I have sent many patients to Focus Forward over the past 15 years and will continue doing so. They…read moreprovide excellent care and are responsive with inquiries. We highly recommend the entire Focus Forward Team as we have seen excellent results with our patients. Sohel Momin. M.D. Internal Medicine Cumming GA

Beware of their business practice…read more I don't even know where to start. This is a billing practice, not a mental health practice. On 08/14/2026, I had an appointment scheduled with Erica Chesser. I'm a caregiver for my parents, and as I was leaving for my appointment, my father had an accident. Obviously, I couldn't attend -- this was a genuine family emergency, not a scheduling inconvenience. I sent an email that Saturday explaining exactly what happened with my dad, well before the appointment, in good faith. That email was never even responded to. No acknowledgment, no follow-up, nothing. Instead, I was simply charged a $105.00 cancellation fee. Their policy requires 48 hours' notice to cancel, which is double the standard 24-hour policy most practices use -- and completely unworkable when an actual emergency happens with zero warning. As if that wasn't enough, on Monday 08/17/2026 I called to book a new appointment with Erica Chesser. I was told she had availability the next day and booked for 10:00 am. When I showed up, she told me admin had made a mistake -- whoever booked the appointment was looking at the following week's schedule instead of the current one. So now I'd wasted a trip on top of everything else. I brought up the fee, hoping to find some kind of resolution given that it was a genuine emergency and the office had just made its own scheduling error on top of it. Instead, Erica Chesser claimed they'd already waived a fee for me once before for a previous emergency -- something I honestly don't recall happening. Rather than actually discussing it, she rushed me out of her office and told me to go sort it out at the front desk myself. No apology. No acknowledgment that they had made an error. Just: not my problem, go deal with it elsewhere. There was no flexibility, no compassion, and not even the basic courtesy of a reply to my email -- yet somehow the office can't keep its own calendar straight, and when they mess up, they can't even own it to your face. For a mental health practice, you'd expect at least a baseline understanding of stress, caregiving burdens, and emergencies. Instead, the message was clear: pay up, don't expect a response, and if they screw up, that's the front desk's problem, not theirs. I reached out in good faith, tried to resolve it fairly, and got radio silence, a bill, a wasted trip, and a provider who couldn't be bothered to say sorry for her own office's mistake. If you're looking for care that treats you like a person instead of a revenue stream, look elsewhere.

My husband & I went to see Lisa Meyer when we were having difficulties. Disappointment doesn't…read morebegin to describe what I experienced. She had a very bad attitude and projected her personal feelings into the session. I left feeling more traumatized than before going. Anyone seeing this counselor should be very, very careful. Especially since she also treats children. I would not want me child near her personally or professionally. Not to be trusted to have good intentions

Lisa is a terrible counselor. I had the exact same experience as another reviewer. She projected…read moreher own feelings into the session and when I disagreed with her politely she was extremely rude and condescending. She didn't really listen to me or what I was there for(grief counseling over the death of my sister) but instead brought up what she wanted to discuss and continually referenced herself, her marriage, and her kids. I felt like I wasted $165 and she should have paid me! The only advice she gives is to start a gratitude journal and live in the moment. Ummm, I think I could have gotten that advice from watching Oprah. I just hope I can keep someone else from this horrible experience.

These people are going to ruin someone's life! They did a psychological evaluation on my ex without…read moreany sort of credentials or training to do it and said that it was valid. Caused me a lot of pain and suffering. How can anyone claim and actually attempt to conduct a service without having any of the right credentials or training? You have to be a licensed psychologist, not a certified CACII. Perhaps another GBI investigation is in order? Save your time and money and don't go to this corrupt place.

From the owner: New Hope Counseling was established in 1996 with the primary goal to make quality counseling…read moreaffordable to ALL persons in need of outpatient services. New Hope provides comprehensive outpatient programming for the treatment of addictive diseases and their emotional, mental, and behavioral consequences. We also provide behavior modification programming for those who display characteristics associated with domestic violence. Our focus is to encourage clients to gain insight and understanding while working toward fulfilling the needs of the judicial system, social services, or employers. Our goal is to facilitate growth and change for those who desire it and to provide a safe and nurturing environment in which to experience self-acceptance.

Lindsey is absolutely amazing! She is Patient, caring, very direct and very fair. Did not know…read morewhat to expect coming in counseling for the first time, but we had a homerun with Lindsey. She has worked with us in our relationship is stronger than ever and I have told Lindsey that she's not allowed to retire for at least 10 or 15 years because I will go to her weekly as long as she is still practicing! Ty Lindsey!

I love this place! Erich has been an excellent therapist for me and I have been very pleased with…read moremy experience. I highly recommend.

I have been to quite a few different counselors on and off over the years and since I have been…read moreseeing Cory I feel that I have finally really made some significant and positive changes in my life in several areas that had felt really stuck before. I really appreciate Cory's approach and knowledge of several different techniques that can effect change beyond just "talk therapy". I would highly recommend Cory to anyone who has experienced trauma and is interested in truly letting go and learning how to live and not just survive!

From the owner: Cory is a Body Psychotherapist who helps people overcome trauma and/or trauma symptoms. People who…read morehave trauma may display a wide array of problematic behaviors including anger, sexually acting out, ADHD/ADD, addictions, PTSD, bipolar disorder, panic attacks, dissociative symptoms and anxiety/depression. Cory also conducts marriage and family counseling. Cory is a body-oriented psychotherapist meaning that he does not believe the mind exists separate from the body. The mind reveals itself in the form of body postures, gestures, facial expressions, movements and other behavior. Following these somatic clues to healing allows people to get in touch with deep (implicit) memories and experiences very quickly and safely. My somatic (body) approach honors the wisdom of talk therapy. Cory believes that every client needs a unique approach to his or her path of fulfillment. Cory offers a free 15 minute phone consultation to see if we would be a good fit.

This was my very first inpatient experience and I personally selected Sylvia Brafman because of…read moregeographical location, single room accommodations and the small, intimate environment. It was a huge decision for me and not inexpensive. Of course, I knew that I would need to adjust and it took about a week to feel comfortable. I was so impressed by the kindness and devotion from the staff. They worked long shifts but always made us their priority. Mr. Chase, Mr. Jordan, Miss Mary and too many to name were so friendly and respectful not only to me but to all of the patients. Dr. Fiegel was my Psychiatrist and he was beyond brilliant in nailing down my diagnosis and prescribing the proper meds so that I could sleep for the first time in years. I slept a solid 8 hours on the very first night with my new medications. The Internists Dr. Pham and Dr. Patel also made sure that we stayed healthy. The Social Workers and the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner went above and beyond to make sure that we had the therapies and meds to make us feel better. I was especially fond of the group therapy and learned many tools and skills to excel in my personal life. A big shout out to the Social Workers and to Mr. Michael who brought a wealth of experience to our groups. His ability to communicate with us and show compassion was so welcome and appreciated. It was the BEST decision of my life and I am so glad that I admitted myself for 30 days. I had been struggling with anxiety, depression, insomnia, PTSD and knew that I needed this level of professional care. I cannot say enough about the staff and Director, Mr. Magner. Everyone was kind, professional, focused and skilled in their mission to change our lives for the better. The food was adequate and filling but there were a few blips. The Chef went out of his way to make sure that the meals were served properly and it is my understanding that the food has to be catered from a vendor until they get a license to operate the kitchen. No big deal. We never went hungry and there were lots of high quality snacks, fresh fruit, juices and water whenever we wanted it. The patients were incredible and came from all walks of life. We supported one another and I was touched by their friendships and stories. It was extremely difficult to leave when the time came. All of us were equals and had the same goals. I was especially fond of the emotional support dogs that some patients brought with them. We loved taking turns walking and playing with them. One in particular was Theo, a Labradoodle who loved everyone and even stayed in some of our rooms. It made our stay incredibly meaningful. Feeding him crunchy, sliced apples was the highlight of my stay. Sylvia Brafman changed my life forever. Was it perfect? No place is perfect. The Georgia facility is new and has some growing pains but they are doing everything they can to make it a place of healing and transformation. Thank you for making my life better and my future journey a lot easier. I will be forever grateful.

I am in a transitional living program now and am thriving. I still struggle with a lot of social…read moreanxiety, but my trauma from this place has mostly been healed. It has been over 9 months since I left my 30 day stay here, and I still have nightmares about being in residential mental health.

Dorice irrevocably harmed my marriage…read more I sought Dorice's help, hoping to save my marriage. I was willing to do anything necessary. My wife and I had already visited a counselor who took sides, so I talked with Dorice beforehand to say that we weren't looking for someone to stir conflict or tear one or the other down; we were looking for insight. Dorice said this wasn't her style, saying she had worked with the Gottman institute, a well-respected and well-researched marriage counseling and research firm. I was impressed. We scheduled an appointment. Doris gave us a one-page handout of a happy-home process from Gottman, outlining the strategy she used for working with couples. We never heard or saw anything about Gottman again, and her process was nothing like the brief outline she gave us. Instead, she continued to revisit the same issues over and over again, creating strife. My wife and I would arrive for counseling sessions in good spirits but nervous, and Dorice would pick at old scabs, stirring conflict and getting my wife angry and emotional. I was then left to deal with her anger for three or four days after. We couldn't move to growing or learning, because Dorice would continue to revisit past hurts again and again. I pleaded with her to not keep coming back to the same issue, but she did, making it larger and more important. Dorice decided in our first visit that I was full of shame. I don't have problems with shame. She suggested in our second visit that I was insecure; yes, about losing my marriage, but not much else. She suggested in our third visit that I had been abused. No, never. Each week brought out a new theory, and each week she forgot the prior week's diagnosis. When I leaned forward to listen to what she was saying once -- a good four feet away from her -- she stopped our discussion and said she felt threatened by my presence. I'm a gentle man, never violent, but Dorice planted seeds like that with my wife often. I began to think she didn't trust men. I met with her individually, to ask why we weren't addressing my hurts or my wife's offenses. She said we would get to them eventually. In the meantime, my wife was stirred up weekly about how wrong I was, and felt justified in being angry, never hearing how she was impacting our marriage (nor her family with her.) I insisted on another counselor. That counselor (a male and female couple) saw that there was blame on both sides and wanted to work with both of us. Justified by Dorice that she had nothing she had done wrong, my wife refused to go back to the new counselors once they said she wasn't taking responsibility for her own actions. (Meanwhile, I've continued to see these counselors with much success.) I met with Dorice to tell her I wouldn't be returning, and that my wife was filing for divorce. "Uh huh," she replied. She had no empathy. I also told her that I'd recorded our sessions, for my own use. I told her that I'd listened to them again and heard how genuinely poor her counseling was, and Dorice FLIPPED OUT. She jumped up and stood in my personal space, threatening to call the police. I remained calm and asked her to do the same. She wanted to know if I was going to report her. "Someone needs to know about the harm you're doing to people," I told her. She cried about losing her license, pleading with me to not contact the State Board of Licensing. She showed no concern for my loss but was overwhelmed with fear about her own potential loss. It made me wonder if she'd had other complaints to the state. She insulted me, and then again pleaded for mercy asking me to keep my opinion and my recordings secret. It turns out that a Dorice has some marital disappointment of her own, and I feel like she sees men differently through the lens of her own experience. I asked Dorice about Gottman and her style of counseling. Does she use any empirically validated methods? "No, some people do, but I don't," she said. So basically it appears that she didn't really have any affiliation with Gottman and is just an old lonely woman meddling in marriages and unable to cope with her own past hurts. I recommend you stay away.

I have been to quite a few counselors and this is the first time that I had a great experience. I…read morewent to Dorice when I lived in Georgia and miss our session now that I moved to Oregon. First, my partner and I went to Dorice to help us with our communication issues. We were on the brink of divorce and had a lot of resentment towards one another. Dorice really listened with care each session and provided tools and advice that brought love and respect into our marriage. We would have "homework" after some sessions to assist with communication. Now, it's almost strange to look back on what our relationship was like compared to how much better it is now. I can literally say that Dorice saved our marriage. I then went to Dorice individually after we discontinued with marriage counseling. My grandfather had passed away and I was very close with him. I felt all over the map emotionally and Dorice truly helped me through the grieving process. I was able to do it at my own pace and learn that tears, then anger, then feeling okay all in the same day is just part of the process with the steps of grief and it's not like you do them all in the right order one time and it's done. She also helped me with other personal issues I was facing, included at my job. Dorice has a lovely disposition. She's very intelligent and when I talk to her I feel like she is a wise friend instead of someone that I don't feel comfortable bearing my soul to. Finding a counselor that is a great fit is hard as many of us already know this. Dorice was our perfect fit and I wish I could move her to Oregon because I miss her guidance. Thank goodness she prepared us with tools so we learned what to do on the bad days. I miss you, Dorice!

I am so thankful for the supervision and training I received. It was exceptionally thorough and…read morecompletely changed the way I understand human development and functioning. More than anything, it gave me the knowledge and confidence to help clients find lasting resolution instead of just managing symptoms. Because of what I learned this is the only philosophy I use in my practice. It has been, by far, the most effective approach I've ever used with clients, and I've seen the lasting difference it makes. I truly can't recommend this training enough to any counselor who wants to help clients experience meaningful, lasting change.

Anna is an outstanding person and helped me through so much!! She always takes the time to listen…read moreto your perspective and gives amazing advice.