Establish Generational Mental Wealth For You & Your family

You remember a time when relationships weren’t so hard. It wasn’t up to you to be the rock within your friendship circle or family. You didn’t feel the pressure of managing your mood while also managing everyone else’s. You didn’t feel as hopeless about the dating pool having pee in it! But those days feel like a distant memory.

Don’t you wish you had the tools to cope with these things?

You’ve Come to the Right Place

At PORT, we help individuals just like you. You have it within you to find the balance of caring for others while also honoring your own boundaries, but need the support to get you there.

We will help you find ways to take ownership of your own happiness rather than it being contingent on someone else’s choices and behaviors. We want you to feel competent enough to navigate feeling your emotions so that you can fully heal. We will do this by helping you understand the origins of your relationship concerns and how you can take charge to cultivate relationships you actually want to be in.

As Featured In…

PORT Counseling Group, featured on Psychology Today

What to Expect From your first therapy session

Port Counseling provides secure and convenient online counseling to Atlanta, Charleston, Tampa and surrounding areas.

Your first session, in some ways, may be the easiest. Aside from meeting someone new and embarking on the beginning of the changes you would like to make, we will guide you most through this session. This first session or so is intended to be a rapport building and information gathering session. We will gather information about your background and history. We will then discuss and collaborate to identify what you would like to accomplish through our time together. And finally, we will work to make sure you leave with a strategy or tool to hold you over til our next session.

The virtual practice space we share with clients is warm and approachable to help you silence the noise from your day-to-day stressors. We prioritize our belief in inclusive treatment that is affirming to all genders, spiritual beliefs, and backgrounds. Our biggest tool within the relationship, is the use of ourself. If we do not present ourselves authentic self, how will the individuals we serve feel safe to do so. As a result, it is not unordinary for us to share laughter as well as tears.

 FAQs

  • Therapy does not make you weak. In fact, it takes great strength to face and begin unpacking things that have served as pain points. Your therapist is there to help facilitate your process of change, but it is ultimately you who does the work.

  • There are advantages in talking to either. What is unique about talking to a therapist is that they are trained to help people in situations like yours. You will be able to not only talk to them, but develop effective solutions that you feel comfortable with and will benefit you beyond the here and now.

    Additionally, many clients indicate that they begin to feel embarrassed about bringing up the same thing to their friend or family member over time. Or they say that their loved ones will minimize their distress by making statements like, "just pray about it", "you'll feel better soon", "don't think about it", etc. This is likely because the people we are close to become uncomfortable sitting with us in our discomfort and cannot hold space for you like a therapist can.

  • Medication can be effective but it alone cannot solve all issues. Sometimes i is needed in conjunction with therapy. It may help you be in a better space to unpack the things you want to in therapy, and maximize what you get out of it. However, there will still be the need to develop tools and shift patterns that medication cannot do by itself.

  • The most important thing you can do to maximize your session is to be mentally present. Focus on making sure you have a quiet space that will pose minimal interruptions to your time.

    If you practice journaling, you may opt to share some things that have come up for you since your last session. You may also want to write down any action items or things you want to reflect on after session.

    Lastly, have in mind (and share) what would be most impactful for you to get out of your session that day. That way, you and your therapist can work toward achieving your desired milestone.

  • Unfortunately, there is no clear cut answer for this. Everyone’s circumstances are unique to them and the length of time therapy can take to allow you to accomplish your goals depends on your desire for personal development, your commitment, and the factors that are driving you to seek counseling in the first place.

    The frequency of therapy session are also contingent on an array of factors. Generally speaking, it is helpful for you to begin by seeing your therapist once every week or two, then begin to fade off as you begin to experience relief and meet your goals.

  • We find that the most impactful work in therapy, occurs between sessions. Thus, to get the most out of therapy, we suggest you be intentional about reflecting on the things you spoke about and follow through on any commitments before your next session. If you are finding it difficult to complete homework assignments because you are unmotivated or they are simply too difficult, have an honest discussion about that with your therapist. Together, you may be able to sort through it so that it is not a barrier to you reaching your goals.

  • Life Coaching and Therapy both have the potential to transform people's lives. People looking to make adjustments within themselves and their relationships may use one or the other during different phases; Or they may want to use both simultaneously. One is not necessarily greater than the other - they just go about achieving change in different ways.

    Signs that you may need/want coaching instead of therapy:

    -You prefer to focus solely on the present

    -You are not interested in learning how your past impacts your present

    -You are looking for quick results versus a process

  • Coaching is a collaborative experience in which one seeks clarity, inspiration, and a plan for how you will reach a specific goal. You and your coach will engage in mapping out practical solutions for where you may be feeling the most stuck.

  • Our typical group size is 8. Smaller groups available based on demand. These smaller groups include 4 participants.

  • There is not much evidence to suggest that in-person services are less effective than virtual. Though, virtual set up comes with it’s own challenges and advantages.

    We suggest that you do your sessions in a place with an good WIFI connection and with minimal distractions.

    One advantage of virtual services is that you are able to be more selective in who you work with since you are not constrained by a geographic location. Another plus is that you don’t have to waste valuable time in traffic, can maintain your sessions when you are out of town, or at home with a sick child.

  • Our 1:1 coaching, coaching groups, and consultations are available throughout the US; However, our therapy groups are offered to the residents where our clinicians are licensed.

    If you are seeking and/or need therapy and we do not have a provider in your state of residence, we would be more than happy to help you find someone licensed where you are located.

    You are also welcome to supplement your therapy with one of our virtual coaching groups. Note: We do not endorse you using coaching was a substitute to therapy.

  • Insurance may be an option for those seeking therapy. Your ability to use it is contingent on a few factors.

    1. Your insurance plan - you will need to find out if your insurance plan covers mental health, and if so, does it cover virtual sessions. Most plans re due to the pandemic, but some have returned back to their pre-pandemic policies.

    2. The service you are requesting - insurance does not cover coaching.

    3. Your preferred therapist - You will want to check to see if your preferred therapist accepts your particular insurance.

How Therapy at PORT Works

  • Relationship counseling in Georgia, Florida and South Carolina

    Inquire

    Use our online contact form and let us know which of our Therapists you would like to work with. We will promptly connect you to your preferred provider for your brief free phone consultation. We want to go the extra mile to make sure you feel comfortable from the start.

  • How therapy works at PORT Counseling Group

    Get to the Root

    Your therapy will likely start out with having sessions either weekly or biweekly. With your Therapist, you will get a better understanding of your presenting concerns and how they came about. Your therapist will also help you assess your level of coping and teach you additional strategies.

  • Do the Work

    The bulk of your experience will be in doing the work, both in & out of sessions. You will work through implementing techniques to improve your mood and engagement in relationships in session, while completing tasks assigned by your therapist to further your progress.

  • Have Better Relationships

    This is the point where you get to be #RelationshipGoals. You are having fewer therapy sessions and experiencing emotional healing from past relationship trauma. You are in a place where you are feeling more competent to handle whatever comes next.

What’s Behind The Name, PORT?

The Meaning Behind PORT Comes From It's Dictionary Definition:

pôrt (noun) 

(1) city, town or other place where ships load or unload. (2) place along a coast in which ships may take refuge from storms.

OUR VERSION

pôrt/'kouns(e)liNG (noun) 

(1) couch, video, or safe space where one comes to load or unload. 

(2) place where one can take refuge from life's storms.

*see also: comfy therapy couch

Within the context of the therapeutic or coaching process, PORT is a place where you can take refuge from your stressors. It's the space for you to unload the unhelpful thoughts and ways of relating with the world around you. It is the setting where you will get to load up on skills and strategies to help you through.

Our Story

PORT Counseling & Consultation is the flagship of the PORT companies. Founder, Miranda Campbell, LCSW, first formed PORT Counseling in 2015 as a stepping stone to her ultimate vision of owning a wellness center. She pictured a space where people sought to improve their lives without fearing the stigma associated with mental health.

What she pictured came to pass, and then much more. After working as the sole provider for the practice for a few years, PORT Counseling became a group practice that could better meet the needs of the community. Since this transition in 2019, more clients have been able to receive the quality and easy to access mental health care that PORT is known for.

After giving birth to her second child in March 2021, and enduring all the losses and stressors with her clients at PORT Counseling in 2020, Miranda saw it as the perfect time to step back from offering therapy full time, to bring her wellness center to life through the addition of coaching services.

Through this new service offering, she aims to amplify her ability to make her passions reality through offering 1:1 coaching & niche coaching groups virtually to people throughout the US. This marks the beginning of a new era, and new name: PORT COUNSELING GROUP.

online Therapy & Coaching

One way that we carry out our value in making quality behavioral health care accessible is through virtual sessions. Even before Covid -19, we provided clients with the option to meet with their provider virtually. Online therapy and coaching allows individuals the flexibility to have a session during their lunch break, avoid traffic/parking, and meet with their preferred therapist/coach that would otherwise be too far.

Further, these conveniences allow you to more easily get into your preferred mindset prior to meeting with your provider. You will want to eliminate as many barriers as possible that will keep you from maximizing your participation. Virtual sessions are held via our practice portal, Therapy Notes. Using this platform ensures a quality connection that is also encrypted to protect your privacy. Our platform allows you to either login on a computer, tablet, or smartphone.

We have licensed clinicians who provide teletherapy for Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina residents. Our coaches provide online coaching for residents throughout the U.S.