Therapists Beginning With O in Tennessee

I have been working in the mental health field for almost 38 years. I have worked for the most part with children and adolescents and have a wide range of experiences. Recently my primary focus has shifted to include more adults. I specialize in treating anxiety, depression and trauma. I think that you will find my approach to be fairly laid back, however, I do feel that setting goals and working toward those goals in treatment is important. Be forewarned that I often give homework.

Is your life disorganized and feel unmanageable? Are you distracted, barely pulling it together to get to work on time, while your friends radiate success? You are smart, creative, and funny. But, the degree on the wall doesn't help you feel like less of a failure. No wonder you can feel overwhelmed and have depression and anxiety. I've been there and have compassion for your struggles. I can help.

I am a psychologist who specializes in helping people achieve their own definition of a healthier life in a supportive environment. At some point, many people feel sad, anxious, or stuck on their paths in life. My role as a therapist is to partner in helping you remove the roadblocks in your path and continue on your journey to experience a fuller sense of life. Individual, couples, and/or family therapy can help identify ways of improving your relationships, emotional health, and other areas of you life.

The decision to come to counseling is an important step and I understand that participation in counseling is an incredibly brave act. My goal is to create a safe, comfortable space for you as we work together to find solutions, relief, and balance in your life. Through my own experiences in counseling and in counseling others, I have come to believe that hope, redemption, acceptance, and inner peace can become a part of every person's story. My approach to counseling is collaborative, holistic, and interactive.

*NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS* Finding the right person to help with life’s problems can be an overwhelming task. This is why I always meet my clients where they are at so we can create a roadmap for our therapeutic journey, with the final stop being where you want to be in your life. My approach to counseling is to create a safe space in each counseling session, which is built on understanding that each individual is a complex network of identities working together to create our lived experiences. My counseling is integrative of many counseling approaches, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

I am deeply passionate about empowering women to create the life they want for themselves! We ALL develop habits out of survival, and although once protective, those same habits can get in the way of our thriving. I believe life experiences play a large role in how we relate to ourselves, and that trauma shows up in our bodies both mentally and physically. I utilize evidence-based interventions to address the whole client using psychotherapy + wellness principles that support the mind-gut connection. My personal path of healing has included developmental trauma, blended family dynamics, estrangement, divorce, & autoimmune illness.

Whether you’ve identified an area of life you’re ready to transform or you’re just curious about ways to feel your best, counseling can help. I assist clients as they develop insight about their personal narratives and bring their lives into alignment with their values and aspirations. It’s easy to internalize beliefs that are not our own, and I help clients discover their true voices and let go of old ideas and behavior patterns. I also offer strength-based coaching for individuals without current psychotherapy needs who are interested in immediate, actionable solutions for personal and professional goals.

Life can be challenging. Transitions, relationships and life events can cause anyone to feel unsure. The most resilient person can sometimes struggle. I have been privileged to provide therapy to individuals, couples and families to the East Tennessee community for 30 years. I have worked in a variety of environments including UTK, a mental health center, a community college and two local area churches. I help clients identify goals and aim every session toward those goals. Although I welcome all clients, I integrate faith-based principles with sound psychological strategies for those clients who prefer that approach.

I work with people who are experiencing pain, grief, anxiety, or confusion - who need help identifying what they want to change. I offer you a safe, supportive time and place. In this confidential space you can be listened to deeply, and you can learn how to listen to yourself. Together, we can nurture a healing connection, or reconnection, to your own wisdom and guidance. My ideal client is one who is open and motivated, who has a deep desire for self-awareness and self-change, and who perceives psychotherapy as part of a process of spiritual growth.

***COVID-19 Update: Online sessions available.*** As a licensed psychologist, I provide evidence-based treatment to meet the individualized needs of each person. My approach to therapy starts with providing immediate tools for improvement while working to establish an authentic connection. Through this therapeutic connection, we can work together to examine what is contributing to your concerns in a manner that promotes healing and recovery.

Hey there! I'm a Chattanooga native, and I'm honored to be back serving the local area as a Marriage and Family Therapist. I specialize in couple's therapy and individual therapy for men ages 15-35. On any given day you could find me helping a young man processing life's struggles, a couple seeking healing from constant arguments, or a family needing deeper connection through new experiences of one another. Whatever the situation, I love coming alongside others to journey with them towards wholeheartedness.

To the best of my ability, I want to help you work with and/or work through whatever concerns or struggles that you may have. Taking that first step in finding a therapist who is a good fit can be one of the most anxiety inducing steps. I strive to provide a counseling environment where you will feel safe, trusting, and comfortable enough to be able to openly talk about the issues that are important to you. I have experience treating clients who struggle with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other factors, such as past trauma, that limit their overall well being.

Do you ever feel like you just can’t win? Life throws curveballs, generally at the most inconvenient times, that would be difficult for anyone to navigate. Maybe it leads to conflict with your loved ones. Maybe you don’t know how to cope so you resort to alcohol or drugs. Maybe you feel like you don’t have a voice or like your voice doesn’t matter. Maybe you struggle to get out of bed because you can’t find motivation to make it through the day. Maybe you can’t focus because you're too busy creating worst-case scenarios in your head or you're stuck in the past. Maybe you’re just trying to figure out who you are, and that’s okay.

I am a deeply compassionate and empathetic counselor who is motivated to assist you in moving your life in a positive direction. I inspire my clients to achieve their fullest potential.

A lot of people think about entering therapy, but beginning the search can be nerve-wracking if you are unfamiliar with the process (and unfamiliar with the therapist!). Too, TV or movies may make therapists seem flaky, weird, or "out of the norm." I approach clients with a friendly practicality and understanding, using metaphor to help illustrate concepts and balancing humor when appropriate. I want you to benefit from counseling, and that begins the moment we first make contact.

A strong therapeutic relationship can provide the context for transformative healing and growth. I work well with people who have experienced trauma or deprivation in their early experience and who desire healing from those events, as well as those who feel stuck in unhealthy patterns of behavior. Since many chronic issues contain elements of earlier experiences, our work together may include increasing your awareness about how your past is at work in the present, reducing its ability to dictate your responses and choices, and letting go of defensive strategies that worked in the past but are not serving you now.

I deeply value the importance of safe and connected relationships, and see this as an integral part of restoration and growth. My goal is to develop a therapeutic relationship with clients that fosters change through creating an interpersonal experience of understanding, safety, and empowerment. I am actively engaged in the certification process of Emotion Focused Therapy. EFT is a validated and proven model of couples therapy (also used for individuals or families as well).

Trauma can make you feel alone and misunderstood. You might feel like there is no one you can talk to because you don't want to cause them pain. You try to smile and carry on but this too has stopped working. Maybe you are angry, maybe you are afraid. I get that. Maybe you just want it all to stop and go back to the way it used to be. I get that too. Trauma can be a big event or reoccurring smaller events (micro-traumas). Even relationships can feel traumatic.

Heather A. Olson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Licensed School Social Worker. She received her LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) in 2007. She graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work in 2003. She has counseled children & adolescents with severe behavioral & emotional disorders &/or developmental disabilities, has been an adoption counselor, a therapist in a partial hospitalization program at an outpatient mental health clinic, has counseled in the school setting, has done medical social work in two large hospitals, and has been in private practice.