to have incredible mentors during that time who are still part of my professional circle today.
In July 2008, I opened New Vision Counseling Center as a solo practice, driven by a desire to provide quality, compassionate, and culturally responsive care. Within two years, in January 2010, the practice expanded into a group practice, allowing me to bring in other like-minded clinicians who share that same vision.
Academically, I earned my bachelor’s degree in Psychology from LSU-Shreveport and my Master of Science in Professional Counseling from Georgia State University. After eight years in practice, I returned to school to pursue my doctoral degree in Counselor Education and Supervision from Argosy University. My doctoral research explored the mental health help-seeking experiences of religious or spiritual African American women diagnosed with infertility. That study allowed me to deeply examine the psycho-emotional impact infertility has on Black women—work that still informs my practice and research today.
I now specialize in supporting racially and ethnically minoritized women navigating infertility trauma, birth trauma, reproductive loss, and perinatal mental health challenges. Beyond private practice, I’ve served as an assistant professor, adjunct professor, and guest lecturer for various colleges and universities. I’ve also held leadership roles within American Counseling Association-GA, Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD), and the Licensed Professional Counseling Association-GA, and I currently serve as President-Elect for the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development, beginning my presidential term in July 2026.
In addition, I am a faculty trainer, subject matter expert, and curriculum manager for Postpartum Support International (PSI). I truly enjoy this diversification in my work—it allows me to teach, mentor, and reach more people while helping to shape culturally humble counselors and improve access to quality mental health care.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road hasn’t been entirely smooth—most journeys aren’t, and I believe it’s through those challenges that we truly develop our character. Being an entrepreneur and business owner is both fun and incredibly rewarding, but it can also be tiring and, at times, frustrating. Navigating different client backgrounds, managing less-than-ideal insurance reimbursements while still committing to providing top-tier care, and trying to make services accessible without overextending ourselves are just a few of the challenges we face.
Hiring quality, goal-oriented providers and showing up to hold space for our clients is a constant responsibility, and COVID-19 certainly tested all of us. Many clinicians worldwide were stretched thin and tapped out, yet we kept showing up—and we continue to show up for our clients, our community, and each other.
Despite the challenges, I am eternally grateful for the team I have at New Vision Counseling Center, from the front office, back office, clinical team, building maintenance support, and so forth. We see each other, support each other, and learn and grow from each other every day. Having such an incredible team allows me to do the work I love and to engage in outreach that extends beyond our local community—reaching individuals nationally and even internationally. These experiences have taught me resilience, the power of collaboration, and the importance of building a practice grounded in compassion, excellence, and mutual support.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At New Vision Counseling Center in Douglasville, GA, our mission is to provide compassionate, culturally responsive mental health care that meets people where they are. While I specialize in supporting racially and ethnically minoritized women navigating infertility trauma, reproductive loss, birth trauma, and perinatal mental health challenges, New Vision serves a wide range of clients from diverse backgrounds, addressing an array of concerns and diagnoses. Our providers work with couples, families, children, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and people dealing with women’s and men’s issues, autism spectrum disorders, adjustment concerns, depression, anxiety, marital challenges, infertility, grief and loss, and so much more.
We focus on the whole person and offer trauma-based therapy, body work, yoga, and even Reiki. When a client’s needs fall outside of our scope, we maintain a wide referral network to ensure they get the support and resources they need.
We are proud to have a diverse team of therapists and administrative staff, offering care mornings, evenings, and weekends, including Sundays. Clients can be seen in-person or virtually, and we accept self-pay as well as many insurance plans, including CMO Medicaid and some EAPs.
In addition to clinical care, New Vision partners with colleges and universities to train interns and counselors-in-training. Some of our providers also offer clinical supervision for associate licensed counselors working toward full licensure. This allows us to not only provide excellent care but also support the next generation of counselors.
What sets us apart is our combination of high-quality care, cultural humility, and a collaborative, supportive team environment. We see and support each other as clinicians, which allows us to expand our impact. Through my branched business, New Vision Consulting and Training, LLC, I have had the opportunity to share my expertise as a national and international speaker, presenter, and trainer, focusing on infertility and mental health, perinatal mental health, cultural humility, and counseling for African American clients.
I’m proud of the way our brand blends clinical care, holistic support, education, and outreach. At New Vision, we aim to provide not just therapy, but a safe, empowering space where individuals and families can heal, grow, and discover new possibilities—no matter their background, life stage, or diagnosis.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I like to say that “life be life-ing,” and part of showing up every day is accepting that it comes with risk. Waking up and committing to showing up—both personally and professionally—is a risk in itself. My approach is to focus on the present moment and ask myself, “What do I need to do to make it through this moment, through this day?”
A major risk I took was purchasing a commercial property for New Vision Counseling Center in 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was so much uncertainty at that time (and honestly, there’s still a lot of uncertainty in our state and country), but I knew that I had worked hard and would continue to work hard. I also knew that my team and our clients deserved a dedicated space to feel supported and safe. Owning a business property, especially an older building, is a journey in itself, full of challenges and daily lessons.
I view risk as an essential part of growth—calculated risks, thought-out risks, and even spur-of-the-moment risks have all played a role in shaping my path. Every risk I’ve taken has taught me something valuable and ultimately worked out for the greater good, both for myself and for those I serve.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.newvisioncounselingcenter.com
- Instagram: @newvisioncounselingcenter/@dr.kristycholloway
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewVisionCounseling and https://www.facebook.com/drkristycholloway
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristychristopherholloway
- Other: https://www.kristycholloway.com
