Selby “Teddy” PerkinS APC

 
 

I love words and believe that healing is often found when we have space to tell our stories—to make sense of what we have lived, of who we are, and of where we hope to go.

I specialize in walking with people who have experienced trauma and struggle to understand how to hold that trauma as a part of their story. Before I became a therapist, I completed undergraduate and graduate degrees in creative writing and poetry, trained as a birth doula and an EMT, and taught third grade. I love working with parents, LGBTQIA+ individuals, sex workers, and people struggling with life transitions, addictions, eating disorders, mood disorders, or unwanted behaviors.

In therapy with me, you will have a safe and supportive place to talk through the things in your life that are hard and to celebrate the places you are thriving.

I view my role as creating an open environment for you to explore your doubts, questions, and insecurities free of judgment.

I believe that three of the greatest gifts we give ourselves are empathy, self-compassion, and permission to make sense. Understanding our cultural heritage, personal identities, and past experiences is an important first step toward living with emotional integrity.

 

Credentials

  • Licensed as an Associate Professional Counselor (APC) in Georgia (2022-present)

  • National Certified Counselor (NCC) and LAPC-Candidate in Georgia

Training 

  • Radically Open DBT (RO-DBT) Level 3 Trained (2022-2023)

  • TF-CBT Certification from the Medical University of South Carolina (2022)

  • EMDR-1 and II Training (2022)

  • HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Fellowship Recipient (2021)

    • Introduction to Somatic Experiencing Therapy: The Body and Trauma

    • Leadership and Community Advocacy: Stigma Bias Discrimination

    • Orienting to Neurobiological Safety: Trauma-Informed DBT & RODBT for Stabilization

    • Social Determinants of Health, Marginalization, and Racial Trauma: Intersecting Factors in Ethical Mental Health Treatment

    • Psychological First Aid

    • Counseling Issues in Native American Populations

  • Audited coursework for graduate certificate in Addiction Counseling at Richmont Graduate University

  • Completed 27/30 credits for major in Child Development with a concentration in medical trauma

Education

  • Master of Arts (MA) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Richmont Graduate University (2022)

    • Graduate certificate in Trauma Counseling from Richmont Graduate University (2022)

  • Graduate certificate in Women’s Studies, University of Georgia (2023)

Professional Experience

  • American Counseling Association (ACA) member (2021 - present)

  • Clinical intern at Hope Counseling Center (2021-2022)

  • Clinical intern at MARR Women’s Addiction Recovery Center (2021-2022)

  • Clinical intern at Emory University Hospital (2021)

  • Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Writing from Savannah College of Art and Design (2020); Master of Arts (MA) in Art History expected (2024)

  • Emergency Medical Technician (E3423899)

  • Emory Urban Health Initiative Grant Recipient

  • Citi Group 1, 2, and Research Track certifications

    • CITI: Human subject research track (ID: 44801115)

    • CITI: Group 1. Biomedical Focus (ID: 44805785)

    • CITI: Group 2. Social/Behavorial Focus (ID: 44801114)

  • DONA Certified Birth Doula (2018)

  • Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia (2017); Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Virginia, concentration in poetry and literary prose (2017)