Started with Gary due to anxiety during COVID and boy did I get a good one. Gary is patient,…read moreknowledgeable, and goes above and beyond to empathize with struggles. He is also a wealth of knowledge for solutions. The joy I find in life and the management of my anxiety are due to my hard work and Gary being my Sherpa along the way.

Came in to GSG Counseling to see Gary Hipps during Covid. Life can be stressful sometimes,…read moreespecially during a global pandemic and I sought advice from a professional counselor. Unfortunately Gary was not knowledgeable, nor professional. When someone you are entrusting to provide professional insight in the fields of psychology and talk counseling asks questions such as "when was the last time you got laid" it clearly violates that trust and gives actual professionals a bad rap. In short if you are dealing with life's many stressors and challenges, and are seeking a professional, I highly advise you to go elsewhere.

I reached out to The Practice this past spring (2018) due to the onset of intense anxiety attacks,…read morestemming from a string of public speaking events required of me in my new job. From my perspective it was a rather urgent situation, though I never expected to be squeezed in on short notice. And yet I was, because the therapists at The Practice are genuinely caring, compassionate, and proactive about the well-being of their clients. Once I started EMDR (trauma) therapy, it was game on. My therapist, Lindley Domingue, has a reputation for being the best EMDR therapist in Austin and I can tell you it's well-deserved. The progress I made over 3 months was remarkable, there's no other word for it. Knowing a little about the process (but not much), I felt very safe in her hands as she explained everything in our first session. The next few sessions were about assessing my needs and specifics about my situation, before she took me through the actual EMDR process. With this type of therapy, results are different for everyone, but for me not a session went by in which I didn't experience a significant leap forward or profound insight to what had been holding me back and keeping me stuck in the past. It's not an overstatement to say the experience was life-changing for me. Some of the best money I've ever spent. For the record, I've had the same (excellent) talk therapist for many years, and I wouldn't trade her for anyone. But in this instance I needed a different kind of help and I needed it fast. I could've really blown it at my new job, or gotten off to a slow shaky start. Lindley refused to let that happen. I've never felt safer or in better, more qualified hands. The office is a beautiful, serene space, and the other therapists seem equally authentic, caring, and knowledgable. (I've met more than a few over the years, all over Austin, and there's no comparison. Honestly, it's scary how stuck in the dark ages some therapists are.) The Practice is just next level. Very progressive, very informed, and highly skilled.

One of the most beautiful therapeutic spaces I have seen in Austin- it's space is open, natural…read morelight and has great healing energy. Aesthetics aside, there is an incredible tribe of talented individuals that house The Practice ATX. As a professional in the mental health industry, I have referred to the independant associates in this practice a number of times for their specific specialties- from couples counseling, individual, teens, addiction to family counseling. It is clear that these professionals have come together to make a difference in the community with their integrity and professionalism.

I trust that many people had great experiences. However, my experience with Laura was really…read moredifficult for several reasons. During a session we were discussing how I really wanted to tap into my healthy aggression because of how much it supports getting me out of the dorsal component of my nervous system and allows me to access self energy (I learned this from Peter Levine and his facilitators and found it so true). For a good 20 minutes Laura told me how, essentially, I was wrong and that wasn't what was going to heal my trauma. There was so so so much pushback from her that I felt incredibly invalidated and gaslit. Instead of asking questions she was basically telling me I was wrong. Additionally, during an IFS session she kept telling me to "bring my exile to the present to be with me", and I kept reiterating that it felt unsafe to do that and there was resistance from it, but she just kept telling me to do it.... She also canceled a session right before meeting me because she forgot she had something to do (??). AND she types every..single..word...you say, like literally types the entire time you're meeting, without stopping. And her keyboard is so loud. She said it's the only way she can track our sessions. So that is super distracting to just hear someone typing when you're trying to get a meditative state for IFS, and also takes away from the connection of feeling someone's presence. I've worked with a bunch of IFS therapist (my new therapist is level 3 trained and works closely with Dick Schwartz) and it's a super different experience and feels much more aligned, safe and effective. Best of luck if you work with her!

Laura has completely transformed my life. Her approach with IFS therapy takes the parts of yourself…read morethat have been so burdened in the past and literally heals them session by session. I have never felt more whole, aligned, and grateful for myself. She is an angel! I only hope so many people can work with her because she is healing the world one person at a time :)

It wasn't until I started meeting with Matthew on a weekly basis that I realized how much I needed…read moreto unload some emotional baggage. I came to his office to deal with a particular concern, which he helped me address at length. However, his counseling helped me in many other ways. Matthew is an attentive, sympathetic listener who asked questions that led me to examine myself deeper. After a few sessions discussing certain anxieties and other odds and ends, I noticed my mood started feeling lighter, and in general I just felt a boost in my overall sense of well being. He has a gentle, thoughtful approach, and I truly felt cared about in his sessions. I highly recommend at least one session of sandbox therapy with him. It was fun and a highly imaginative method.

I can't begin to thank Dean enough for the progress he has helped me to make (and continues to help…read moreme make) since my Father passed unexpectedly almost a year ago. I immediately sought out help after the traumatic experience and saw he uses EMDR. It has been an enormous transformation, helped immensely with anxiety and has helped me navigate the choppy, unpredictable waters of grief. During the past year there have been many highs and lows and he has helped me to find some peace during a tumultuous time in my life. I would recommend Dean to anyone looking for a great listener, guide and therapist in the South Austin area...especially for trauma therapy!

Dean was instrumental in my growth during the 15 months we worked together. In that time he helped…read moreme cut my addiction to pot, get out of a bad relationship, and quit a job that was not right for me. He listens well and got me to see things in a different way that was positive. We also did EMDR which helped me get over some trauma from my past. I highly recommend Dean to anyone.

I first worked with Greg Miller in 1998. We were co-therapists providing family therapy in a…read moreclinic and school based therapy to adolescents. Greg always demonstrated the utmost professionalism. He modeled clear boundaries and great compassion and concern for his clients. Greg has a unique ability to connect with clients. He is engaging and down to earth. His approach is interactive and based in real, practical and varied techniques that allow each client to grow and become more adept at handling their own challenges. I have used him as an on-call therapist in my practice when I am not able to be immediately accessible to my own clients. Lastly, I would (and have) highly recommended Greg Miller as a therapist to friends and others and will continue to do so.

Greg Miller is a fantastic therapist. He works on addiction issues, including Court assignments…read more He is a terrific family therapist. He can help families to more easily and effectively make tough decisions that will ultimately help that family. He also is an effective CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) therapist who helps to quickly and effectively get to the bottom of, and treat, deep-rooted or short term mental health issues and crises. I would recommend Mr Miller to family.

This is just regarding Diana Schaefer. The facility has been beyond kind and helpful, and I hope to…read morefind a therapist here that fits my needs. -- Years and years ago, a therapist told me I was a whore for kissing a boy on the first date. I thought that would forever be my worst story of therapy gone wrong, of a therapist superimposing their own beliefs and issues on me. Diana hit a new record. She "fired" me as a client and pulled wildly unethical moves before doing so. I wholly believe that there is a time to part ways when therapy isn't serving the client or when a client is rejecting help from the therapist to everyone's detriment. Therapists have just as much of a right to end the relationship as clients do. The reason I'm writing this has nothing to do with the farewell and everything to do with how it was handled. I have an eating disorder. I made it clear from the start that I didn't care that she didn't specialize in them. I'd had enough therapy around eating disorders and wanted to take a new approach. I also told her in our first session that if she thought it wasn't a fit to have open communication because I would be doing so. I've played the "suffer through a relationship that isn't working" game too much at this point in therapy. We had weekly sessions for months. I thought many of them were helping. But then I told her how many calories I consumed during the week. That was undeniably the point where she flipped. We talked for a month or so more. She started talking to my dietician more. That seemed logical to me. And then she started telling my therapist I needed to go to treatment. Asking her why she hadn't suggested it or wasn't pushing it on me. (She has.) I am in no way a high risk anorexic. Perhaps treatment wouldn't hurt but my life right now prioritizes above something that isn't necessary. She pressured me and I said no, several times. And then the day came where she let me tell her about my life before interrupting and starting the conversation of removal of services provided. Like I mentioned, that alone wasn't the issue. What WAS the issue was that she had also called my dietician and tried to pressure her into leaving me. To the point of my dietician's discomfort and recognition that abandonment on that level would be detrimental and more harmful that good. (How Diana didn't see that, I don't know.) She gave me an ULTIMATUM of treatment or no therapy. She told me I COULD NOT go to therapy ANYWHERE until I dealt with my eating disorder. (And no, this wasn't just in reference to being cognitively unable to proceed with EMDR.) She wouldn't give me referrals. She made fun of the shirt I was wearing that day that said, "Mental health is health," because I wouldn't go to treatment. I was in utter shock during that last session so I didn't really have responses beyond saying no to treatment and that I understood where she was coming from. But none of those things are okay and I should have said that to her then. I regret that. Fuck that. I deserve therapy. Everyone does. She clearly spooked when eating disorder stuff came up, was not educated on it, and chose to bully and threaten me instead of just saying, "I'm not qualified in this topic and don't feel comfortable proceeding." Period. Period. Period. If you don't fit in her little box of qualifications, stay away. And if you pick up any of her own anxieties, leave. It's not worth wasting your time.

Excellent collection of mental health professionals. Depression, social anxiety, spousal abuse,…read moreobsessive procrastination, anorexia, grief, et al. They provide tools to help clients grapple with all of these issues. If I could offer more than five stars, I would attach as many as possible to this review. Outside of their counseling expertise, they have great administrative staff. Many payment options available. I needed receipts to submit last minute before my FSA money was deleted. They mailed them the day I called and I got them the very next day!!! No charge to me for the postage, which was greatly appreciated. Seriously. A lot of other offices would have been like, "You can drive over and pick them up at our front desk."

Jerry is amazing. I…read moremet him at Miraval, and he helped me understand the root causes of some of my more difficult tendencies. I highly, highly recommend Jerry if you too may be puzzled re why you do what you do. Treat the root cause, not the symptoms.

Alchemical hypnotherapy in general is one of the best things in the world. As a healing modality,…read moreit takes you into your subconscious and lets you change a negative memory into a positive one so you can live your life without those automatic negative reactions connected to that memory. I've felt more joy healing some of the worst moments, and more connected to myself than ever. I believe in this form of healing more than any other. And when doing it, there is no fear, there's no pain, you don't relive the experience in the way you would in other, more traditional forms of therapy. It's absolutely fantastic and something every person on earth should experience. And Jerry is amazing at helping you find that place that needs to be healed. He has a unique, and very calming way about him that makes you feel so comfortable talking about what's happening in your mind, why you're there. He unlocks you so you can live your life with a greater sense of self, less depression, more happiness. And it can be about anything. He unlocks money issues, or why you're afraid of confrontation, and it works! I don't take crap from anybody anymore, and within two weeks of a money session with him, I landed the two paying clients in my new business. The healing technique works and Jerry is wonderful. Definitely give it a try, you will never regret it.