MEGAN SCHMIDT, PHD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
KINSHIP PSYCHOTHERAPY
Where Expert Care Meets Genuine Connection
WELCOME
Ready to learn more about how therapy can help? Let’s get started!
At Kinship Psychotherapy in Atlanta, GA, Dr. Schmidt provides expert care to support you on your path to emotional wellness, self-discovery, and personal growth. Starting therapy can feel overwhelming, but Dr. Schmidt makes it easier. Together, you'll set clear goals, discover your potential for growth, build self-understanding, and forge a path toward lasting wellness. With compassionate guidance and expert support, you'll gain the tools you need to confidently reach your goals.
It's time to take that first step towards wellness.
The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination.
-Carl Rogers
How It Works
NO. 01
Fill Out Inquiry Form
Share a few details about yourself and any specific requirements you have.
NO. 02
Schedule Your Consultation
Schedule a consultation call to discuss your interest in therapy, current complaints, goals for treatment, and questions or concerns.
NO. 03
Get Started With Therapy
Meet with Dr. Schmidt one-on-one to identify your goals, make meaningful change, and achieve lasting wellness.
ABOUT
Meet Dr. Schmidt
Hello, I am a clinical psychologist and the owner of Kinship Psychotherapy. I am a trauma specialist, but I also work with adults to resolve symptoms of depression, anxiety, burnout, relationship issues, stress, and life dissatisfaction. I help those looking to increase their self-esteem, self-control, confidence, communication skills, resilience, and overall well-being. I utilize a process-oriented approach tailored to each client to provide comprehensive treatment with long-term results.
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I attended Georgia State University for my undergraduate degree, where I researched the risk factors and psychological consequences of interpersonal violence. I continued my studies at the University of Tennessee, earning an M. A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology, focusing on conducting trauma research and therapy. I then pursued a predoctoral internship at The Institute of Living and a postdoctoral fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine, where I worked with trauma survivors at the Grady Hospital inpatient unit and the Nia Project. In 2021, I opened my own private practice and have been honored to help those suffering from a wide variety of issues, including trauma. Currently, I provide individual therapy in private practice, in addition to my role as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Emory University School of Medicine.
As a clinical psychologist, I was trained to incorporate the most up-to-date psychological research into my clinical work. You can trust that I will provide the latest and most scientifically supported treatment possible to ensure you receive effective and evidence-based therapy.
I'M HERE TO HELP YOU
I specialize in providing empirically-based care in a personalized and comfortable setting. I am trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Psychoanalytic Therapy. No matter what struggles you currently face, I will support you in a holistic and personalized manner so that you feel empowered to embark on your journey towards lasting wellness and overall well-being.
SERVICES
SERVICE 01
Initial Consultation
The initial consultation consists of asking and answering questions to determine if therapy is suitable for you. You will speak with Dr. Schmidt over the phone to discuss your reasons for seeking therapy, current concerns, and treatment goals. This will help you evaluate compatibility and decide if you and Dr. Schmidt can work well together. During the call, Dr. Schmidt will go over scheduling, fees, and timelines, answer your questions, and provide a summary of what you can expect moving forward.
Beginning any therapy can feel daunting, but Dr. Schmidt makes it easier. She will give you honest recommendations and answer your questions so that you feel confident and prepared while getting started.
SERVICE 02
Individual Therapy
Individual therapy is an organic process that helps you heal from distressing life experiences. Therapy takes time, effort, and courage. Gradual changes in your environment, emotion regulation, self-understanding, and relationships help you integrate distressing experiences and resolve their effects on your life.
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At Kinship Psychotherapy, Dr. Schmidt provides expert guidance and support so you can rebuild a positive self-concept, foster self-compassion, and reclaim a sense of identity and personal strength. You'll develop coping strategies to manage your symptoms while you delve into current and past experiences, relationships, self-perceptions, family dynamics, and unconscious thoughts and feelings to uncover and change patterns contributing to your mental health struggles.
SERVICE 03
Trauma Therapy
Trauma affects mental, emotional, and physical well-being by eroding feelings of safety, clarity, self-esteem, and self-control. In response, many feel confused, helpless, worthless, critical, angry, guilty, and even ashamed. Trauma-focused therapy helps in 3 ways: it enables you to cope with upsetting emotions, identify how the trauma affected your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and resolve the negative impact that trauma has had on your life.
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With years of trauma-focused research experience and clinical training, Dr. Schmidt has become an expert in trauma recovery. She will help you confront, process, reframe, and resolve the impact of traumatic experiences. Together, you will build coping strategies to manage upsetting emotional reactions, develop an integrated and realistic understanding of the experience, and change the negative effects the trauma has had on the way you think, feel, and behave. Trauma has lasting effects and while those memories will never go away completely, with therapy, you can gain control over your life again.
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SERVICE 04
Psychoanalytic Therapy
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is based heavily on research in neuropsychology and how the mind works. The basic premise behind this kind of therapy is that throughout our lives and based on our unique experiences, we develop schemas that serve as templates for understanding and navigating life. These templates naturally get stored in the brain and we use them automatically without even realizing it. While this is helpful to our lives generally, sometimes these schemas are applied in situations that are not applicable or in ways that cause problems. This can then cause issues in our relationships, views of self, behaviors, emotions, etc. leading to mental health problems like anxiety and depression. Through psychoanalytic therapy, you will work to uncover and understand these unconscious schemas, enabling you to change them.
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As a formally trained psychoanalytic psychotherapist, Dr. Schmidt will listen carefully to what you say (and don't say) to help you identify patterns contributing to your difficulties. She will help you understand how past experiences affect your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors while empowering you to make choices that can lead you to a more fulfilling life. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is an intense form of treatment and is not recommended for everyone. Dr. Schmidt will work with you in individual therapy to determine if this approach is best for you.
FAQs
