Brenda Atkinson, LCSW, CSW
Georgia · 31 years in practice
Brenda Atkinson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 31 years of experience supporting people through mood disorders, trauma, grief, and major life changes.
License and registration
- LCSW, Georgia
- CSW004649 · expires September 2026
- LCSW, Virginia
- 0904015906 · expires June 2026
- NPI
- 1083070304 · national provider identifier
- Years in practice
- 31
- Languages
- English
Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check the license with the issuing state board, and the NPI with the national registry.
About Brenda
Brenda Atkinson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 31 years of experience supporting people through mood disorders, trauma, grief, and major life changes. She practices from Virginia and brings a calm, straightforward manner to sessions. Brenda focuses on helping people who want to grow emotionally and navigate difficult transitions.
Her background includes studies in psychology and social work at the University of Louisville, with work informed by family systems ideas.
Background and approach
Brenda blends practical methods like cognitive behavioral therapy with emotion-focused and attachment-based ways of understanding relationships. She also draws on client-centered and existential ideas to tailor care to each person. In sessions she aims to be genuine and compassionate.
Clients can expect a mix of listening, problem-solving, and emotional exploration. She helps people name patterns, manage anxiety or depression, and work through trauma or losses. Brenda often supports people dealing with relationship strain, parenting concerns, blended family issues, addictions, and career stress.
She also works with conditions such as bipolar mood patterns, dissociation, and disruptive mood dysregulation concerns among others. Her style is practical yet reflective. Brenda helps people build coping skills, improve communication, and tend to attachment and intimacy concerns.
She values the therapeutic relationship as the foundation for lasting change.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Brenda lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Brenda names
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Existential Therapy
- Jungian Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.
Online support
How emotion work and skills fit into online therapy
Emotionally-Focused Therapy focuses on how feelings shape relationships and personal patterns; it helps people identify, name, and work through strong emotions that keep them stuck. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early and current attachment ways influence trust and closeness, helping people revise unhelpful patterns in relationships.The therapist will use these approaches together with client-centered conversation and practical strategies to find what fits. Choosing the right approach is collaborative - the therapist and client discuss goals, try methods, and adjust as needs change. This lets sessions focus on both emotional experience and concrete skills like emotion regulation or communication practice.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect. Video calls let you see facial cues and practice interaction in real time. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging work well for brief updates, skill reminders, or when writing helps you process feelings between longer sessions.
These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, keep continuity during moves, or maintain regular work on emotions and relationships without extra travel.
We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you. It does not change what you pay or the order of the listings.
Questions people ask
What concerns does Brenda commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting and family concerns, addictions, and compassion fatigue among other areas.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style blends listening with practical skill-building. Expect emotion-focused exploration alongside cognitive and client-centered techniques.
What is her professional background?
Brenda has 31 years of clinical experience and studied psychology and social work at the University of Louisville, including emphasis on family systems theory.
Where is she licensed and located?
She practices from Virginia and holds LCSW and CSW credentials, including GA LCSW and VA LCSW listings.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English only.
What session formats are available?
Therapy can be delivered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs.
How are fees and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to the therapist's availability.
More therapists in Virginia
See all
Dr. Misty Brady-Lee
LPC
Practical, compassionate counseling for real life
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship
- Self esteem
Kyle Yoder
LPC
Therapist focused on relationships and healing
- Relationship
- Intimacy-related issues
- Self esteem
Monique Gardner
LCSW
Therapist who helps with strong feelings
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Self esteem
Is this your profile?
Ask us to correct details or take the page down.
Contact us