The hardest part of starting therapy usually isn’t finding a practice. It’s figuring out whether the practice can actually work for you — the right kind of help, at a price that’s realistic, at a time that fits your life.
That question stops a lot of people before they ever make the call. And it’s a fair one. Therapy is a meaningful commitment of time and money, and no one wants to invest in a process only to discover three sessions in that the therapist wasn’t the right fit, or that the cost isn’t sustainable.
At Fava Counseling Associates, we take that concern seriously. Before you ever sit down with a therapist, you’ll talk with someone whose entire job is to understand your situation and find you the right match. Not a phone tree. Not a generic contact form that routes to whoever is available. A real conversation with a person who knows our team well enough to make a thoughtful recommendation.
This article is for anyone who’s been curious about reaching out but isn’t quite sure what happens next, what it costs, or whether someone like them will fit here.
Who You’ll Actually Talk To First
When you contact Fava Counseling, you’re connecting with our intake team before you ever meet a therapist. Right now, that means two people.
Charlotte Cooksey is our Intake Specialist. Charlotte is typically the first voice you’ll hear or the first reply you’ll receive. She guides new clients through the intake process from the very beginning — asking the right questions, listening carefully to what you’re dealing with, and using that information to recommend the therapist who is genuinely best suited to help you. She has a background in client communications across counseling settings, and clients consistently find the initial conversation with her to be easier than they expected. You can reach her by phone or text at 404-257-6474, or by email at [email protected].
Tayana Clark is our Client Care and Marketing Coordinator. She handles initial contact, supports the client experience from first inquiry through scheduling, and makes sure nothing falls through the cracks on the administrative side. Tayana’s approach is warm and clear — she’s particularly focused on making sure clients feel oriented and supported before their first session, not just booked. You can reach her by phone or text at 404-257-6474, or by email at [email protected].
Between the two of them, the intake process at Fava Counseling is handled by people whose primary job is the client experience, not scheduling for scheduling’s sake.
What the Intake Conversation Actually Covers
The intake conversation is not a clinical session and it’s not a sales call. It’s a genuine attempt to understand your situation well enough to connect you with the right person.
Charlotte and Tatyana will typically want to know a few things: what’s brought you in, whether you have a sense of what kind of support you’re looking for, what your schedule looks like, and whether budget is a factor in your decision. None of this is to screen you out. It’s to make sure the therapist we recommend has the availability, the specialization, and the fee structure that actually works for you.
From there, she’ll walk you through which of our therapists she thinks is the best match and explain why. If you’re not sure what kind of therapy you need, or you’ve never done this before, that’s fine. Part of the intake conversation is helping you get clear on that. If you want to do a little reading before you call, our piece on how to find a good therapist covers the questions worth thinking through ahead of time.
There’s no commitment required from the intake conversation. The goal is for you to leave it feeling like you understand your options, not like you’ve been pressured into anything.
How Budget Shapes the Match
This is the part a lot of people are hesitant to bring up, so we’ll say it plainly: cost is one of the first things we take into account, and it doesn’t disqualify you from good care.
Standard session rates at Fava Counseling run from $100 to $220 for a 50-minute session, depending on the therapist and the type of session. Every therapist on our team offers a sliding scale for clients who can’t cover the full fee. Those spots are limited, so if sliding scale is something you need, it’s worth mentioning early in the intake conversation. If our sliding scale spots are full at the time you reach out, we’ll let you know and either add you to a waitlist or point you toward other providers who may have openings.
The Associate Therapist Option
One of the ways we make high-quality care more accessible is through our associate-level therapists. They bring strong graduate-level training and genuine clinical skill — and because they’re completing supervised hours, their rates are lower than senior clinicians.
What some clients don’t realize is that when you work with an associate at Fava Counseling, you’re effectively getting two clinicians on your case. Your therapist brings their full attention to your sessions, and provides weekly oversight, reviews session recordings, and is directly involved in your care. We call this the “Two-Brain Advantage,” and it’s a real benefit, not just a way to frame a lower price point. If you’re weighing whether this path is right for you, our full breakdown of what working with an associate therapist looks like is worth reading before your intake call.
Associate session rates currently run $150 to for a standard 50-minute session, depending on the therapist and session type. For more on all the ways we work to keep care accessible, our affordable counseling page covers the full picture including sliding scale, superbills for out-of-network reimbursement, and HSA/FSA payment options.
We are also expanding our commitment to accessible care by welcoming two Graduate Student Interns to the team. These clinicians are in the final, intensive stage of their Master’s programs and bring fresh academic insight and a deep dedication to their clinical work. They are directly supervised by our clinical leadership, ensuring that every client benefits from a collaborative, highly guided approach to therapy.
To make this an even more sustainable option for those seeking support, session rates for our interns are set at $100 for a 50-minute session. If you are interested in working with one of our incoming interns, please let us know during your intake—their bios are now available and we are ready to help you find the right match.
How Schedule Shapes the Match
Atlanta is a busy city. We work with a lot of people who have demanding jobs, long commutes, childcare responsibilities, or schedules that change week to week. Schedule compatibility is a practical constraint that matters, and it factors directly into who we recommend.
A few things worth knowing:
All of our therapists offer virtual sessions. Online therapy through our SimplePractice platform is available to anyone physically located in Georgia. Sessions run on a secure, encrypted video connection. You can join from your car, your office, your living room — wherever gives you privacy and a reasonably reliable internet connection. For many clients, this is the difference between therapy being feasible and not. Our online counseling page has more on how it works and what to expect.
In-person sessions are available at our Sandy Springs office. We’re at 4840 Roswell Rd., Suite C202, convenient to Buckhead, Chastain Park, and the northern Atlanta suburbs.
Therapist availability varies. Some members of our team have more daytime flexibility; others have evening or weekend openings. When you talk with Tatyana or Charlotte, letting them know which windows work best for you will help them narrow the recommendation to someone who can actually fit your life.
The 24-hour cancellation policy applies across the board. If you need to cancel or reschedule, please do so with at least 24 hours’ notice to avoid being charged for the session. Things come up — we understand that — and the more notice you can give, the easier it is to rebook you quickly.
When There Isn’t an Immediate Opening
We do our best to connect new clients quickly, and for many people there’s availability within the same week. But if you have a very specific combination of requirements — a particular therapist, a particular time slot, a particular fee — there may be a short wait.
If that’s the case, we’ll tell you. We’d rather be upfront about a wait than place you with a therapist who isn’t the right fit just to get you booked faster. You’re also welcome to go on a waitlist for your first-choice therapist while starting with someone else in the interim, depending on what feels right for your situation.
What the First Session Looks Like
Once you’re matched and scheduled, your first session is less like a clinical intake and more like a getting-to-know-you conversation. Your therapist will learn what’s brought you in, what you’re hoping to get out of therapy, and a bit about your history. They’ll also explain confidentiality and what to expect going forward. It’s a normal amount of nerve-wracking for most people, and our team is used to making that first session feel less daunting than the anticipation of it.
Our FAQ page has detailed answers to the most common first-session questions — what to bring, how billing works, what happens if you want to switch therapists, and more. It’s a good read if you like to know what you’re walking into.
A Note on Fit
We want you to find a therapist you can actually work with — not just one who’s available and affordable. Those two things matter, but the relationship itself matters more. Research on therapy outcomes is consistent on this point: the quality of the therapeutic relationship is one of the strongest predictors of whether therapy produces lasting change.
If you start with someone and it doesn’t feel right after a few sessions, tell us. Charlotte and Tatyana can help you think through whether a different therapist on our team might be a better fit, or whether there’s something in the approach worth adjusting before making a switch. A good match isn’t always immediate, but it also shouldn’t feel like a struggle indefinitely.
Ready to Reach Out?
The intake conversation takes about 10 to 15 minutes. There’s no commitment, no clinical assessment, and no pressure. You’ll leave knowing what your options are, who we’d recommend, and what the next step looks like.
Contact us here to get started, or call and text Charlotte directly at 404-257-6474. We respond to all new inquiries within one business day.
Fava Counseling Associates is located at 4840 Roswell Rd., Suite C202, Atlanta, GA 30342, serving Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Chastain Park, and the greater Atlanta metro. Online counseling is available to anyone in Georgia.
4840 Roswell Rd., Suite C202, Atlanta, GA 30342