Firefly Wellness Counseling recently moved to Scottdale and hopes to make the new facility its home for many years to come. 

The counseling center is also offering more services, including group therapy options.

Firefly got its start in 2016 in downtown Decatur, but the growth of the practice has required moving to bigger spaces. Owner Anne Rice now employs three therapists to meet the needs of her company’s growing list of clients. 

Rice has been a licensed therapist for seven years. She knows how a lack of mental health resources can affect a community.

“By the time I had graduated high school, I’d known four people who committed suicide and many more who had attempted,” Rice said. “I grew up in a smaller, Georgia town (Carrollton) and mental health resources, at that time, weren’t great. As a result, I became passionate about mental health.”

Rice said she loves helping adults and teens navigate life’s difficulties. She’s a mother with two young children. At Firefly, she’s created a comfortable and safe place where people can share whatever is on their mind. She holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from Princeton University and has a graduate degree in counseling psychology from Boston College. She’s licensed in Georgia and New York. She’s a certified professional counselor supervisor and has extensive training in functional family therapy. 

“I am very passionate about community and the effect it has on mental health, so I also started a coworking space for therapists, Blue House Wellness, where I support therapists in launching and running their private practices,” Rice said. “ I’m a member of the Avondale Business Association where I just presented on balancing work and life as an entrepreneur.”

Firefly serves adults and teens struggling with anxiety and depression, offering high-quality and personalized therapy.

“Through mutual respect between client and therapist, we create a space where clients can truly be themselves and learn to heal and grow,” Rice said. “Our clients feel safe, respected, and heard. We frequently integrate music, movies, TV shows, and video games into our therapy process to make it more relatable and accessible to all.” 

Firefly serves many career-driven individuals who are experiencing burnout and wondering what the next step is for their professional lives. The counseling service helps moms who struggle with work-life balance and high-achieving teens coping with stress.

“We are committed to providing quality care to underrepresented communities and therefore our vision is to expand our group therapy services to create affordable options for our community,” Rice said. “We strive to become the go-to providers for adults and teens in the metro Atlanta area who want to feel empowered to take control of their lives.” 

Rice said Firefly is starting new groups and workshops for adults and teens. The groups and workshops focus on the mind and body connection to help cope with stress, and current offerings utilize sound baths and mindfulness.

“We hope that through offering more group therapy, we can provide a more affordable therapy option to those in our community,” Rice said. 

So far, Firefly has served hundreds of clients. 

“I love the deep meaningful connections I have with my clients,” Rice said. “So much of the research shows that no matter what modality of therapy you practice, the therapeutic relationship is often the biggest predictor of healing. I love creating a space where anyone can come and be their authentic self without judgment. I also love helping people realize that their lives can look and feel different just by making small, subtle changes in their day to day routines.” 

For more information or to book an appointment, visit: www.fireflywellnesscounseling.com