Healthy Living
Brought to you by: Community Partner Still Waters Counseling and Education Center, www.mystillwaters.org
Still Waters Counseling and Education Center offers Christ-centered, professional counseling for individuals, couples, and families. Donda Goodson, MA, LPC-S is one of the Still Waters therapists that integrates Biblical wisdom with clinical expertise to help her clients. 
Cognitive Reframing. With over 30 years of experience, Goodson is passionate about helping clients develop tools that they can use to improve their emotional wellbeing. “There’s something called cognitive reframing or performative restructuring,” Goodson explains, adding “Our brains will, for whatever reason, often default to the negative.” She shares the example of a student studying hard for a test but receives a bad grade. They may receive the bad grade and think that they are a failure. “With cognitive reframing, we teach you to take your faults and then change it. What is the more realistic thing you could say? Oh, well, I didn’t do well on this test, but I learned how to study better, and I’ll be prepared for the next one.”
Regulating Emotions. Goodson also helps her clients learn how to regulate emotions. “Sometimes, emotions can be extremely high and inappropriate for what the situation is. And so, we teach clients to be more balanced and regulate those emotions better,” she explains.
Integrating Faith. Still Waters therapists integrate Christian faith and Biblical wisdom into counseling for those clients that desire it. “With spiritual or faith-based counseling, a person can utilize or access their spirituality in a way that can promote change,” Goodson says. When a client desires faith to be integrated in their therapy, Goodson often prays with them and dives into Scripture.
Goodson works with teens, adults, and families on a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD, ADHD, Autism Spectrum disorders, grief, stress-related conditions, parenting challenges, and sobriety support. “It’s really an honor to walk with somebody through difficult points in their life. To be able to walk with them through the process and then see the changes… You see hope restored.” Goodson is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor in Alabama and also holds licenses in Florida and Virginia. She provides therapy in-person in Dothan and Birmingham and by telehealth throughout Alabama, Florida and Virginia. To learn more, visit www.mystillwaters.org or call 205-825-1423. †
