About Us

Finding Peace in Every Turn

Pacifica Counseling is here to meet you wherever you are in life.

Our purpose is to serve our local community in promoting mental and psychological peace and wellness for our clients. We have a vision of changing the way our society approaches mental health and we plan on accomplishing this through increasing awareness on mental health needs, improving access to quality care, and through advocacy initiatives.

Mission Statement

Every client has a story, and we want to hear and understand yours. Pacifica Counseling strives to make every client feel authentically seen, prioritized, and cared for. The central focus for our practice is to create a space for peace for any and all clients, regardless of background, culture, or ethnicity. We embrace diversity and use it to provide quality services that focus on building your unique strengths and meeting your specific needs.

Our team

Pacifica Counseling prides itself on having competent, empathetic, and highly skilled team of therapists that share in our goal, mission, and purpose. From our skilled clinicians to our devoted office staff, all of our team members work together to promote the most important thing: our client's wellness. We emphasize quality of care over quantity.

Co-Founder, Lead Therapist

Dr. Hanna Cespedes Ph.D., M.S, LPC, ACS, NCC

Dr. Hanna Cespedes is our practice owner, approved clinical supervisor, and licensed professional counselor. She completed her doctoral degree in counseling at Mercer University and is currently accepting new clients in both our Peachtree Corners and Macon location. Dr. Hanna Cespedes currently sees client's both in-person and through Telehealth services. She specializes in Attachment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and working with individuals experiencing severe mental illness. She works with individuals, groups, and couples.

To reach out to Dr. Hanna Cespedes for any questions, please feel free to email her at: hanna_cespedes@pacificacounseling.org

Co-Founder, Clinical Director

Dr. Juan Carlos Cespedes Ph.D., MSCR

Dr. Juan Carlos Cespedes is our clinical director and co-founder here at Pacifica Counseling. He received his Ph.D. from Morehouse School of Medicine in biological and neurological sciences along with a masters degree in clinical research. He has a background in community outreach and his past research has focused on brain inflammatory diseases. He is completing his medical degree at Mercer University and will be joining our team as our in-house psychiatrist upon graduation!

To reach out to Dr. Juan Carlos Cespedes for any questions, please feel free to email him at:

jc_cespedes@pacificacounseling.org.

Associate Professional Counselor

Autumn Hutto M.S., APC, NCC

Autumn is a master’s level clinician who graduated from Mercer University’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program in May of 2023. She is in the process of obtaining licensure as a professional counselor. She is located at our Peachtree Corners office and our Macon location. She is accepting new clients in-person and online. Autumn's interests are in working with survivors of sexual violence and interpersonal trauma. She is trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) with children and is interested in Feminist, Existential, and Person-Centered therapies as well.

To reach out to Autumn for any questions, please feel free to email her at:

autumn@pacificacounseling.org

Pre-licensed Counselor

Eliza Sanford M.S., NCC

Eliza completed her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Mercer University. She has her National Counseling Certification and is in the process of obtaining full professional counseling licensure. Eliza has previous work experience with in a variety of settings including outpatient, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and residential. She has experience leading familial, individual, and group counseling. along with working with eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and co-occurring disorders. Eliza is now accepting new clients in-person or telehealth services at the Peachtree Corners location.

To reach out to Eliza for any questions, please feel free to email her at

eliza@pacificacounseling.org

Pre-licensed Therapist

Melissa Frederic M.S

Melissa is a graduate from Mercer University School of Medicine and holds a Master's degree of Marriage and Family Therapy. She received her clinical training as an intern at The Family Therapy Center in Macon, GA counseling adults, children, adolescents, couples, and families of all ages. She is a member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Melissa provides treatment to individuals, families, and couples, suffering from mental and emotional health issues and relationship problems. She follows a systematic approach to therapy along with emotion focused and attachment orientations. Melissa approaches therapy focusing on integrating the goals of treatment with the specific needs of each individual.

To reach out to Melissa for any questions, please feel free to email her at

melissa@pacificacounseling.org

Mental Health Intern

Nathan Blankemeyer

Nathan is working towards his master's degree in Clinical Counseling and Psychology at Brenau University as well as his full professional counseling licensure. Nathan has prior work experience in inpatient, high-acuity, residential, and outpatient settings. He has experience leading both individual and group counseling. Nathan has a particular interest in working with individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, co-occurring disorders, and major depressive disorders, and has experience with a wide range of populations. He employs a person-centered approach to therapy but is open to any approach that will aid the client in achieving their goals. He is currently accepting new clients in our Peachtree Corners office.

To reach out to Nathan for any questions, feel free to email him at nathan@pacificacounseling.org.