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Education:

   Ms. Godwin received her Bachelor degree in Psychology from Valdosta State University in 2004. She then enrolled in the Marriage & Family Therapy program there and graduated in 2007 with her Master of Science degree. She was licensed as an associate Marriage and Family Therapist since 2008 and has been fully licensed since March of 2010. She currently does individual, couple, family, and group therapy under supervision at three local clinics: PeaceWay and Options NOW, all of Valdosta, Georgia. To learn more about the Valdosta State University's Marriage and Family Therapy Program, visit: www.valdosta.edu/mft/

Experience:

   Ms. Godwin has approximately seven years of trained counseling experience. She has one year of theoretical training in Marriage and Family Therapy under Drs. Kate Warner, Martha Laughlin, and Jennifer Lambert-Shute, all professors at Valdosta State University. She has also had one year of closely supervised Practicum in which she practiced therapy along with a VSU professor as well as a collaboration team. She has worked extensively with many therapeutic issues, including but not limited to sexual abuse, substance addiction, suicidal ideation, depression, grief, domestic violence, and relationship issues. She has worked with children and adults of all ages and does not discriminate based on age, sex, race, nationality, religious or sexual orientation. She has been an on-call crisis phone counselor for five years and responds well under stress and pressure.

She has extensive experience with substance addiction and has a broad knowledge of many twelve-step recovery programs, particularly Alcoholics Anonymous. She has managed a large caseload with consecutive clients for 5-8 hours daily without breaking and has an excellent memory of her clients and cases. She has worked for four years in a psycho-educational, social work oriented counseling position from which she gained experience in educating her clients about life decisions as well as community resources. She has also worked both in a clinical setting with a private counseling office and in a home-based therapy clinic in which she conducted therapy within the homes, schools, and communities of her clients. She is well-trained in the legal issues surrounding therapy and conducts herself within the AAMFT Code of Ethics. She has trained for over a year in systemic theories of Marriage and Family Therapy and now incorporates a theoretical framework in therapy.

Therapeutic Orientation:

    Ms. Godwin is of a systemic orientation and works to incorporate as many aspects of her client's system into therapy as possible. She loves to do individual therapy, but tries to bring in individuals in close relationship to her client(s) whenever possible. Although Ms. Godwin recognizes her training and experience in Marriage and Family Therapy as something most of her clients do not have, she in no way considers herself an "expert" of any of her clients. She believes strongly that her clients know themselves better than anyone else possibly could, and that they ultimately have the tools they need within themselves. She believes in working collaboratively with her clients to create change where they want change to occur.
 
   Part of her epistemology is that an individual's reality is often socially constructed by their interactions in life (Harlene Anderson, 1997). She also believes that everyone posseses strength and wisdom within themselves. She believes in the importance of knowing each client well and joining with them in their reality. She believes that all humans are essentially good and have the capacity for change within themselves. She looks for patterns of interactions in the stories her clients share which may be altered. She looks at problem formation and seeks to change destructive behavioral patterns in relationships. She believes change can occur because of a revelatory change in thoughts/feelings/beliefs/values, or because of a change in the client's context and interpersonal relationships. It is upon these beliefs that she bases her therapy.

*For a more in-depth description of Ms. Godwin's therapeutic orientation, please feel free to ask questions around these statements and/or request to read her personal statement of orientation to therapy.

Licensing and Accreditation: 

   Ms. Godwin is a member in good standing of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. This membership holds her liable for her ethical actions in therapy. She maintains all ethical standards upheld by the AAMFT and any violations of these ethics can be reported to the AAMFT, resulting in the loss of her membership as well as the loss of her license to do therapy. 

   Ms. Godwin is insured to practice therapy under supervision and agrees to maintain liability insurance for the remainder of her practice.

   Ms. Godwin has an associate therapist license and expects full licensing by 2010. 

   Ms. Godwin is also trained in play therapy techniques and is pursuing licensure for play therapy. She incorporates play techniques as well as art techniques in therapy, particularly when working with children. 

Personal Experience:

   Although Ms. Godwin does not believe this has any effect on her ability as a therapist in regards to any presenting therapeutic issue, she does have some personal experiences in close conjunction with several therapeutic issues. When appropriate, Ms. Godwin may disclose this in therapy with a client, and will disclose if asked specific questions about her personal life. She believes that this can sometimes be helpful for her client(s). Ms. Godwin is a wife and mother as well as a therapist and has many hobbies and interests outside of the therapy room. She enjoys spending time with her family, exercising her hobby as a photographer, and painting portraits with watercolors when she has time.

Contact Information:

   If you are interested in contacting Ms. Godwin to engage her as your therapist, or to ask her about her therapeutic orientation, you may call one of the clinics below to schedule an appointment with her. Financial details vary by clinic and can be discussed at the time of your call. If you wish to email Ms. Godwin for more information, you may do so by sending your email to: kristigodwin@kristigodwin.com. 


Peace Way CMS                                                        Options NOW                                   
2405 Bemiss Road                                        206 West Gordon St.                     
Valdosta, GA  31602                                   Valdosta, GA  31602     
(229)-333-2351                                                
    www.peacewaycms.com         www.optionsnow.org



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