FAMILY COUNSELING SERVICE OF ATHENS INC

Anger is one of the most important human emotions and part of the basic fight or flight survival response. It is with us from birth to death and can be an asset or a liability, depending how we use it.

While anger is a normal, healthy emotion, when chronic, explosive anger spirals out of control, it can have serious consequences for your relationships, your health, and your state of mind.

The Anger management and intimate partner violence program at Family Counseling Services is designed to provide treatment for an array of anger and violence problems.

Family Counseling Services of Athens is a founding member and active participant in the Athens/Clarke and Oconee Counties Domestic Violence Task Force. Our Family Violence Intervention Program (FVIP) has been certified by the Georgia Commission on Family Violence.

At Family Counseling Services of Athens we provide counseling and intervention services for those who are affected by substance abuse or the more frightening specter of dependence or addiction. Our counseling can add insight, support, and education as well as provide effective strategies for managing triggers and other factors influencing the continued harmful use of alcohol and other drugs.

Our services include individual and family counseling as well as structured groups that combine both educational and group support. We also utilize community self-help groups as an adjunct to treatment.

At Family Counseling Services of Athens we consider effective treatment for substance abuse to be a balance of hope and encouragement provided by our staff along with clear expectations for personal responsibility and accountability.

Family Counseling Service of Athens is the designated treatment provider for The Athens- Clarke County DUI Drug Court also called the N. Kent Lawrence DUI Court, named after the late Honorable Kent Lawrence who helped many start DUI/Drug Courts all around the nation. This is a 4-phase program for repeat Misdemeanor DUI and other Alcohol/Drug related offenses. Individuals are mandated to comply with enhanced supervision, counseling, and treatment with the goal of long term sobriety and avoiding legal issues in the future.

Since 1978 we have worked with area employers to promote the use of “Employee Assistance Programs” (EAP) as a benefit for employees and their dependents. We currently have over 20 participating companies.

Representatives from Family Counseling Service have served as consultants and supporters of Nuci's Space since its inception. Several of our staff have roots in the music and arts community and understand its special challenges.

In order to accommodate referrals from Nuci's Space we developed a Musician Assistance Program (MAP) modeled after the Employee Assistance Programs we provide area employers. The MAP is utilized to provide assessment and short term counseling for area musicians seeking assistance through Nuci's Space.

We are a treatment provider for Athens-Clarke County Veteran’s Court as well as a provider that sees Veterans and their families for counseling services

Readjustment counseling is a term frequently used to describe services designed to help veterans cope with war-related experiences and associated trauma. The goal is to help vets readapt to life “back home”.

One common readjustment problem is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This refers to the intrusive recollections or memories, disturbing dreams, anxiety, and other reactions commonly experienced after exposure to life threatening situations.

For the past 14 years Family Counseling Service has partnered with Atlanta area Vet Centers to make available counseling services to Athens area veterans and their families. We have three veterans on staff, including two with deployments in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Most parents are concerned about the impact of divorce on their children. Family Counseling Service of Athens has developed an informational seminar concerning how to best manage the potentially damaging influences of divorce on children.

During this seminar participants are given a guidebook and view a 30 minute video, entitled "Children in the Middle”. In addition a 1.5 hour presentation is provided including helpful information about how to recognize potential problems in adjusting to divorce and how to avoid them.

Registration for the Children in the Middle seminars may have been recommended or even required by the court in the county in which your divorce was filed. If so, you would have been given a date and time for a seminar near you.