Rise Counseling has been recognized with a 2025 Global Recognition Award for its exceptional commitment to community mental health services and innovative approach to trauma treatment professional development. Under the leadership of founder Mikela Hallmark, this Atlanta-based counseling practice has demonstrated remarkable dedication to expanding access to quality mental health care while simultaneously elevating the standard of trauma treatment through peer support initiatives. Their holistic approach to mental health services combines direct clinical care with professional development opportunities that strengthen the therapeutic community.

Advancing Professional Development Through Service

The cornerstone of Rise Counseling’s service excellence lies in its free, ongoing peer-to-peer EMDR consultation group for clinicians trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, an evidence-based trauma treatment approach that requires consistent supervision for optimal implementation. Many practitioners, particularly those working in nonprofit settings, rural areas, or establishing private practices, face significant financial and professional barriers to accessing the ongoing consultation necessary for maintaining treatment fidelity and developing clinical competence. The monthly gatherings provide a crucial support network where therapists can refine their skills, discuss challenging cases, and receive feedback from peers who understand the nuances of this specialized treatment modality.

Through this initiative, Rise Counseling has created a collaborative, judgment-free environment where therapists from diverse backgrounds can convene to ask questions, present cases, and collectively grow professionally. Participating clinicians report increased confidence, enhanced competence, and renewed commitment to providing ethical, effective EMDR treatment to vulnerable populations struggling with trauma-related conditions. The ripple effects of this professional development service extend far beyond the consultation room, ultimately improving treatment outcomes for countless clients who benefit from more skilled, supported therapists equipped to address complex trauma presentations.

Comprehensive Clinical Excellence

Despite their small team of just two clinicians, Rise Counseling has prioritized obtaining advanced training across multiple therapeutic modalities to serve a diverse client population with complex needs requiring specialized interventions. Their practitioners have mastered an impressive array of evidence-based approaches, including EMDR, hypnotherapy, Exposure and Response Prevention, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Reality Therapy, Gottman Method, and Emotional Freedom Techniques. The practice’s commitment to continuous professional development ensures they maintain exceptional standards of clinical care while implementing innovative therapeutic approaches.

The practice’s dedication to clinical excellence reflects its understanding that quality mental health care requires breadth and depth of expertise to address the multifaceted nature of psychological distress. Rather than specializing narrowly, Rise Counseling has intentionally developed versatility to meet the diverse needs of its community members who present with varying symptoms and conditions. Their comprehensive approach ensures clients receive appropriate, evidence-based care regardless of their specific challenges, reducing the need for referrals and creating continuity of care that builds therapeutic trust and improves long-term outcomes.

Community Impact and Accessibility

For over a decade, Rise Counseling has maintained a singular mission of bringing healing to its local community through accessible, high-quality mental health services. Their work addresses critical gaps in the mental health landscape of Atlanta, particularly in trauma treatment, where specialized approaches like EMDR can make profound differences in recovery outcomes for individuals who have experienced significant psychological distress. The practice has earned perfect community impact and civic engagement scores on the Global Recognition Awards evaluation scale, reflecting their exceptional dedication to service beyond their immediate client base.

Their professional development initiatives strengthen the broader therapeutic community, improving care standards across multiple practices and agencies serving vulnerable populations. While Rise Counseling operates primarily at a local scale, its impact extends far beyond its direct service provision through its investment in professional development and community building among mental health providers. The judges were particularly impressed by how this small practice has leveraged limited resources to create sustainable, meaningful change in their professional ecosystem while maintaining an unwavering focus on client care.

Final Words

Rise Counseling exemplifies how small, dedicated practices can create outsized impacts through strategic service initiatives that address immediate client needs and systemic professional development gaps. Their recognition with a 2025 Global Recognition Award acknowledges their direct clinical excellence and commitment to elevating the entire field of trauma treatment through innovative peer support programs that make specialized consultation accessible to all practitioners. Mikela Hallmark and her team have created a model worth emulating that recognizes how supporting providers directly benefits clients and communities through improved treatment outcomes and expanded access to quality care.

The practice demonstrates that meaningful community service often happens at the intersection of direct care and professional leadership, where clinical expertise meets a genuine commitment to sharing knowledge. Their work reminds us that healing occurs not just in individual therapy rooms but through building stronger networks of skilled, supported clinicians equipped to address complex trauma with evidence-based approaches. The judges were unanimous in their decision to recognize Rise Counseling with this award, noting that their approach to service creates sustainable, expanding circles of impact that will continue to benefit their community for years to come.