When deciding to start a private practice, one of the first decisions was the logo. Without hesitating I said, “An oak tree. One with big branches and a wide canopy.” I find inspiration in trees. There is a majesty and a connecting point that is deep. These old knotted trees seem wise to me. When I see a beautiful old tree, my first inclination is to put my hands against its weathered trunk, and sometimes even lean in and rest my cheek for a moment. Almost like I’m listening for a heart beat. And while I know there will be no heart beat, this massive thing is, in fact, alive. I know there are roots beneath my feet spreading wide and growing deep that seek out nutrition and stability. I look up and see the branches and thousands of leaves reaching up to the sky for light and energy. But the trunk and I, we are in between. We are made of parts and pieces of this earth strung together, but also, we are animated and grow through things intangible. Through love. Through adventure. Through brokenness. Through The Divine.
I also think of all that an old tree has lived through. Through fierce storms and gentle rains. Through blazing heat and fresh summer breezes. Through freezing rain and brisk fall showers. Through droughts and floods. Not only have they remained steady, but they have grown in size and beauty, sheltering all those who rest beneath their boughs. I hope that I am like the persevering oak, and I hope that you are too.
-Gracile 
ALPHARETTA COUNSELING 