The Citizen
VOL.24.NO. 1,152
Wednesday August 3, 2016
By: Maggie Worth
Seeking help with life issues such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other wellness concerns without the use of medication can be an overwhelming process. Therapy is very personal and it’s important for people to find a therapist - and the form of treatment - that works best with their individual needs and goals. Licensed Professional Counselor Natalie Kohlhaas, owner of Integrative Mental Health Counseling at Serenity House of Senoia, is passionate about finding the right combination of options for each of her clients.
“So many of my clients come to me and say ‘I’ve been to therapist after therapist and I just don’t feel like things are improving for me,’” Natalie explains. “My goal is to help clients truly move forward. I provide my clients with personalized techniques they can practice on their own and teach them tools to be utilized now and in the future.”
“I help people make changes in their lives now, but also give them the tools they can use on their own in the future.”
Natalie’s practice recently opened in Senoia, but she’s hardly new to the field. She has been providing therapy services to adults and adolescents for more than 20 years, including several years in private practice in Dunwoody. Nationally Board-Certified, she’s also a Board Certified Professional Counselor with the American Psychotherapy Association. She earned her undergraduate degrees from Emory and UGA and graduated with honors from The Georgia School of Professional Psychology. She’s certified in clinical hypnotherapy with The Wellness Institute, was the associate director at The Anxiety Disorders Institute of Atlanta, and worked at Charter Peachford.
“My overall goal as a therapist is to help people reach loving acceptance of their own, true, authentic selves,” Natalie says. “That kind of acceptance is key to dealing with issues that arise while pursuing the life you truly want.”
In addition to talk therapy, with which most people are familiar, Natalie also provides progressive techniques including clinical hypnotherapy, in which clients enter a highly focused state of concentration without losing consciousness, will, or control. Brainspotting is another therapeutic technique, which works by “identifying, processing and releasing core neurophysiological sources of emotional/body pain, blockages in performance, trauma, dissociation and a variety of other challenging symptoms.”
“Not everyone has heard of Brainspotting and hypnotherapy, and there are a lot of misconceptions about both,” Natalie says, “but these are very effective techniques, particularly when dealing with anxiety, trauma, and stress. It is scientifically proven that synapses that fire together wire together. All we’re really doing is identifying the neural pathways that are part of decision-making, habits, and reactions - then working to change those pathways so people’s thoughts, habits, and responses to situations can change for the better. It is completely possible to change those pathways. You just have to understand how. My goal is to help clients make changes, and teach them techniques they can use on their own in the future.”
“A core issue with anxiety is a sense of loss of control. I can help you take that control back.”
While Natalie works with clients experiencing a range of challenges, one of her specialties is treating anxiety. “People struggling with anxiety often feel very alone,” she says, “But it is actually one of the most common issues facing people today. The good news is it is also one of the most treatable. A core issue with anxiety is a sense of loss of control. I can help you take that control back.”
Natalie is thrilled to be practicing in Senoia and says she couldn’t be happier with her career choice. “I essentially spend each day working myself out of a job by helping clients to not need me and I love that” she says. “It is so fulfilling to watch people walk away feeling free, in control and able to pursue the lives they want!”