--- title: "Person-Centered Therapy for Anxiety in Georgia" url: https://thesolacespacetherapy.com/person-centered-therapy description: "Warm, honest person-centered therapy with practical anxiety skills and a plan that fits your goals. Alpharetta or telehealth across Georgia." lang: en --- Person-Centered Therapy # Person-centered therapy, with a _plan_. (i want to be heard. i also want to know what to do next.) You do not need to show up with the perfect explanation of what is wrong. You can start with a Tuesday that went sideways, the conversation you keep replaying, or the feeling that you are holding it together for everyone except yourself. We can begin there and get more specific together. Person-centered therapy means your goals and your experience matter in the room. Warmth and honesty are not add-ons to the work. They make it possible to say what is really happening instead of performing 'good at therapy.' And being heard is not the entire plan when anxiety is running your week. I combine that relationship with practical skills for anxiety and OCD. We talk openly, choose a focus, and find small things to practice between sessions. If this sounds like the balance you need, we can meet in Alpharetta or by secure telehealth while you are in Georgia. What it looks like ## You want more than a polite nod. - You edit your story so it sounds easier to explain. - You worry that you are taking up too much time by asking for help. - You can describe the worry but cannot stop following its rules. - You want someone to be direct without being harsh. - You leave conversations feeling understood but unsure what to try next. - You think you should be able to manage everything alone. What the relationship does ## Your goals stay in the _room_. (you do not have to earn a real conversation.) We start by talking about what you want to change, not by handing you a script. Maybe you want to stop replaying every conversation or make a decision without asking five people to approve it. You know where the pressure lands in your day. My job is to help us make sense of that pattern and find a workable way forward. A trusting working relationship matters because anxiety can make even a therapy appointment feel like a performance. You may be tempted to report only the things you did well or hide a practice step you did not try. We can be honest about that without turning the room into another place to get graded. Person-centered does not mean I silently agree with everything or leave you alone with a problem. I can ask direct questions, point out a loop that keeps repeating, and tell you when a plan needs adjusting. You still get to say when a suggestion does not fit your life. That conversation is part of the work. When anxiety is the issue, CBT can help us notice a prediction and test what happens when you do something different. If OCD is involved, ERP offers a more specific way to practice facing uncertainty without the usual ritual. The method should serve your goals, not replace your voice with a checklist. We end with something concrete when it makes sense: a boundary to try, a decision to leave alone, or a way to notice when reassurance starts taking over. Between sessions, you can test it in real life. Next time we talk about what actually happened. Therapy can be human and practical at the same time; it does not have to become endless venting to feel supportive. If you want to know who you would be talking with, read about Colleen (https://thesolacespacetherapy.com/about-me). For the structured skills side of the work, see CBT for anxiety (https://thesolacespacetherapy.com/cbt-therapy). For the kinds of worry we work on, explore anxiety therapy (https://thesolacespacetherapy.com/anxiety-therapy). What you'll actually do ## A conversation that goes somewhere. 1. 01 ### Set the focus Tell me which part of the week you want to change, even if the words are still messy. 2. 02 ### Name the pattern Look together at what anxiety predicts and which responses keep the loop moving. 3. 03 ### Choose a practice Pick one realistic action that fits your goals, rather than following a generic checklist. 4. 04 ### Talk honestly afterward Bring back what worked, what did not, and what we should try differently next time. Common questions ## Before you book. Is person-centered therapy just talking? No. Conversation matters, but we also identify goals, choose practical skills and review small steps you try between sessions. Will you tell me what to do? We make decisions together. I can be direct about a pattern or a possible practice, and your goals help shape the plan. Can person-centered therapy include CBT? Yes. Warm, honest work can include CBT skills when they fit what you are working on. Where do sessions happen? In person at the Alpharetta office or by secure telehealth while you are physically in Georgia. ## Ready when _you_ are. A free 15-minute call. You tell me what's going on. I tell you honestly whether I'm the right fit. Book the consult: https://calendly.com/thesolacespacetherapy/free-15-minute-consultation See all services: https://thesolacespacetherapy.com/services ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://thesolacespacetherapy.com/#colleen-ritz", "name": "Colleen Ritz", "honorificSuffix": "MA, LPC", "jobTitle": "Licensed Professional Counselor", "url": "https://thesolacespacetherapy.com/about-me", "email": "colleendonahueritz@gmail.com", "telephone": "+1-603-209-2168", "alumniOf": { "@type": "CollegeOrUniversity", "name": "Antioch University" }, "hasCredential": [ { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "credentialCategory": "license", "name": "Licensed Professional Counselor, Georgia (GA LPC #016238)" }, { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "credentialCategory": "degree", "name": "MA, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Antioch University" } ], "memberOf": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)" }, "knowsLanguage": "en-US", "sameAs": [ "https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/colleen-ritz-alpharetta-ga/1134095" ] }, { "@type": "MedicalClinic", "@id": "https://thesolacespacetherapy.com/#practice", "name": "The Solace Space Therapy", "legalName": "CDR Counseling, LLC", "url": "https://thesolacespacetherapy.com/", "email": "colleendonahueritz@gmail.com", "telephone": "+1-603-209-2168", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "290 S Main St, Suite 200", "addressLocality": "Alpharetta", "addressRegion": "GA", "postalCode": "30009", "addressCountry": "US" }, "areaServed": [ { "@type": "State", "name": "Georgia" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Alpharetta, GA" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Roswell, GA" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Milton, GA" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Johns Creek, GA" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Cumming, GA" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Duluth, GA" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Suwanee, GA" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Sandy Springs, GA" } ], "availableLanguage": [ { "@type": "Language", "name": "English" } ], "medicalSpecialty": "Psychiatric", "serviceType": [ "Anxiety therapy", "OCD therapy (Exposure and Response Prevention)", "Panic attack treatment", "Social anxiety therapy", "Health anxiety therapy", "Perfectionism therapy", "High-functioning anxiety therapy", "Teen therapy (ages 13-17)", "SPACE parent-led treatment", "EFT couples therapy", "Online therapy across Georgia", "Intrusive thoughts therapy", "Harm OCD therapy", "Relationship OCD therapy", "Pure O OCD therapy", "Generalized anxiety therapy", "Overthinking therapy" ], "availableService": [ { "@type": "MedicalTherapy", "name": "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)" }, { "@type": "MedicalTherapy", "name": "Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)" }, { "@type": "MedicalTherapy", "name": "Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)" }, { "@type": "MedicalTherapy", "name": "Person-Centered Therapy" } ], "provider": { "@id": "https://thesolacespacetherapy.com/#colleen-ritz" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "@id": "https://thesolacespacetherapy.com/person-centered-therapy#faq", "url": "https://thesolacespacetherapy.com/person-centered-therapy", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is person-centered therapy just talking?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. Conversation matters, but we also identify goals, choose practical skills and review small steps you try between sessions." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Will you tell me what to do?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "We make decisions together. 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