About Minding You

How it all Began....Why it Came to be

From a very young age, I was taught that caring for others is not just something you do — it is who you are. My parents involved me early on in church, volunteer organizations and various community outreach services that served homeless and underserved families. Those years of experiences stayed with me. As life transitioned me from childhood through college I participated in and volunteered through organizations like the Girl Scouts, the American Red Cross, and Angel Flight  (Air Force Service Fraternity). These enriching and positive life experiences along with navigating personal challenges with addiction, relationship struggles, to just (no so) simply learning how to balance myself in the midst of  life's chaos, all taught me perseverance, resilience, discipline, and the deep value of showing up — especially when life is hard.

From those formative years through college, I knew I wanted a life of purpose. This meant choosing a field in which I could make a living while also giving back more. I chose Social Work because I knew I needed to build a path to others, to truly touch lives and help people. It was all about wanting to be able to the sit with people in their hardest moments, to help them heal, find balance, transform and ultimately pursue their way forward in life. 

In 1998, I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and later my Master’s degree in 2007, both from the University of Georgia. Earning my LMSW in 2012 was followed by later achieving clinical licensure (LCSW) and earning my advanced addiction credentials (CAADC) in 2016 and 2018, respectively.  But just as important as my education, so was my real-world experiences. 

For 15 years, I worked with the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services, walking alongside families dealing with abuse, neglect, addiction, trauma, mental illness, disability, and domestic violence. Those years further shaped my understanding of how complicated, painful, and courageous life can be. I also worked in a clinical Opioid recovery center for 3 years and for a short time was director of a recovery program in Athens GA. 

In 2018, I took a leap of faith and opened Minding You in Danielsville, Georgia. This deep-dive into finally being able to truly touch other's lives, to nurture transformation and support real healing was born from both professional training and personal life experience — from everything I have seen, learned, struggled through, and grown from through a lifetime of never settling and understanding we are all human and we all need connections, we all need support. 

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I don’t believe people come to therapy because they are broken. They come because life has been unbalanced, heavy, unfair, overwhelming, or painful — and because something inside them still wants more. I meet every client with deep respect for their story, their culture, their values, and their wounds. I know firsthand how hard it is to change, to heal, and to keep going when you’re exhausted; I also know how powerful - and how possible - growth can be when you feel truly supported.

It is an honor to do this work. My license and credentials represent years of study, supervision, and dedication, but my heart for this work comes from a lifetime of caring about people and believing in their ability to heal. I am grateful for the trust my clients place in me, and I look forward to walking with you as you move toward a life that feels more stable, more hopeful, and more your own.

Warmly,
Stephanie Higdon, LCSW, CAADC, CHT
Minding You

Never Stop Learning, Never Stop Growing.