My passion is working with the LGBTQ community and with couples. I have worked in many settings and in my own LCSW counseling and consulting practice since 1987. I am originally from the East Coast and came to California, originally the Bay Area for 30 years and San Diego for the past 9, and have worked in medical, acute rehabilitation and outpatient psychiatry for the majority of my career.
I am trained in the Gottman model of couple's therapy, in DBT, CBT, ACT, Trauma resiliency, Prolonged Exposure therapy and CPT.
My most extensive training in the last 7 years has been with gender affirming care.

In my 14+ years of counseling, I have worked in recovery programs, with federal inmates, and in private practice. I have experience with individuals of all ages, couples, and families. I love working with teens and young adults but being on anyone's healing journey is an honor and privilege. Having been married for 28 years and having two adult daughters has given me life experience beyond the classroom that I use everyday in sessions. I build rapport and trust easily with clients earning the me the ability to walk alongside them and speak truth, challenge them when needed, and cheer them on towards living their best life. I use a trauma-informed approach and believe wholeheartedly that people can heal and live their life according to their values.

Brenley received her Master of Marriage and Family Therapy degree from Mercer School of Medicine. She obtained her B.A. in Law and Public Policy from Mercer University. While she obtained her graduate degree she gained valuable clinical experience working with patients in a hospital setting. She also obtained clinical experience working with individuals, couples, and families with a wide range of concerns at the Mercer Family Therapy Center.

Her experience and passion includes working with children and adolescents. Specifically, Brenley has worked extensively with children, teens and families experiencing conflict, trauma, suicidal thoughts and developing healthy coping skills.

Our journey through life can be challenging at times. We often allow our past, present, and even future circumstances to prevent us from optimizing our journey. Whether you are a mother juggling multiple roles, a spouse feeling unappreciated, a young adult figuring out life, or a child/teen whose parents don't understand, I will work with you to identify your needs, create goals, and help you conquer emotional and behavioral challenges that arise at each stage of your journey. I provide a non-judgemental therapeutic atmosphere of confidentiality, respect, collaboration, empowerment, and healing so that we can create your desired outcomes. I believe you are worthy and capable of living the life you envision, so let's take this journey together.

I have worked in the mental health field for 10 years. I have worked with children, adolescents, adults, couples, families, geriatrics, and military service members. I have a vast array of skill sets and the ability to exhibit compassion and empathy with analytical thinking skills and positive rapport building. I have a background in providing services to individuals experiencing trauma, depression, anxiety, child and adolescent behavioral concerns, parenting needs, family conflict, marital and relationship conflict, addiction, risk assessments, and domestic & sexual violence.

I specialize in treating trauma, depression, anxiety, family and couple conflict, daily stressors, and mindfulness techniques. I incorporate evidence-based clinical interventions from a systemic perspective. My therapeutic approach fosters a warm, down-to-earth style in which clinical interventions will be tailored to your specific needs. 

Adam has over a decade of experience working in mental health. He specializes in working with Entrepreneurs, Pilots, and is a therapist for therapists. His friends call him “The Sex, Drugs, and Rock n Roll Therapist” because he works with sexual concerns, any type of substance or process addiction, and works with people who have amazing careers and families... on paper. He enjoys helping people not only have excellent CV’s but also utilizing those skills to have excellent families and friendships.

I believe that creating a warm, safe, and respectful environment is pertinent to establishing a healthy therapeutic relationship with my clients and helping them to achieve their therapy goals. I strongly believe that therapy is a collaborative process between myself and my clients with the overarching goals of improving relationships, emotional regulation, self-understanding, adjustment, and life satisfaction.

I work with children, adolescents, and adult clients through the use of individual, couples, and family therapy. I frequently incorporate the use of the Brainspotting method to help clients of various ages process through a wide range of highly stressful, activating and traumatic experiences that prevent them from fully engaging in aspects of their life. I also have been trained in Collaborative Practice; information regarding this approach to divorce can be found at www.CollabAtlanta.com.

For my adult clients, therapeutic issues typically focus on depression, anxiety, interpersonal relationship concerns, self-esteem and self-worth, communication difficulties, marital/relationship discord, and life transitions. Therapy focuses on identifying a client’s own strengths and challenges, empowering him/her to cope more effectively with life’s struggles, and improving relationships and overall functioning through insight, self-awareness, and healthy decision-making skills and coping resources.

With my children (ages 5 and older) and adolescent clients, common issues include divorce, depression, anxiety, OCD, mood dysregulation, behavioral difficulties, ADHD, family conflict, school performance issues, and social difficulties, such as peer conflict, bullying, and poor social skills in general. I believe that an important component in working with children and adolescents is the inclusion of the family, as I believe that making changes within the family system is the foundation to therapeutic progress. Family therapy typically centers on improving family communication and relationships, assisting parents in coping with their child’s emotional or behavioral issues at home, and building healthy boundaries, expectations, and family roles.

In addition to therapy, I am experienced in conducting psychological and psychoeducational evaluations. Such evaluations are a tool for identifying a client’s cognitive and academic skills, assessing for learning disabilities and developmental delays, and obtaining information regarding a client’s mental health. Evaluations can yield a wealth of information to help with treatment and educational planning and the identification of appropriate interventions.

I received my Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and my M.Ed. in School Counseling from The University of Georgia. Prior to earning my doctorate, I worked as an elementary school counselor. I have been in private practice in the Atlanta area since 2006. In addition to private practice, I have been an adjunct instructor at Georgia State University with the Department of Counseling and Psychological Services and served on the board of the Division of Women and Girls for the Georgia Psychological Association.

I look forward to meeting you and the opportunity to help you address the barriers or concerns that are interfering with your happiness and ability to live life to the fullest!

Finding a therapist that you connect with is crucial to helping you get the results you are hoping for. You may consider personality, values, style of therapy, or the overall vibe in your search. People would describe therapy with Brooke as heart healing, honest, collaborative and connecting. Brooke is passionate about working along individuals and couples as they learn to live authentically, boldly, and joyfully. Her work helps clients to explore the wounds or trauma that may be holding them back from achieving their best self. Brooke may be a good fit for you if you find yourself wanting a therapist who will hold your perspective and offer a different one, if you want to be challenged to grow, or if you are looking to be more spiritually and emotionally connected to yourself and others.

If you're feeling overwhelmed scrolling through profiles or wondering if you are even ready to go to therapy anyway, you're not alone. I know from experience both as the therapist and as the client that making the decision to go to therapy & setting up that first appointment is often the hardest part. I hope that you're proud of yourself for taking that step & making it here. My goal is to connect personally with each client so that we can work collaboratively to identify problems and goals and create a plan for treatment.
You're the expert on your life and goals—it’s my job to provide the help, insight, and encouragement you need to get there. I work with clients to identify the negative thought patterns and the underlying beliefs causing difficult emotional experiences such as anxiety or depression, replacing them with more adaptive and functional thoughts and coping skills.
A large component of success in therapy comes from the counseling relationship—in finding the right fit. If you think I might be a good fit for you, feel free to reach out and we can set up a free phone consultation. I look forward to hearing from you!!

Rachel Hilker is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist providing Telehealth therapy services to clients residing in Virginia. Rachel specializes in providing Gottman Method Couple Therapy to married and premarital clients and trauma-informed individual therapy for women.

It’s important work to step into counseling as an individual or with your loved ones. I admire those who make this commitment to growth and well-being. I’m honored to come alongside clients, providing therapeutic space to be honest without judgment. I’m passionate about giving clients autonomy, providing clarity, and being open to their feedback. I believe therapy is a collaborative process where both client and therapist play important roles: the client bringing their holistic self, and the therapist empathizing, tracing patterns, providing curiosity and insight, and working together toward meeting goals and living out personal values.

I enjoy working with couples, families, individual men, women, and teens! I have experience working in non-profit outpatient counseling centers and addiction treatment centers in addition to private practice. I especially enjoy helping families affected by addiction, working with couples longing to get unstuck and to experience lasting connection, and empowering teens with space to process and skills to manage stressors. I’m also passionate about supporting individuals through transitions across the lifespan, and through personal and spiritual identity work.