Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Madison, MS, LPC.
Hi Kimberly, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My journey to becoming a therapist began with experiencing life changing loss at a young age. Losing my father at thirteen introduced me early to grief, uncertainty, and emotional pain but it also introduced me to humility, perseverance, and hope. I learned very young that life can be deeply shattering, yet it also holds the possibility of rebuilding something meaningful from the broken pieces. That understanding shaped how I see people, pain, and healing. Because I had lived through my own emotional journey, empathy came naturally to me. I wasn’t a stranger to pain, and that allowed me to sit with others in theirs without judgment or fear. Over time, what started as a personal sensitivity evolved into a calling. I wanted to create spaces where people felt seen, safe, and supported enough to heal.
Today, as the founder of Emeralds of Hope Counseling, my work reflects that original intention — to create a practice that feels human, compassionate, and empowering.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has not been smooth and the investment, both personal and professional, has been significant. Becoming a licensed therapist requires a bachelor’s and master’s degree, a 600-hour internship, 3,000 hours of supervised post-graduate clinical experience, and passing a national licensing exam, all overseen by the Georgia Secretary of State. It is a long and arduous process.
Along the way, I served four years in the U.S. Navy which was an education within itself. I completed two deployments and am now a Persian Gulf War Veteran. Those years strengthened my relationship with perseverance and resilience even more. After discharging honorably, I returned home committed to finishing my education and becoming a licensed counselor but with also the need to heal from emotional wounds endured during military service.
By the final year of my master’s program, my oldest son was two years old, and I had just learned that my husband and I were expecting twins who would arrive only three months after graduation. At the same time, I was completing my graduate internship at the Department of Juvenile Justice, a locked facility where I provided mental health care to adolescent males awaiting sentencing. It was emotionally demanding work, and my pregnancy was considered high-risk. I needed compassion during that season and so did the young men I was serving.
The twins arrived three months after I crossed the stage at graduation, and six weeks later, I began working toward my 3,000 supervised hours — a phase that often includes the most complex cases and the lowest pay. Managing that season as a new mother of three small children while building a clinical career was one of the most challenging periods of my life. The days were long, the responsibilities were heavy, and the progress often felt slow.
There was a moment, almost four years into my post-graduate work and just months away from licensure, when I felt completely depleted. I questioned whether I had the strength to keep going. It was my husband who reminded me that I hadn’t come this far just to stop there. That moment, faith and prayer gave me the strength and motivation I needed to see my goal to the end.
The road has been hard, but it has also shaped me as a clinician, a mother, a leader, and a person. Every challenge deepened my empathy and strengthened my commitment to this work. I wouldn’t change the journey, because it is the very thing that allows me to show up full of compassion and humility for the people I now serve.
We’ve been impressed with Emeralds of Hope Counseling, LLC , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Emeralds of Hope Counseling is a private practice that serves teens and adults battling with anxiety, depression and current dysfunctional patterns that are rooted in adverse past experiences. Emeralds of Hope was created for individuals who want to break free from unhealthy cycles and who are looking for practical tools to ease symptoms such as overthinking, poor boundaries, lack of self-love, life transitions and a deflated mood.
Emeralds of Hope utilizes evidence based approaches, including EMDR to establish interventions and is intentional in creating a safe and welcoming environment inspired by the love of God. Emeralds of Hope Counseling uses a collaborative approach where the client is the expert on their life story and the therapist provides clinically sound guidance with kindness and warmth.
We are committed to increasing access to care by providing sliding-scale fees to clients who are underinsured and facing financial barriers, so that cost is not a barrier to receiving quality care.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me happy is slow mornings and the ability go on adventures, travel and laugh with my family until my stomach hurts. The days I am able to take my time, be fully present with husband and my children are the days that make me the happiest.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://emeraldsofhopecounseling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emeraldsofhopecounselingllc/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580433063736
- Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/kimberly-madison-mcdonough-ga/1021823
Image Credits
Images credited to : Kaylen James
