Teletherapy for Chattanooga, TN

Welcome to Restful Gardens Counseling, a sanctuary where rest, growth, tranquility, and transformation converge. Drawing from my expertise as a pre-professional therapist, leadership development professional, and trained spiritual director, I offer a holistic approach to personal, relational, and professional development rooted in the principles of positive psychology and leadership development for adult individuals and couples.

Healthy relationships are not the mystery that most of us believe them to be. Love may be the reason that we commit to a relationship, but few know how to sustain that wonderful, secure feeling. There are skills that all of us must learn in order to create and manage our relationships so that our dreams don't go the way of statistics and have us end up separated from our loved one. While individual therapy has been linked to worsening relationship issues, my research-based training provides the opposite: HOPE. Let me work with you to stop the negative patterns that are taking you away from the partnership you wish to have.

I am a Marriage and Family Therapist with 18 years of experience. I am devoted to living this precious life well and to support others to do the same. The focus of my practice is to help others identify the habits and patterns operating in their lives that are not working in their best interests, then support them to find freedom from them, so that they are no longer haunted by the past or paralyzed by fears of the future, but rather are then free to pursue their hopes and dreams. Together we can allow the sirens of our symptoms to guide us toward health and wellbeing.

Executive Relational Coaching & Counseling for ambitious women in helping professions. Gain emotional grounding to navigate & eliminate relationship stress in the 9-to-5 workplace & the 24/7 life space. Whether you seek couples or individual work, you know that something has to change & you're unsure of what you need. Previous couples counseling didn't last. The challenges are time & cooperation. You're unsure of which direction to take. Get crystal clear & save time with your initial Precision Session: a thorough 90 minute diagnostic road map which gets you clear & brings massive value & confidence with your next right steps.

Counseling is an experience where you get to safely experiment by honestly examining areas of your life that cause a disturbance. Together we work through thoughts, challenging emotions, encouragement, resources, insights, goal planning, problem-solving, and relationships. I learn from those who paved the way before me, my experiences, my research colleagues, and most importantly - from my clients. We look at your story to understand.

I acknowledge and respect the effort it takes to reach out for help. The strength it takes to say "enough!, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired". The courage it takes to choose towards something more, something better, than where you are at right now. Thank you for being here! What if every wrongness was a strength not yet acknowledged? You are stronger than you think and worth so much more than you can imagine. The fact that you are reading this right now is proof of that!

Originally licensed in 1988, I've been in private practice since 1997 in Chattanooga, TN. I focus on crisis intervention and short-term psychotherapy to get clients stabilized and back out enjoying life ASAP. I do a thorough assessment of life to know past and current events may be impacting your current situation. I see life situations as developmental - not always pathological, thus I use education and learning to address life's challenges. While it's not all about your parents, one's history does play a major role in how we learn to cope with life. Be ready to learn some new ways to cope with people and various life events.

When you need help for emotional/mental health, financial and relationship challenges, it can feel like your world is closing in on you. Let Dr. Santan help you find the relief that you've been looking for. Dr. Santan works to get to the root of the issue and will help you explore the root causes while also helping with symptom management.

Our lives are made up of relationships or connections with ourselves and others. By examining our past we can provide new roads to the future to improve our lives by caring for ourselves which will improve our relationship with others.

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."...

On the outside it looks like you have it all together. But on the inside you never feel good enough and the voice in your head is quick to remind you of all the ways you’re falling short. You've spent the last however-many-years trying to keep everything together, but it’s exhausting, and you don’t think you can do it anymore. You're tired of giving so much to everyone else while you continue to come last on your list. Not anymore. It's time for a change.

The therapy process should be viewed as a partnership in which we work together in developing a sense of balance, peace, and stability for your life. Together, you and I will identify the therapeutic options best suited for your needs. I value diversity and respect you as a unique individual. My goal is to create a safe, relaxing, and judgment free space for you throughout your journey.

If you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated and unsure how to move forward, struggling with communication problems, conflict resolution, feeling disconnected, or suffering with anxiety, panic attacks, trauma/PTSD, depression, men's issues, or dealing with a new life change, or others issues.

Relationships are hard! The drama and emotional roller coaster are exhausting. After trying diligently to give all that you can, you end up dumped, rejected, or betrayed again. Beating yourself up, inevitably feeling unlovable. So you hide your emotions and stay busy to protect yourself. But inside, it's impossible to ignore that sadness and loneliness are growing. All you want is someone who cares and who can be there for you. But it's hard to attract the right person. Your friends are moving on with their lives, while you wonder if happiness just wasn't meant for you. You're so tired of trying that you feel resentful and empty.

I enjoy helping my clients build resilience, hope, and courage in their lives. I work with adults and teenagers who are seeking to improve their responses to stress, anxiety, and adversity. My specialties include helping people improve their emotional intelligence, helping people strengthen their recovery from addiction, and working with athletes who are looking to improve their mental health. Improving our mental health directly affects our performance, whether we are on the sports field, in the gym, at home, or our workplace.

Watching your child struggle behaviorally, emotionally, or academically, can be a very scary thing for a parent. You may feel lost and insecure, or you may feel like you have tried everything and nothing seems to work. Additionally, you may have struggled as a kid yourself but have never been able to pinpoint why. I believe through evaluation, one can better understand who they are, how to build on existing strengths, and how to target areas for growth.

Life has thrown you yet another curve ball. The rug has once again been pulled out from under you. You confide in your friends, family, or co-workers, but their advice only leaves you feeling more alone. If you could just get past the past, or feel less, life would be so much easier, right? Adult children of emotional neglectful or immature parents, often suffer from common feelings of disconnection and depression, fears of rejection or abandonment, overwhelming anxiety and anger, struggles with boundaries and co-dependency or enmeshment. These wounds can be healed and you CAN move forward in your life.

My specialty is focused on helping individuals who struggle with anxiety disorders by targeting the somatic symptoms, irrational thoughts, and behavioral patterns keeping them from growing into their best versions of themselves. I also specialize in helping women struggling after traumatic experiences, navigating difficult life transitions, and healing after relationship conflicts. You do not need to navigate these difficulties on your own, and I am here to walk alongside you on your healing journey by empowering you to find meaning in your hardships and overcome the challenges that life has thrown in your path.

I own a dynamic group practice in Chattanooga called Ascend Coaching and Therapy. We work with clients in-person at our office in downtown Chattanooga, virtually via phone or video, and outside in the beautiful forests of TN via ecotherapy sessions. I offer Life Coaching, Clinical Hypnotherapy and Integrative Psychotherapy to help you make and keep personal and professional changes, fulfill your potential, improve your health, and heal from the negative experiences and beliefs that hold you back.