My interest in counseling originated from a desire to repair broken relationships within my own family. My exploration to seek wholeness and restoration for the emotional wounds of my past began with reading books about how family relationships work and then progressed to my majoring in psychology in college. I began to learn about how we impact each other and how important it is to seek my own emotional health and healing. This led to my desire to not only seek my own counseling but also to pursue counseling as a career. How meaningful and fulfilling would it be to not only heal my own personal hurts and relationships but also to help others do the same?
At the center of my work, are my deeply held beliefs that we were created for rich relationships and are meant to experience depth, connection, joy, peace and purpose. Despite these meaningful desires, many people report that they cannot develop or return to healthy relationships. But why? I believe that the reasons we don’t have healthy relationships today go back to our personal history of relational experiences. The emotional scars left from living in an imperfect world get in the way of these riches. Thankfully, through effective therapy, healing and wholeness can occur even in the midst of the failures and offenses of this broken world. Distant relational patterns can not only be repaired but the process to repair can result in the deep, rich relationships we’ve always yearned to have.
Even though I have training in many techniques for emotional healing, I prioritize creating a safe emotional place for my clients to share the difficult experiences they’ve had that are often connected to painful emotions. Grief, loss, abuse, abandonment, betrayal, tragedy, trauma, infidelity, loneliness, divorce, spiritual/religious wounds and disconnection are just a few of the experiences I have helped my clients process over the past 30 years. I feel honored and privileged to help my clients navigate their challenging journeys. I have incredible respect and admiration for those who seek emotional healing, as I know it takes great courage to move toward change.
My family and I have lived in Fayette County for over 15 years. My amazing husband of nearly 30 years and I have purposely pursued our own healing and growth as a couple. We have 3 incredible young adult children, a son in law and 2 sweet grandbabies. My husband and I cherish being parents and grandparents!
The wife of a former senior pastor, I have an especially empathic perspective of the challenges that clergy families face. My family has experienced the good, the bad and the ugly realities specific to mainstream religion and living in a “glass house”. Serving and supporting clergy families, couples and individuals holds a special place in my heart. As a team, we seek to extend our unique services and insights to these community caregivers.
Professional Credentials and Education:
- • Licensed Professional Counselor – Georgia LPC # 2029
- • Masters of Science in Clinical Psychology – Augusta University
- • Bachelors of Science in Psychology – University of Georgia
- • Completed Externship in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- • Completed Core Skills in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- • Completed training in Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT)
- • Completed EFT Masterclass: Success in Stage 2
- • Completed EFT Masterclass: Attachment Injury Repair (affair recovery)
- • Completed EFT Masterclass: EFT and Addictions
- • Certified in Trauma Resolution Therapy ®
- • Certified Prepare/Enrich Facilitator
- • Certified in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)
Professional Memberships and Service Roles:
- • South Metro Mental Health Network – Leadership positions: 2020 Member-at-Large, 2019 Member-at-Large, 2018 Secretary, 2016-2017 Vice Chairperson, 2016-Present Peer Consultation Moderator
- • Atlanta Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy (ACEFT)
- • International Center for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT)
- • Licensed Professional Counselor Association of Georgia (LPCAGA)
- • Business Women of Fayette & Coweta (BWFC)
Professional Highlights:
- • CFO and Clinical Co-Director at The Center for Living Balance
- • Owner of Abundant Life Counseling Services (15 years)
- • Guest on Marriage and Family Today Radio Program
- • Guest on Elizabeth Gore’s Talk for Women Radio Program
- • Presenter at The Healthy Clergy and Congregation Conference
Intake Forms for Deana Riley:
Isabel Groedel is a Licensed Master Social Worker who specializes in supporting adolescents, adults, couples and families in overcoming behavioral and emotional challenges. She is bilingual (English and Spanish) and is trained in EMDR and Emotion Focused Therapy.
My clinical career began with a strong interest in the psychological impact of illness and disability and a master’s degree in medical rehabilitation counseling. Helping people adjust to the unique experiences of medical journeys was powerful and fulfilling– but I soon realized that my clients’ medical needs impacted everyone in their family. Partners, parents, siblings, children: they are all touched by their loved one’s illness or disability. The whole system was in pain and their relationships were fracturing.
Early in in this work I was able to join into the lives of adults with severe and persistent mental illness and help them to fashion wellness and recovery in their own communities and with their own families. I was in the thick of life with men and women having full and robust and connected lives even while facing some of the most challenging brain diseases and it was due significantly to their close family supports. This pushed me to pursue a deeper understanding of family systems. I was lucky to be living in an area which was the birthplace of family systems therapy. I spent several years being mentored and trained by people who have devoted their research and their lives to helping develop strong connected families. This work fundamentally changed how I viewed the world and my own family. Through my time devoted to Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy i not only learned but actually experienced that no one is ever truly alone and we grow best and heal best together.
We offer retreats, workshops, and groups that support our clients and the communities in Fayette and Coweta Counties.
Groups and Workshops are a great way to get support and improve skills in a cost effective manner! Here are the groups that are currently forming:
Couples coming to us, often report needing help with one or more of the following concerns:
The Center for Living Balance is the product of personal and business evolution. Founded by Amy Jaynes in 2016 as a solo counseling practice, the center has always focused on personal and relational well-being. As Amy’s passion for healing relational bonds continued to grow, she became more active in the professional mental health community. She was speaking at local events, serving on boards, and generally spreading the word about the power of healing attachment.
Do you need a speaker for your event or organization? We can bring any of our workshops and seminars to you! 
Staying connected through life’s many stages is challenging work– we help families wade through those disconnected moments to find the path back to connection. We see families who are seeking help with:
Many of our clients spend their days taking care of the needs of other people — often at the expense of their own well-being or needs. We understand (and live!) this unique experience that can create anxiety, depressed mood, increased stress, compassion fatigue, relational distress, and burnout for:
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