Introduction to Rachel Fishman, MA, LAPC, NCC

My Perspective 

My views on the purpose and importance of counseling in today’s society are largely summed up by the word, Koinonia.  Koinonia is the greek word that integrates the concepts of sharing, relationship, and community.  The concept can also be found in scripture as there are many examples of Koinonia which encourages relationships and community as important avenues taken to maintain spiritual health and wellbeing.  

What scripture has held to be true for many years has also been validated by recent scientific research which has demonstrated that relationships and community with others are intricately tied to health, wellbeing, and happiness. However, despite the scriptural and scientific evidence espousing the benefits of relationships and community, our world promotes exactly the opposite: independence, self-sufficiency, privacy, and, in many cases, isolation.  In other words, these learned traits are the polar opposite of Koinonia.  Furthermore, many of these deeply rooted and poor habits go unchallenged during the course of our lives, and are partially culpable for why it is difficult for us to embrace—or at the very least—seek out community.  

Counseling provides a unique opportunity for God to use our struggling relationships, our inability to share, and our semblance of community—which are all possible symptoms of poor or unchallenged habits—to bring healing and growth in our lives.  As a counselor, people allow me to enter into Koinonia with them as they weather life’s trials. Although the counseling process is a unique journey for everyone, it is always a journey that ‘s a privilege to be a part of. 

My Journey 

Sharing, relationship, and community have always been a part of my life.  I grew up in a church community, and along with this, my family taught me to be acutely aware of those in our community that may be hurting. From the time when I was very young, I remember that we would pray for and reach out to others in our community that were struggling, regardless of how well we knew them. As I became older, I began to deepen my own desire to join with others in community, just as my family had done.  For example, during high school and college, I pursued volunteer opportunities serving my local inner-city communities, supporting survivors of sexual abuse at a child advocacy center, and working with parents of children with behavioral challenges at a hospital clinical; these formative experiences which began at a young age, opened my eyes to those in need of support and advocacy and confirmed my desire to work with others experiencing trials or difficulties in their lives. 

After receiving a Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Florida, I accepted an internship opportunity in the New Orleans Ninth Ward. The internship involved intensive study of issues surrounding urban ministry, racism, and social justice—all of which were examined from biblical and historical perspectives.  Reflecting back on the completion of that internship, I am confident that experience permanently instilled a desire to see the beginnings of restoration and reconciliation in all places and with all people.  

Subsequently, after moving to Atlanta, I began to look for work which would afford me the opportunity to work toward these goals of reconciliation and restoration. Eventually, I determined that social work would allow me to providing support to foster care and adoptive families at a local non-profit. Thus, I began a several year long journey of working towards restoring Georgia’s foster care and adoption system.  Specifically, my place as a social worker provided me an avenue to walk with children through a variety of upheavals such as depression, suicidal ideation, fear, grief, behavior difficulties, attachment issues, educational challenges, and significant instability. I also supported families through the process of adoption, beginning with their consideration and preparation all the way to post-placement adjustments, doubts, and cultural challenges.  To my surprise, this experience also revealed a significant absence of counselors competent to help families through the process and challenges of foster care and adoption—an important need that I continued to remember and advocate for, after I left my social work position. 

After deciding to leave social work, I had an opportunity to live out many of the realities I had previously witnessed in New Orleans.  My next career step involved spending a year alongside children attending inner city middle schools and high schools in the Atlanta area.  Each day I noticed the challenges they faced such as poverty, drugs, inadequate education, peer pressure, hopelessness—all on top of peers and family members who questioned the legitimacy of true faith. Working in these settings provided me firsthand experience regarding their unmet needs. Additionally, it clarified and provided reasons for my desire to pursue a Master’s degree in Counseling—enabling and equipping me to better serve these needs. 

In 2009, I attended Wake Forest University and obtained my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. The program at Wake Forest used a cohort educational model that provided individualized mentorship by internationally respected professors and practitioners as well as challenging intellectual environment which fostered my clinical development. While in North Carolina, I provided substance abuse counseling services to adolescents and their families at a day treatment facility. I utilized motivational interviewing theory and techniques while providing individual, group, and family counseling services. I also spent a year seeing a variety of clients at a community based counseling center. Here I saw clients anywhere from ages 5 to 65 regarding a variety of concerns. 

My Services 

I am thrilled to be back in Georgia and to a part of the team at Restoration Counseling of Atlanta. I am committed to the Christian faith and perspective and firmly believe that a relationship with Christ is integral to spiritual health and wellbeing. I chose to pursue my counseling degree at Wake Forest University as opposed to other integrated programs out of a desire to strengthen my ability to counsel clients from different spiritual backgrounds. Although I hold a Christian worldview, I have experience working with clients from diverse spiritual backgrounds and therefore incorporate spirituality into counseling at a level which can be determined by the client. In clinical practice, I largely incorporate behavioral theory and a client-centered approach. I maintain a strengths-based therapeutic atmosphere capitalizing on innate strengths and abilities that are unique to the individual(s) I am counseling.  Additionally, I incorporate the use of psycho-education, creativity, and interactive skill-building techniques in order to tailor the session to the needs of my clients. 

I am currently available to provide individual and family counseling to those dealing with behavioral challenges, anxiety, depression, divorce recovery, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, delinquency, domestic violence, abuse, identity confusion, dependency, family discord, job loss, career decision making, financial stress, and parental conflict. 

I also provide specialized counseling for members of foster care and adoption. Common topics addressed in pre-adoption counseling include infertility, grief and loss, adoption consideration, marital/partner agreement, financial challenges, racial and cultural considerations, support systems, resources, and psycho-education. Additionally, counseling services for adoptees address identity development, self-efficacy, cultural and social barriers, attachment, history of trauma, behavior management, grief, and anger management. 

Birthparent and family counseling is also provided for mothers and their families that have surrendered their children to adoption. Birthparent counseling often addresses guilt, anxiety, grief and loss, depression, loss of memories, intimate relationships, and identity. Foster care specific counseling addresses anger, distrust, fear, identity development, behavior management, educational challenges, instability, delinquency, and referral to additional community resources.

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