Realizing a special need in the community, Dr. Trish Wright provides quality mental health services for local children
Calhoun Counseling Center features a collection of immensely talented counseling professionals who battle daily against the vast array of psychological disorders and mental health issues that plague many individuals in the Gordon County community.
One of the most highly- qualified and accomplished of the group is Dr. Trish Wright, who provides counseling f or individuals of many ages, but particularly specializes in helping children and teens.
Wright originally started working for the Calhoun Counseling Center in 1999 because she noticed a need for more abundant and top- notch mental health counseling in the area.
After earning a bachelor’s degree from Duke University, she gained her master’s degree and Ph. D in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State University. Her search for a steady job after college concluded when she met Dr. John Bledsoe and discovered that they had similar goals.
“I believe that this is a very underserved area, so there was a big need here for more mental health services,” Wright said. “At the Calhoun Counseling Center, we just try our best to fill that gap. The Bledsoe’s are wonderful people, and it has been a great match.”
On any given day, Wright most commonly works with individuals that are struggling with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD), autistic spectrum disorders or ones that have experienced significant family changes, such as a divorce. There are also cases of individuals who need help adjusting to a catastrophic event, like a damaging tornado touching down in the city.
Wright also encounters and helps those who have been victims of bullying, physical and sexual abuse and those who have battled against depression and suicidal thoughts.
“It is very challenging to deal with the level of pain that a lot these kids have to recover from,” Wright said.
Wright attributes her success in dealing with these cases to her personal experiences and relationships, as well as the excellent training she received in college.
“I think I draw a lot of knowledge from having children of my own, as well as being one of six children in a family growing up,” Wright said. “I think those things, on top of my wonderful training at Georgia State, have been very helpful.”
Counseling of any kind is challenging, but counseling younger children can be uniquely challenging due to obvious communication barriers. For that reason, Wright is often tasked with developing innovative ways to break through to those patients. Creative techniques such as play therapy, which involves activities t hat encourage communication