About Me
About Melissa Oden, LCSW
I specialize in trauma and trauma-informed care through psychotherapy and counseling services for adverse life events, trauma, anxiety, and depression. I view everyone as a blank slate when we first meet. I want to assist you in understanding how historical trauma has impacted your behaviors and influenced your decision making. I have a passion for working with individuals and guiding their therapeutic healing process.
Trauma overwhelms our coping abilities and activates our “fight, flight, or freeze” response, resulting in feeling hopeless and helplessness. When this system is activated it creates imbalance in our daily functioning to help us avoid that feeling! We often find our coping strategies become ineffective as well as destructive. The way we view events, our relationships, how we interact with others, our self-esteem, and even our physical health can all be negatively impacted.
Trauma overwhelms our coping abilities and activates our “fight, flight, or freeze” response, resulting in feeling hopeless and helplessness. When this system is activated it creates imbalance in our daily functioning to help us avoid that feeling! We often find our coping strategies become ineffective as well as destructive. The way we view events, our relationships, how we interact with others, our self-esteem, and even our physical health can all be negatively impacted.
About Maddie Melissa Oden, LCSW
I commend you for seeking answers and support in your journey toward healing. Regardless of whether we begin a therapeutic relationship, I am glad you are taking steps towards understanding and addressing your wounds. I would like to provide you with some more information about me, my journey, and development of the Therapeutic Practices that shaped me as well as the ways I approach therapy. I found the following topics are normally discussed during an initial intake session.
I earned my Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Clayton State University in the spring of 2009. From my first psychology class, I knew this was my chosen field. While working full-time at a medical office, I completed my degree. After graduation, uncertain about my future direction, I continued at the medical practice for nearly ten years. However, I eventually realized that I felt unfulfilled and needed a change.
Life’s events led me to the dynamic and essential field of Social Work. During my master’s program, I left the medical field entirely and began working as an advocate at a local domestic violence program and shelter, a position I held until a few months before graduation. I obtained my Master of Social Work with a Clinical Concentration and a Certificate in Marriage & Family Therapy from the University of Georgia in the spring of 2017. Throughout my education and training, I envisioned establishing my own trauma-focused practice, a dream that fueled my development as a therapist and led to the creation of Whole Mind & Heart.
After graduation, I accepted a position at a local psychiatric hospital, where I completed intake assessments, biopsychosocial evaluations, conducted group therapy sessions, and responded to crisis situations. I then moved on to another center, serving as the Lead Mental Health Counselor for their Psychiatric Outpatient Program. Shortly after graduation, I obtained my Associate Licensure. My experiences in higher levels of psychiatric care taught me many things, but one constant stood out: the pervasive legacy of trauma.
With encouragement from a colleague, I trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) to treat more complex cases with higher-risk clients. Additionally, I pursued training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a leading therapy for PTSD. Supported by my supervisor, who was trained in EMDR, I began my training in the fall of 2019 and completed it in the spring of 2020, just before the onset of the pandemic underscored the need for trauma-specific care.
The experience of being trained in EMDR, which includes working on one’s own issues to achieve resolution, was life-changing. As a therapist, I believe it is crucial to have experienced therapy myself, as it has significantly shaped my practice and approach. In the spring of 2021, I obtained my full licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and subsequently founded Whole Mind & Heart Psychotherapy LLC.
I continued my professional development and obtained EMDRIA certification in the summer of 2023. I am now working towards becoming a Consultant in Training. I have additional training and experience in women’s specific concerns, substance use disorders, religious and spiritual concerns, LGBTQIIA+ issues, and dissociative disorders. I utilize multiple modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy, Gottman Techniques, Internal Family Systems, Mindfulness-Based practices, somatic practices, DBT, and EMDR.
Each person is unique, with their own experiences that have shaped them. It is essential to validate our individuality and understand the impact of trauma on the body. Although trauma has helped us survive thus far, it can become overwhelming. My specialty is complex childhood trauma, and I follow a comprehensive intake process that may involve various assessments and questionnaires based on individual histories and needs. For some, discussing difficult experiences or recognizing dysfunction takes time. I am currently pursuing certification in Dissociation through the Institute for Creative Mindfulness (ICM) and will assess for forms of dissociation if applicable or suspected.
I take a stance that many of our concerns, including many physical ailments, come from deeply rooted traumas. With trauma being stored in the limbic system… over time it just becomes too much.
I hope that you find this information helpful in your journey with searching for the right therapeutic fit for you and your needs.
I earned my Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Clayton State University in the spring of 2009. From my first psychology class, I knew this was my chosen field. While working full-time at a medical office, I completed my degree. After graduation, uncertain about my future direction, I continued at the medical practice for nearly ten years. However, I eventually realized that I felt unfulfilled and needed a change.
Life’s events led me to the dynamic and essential field of Social Work. During my master’s program, I left the medical field entirely and began working as an advocate at a local domestic violence program and shelter, a position I held until a few months before graduation. I obtained my Master of Social Work with a Clinical Concentration and a Certificate in Marriage & Family Therapy from the University of Georgia in the spring of 2017. Throughout my education and training, I envisioned establishing my own trauma-focused practice, a dream that fueled my development as a therapist and led to the creation of Whole Mind & Heart.
After graduation, I accepted a position at a local psychiatric hospital, where I completed intake assessments, biopsychosocial evaluations, conducted group therapy sessions, and responded to crisis situations. I then moved on to another center, serving as the Lead Mental Health Counselor for their Psychiatric Outpatient Program. Shortly after graduation, I obtained my Associate Licensure. My experiences in higher levels of psychiatric care taught me many things, but one constant stood out: the pervasive legacy of trauma.
With encouragement from a colleague, I trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) to treat more complex cases with higher-risk clients. Additionally, I pursued training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a leading therapy for PTSD. Supported by my supervisor, who was trained in EMDR, I began my training in the fall of 2019 and completed it in the spring of 2020, just before the onset of the pandemic underscored the need for trauma-specific care.
The experience of being trained in EMDR, which includes working on one’s own issues to achieve resolution, was life-changing. As a therapist, I believe it is crucial to have experienced therapy myself, as it has significantly shaped my practice and approach. In the spring of 2021, I obtained my full licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and subsequently founded Whole Mind & Heart Psychotherapy LLC.
I continued my professional development and obtained EMDRIA certification in the summer of 2023. I am now working towards becoming a Consultant in Training. I have additional training and experience in women’s specific concerns, substance use disorders, religious and spiritual concerns, LGBTQIIA+ issues, and dissociative disorders. I utilize multiple modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy, Gottman Techniques, Internal Family Systems, Mindfulness-Based practices, somatic practices, DBT, and EMDR.
Each person is unique, with their own experiences that have shaped them. It is essential to validate our individuality and understand the impact of trauma on the body. Although trauma has helped us survive thus far, it can become overwhelming. My specialty is complex childhood trauma, and I follow a comprehensive intake process that may involve various assessments and questionnaires based on individual histories and needs. For some, discussing difficult experiences or recognizing dysfunction takes time. I am currently pursuing certification in Dissociation through the Institute for Creative Mindfulness (ICM) and will assess for forms of dissociation if applicable or suspected.
I take a stance that many of our concerns, including many physical ailments, come from deeply rooted traumas. With trauma being stored in the limbic system… over time it just becomes too much.
I hope that you find this information helpful in your journey with searching for the right therapeutic fit for you and your needs.
Jon Kabat-Zinn said, ‘You can’t stop the wave, but you can learn to surf.’
My office is in Peachtree City, GA, where I hold in-person appointments Monday – Friday. I also offer online sessions via secure video conferencing if you live in Georgia or Florida and are unable to meet in my office.
