Family Therapy in Nashville, TN

My passion as a counselor is two-fold: to walk alongside couples who feel emotionally distant and distressed in their relationships on the path toward connection and healing, and to journey with women who are struggling with anxiety, trauma, conflict resolution, and other relational issues.

I work best with clients who have a deep desire to be seen, heard, and known. I want to know your heart, your fears, your shame, and your pain. I want to know how past hurts and trauma affect your everyday life today.

Are you a young professional or creative seeking greater fulfillment in your personal, family and work relationships? Are you noticing that you put more into your relationships than you are getting out of them or becoming frustrated by a lack of mutuality and care? Perhaps you have recently experienced a break up or are struggling in a relationship that is no longer-- or never was--working. Maybe you are hoping to establish better boundaries or patterns with your family of origin or loved ones. If you resonate with any of these experiences and are ready to start the journey to more wholeness and fulfillment, I can help.

Life can be difficult at times. Perhaps you are wanting to make some changes in your life, or relationship. I believe that most of us CAN make the changes we deeply want to, particularly if we have a kind and knowledgeable advocate to that process. You may have reservations about asking for support. Know that when you do, you are bravely moving yourself forward to a better tomorrow. I strive to be a compassionate, trustworthy, and enthusiastic partner to my clients' growth processes.

“The hardest part about the gym, is getting there.” And you have done that! I am excited that you have taken the first step to overcome your emotional challenges and life stressors. Making the choice to begin therapy is not always an easy one. My goal is to help you feel more comfortable about that decision. Sometimes you just need someone to assist you with life changes, challenges, and handling the stress of it all.

My mission is to create a safe space for individuals to find healing, freedom, and self-acceptance. I am passionate about helping my clients regain confidence while beginning to love and trust themselves. I help my clients unlearn negative beliefs and begin to change relationship patterns that no longer serve them. I work well with people pleasers, people who struggle to set boundaries, or people who chronically sacrifice themselves for others. When we are able to know what we need and set limits in our relationships, we enhance our emotional well-being and our relationships become healthier.

You and I both know that life can feel unbelievably messy, unpredictable and chaotic. It's easy to get lost in the frenetic juggling of home life, work life and relationships. You can lose your sense of purpose, direction and even who you are. Experiencing some measure of difficulty, distress and pain IS life, but what happens when your usual ways of coping no longer work? It can be all too easy to surrender to the unrelenting waves of frustration, despair and disillusionment when faced with difficult experiences.

You have managed or contained life's challenges until it doesn't work anymore. The experiences of the past do not have to interfere with your joy in the present or future. My goal is to create a safe place for you to explore, learn, and create a new way of being in relationships and the world. I specialize in working with individuals and families that have been impacted by traumatic experiences, complex grief, attachment and relationship ruptures. Loss often involves trauma and trauma always involves grief.

I believe the therapeutic relationship heals and will keep good boundaries while also genuinely caring about your well-being. I am a warm, intelligent, down-to-earth person who snorts when she laughs. I am interactive and fun, compassionate and heart-centered, as well as grounded and practical. I welcome all people from all walks of life and will allow your therapy journey to unfold organically, at your pace and with your power. I also give feedback and homework and will give you gentle nudges from time to time, if needed. Therapy is hard and fun and beautiful and painful. I hold safe space.

Are you feeling stuck? Is there something nagging at you? Maybe you are stressed or feeling down. Perhaps you want more out of your relationships or more satisfaction from your work life. Therapy can help. Bright Horse Counseling provides therapeutic counseling services to relieve suffering, restore connections, and empower individuals, families, and communities to thrive. Our vision is to normalize therapy and eliminate the stigma that prevents us from engaging in regular mental health care. We work for a future where we all feel better and live well, together.

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain" -Vivian Greene. Life can be beautiful but it can also be stormy. Our storms can be anything from anxiety, depression or a traumatic event to situational life stressors; childhood, adolescence, parenting, divorce, a recent move, transitions in careers, etc. You do not have to go through these storms alone. I would be honored to help you identify your goals and help you to learn new coping skills (your umbrella) on your path to achieving your goals, thus learning to dance in the rain.

My specialty areas include trauma and PTSD (rape, child abuse, domestic violence, neglect, emotional abuse, car accidents and other accidents, combat exposure, and other violent crimes); relationship issues (couples therapy, recovering from affairs, LGBT couples, family conflict); sexuality (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning concerns, sexual performance, diverse sexual expression); gender (women's issues, men's issues, transgender issues); identity exploration (college students, multicultural populations, career changes); mood disorders (depression and anxiety); along with other areas of concern. Please go to www.mcaninchpsychological.com to see more.

Stuck? Suffering? Unsure of what to do next? I live to serve those struggling with Substance Use Disorder (SUD), and their families. If you or a family member is struggling with use of drugs an alcohol, I am here to help. In addition, those facing the challenges of ongoing recovery, including co-occurring disorders, family of origin issues, codependency, life stage issue, etc, will feel perfectly at home. I am ready to help you.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at The Briggs Institute, Inc. The therapists at the Institute are graduates of Lipscomb University's Master of Marriage and Family Therapy Program. As the only COAMFTE accredited program in Nashville, the Lipscomb MFT program has earned its fine reputation by meeting the highest academic and clinical experience standards in the country. Because we practice under the supervision of the Lipscomb MFT program core faculty, we remain connected to academia. This means our work is informed by state-of-the-art scientific research that most private practice therapists can't easily access.

Sometimes, your teen has experienced a traumatic event or is just having difficulty navigating life’s changes, such as divorce; the death of a family member; adoption; or adjusting to school, friends, and their self-identity. Communicating how they feel, especially to their parents, is not a teen’s strong point. As a result, both the teen and parents become frustrated. Adolescence is a significant life transition. Without some guidance (or interpreter), the process becomes a rocky road for all involved.