Long before she became a licensed psychologist, Dr. Christi Bartolomucci was the kind of person who wanted to understand people more deeply. As early as middle school, she was fascinated by why people behave the way they do, often reading autobiographies and piecing together each person’s story. She didn’t know it then, but that curiosity would become a calling.
Today, Christi is the owner of Atlanta Innovative Counseling Center, a Smyrna-based practice that has become a trusted resource for children, adolescents, adults, couples and families seeking thoughtful, evidence-based mental health care. With more than two decades of experience, she has created something both highly professional and deeply personal—a place where healing begins with safety, support, and authentic connection.
Christi’s path began during her training in the mid-1990s, and in 2003 she became a licensed psychologist and entered private practice. She has worked in a variety of settings, including the juvenile justice system, emergency rooms, inpatient and day treatment programs, and schools. Along the way, she became increasingly interested in how attachment, relationships, culture and life experiences shape the way we think, feel and connect. Private practice, she realized, offered the opportunity to create the kind of environment people need most: warm, welcoming and supportive.
After co-founding her first counseling practice in 2003 and a second in 2007, Christi steadily built toward something bigger. In 2019, she moved into sole ownership, and Atlanta Innovative Counseling Center emerged as the natural evolution of that work—bringing together years of clinical care, leadership and a deep commitment to collaborative treatment.
Building a business has required more than expertise. It has meant hard work, resilience and a willingness to do whatever needed doing. Christi laughs remembering the days she attended meetings with her now-17-year-old in a Baby Bjorn while trying to get a building permit. As any small business owner knows, some days involve clinical emergencies; others involve fixing a toilet. Either way, you show up.
That steady commitment has helped AICC thrive, even through tremendous change, including the pivot to fully virtual care during COVID before returning in person. Through it all, Christi and her team have remained grounded in high ethical standards, clinical excellence and authentic therapeutic relationships.
While Christi’s credentials are impressive—she holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Georgia and completed advanced training at both the University of Louisville Health Sciences Center and Emory School of Medicine—it may be the feeling of the practice that says the most. Children sometimes ask, “Do you live here?” and parents occasionally doze off while waiting, both signs that the space feels less clinical and more comforting.
That atmosphere is intentional. With more than 15 providers, AICC includes psychologists, licensed professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, an art therapist, a nutritionist and associate-level therapists under supervision. The team serves clients as young as 2 through adulthood and also provides psychological evaluations for children and adolescents. Matching clients with the right therapist is a priority, with specialties ranging from anxiety, OCD, depression and trauma to ADHD, autism, learning differences, family challenges, and school or workplace concerns.
For Christi, the greatest reward has been becoming a long-term, trusted resource in the community she loves. A longtime Smyrna resident, she has raised her two boys here, watched the city grow, and built a practice that reflects the same sense of connection and care she sees all around her.
Her message is simple: You don’t have to have everything figured out before asking for help. You just have to be willing to take the first step.
Atlanta Innovative Counseling Center
4045 Orchard Rd. SE, Building 100, Suite 110, Smyrna, GA 30080
(770) 293-1950
atlantainnovativecounseling.com
Instagram: @atlantainnovativecounseling
Pull Quote:
“You don’t have to have everything figured out to begin. You just have to be willing to take that first step.”