About Susan Adams
Susan Adams developed my Universal Truths over my 43+ years of practice. I once flew to San Juan to board a Celebrity Cruise ship where I was guest lecturing about relationships. One of the flight attendants came hurrying down the aisle of the plane before take-off. She said, "I would recognize your voice anywhere! I took one of your classes at Peachtree Presbyterian Church a few years ago. I want you to know that I have a copy of your Universal Truths in my night case and every flight attendant on this flight has one too! " I was thrilled. Here they are: The Universal Truths for Successful Living. How many do you do?
I am a licensed marriage and family therapist and a licensed professional counselor in private practice for over 43 years. I am a Clinical Member/Fellow and an APPROVED SUPERVISOR for the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy which means that I train therapists who are looking for credentialing in their professional organization or for licensure in the State of Georgia.
My mentor was an internationally renowned therapist and author of books in the field
and I worked closely with Dr. Frank Pittman for over 28 years.
I began my career as a Social Worker at the Henry County Counseling Center. I coordinated the alcohol and drug treatment program, implementing community education programs about alcohol and drugs, as well as programs about divorce, parenting, and family therapy. I also pioneered an innovative court referral program in which certain first time offenders could accept family therapy as an alternative to incarceration. In l987, the Municipal Court of the City of Atlanta solicited my assistance and participation for a pilot program based on the original concept in Henry County.
I served as the advisor to the Stepfamily Association of Atlanta for the years that the organization existed here. Stepfamilies can be chaotic in nature. They can be fraught with issues from the prior marriages which result in court battles, financial and parenting issues. Many stepfamilies need coaching to deal with the confusing and difficult issues that may arise.
I have drawn on my experience in education and mental health to become highly recognized as a lecturer for professionals in my field. I have presented programs for the staff of area hospitals including the Psychiatric Institute of Atlanta, C.P.G. Parkwood, Mercer University School of Medicine (Mood Disorders), The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, The Georgia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, The American Bar Association, the Sixteenth Annual Family Therapy Network Symposium, and for numerous professional organizations and health organizations.
I taught relationship classes in the Adult Educational Department of Peachtree Presbyterian Church for both singles and couples for over 15 years. I have been a frequent guest on numerous call-in talk radio programs in the Atlanta area. In this capacity I gave advice to listening audiences in need of practical solutions to various crisis situations.
Susan Adams served as Membership Chairperson for the Georgia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy for four years and in 1990 I began serving as a member of the editorial board for the “Journal of Family Psychotherapy”. I served in this capacity for several years.
Most Important Credential
My BEST credential is that I have been married for over 44 years.
That means that I have a live laboratory to practice what I am working to help people learn. Therefore, situations are readily available to me to see what works and what doesn’t.
My Focus
My practice focuses on relationships and the art of working through challenges with resolution.
My approach provides clients with a clear understanding of the problem. Once the problem, in the marriage or in other kinds of relationships is identified, I work with people through practical, behavioral, and value-based solutions that help to make their relationships work.
My Office
My office is full of people like you who are looking for practical solutions to difficult and uncomfortable problems.
Some people think that they might be depressed–or know that they are. Others are anxious about our unsettling times. The feelings that they may have affect their lives in destructive ways–most specifically their relationships.
I Believe in Marriage.
There are times, however, when it is not possible to keep the marriage. Children are a big factor when people are thinking of giving up. Factually, very few people who come to see me actually divorce. Children are a good motivator for making things better as they are the ones who suffer the most if divorce happens.
Many people who struggle with marriage have not seen marriages that are successful. Seeing a therapist who is successful in marriage is, I believe, an important part of the therapy process.
Sometimes people come to see a therapist when they are out of ideas for solving a problem. They may believe that they have tried everything. More often, they are trying a version of the same thing in varying intensities and manners. I am successful at helping people come up with new ideas for solving old problems. That is my job.
