Affinity Counseling Center Clinicians & Staff
Karen Timmer, LPC, RPT, CPCS, Child and Family Therapist, Play Therapist, Owner/Founder
Director
ktimmer@valuelives.com
Karen Timmer is the owner and founder of Affinity Counseling Center. She earned her Master’s Degree from Georgia Southern University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of GA, and a Registered Play Therapist. She has been working with children and families for over 10 years.
Karen’s areas of specialty include: anxiety, depression, grief and loss, divorce transitions, and domestic violence in families. Karen uses a variety of counseling techniques depending on the needs of her clients, such as: Cognitive Behavior Therapy, attachment-based therapies, trauma-based therapies, brain-based interventions, play therapy, Theraplay, mindfulness therapy, various expressive arts, and sand tray therapy. Zoe is in training to provide animal-assisted play therapy.
Karen is passionate about working with children (ages 3-18), parents and families. She engages with her clients in a sincere and playful way, and focuses on building a healthy, authentic therapeutic relationship. Her goal is to empower her clients to live out a life that is meaningful and joyful, to help them to identify their strengths, and to assist them in overcoming obstacles to achieving a joyful life. In addition to working with children and teens, Karen enjoys working with the entire family, and assisting parents by offering support and education.
Karen is married with 3 children, and 3 dogs. She enjoys spending time with her family, kayaking, and traveling, and is an avid learner.
Shannon Burns-Darden, PhD, LPC, Child, Adolescent & Adult Therapist
slburnsdarden@valuelives.com
I am a licensed professional counselor with a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. I work with all ages, but my focus is working with children, adolescents, and adults. I have been working in the mental health field for over 15 years. I specialize in providing behavioral and emotional evaluations. I also have experience and a passion for autism.
I am experienced and trained in assisting individuals of all ages in dealing with the most unfortunate life transitions. I offer morning, afternoon, evening and some weekend appointments as life circumstances typically don't make appointments. Are you ready to take your life back? Let's do this together!
Marta Stefanyshyn, LPC, NCC, RPT
mstefanyshyn@valuelives.com
I am a Counselor with experience in counseling individuals, couples, and families. I am dedicated to my profession and I am honored to be able to help people on their life journeys. I worked in hospitals, communities, and private practice with diverse populations and various presenting concerns including depression, anxiety, relationship challenges, and others.
I have a Masters's and Educational Specialist degrees in Professional Counseling from Georgia State University
As a therapist, my purpose is to fully understand your experience and provide interventions that will help in overcoming life challenges. To best meet your needs, I use various techniques including Adlerian theory approach that helps understand which thoughts and behaviors t sabotage your goals. I also use therapy skills based on neuroscience findings, particularly with issues such as trauma, emotional-regulation, anger-management, and relationships. When working with children I utilize developmentally appropriate techniques such as play therapy, sand-trays, and expressive arts. I am passionate about helping children discover their unique talents and gifts and in this way successfully function and thrive.
Additional Specialties
Therapy services in Russian and Ukrainian language; multicultural counseling