Star Bridges

ABOUT ME

I'm Star Bridges, a Licensed Professional Counselor and therapist at The Banyan Tree Center in Athens, Georgia. I work with adults dealing with substance use disorder, trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and addiction. I see clients in person in Athens and via telehealth across Georgia.

In my 30s, I found myself lost, struggling with addiction and mental health issues, and watching my life fall apart. What began as a journey to face my own challenges eventually became something greater. I discovered that the deepest joy came from helping others overcome theirs. It has been more than 25 years since I first entered treatment, and in that time I have had the privilege of working with thousands of people who were just like I once was: broken, searching, and in need of guidance.

Before that, I enlisted in the US Army at 18 and served in the Infantry. That experience gave me a strong connection to veterans and a real understanding of what they carry. It is part of why working with veterans is something I care deeply about.

I came into this field as a technician, found I was good at helping people motivate themselves toward their own progress, and worked to gain the education to match what I was already doing naturally. My approach is compassionate and motivational. I help people start their process and stay motivated as they work toward lasting change.

"They define their quality of life and what happy looks like, not me."

CREDENTIALS AND BACKGROUND

•  Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), State of Georgia

•  Certified Master Addiction Counselor (CMAC), Georgia Addiction Counselors Association

•  Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS)

•  EMDR Basic Training Certified

•  MA in Professional Counseling, Grand Canyon University

•  US Army Infantry veteran

•  22 years in the mental health and addiction field

HOW I WORK

•  In person · The Banyan Tree Center, Athens GA

•  Telehealth · Across Georgia

•  Adults 18+

THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES

•  CBT

•  EMDR

•  DBT

•  Motivational interviewing

•  Solution focused brief therapy

•  Trauma focused

WHAT I SPECIALIZE IN

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Addiction in Athens, GA

WHO I WORK WITH

I work with adults who are struggling to stop and stay stopped. They have been trying on their own to change and have not been successful, only getting more consequences from the behavior. They know they need to quit but do not know how. They feel shame, remorse, guilt, and fear. If that is where you are right now, I understand it firsthand.

WHAT WE DO TOGETHER

Working with me on this will be like having a professional coach who knows how to take you from Day 0 to Year 1, substance free. I know the science behind the problem and I also know the struggle personally. I will not just walk you through a program. I will walk with you through it.

Trauma and PTSD Therapy in Athens, GA

WHO I WORK WITH

I work with people who have something they do not speak about, something they avoid at all costs. This experience haunts them and interrupts their daily lives, sometimes immobilizing them to the point where they cannot function. Many are veterans. Many are not. Trauma does not discriminate.

WHAT WE DO TOGETHER

This will be like nothing you expect. We will not have to go over and over the trauma narrative. I use EMDR, which is currently the most recommended evidence-based treatment for trauma and PTSD. It does not require you to talk through everything that happened. You bring it to memory and I help you work through it. Most people are surprised by how different that feels.

Anxiety

WHO I WORK WITH

I work with people who feel, in short, crippled. They cannot stop worrying. They cannot get their mind off things. They struggle to leave the house and fear is their constant companion. Anxiety can take over a life quietly, and by the time most people come to me it has been going on for a long time.

WHAT WE DO TOGETHER

My approach is empowering. We work to change the narrative, to find inner strength, and to help you move through your fears rather than around them. The goal is not just to feel better temporarily. The goal is lasting change.

‍

A FEW THINGS I WANT YOU TO KNOW

BEFORE YOUR FIRST SESSION

I have significant life experience and training to help you where you are, and to move toward whatever goals you set for yourself. Not what I think you should strive for. You define your quality of life and what happy looks like. Not me.

SOMETHING I WISH MORE PEOPLE KNEW

Therapy is necessary for everyone from time to time. The world falsely tells us we should be perfect, that we should never fail or never let anyone see us struggle. That is unrealistic, and it actually makes the problem worse. Asking for help is not weakness. It is the first step.

WHO I DO MY BEST WORK WITH

People who have succeeded in many things but are struggling with a dark secret they cannot overcome. They are capable, often high-functioning, and nobody around them knows the weight they are carrying.

WHAT SESSIONS WITH ME FEEL LIKE

I will not baby you. Each session will feel like progress is being made and insight has been gained. That is not a promise I make lightly.

‍