Marla Patterson

Marla Patterson is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) who helps people facing stress, anxiety, anger, addiction, depression, and the ups and downs of life. She speaks plainly and aims to make sessions feel respectful and kind. People can expect straightforward, practical conversation focused on immediate needs and next steps.

Marla uses a strength-based outlook that looks for what already works in a person's life. She helps clients build on resilience and everyday resources. Together they set goals and tackle problems like work strain, relationship tension, parenting challenges, grief, and changes that feel overwhelming.

Her background includes 14 years of clinical work in behavioral and mental health settings across Georgia. That experience informs a down-to-earth style that balances listening with clear suggestions. Marla supports people coping with trauma, compassion fatigue, ADHD, bipolar mood concerns, and intimacy-related struggles, while also offering coaching for career and life transitions.

In sessions she focuses on practical steps clients can try between meetings. This may include simple behavioral changes, communication skills, or ways to manage anger and cravings. Marla encourages small experiments so people can see what helps and adjust from there.

To begin, she asks people to describe their current challenges and goals so sessions can be tailored. Her approach aims to be steady, encouraging, and goal-oriented while honoring each person's experience.

How evidence-based approaches translate to online counseling

Marla works from evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on building strengths and practical skills. One common approach is a strengths-focused method that helps identify what already works in a person’s life and expands those resources to manage stress, anger, and anxiety. Another typical technique emphasizes behavioral strategies such as small experiments and skill-building to reduce risky behavior, manage cravings, and change unhelpful patterns.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Marla collaborates with each person to choose techniques that fit their goals, needs, and preferences. Sessions are shaped over time so methods are adjusted if something isn’t helping.

The practical benefits of online therapy often include easier scheduling and fitting sessions into busy days. Before booking, confirm the session formats currently offered with Marla so you know whether video or another option is available. Online work can make it simpler to check in between appointments, maintain momentum during life transitions, and try brief focused sessions when a shorter check-in is useful.