64 maconmagazine.com | APRIL/MAY 2022 S P ECIA L A DV E RTISI N G S ECTIO N
ANDREA
COOKE
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR &
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
THE SOUTHERN CENTER
FOR CHOICE THEORY, CQUL
411 HOLT AVE., MACON
478-741-1268
SCCTGEORGIA.COM
MACONMENTALTHEALTHMATTERS.COM
WHAT IS YOUR MISSION?
The mission of our business is to
positively impact our community by
helping individuals become more
mentally healthy.
WHAT IS THE MOST GRATIFYING PART
OF YOUR JOB?
People find me in the store, in restau-
rants, in the park and really almost any-
where, and tell me that they either need
counseling or they are in counseling. We
have done the work of lowering the stig-
ma surrounding mental health services.
WHAT LESSONS DID YOU LEARN
BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC?
We learned that so many had been skirt-
ing by with just enough mental health
skills and when people lost connection
they began to unravel. We then learned
to pivot and refocus how we can best
help our community with limited access.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST
CHALLENGING PART OF BEING A
WOMAN IN BUSINESS?
The most challenging part is that I
have to continue to prove my ability to
complete a project, and then I have to
always prove that I deserve to have a
seat at a table. It is also challenging to
make sure that I remind people that I am
assertive and not aggressive.
2022 Women in Business
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA WHITLEY
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
