About

Hello! I’m Andee Gay, MS, NCC,LPC, CPCS, CGS with over 22 years of professional counseling experience as well as 16 years of Clinical Supervision. So what's with all this alphabet soup? MS, NCC, LPC, CPCS, CSG huh? All of this speaks to my training and certifications. My profession demands standards to insure that each individual gets the specialized care he, she, or they need. MS indicates the type of degree I have - a Master's of Science in Community Counseling. I received My National Certification as a Counselor (NCC) in 1998, which means I am board certified. I obtained my License as a Professional Counselor by the state of Georgia (LPC) in 2003. I became a Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor, CPCS, in 2014. And the last acronym refers to the training I received in April 2018 to be a Certified Grief Counselor (CGS), a subject I find demanding more time & attention as our cultures’ way of addressing grief tends to minimalize the process.

I have a varied career that has seen me start out creative, transition to the technical, then switch to the interpersonal. I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Fine Art (BFA) degree in 1981 from the University of Montevallo, Alabama, and then received another Bachelors of Science (BS) degree in Computer & Information technology in 1986 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The latter led to mainly computer hardware jobs with what was then BellSouth (now AT&T) where I worked for 11 years. Via a long series of events, I ended up doing a dual graduate degree program with Georgia State University (MS) & what is now Richmont Graduate University (Diploma), majoring in the Community & Christian Counseling fields, completing my studies in 1998. I was licensed as an LPC by the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, & Marriage & Family Therapists State Board in 2003. One of the advantages of a multi-disciplined work history is that I am able to relate to folks on many levels in counseling & LPC Supervision.

I operate initially from a Relational Aspect – as I believe that without a good therapeutic alliance, it’s difficult to establish a sense of confidence so change can take place. I seek to understand & accept folks as they are, & convey that in ways that show they matter. I use some mindfulness techniques as well as cognitive-behavioral exercises to help people manage their stressors. I rely heavily on the Adlerian concepts of our need to belong & that all of our behavior is purposeful even if we don’t know what the purpose is.

My professional practice is named Sanctuary Counseling & Supervision Services. I work with individuals aged 13 & up, couples, & families on a wide variety of concerns such as depression, anxiety, family dynamics, relationships, & grief. I offer a Sanctuary for those seeking someone who is willing to listen and to offer a different viewpoint for you to consider on the issues you bring into the safe place I strive to provide. We’ll explore what goals you want to achieve, as well as what may be keeping you from achieving those goals. My passion is for you to see new sides to your own story, for it’s in the doing so that we gain hope. “There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off” because hope is what gives us the gumption to get up when we’d rather stay in bed with the covers over our heads. Hope is what can stir the smallest spark of flame of love left in a marriage. Or hope can give a widow the opportunity to envision a life beyond her grief. Come & see how my Sanctuary can Serve you.