SASHA LEWIS ASUMAA, M.S, LPC, CEDSMaster of Science Licensed Professional Counselor Certified Eating Disorders Specialist EMDR trained
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Education and Experience: Sasha holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a Concentration in Sexuality and Gender from Georgia State University and a Master of Science in Professional Counseling from Georgia State University.
Sasha started her journey working with women at Planned Parenthood in 2002 where she provided sexual health information to young women around the Atlanta area. In 2004, Sasha accepted an internship at Kaiser Permanente in the Eating Disorder Program under the supervision of Tammy Holcomb, LPC, where she worked with individuals struggling with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and trauma. This experience also included individual and group work with gastric bypass pre and post candidates. In 2005, Sasha accepted a position at Peachford Hospital, in Chamblee Georgia as a therapist on the Eating Disorder unit. While at Peachford, Sasha continued her work with women and men struggling with anorexia, bulimia, and other food related issues, as well as self esteem, depression, anxiety, and codependency through individual, group, and family counseling. In 2006, Sasha accepted a case management and therapist position on the Women's Unit at Ridgeview Institute in Smyrna, Georgia. While at Ridgeview, Sasha worked with individuals, groups, families, and couples struggling with an array of issues including eating disorders, trauma, domestic violence, self esteem, codependency, addiction, body image, anger, coping skills, stress management, anxiety, depression, and life balance...in other words: a little bit of everything! Sasha thoroughly enjoyed her time and team at Ridgeview, but decided it was time to start focusing on private practice in 2008. A Better You Counseling Services, LLC was formed and has been growing ever since!
On a personal note... I was diagnosed with head and neck cancer in May of 2017. I went through the grueling treatment of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation from June of 2017 til the end of August 2017. I managed to survive and thrive since then and love to work with others diagnosed or survivors like myself. EMDR (see below) is also quite useful to deal with the trauma of treatment!
Sasha is a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist (CEDS) through The International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals Foundation (iaedp). She is also an iaedp member and served on the founding Atlanta board as the Certification Chairperson for the Atlanta Chapter 2015 and 2016. iaedp Atlanta Chapter
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My Approach: I take an eclectic approach with my clients. I draw on 5 different perspectives and theories in my approach to therapy:
- Existential Therapy focuses on awareness, freedom and responsibility, striving for identity, relationship with others, the search for meaning, anxiety as a condition of living, awareness of death and non-being. My role is to focus on your current life situations and help you discover why you are stuck and your responsibility in it.
- Person Centered Therapy focuses on the clients capability of self directed growth. The goals are to become more open to experience, achieving self trust, developing an internal source of evaluation, and being willing to continue growing. My role is to listen, accept, respect, understand, and respond to you.
- Reality Therapy focuses on a person's behavior being internally motivated and chosen. The focus is also on what the client can control in a relationship, not what they cannot control. My role is to help you evaluate your relationships and your satisfaction/dissatisfaction within them.
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy focuses on our cognition, emotions, and behaviors and how they have cause and effect in relationships. We originally learn our irrational beliefs from significant others in our childhood and then we start to create our own self defeating beliefs. Our own repetition of self defeating beliefs is what keeps dysfunction alive. Beliefs about events cause emotional and behavioral consequences. My role is to point out irrational thoughts and then help you to modify your thinking and abandon your irrational beliefs.
- Family Systems Perspective assumes that the family is a living system and any change to that system affects all of the parts (you). My role is to help you evaluate your family system, it's dysfunction, and how you operate in it.
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Sasha is also an EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Processing) trained counselor.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy):I am EMDR trained by the EMDR Institute. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an integretative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements from many different treatment approaches. To date, EMDR therapy has helped millions of people of all ages relieve many types of psychological stress.
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Specialties include: Eating Disorders (including gastric bypass) Domestic Violence Coping with Thyroid Disease Chronic Illness Infertility Addiction Women's Issues Stress Management Self Esteem Relationship Problems Family Dysfunction Depression Anxiety Assertiveness BoundariesCancer Codependency Communication Anger Life Balance Life Transition Life Improvement TraumaMommies of multiples
LGBTQ Friendly Open to all religions and spiritualities
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About HOLLY:
Holly crossed the rainbow bridge on September 11, 2022. She was almost 17 years old and provided unconditional love, compassion and a second ear of listening for most of that time. She will be missed by me and the many that she helped during her lifetime.
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Interests:Mindfulness Meditation Yoga Mandalas
Essential Oils (see my essential oils tab)
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My doggie super crew (in picture order):
Deebo, my 7ish year old Miniature Pincher
Bessie-Moo, my 2 year old super mutt
Rosie, my 2.5 year old super mutt
You may see 1 or all during your session.
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