Life can get overwhelming sometimes, and everyone has an opinion on how you should manage it. No matter what you’re dealing with, someone always suggests a quick fix— anxiety: “just calm down;” depression: “just be happy;” or disordered eating: “just eat.” The reality is, if it were that simple, we would all be perfect people and never struggle with anything in our entire lives. That’s just not human nature. So if that’s not the answer, how do we grow and change? How do we resolve the deepest, most wounded parts of ourselves?

There’s a quote by Christine Langley-Obaugh that I love, which says, “We repeat what we don’t repair.” We have to sit with those uncomfortable parts of ourselves—our anxiety, depression, disordered eating, grief—and figure out when and why it showed up. What is it trying to tell us about ourselves and our experience?

That’s what the therapeutic space is for. We put other pieces of our lives on hold for an hour, to sit and listen and process. From there, we can establish a different way for the brain and body to communicate with one another; a way that allows for expression without overwhelm. It’s a process that can take some time, but it is oh so worth it.

Jason is a National Certified Counselor and a Licensed Associate Professional Counselor in the state of Georgia. He has a Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Richmont Graduate University.

Jason desires to engage individuals, couples, and families in a way that inspires healing, growth, and renewal. Through a safe and secure therapeutic relationship, he endeavors to care for his clients by acknowledging you as a person of infinite value and worth and addressing you in the deepest and most profound aspects of your life. Within this secure relationship, life experiences are processed in a manner that leads to freedom from past wounds and empowers for the future.

Samantha earned her Master of Health Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Catawba College. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor through the NC Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (#17770) and a Licensed Professional Counselor through the SC Board of Licensed Professional Counselors (#10262). Samantha is also a Certified Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, a Nationally Certified Counselor, a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, a Certified Addictions-Informed Mental Health Provider, a Certified Sex Offender Treatment Professional, and a Registered Child Forensic Interviewer. Additionally, Samantha is trained in Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy, and Somatic Experiencing.

Samantha has had the opportunity to work with patients with a variety of mental health concerns in school-based, college mental health, and outpatient settings. Her clinical focus is on severe and persistent mental health concerns, with a concentration on mood disorders. Samantha utilizes an integrative approach, combining Cognitive Behavioral, Interpersonal, and Psychoanalytic techniques. Therefore, during sessions, she commonly assists in identifying and challenging self-limiting patterns, healing from past experiences, and gaining insight into how the unconscious influences behavior. Her research interests include the intersection of mental health and the criminal justice system, the development of neurodevelopmental disorders, and genetic links between schizophrenia and associated comorbid conditions.

With over 19 years of experience in counseling, I am dedicated to helping others navigate life's challenges. I believe in creating a safe and comfortable environment where you can express yourself freely and work towards positive change. Whether you're dealing with depression, anxiety, stress, or any other issue, I am here to listen and provide the support and coping skills you need to improve your daily functioning.

My career has spanned various roles, including Social Work Case Management, Mental Health Professional, and Director of Upward Bound and Student Support Services (TRIO Programs). I have worked with a diverse population, including children, adolescents, adults, parents, first-generation students, non-traditional students, juvenile delinquents, and male inmates. I retired in 2016 from the Alabama state system with 25 years of service and reentered the workforce from 2016 to 2023 as a Mental Health Professional in a correctional facility.

I specialize in Anger Management, Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, ADHD, Stress, Mood Disorders, Oppositional Defiant, Grief Issues, PTSD, Trauma, Parenting, Bullying, Suicidal Ideations, and Life Transitions. I utilize a variety of therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), Person-Centered Therapy, Reality Therapy, Multicultural Therapy, Eclectic Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy.

“The most beautiful people are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” ― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Welcome, I'm glad you're here, I'm Lauren Foss, MS, LMFT. If you're feeling lonely, misunderstood, overwhelmed, or hopeless, perhaps in search of hope or meaning, individual, couple, and/or family therapy is available to serve as a gentle, guiding light, to illuminate your path, and help you find your way through the dark.

I look forward to walking alongside you as you navigate life's obstacles, develop greater insight and awareness into yourself and your relationships, and obtain practical tools for managing difficulties. Please reach out for a free 15 minute consultation to determine if I'm the right therapist for you.

I practice counseling from the humanistic perspective that every person is inclined to change and growth to make the best of surviving in life. I utilize person-centered counseling to promote empowerment, autonomy, and authenticity to promote self-acceptance and compassion. In the beginning of counseling, I focus on the therapeutic relationship to foster trust and make sure that you feel comfortable in the therapeutic space. Once an alliance is formed, I often utilize specific modalities that cater to your individual needs and experiences. I like to show up as myself to counseling with hopes that you will too.
In my practice of person-centered counseling, I aim to reintroduce you to your authentic self. As you become more connected to yourself, you become more connected to your inner sources of wisdom, validation, compassion, self-respect, and acceptance.
At Restore Counseling & Therapy, we place you at the center of your counseling experience. We encourage you to define the changes that you would like to see and experience. We just help you get there with the professional knowledge and tools we have acquired for you.

Melanie is an Associate Professional Counselor. She completed her Bachelors in Photojournalism through the University of Georgia. While completing her BA she discovered that what she most enjoyed about Photojournalism was getting to know people, and to help them tell their stories. Realizing her passion to help people to experience and tell their story well, led her to complete her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling through Denver Seminary.

While completing her master’s she worked in a college setting counseling young adults dealing with anxiety, depression, and relational issues. After moving back to Georgia, she worked extensively with adults managing a range of mental health problems. She is passionate about working with teens, young adults, and individuals on issues of grief and loss, life transitions, career concerns, and relationship issues. Additionally, she enjoys helping couples rediscover joy in their marriage.

She seeks to create a warm and supportive environment where her clients feel heard and valued as they develop skills and process emotions to face life’s challenges. Melanie helps her clients pursue their goals through a holistic approach, using a variety of treatment methods that take into consideration a client’s physical, relational, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.

In her spare time, Melanie enjoys spending time with her family, enjoying the outdoors, reading, and baking. She is a member of the LPCA of Georgia.

You have arrived at this place wanting to explore deeper meanings of life, perhaps gain control over things that seem in disarray, or wish to make an internal shift to a place of peace, well-being, strength, and inner harmony. Pursuing therapy is a courageous decision. Whatever the challenges may be, I am happy to journey with you on this path of healing, overcoming, and anchoring. The counseling space that I offer will enable you to lean into your inner wisdom, strengths, skills, and capabilities.

I am a Licensed Associate Professional Counselor with over two decades of work experience in the mental health field. My work experience in the US and India has included weaving the intersectionality of equity, health, justice, and healing as an individual, a community, and a world.

A curious fact about me, which perhaps is rare, is that I worked in the corporate sector for ten years in leading technology companies before my immersion into the development and mental health field! The diverse background allows me to relate to a wide variety of people from all professions, backgrounds, and milieu.

I also speak several South Asian languages, including Hindi, Kannada, and Tulu.

In my work thus far, I have advocated for survivors of domestic violence and other forms of victimization alongside mental health counseling with trauma-informed approaches and mindfulness practices. Furthermore, I also worked as a counselor in a college setting, working closely with students and their families.

I weave person-centered therapy with holistic mindfulness approaches to healing and trauma-informed therapeutic interventions. As a clinician, I aim to support my clients in uncovering their own answers and their own truth, which offers access to their innate capacity for not merely healing but thriving!

I believe it is an honor to work with you. The work you do with me will be aimed at revealing a more authentic, happier, and healthier you! I look forward to meeting with you on your journey of overcoming.