Marriage Counseling Therapists in Chattanooga, TN

I love working with Older Adults! I have over 20 years of experience working primarily with the older adult population. I have also enjoyed my work with families who are dealing with stressors related to a parent or another loved one getting older. I have dealt with anxiety from a young age, grief and loss issues that have hit a deep place within me. I have parents who are getting older, and have enjoyed being a part of my nephews' lives as they mature. I look forward to sitting with, listening, and respectfully walking with you on your journey. I hope to help you navigate whatever changes lie ahead in a holistic, helpful way.

I help people who have lost their way get reconnected--to spouse or family, to God, or to their own dreams and goals. I work with individuals, couples, and families struggling through issues such as addiction that create distance among those they love; with individuals pursuing spiritual healing from emotional wounds; and with people grappling with cultural identity, transition, and stress, such as missionaries and children of missionaries. I have an eclectic approach for counseling individuals that integrates interpersonal, narrative, and strengths-based elements with my Christian worldview, and am buildling experience using Gottman Method Therapy for working with couples.

Do you long to grow through your pain but find yourself struggling most days just to keep your head above water? Do you wish for greater purpose and meaning but instead confusion and despair are filing your days? Is the thought of simply surviving a scary one, when you would much prefer to be thriving and living fully in the present moment? Walking through life in the ways I just described makes most of us feel weary, lost, alone, and sometimes downright hopeless. It’s not fun when life begins to feel like an uphill battle instead of the sweet life you had always imagined, and you don’t deserve to have to walk that road alone.

Whether you are dealing with anxiety, depression, relationship conflict, breaking free from a toxic relationship, parenting challenges, or other life stressors, I believe you can find relief in a short amount of time with some simple yet intentional changes. Together we can focus on creating strategies to help you have the life and relationships that you desire. I specialize in individual and relationship counseling, as well as working with parents of adult children who are failing to launch out on their own or who parents find difficultly in relating to in everyday interactions.

I view counseling as a journey of awareness, growth, and self-compassion. As your travel companion, I aim to provide insight, encouragement, and a gentle nudge to help you reach your destination. I work with individuals, groups, and families of all ages and backgrounds and have specialized experience helping clients with issues of anxiety, grief, trauma, spirituality, self-harm, and gender identity. When appropriate, I offer dreamwork, sandtray therapy, and psychotherapeutic Reiki interventions. My approach is collaborative and respectful, primarily drawing from an integration of humanistic, cognitive, and narrative frameworks.

Whether you're looking for mental health counseling, sex therapy, or both, it would be my honor to work with you. I have experience working with a myriad of sexual difficulties as well as struggles with anxiety, depression, shame, identity, relationship issues and more. Using talk therapy, I take a unique approach to uniting many different parts of the self and helping clients create the life that they want without embarrassment or shame.

You’re at a point where being perfect doesn’t feel attainable anymore. You’ve been trying to live up to the expectations set before you, and you still feel like you’re failing and letting those who matter down. You’ve gotten so lost in these identities that you’re unsure who you are and what matters to you. Maybe you’re wondering if life will always feel exhausting and empty. You're ready to stop the cycle of anxiety and shame because it’s overwhelming. You’re ready to love yourself and navigate how to set boundaries in your relationships.

If you’re dealing with the effects of trauma, life can be so challenging. You may struggle with overreacting to everyday situations, negative thoughts or emotions about yourself or others, fear of intimacy, nightmares or flashbacks, or physical symptoms. Any kind of trauma—emotional, spiritual, physical, sexual—can severely impact your ability to feel safe and live well. In addition to working with individuals with trauma, I also work with couples on a wide range of issues - from communication skills to betrayal recovery. For both individuals and couples, I work with adults, age 21 and up.

Hi! I am so glad you are here. Here is a little information about my professional history. I have five years of experience working as a social worker and over three years working as an LMSW. I have worked in an oncology setting, working with clients and families to help adjust to severe illness. I have also worked in home health and hospice settings where I provided grief counseling. I have experience working with families and couples and mainly specialize in grief, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, trauma, and domestic violence.

Life is a journey you take toward owning your story. Unfortunately, we often encounter obstacles that distort our perspective and hinder our ability to see ourselves accurately and move toward the things that bring us the most joy and peace. Whether you’ve been derailed by traumatic life events, disordered eating, depression and anxiety, addiction, grief, spiritual abuse, or other life altering transitions, it is my belief that you have the strength and resiliency to find a meaningful life living into the fullest expression of who you are.

Being vulnerable is brave. Behind all the difficult feelings you face. The more you stand in the discomfort the more your edges soften and you begin to embrace it all and allow yourself to be seen— just as you are. I am here to listen to your story and provide prospective as you navigate and uncover the process of healing. I am passionate about working with people to recover from abusive or complex relationships, emotion regulation, and communication issues.

Since 1980 my professional counseling career has assisted thousands of individuals, couples and families in discarding negative self image, dysfunctional ways of relating, and ineffective decision making. My expertise also includes a variety of human sexuality issues and serving the L.G.B.T.I.Q. Community. Although I do not accept Emails, I look forward to your phone call. Visit www.alternativescounselingassociates.com

Therapy can seem daunting but it’s really just finding someone without judgement to help you manage tough times in your life. Therapy allows you to become the best version of yourself and manage life’s stressors. I’m here to empower you to better your life. Therapy is there to support you toward your life goals, and I’m happy to help you through that journey.

"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness." -Desmond Tutu When we can hear our complete inner voice, we are able to begin tearing away from shame and move toward hope. Relationships & community are the most important parts of our life. This can include relationship with your spouse/partner, family, friends, spirituality, self, etc. Family and friends are a wonderful resource in order to better our relationships but sometimes we need a different place to talk about who we are, what we are struggling with, and how to make sense of our lives.

Embracing life's uncertainties, transitions, & unmet expectations can be challenging, but we are able to move forward with meaning & purpose. Sometimes building a level of resilience & mental fortitude is required for us to progress. By using an underlying attachment-based approach, I’m able to provide therapeutic services that are safe, authentic, & non-judgemental to allow for healing & growth. I have found that tailoring the modalities used to each client provides positive outcomes in various situations. EMDR, exposure & response prevention (ERP), experiential activities, & play therapy are among those that I am trained in.

You find yourself in a reoccurring pattern that you don't know how to break- You do SO much for others, understanding the importance of caring for yourself too, yet you find that it's difficult to trust them with the "too-much-ness"/ "intense emotion" that you've been accused of possessing. You're left to carry it on your own, not wanting to burden others with your struggles. You wish you could shut off that nagging, critical voice in your head & all the self-doubt that comes with it. Maybe, at times, you feel as if the tug-of-war of thoughts & emotions is too messy & overwhelming to touch. You think, "Maybe 'they' were right."...

I seek to make therapy a comfortable way to do significant work. . I provide a non-judgmental, honest, and oftentimes, humorous approach when helping clients make the needed changes to live a healthier happier life. I make therapy accessible and convenient by offering in-person sessions in Chattanooga and telehealth sessions throughout Tennessee, New York, and Virginia. My office setting and practices have been designed with your comfort, convenience, and privacy in mind. Online scheduling allows you to see all that I have available and allows you to schedule and make changes at your convenience.

Are you feeling desperate for change, stuck, and "over it" in your relationships or personal life? You may have found your way to my page because the challenges you're facing feel overwhelming and immobilizing. Whether you're struggling with relationship issues, trying to achieve your goals, or finding it hard to maintain focus, it's important to know that you're not alone. There is a way forward.

Looking for the right therapist but feeling lost? Rest assured, you're not alone. I love helping both people and couples who are new to therapy or have tried it before. Feeling comfortable with your therapist is key, and I'm dedicated to creating a supportive environment where you can tackle any challenges affecting you or your relationship. I specialize in supporting neurodivergent individuals and navigating couples through various relationship challenges With training from Level 1 Gottman, alongside specialized instruction in addressing affairs and trauma. Collaborative problem-solving techniques form the backbone of my approach.