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About Me

Caroline Paris Martin-LPC.jpg

​​I specialize in helping adults heal from traumatic upbringings and religious trauma — which often show up as depression, anxiety, chronic self-criticism, and feeling responsible for everyone around you.

 

I lead with warmth and genuine connection, and I'm also the kind of therapist who will give you honest feedback and concrete things to actually try. If we decide to work together, it will be my privilege to work with you.

Caroline Paris Martin
M.Div., LPC

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CREDENTIALS & EDUCATION

  • Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

    • ​Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Mercer University

  • Master of Divinity (M.Div.)

    • ​Candler School of Theology, Emory University ​

STYLE: WARM & DIRECTIVE

​By "warm," I mean:

I integrate kindness into all of our interactions, and I work to facilitate a genuine connection between us. I use empathy and unconditional acceptance to put you at ease and make our appointments one of the safest and uplifting spaces you have experienced. I speak in a personable way, and I use self-disclosure when I think it might help you.

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By "directive," I mean:

I'm not just going to ask you, "how do you feel about that?" and then offer nothing in return. While I do care very much about your emotions (and will indeed ask about them!), I will also give honest feedback and offer concrete suggestions on things you can try to help move you in the direction you desire to go.  I'll share insights based on what you have told me you want for your life,  and I'll point out patterns I notice that don't seem to be serving you.​​​​​

 A COMPASSIONATE, AFFIRMING, & INTERSECTIONAL APPROACH

My approach is rooted in intersectional feminist theory, liberation psychology, and critical consciousness. This means I examine systems of oppression—like patriarchy, racism, religious harm, and capitalism—and how they shape clients’ mental health in both obvious and more subtle ways.

Puppy practicing psychodynamic therapy

NERDY STUFF (Part 1): Theories

This section is pretty nerdy, but if you're like I am and enjoy the nerdy, this part is for you.
I practice mostly psychodynamic and humanistic therapy from a relational stance. This means I help clients develop insight into how their past shapes their present, emphasize their inherent potential, and explore how they find meaning and purpose in life. I believe the therapeutic relationship itself is a core part of healing — not just the container for techniques, but an intervention in its own right. I show up as a genuine, emotionally present person and pay close attention to how you experience our connection. I use an integrative approach, drawing from different theories based on what I think would best serve each individual client.

The theories I most commonly draw from are:

  • Adlerian: Focuses on establishing genuine connections with others, examining family/upbringing, challenging and replacing unhelpful thought patterns that fuel suffering, and engaging with clients in a way that grants them the courage to believe in themselves.

  • Existential: Centers on finding and making meaning in life.

  • Mindful Self-Compassion: Involves taking intentional steps to have a mindset of self-compassion.

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NERDY STUFF (Part 2): Early Career & Trainings ​

I help clients:

Happy Friends

  • Find healing from past traumas and current pain

  • Decrease the intensity and frequency of suffering 

  • Find meaning and fulfillment 

  • Critically examine external factors (people, institutions, or cultural norms) that may contribute to self-criticism or self-doubt

  • Establish a strong sense of self

  • Understand and cultivate healthy relationship dynamics, including setting boundaries 

  • Challenge people-pleasing and stop feeling responsible for others (while still caring deeply about them)

  • Cultivate self-worth and discern and trust their intuition 

  • Create the lives they want

  • Maximize joy

I don’t have all the answers, but I do have a gift for seeing the best in others and working with them in a way that helps them make the changes they desire to make.

If you're ready to get started, I would love to speak with you.​

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