Melinda Morris, LCSW

Alyson Pond, LCSW, provides outpatient therapy for adults experiencing trauma, anxiety, depression, stress, life transitions, and relationship challenges. She has experience supporting military members, veterans, first responders, and individuals in high-stress service-oriented roles. Alyson’s background includes crisis intervention, suicide prevention, outpatient behavioral health, and trauma-informed care. She earned a Master of Social Work from Louisiana State University and a Master of Arts in Military Psychology from Adler University.

Alyson provides a grounded, supportive, and collaborative environment where clients feel heard, respected, and understood. She believes therapy should be practical, honest, and tailored to each person’s goals, strengths, and lived experience. Alyson works with clients to process trauma, navigate life transitions, reduce isolation, and build resilience in sustainable and realistic ways.

Alyson begins by learning each client’s history, current concerns, strengths, and goals. She collaborates with clients to create individualized treatment plans aligned with their values and priorities. Using a trauma-informed, strengths-based approach, Alyson helps clients improve coping skills, strengthen emotional regulation and relationships, and build healthier patterns that support lasting progress.

Takindra Worles, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 10 years of experience providing behavioral health services in outpatient, residential, crisis intervention, integrated care, and telehealth settings. She works with adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, stress, life transitions, and emotional wellness concerns. Takindra provides trauma-informed, person-centered care focused on helping individuals strengthen coping skills, build resilience, and achieve meaningful personal growth.

Takindra creates a warm, supportive, and nonjudgmental space where individuals feel heard and respected. She uses a compassionate, collaborative, and goal-oriented approach tailored to each person’s unique needs and experiences. Takindra values open communication and helps individuals improve emotional regulation, develop practical coping strategies, and navigate life’s challenges with greater confidence and self-awareness.

Takindra begins with a comprehensive assessment to better understand each individual’s concerns, strengths, and treatment goals. She collaborates with patients to create personalized treatment plans using evidence-based and trauma-informed interventions. Through ongoing therapy sessions, Takindra focuses on emotional wellness, stress management, resilience, and sustainable coping tools while regularly reviewing progress and adjusting care as needed.

‍

John Dlugosz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) providing trauma-informed, faith-integrated therapy to children, adolescents, adults, couples, families, and veterans in outpatient and integrated care settings. He uses a holistic, strengths-based approach drawing from CBT, solution-focused therapy, and Christian counseling to support healing of mind, body, and spirit.

John creates a warm, supportive, nonjudgmental space where clients feel heard and respected. He integrates a Christian, biblically informed perspective when desired, along with CBT, positive psychology, and solution-focused strategies. He emphasizes collaboration, emotional safety, and practical skills that build resilience, clarity, and hope.

John begins with a collaborative intake to understand each client’s story, goals, and needs. He develops individualized, evidence-based treatment plans using CBT, trauma-informed care, and strengths-based interventions. Progress is reviewed regularly, and clients are equipped with practical tools for emotional regulation, growth, and lasting change.

Maria Pisani is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC-MHSP) with experience in both mental health and substance use treatment settings. She earned her Master’s degree in Counseling and Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from St. John’s University. Maria is also a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC) and Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS), with experience in outpatient counseling, assessments, treatment planning, and clinical supervision. She has worked with individuals navigating anxiety, depression, PTSD, anger, stress, and substance use disorders.

Maria provides a supportive, confidential, and nonjudgmental environment where clients feel safe exploring their challenges. She works collaboratively to help individuals better understand their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors while using a compassionate, practical approach tailored to each person’s needs. She incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and motivational techniques when appropriate and believes in meeting clients where they are in their personal journey.

Maria begins by learning about each client’s concerns, personal history, and goals. She develops individualized treatment plans designed to address each person’s unique needs while helping clients build coping skills, emotional awareness, and healthier thought patterns. Through supportive, goal-oriented sessions, she encourages progress and personal growth while adapting treatment approaches as clients’ needs evolve over time.

I'm a therapist with experience treating people who are working through mental health struggles alongside substance use, often at the same time. Since 2018 I've worked in both group and individual outpatient settings, and a lot of what I do centers on the moment when someone realizes those two things are tangled together and hard to pull apart on their own.

I think a lot about autonomy. You get to make your own choices, and my job isn't to hand you a verdict but to help you see your own situation more clearly. Our first conversation is mostly open talk: your history, what's bringing you in now, your family background, what's worked or fallen flat in treatment before. From there I use person-centered planning to name your strengths and the real barriers in front of you, then we set goals that are measurable and actually realistic rather than aspirational fluff.

I'll ask what you picture for your future, because I want your vision steering the work, not mine. My training in trauma treatment shapes how I approach the tender parts of that history, gently, without rushing past them. Over time we build self-awareness and steadier emotional regulation, and I adjust the strategies to fit you rather than fitting you to a method.

If you're tired of feeling pulled in two directions and want someone to think it through with you at your own pace, reach out and let's start the conversation.

Alyson Pond, LCSW, provides outpatient therapy for adults experiencing trauma, anxiety, depression, stress, life transitions, and relationship challenges. She has experience supporting military members, veterans, first responders, and individuals in high-stress service-oriented roles. Alyson’s background includes crisis intervention, suicide prevention, outpatient behavioral health, and trauma-informed care. She earned a Master of Social Work from Louisiana State University and a Master of Arts in Military Psychology from Adler University.

Alyson provides a grounded, supportive, and collaborative environment where clients feel heard, respected, and understood. She believes therapy should be practical, honest, and tailored to each person’s goals, strengths, and lived experience. Alyson works with clients to process trauma, navigate life transitions, reduce isolation, and build resilience in sustainable and realistic ways.

Alyson begins by learning each client’s history, current concerns, strengths, and goals. She collaborates with clients to create individualized treatment plans aligned with their values and priorities. Using a trauma-informed, strengths-based approach, Alyson helps clients improve coping skills, strengthen emotional regulation and relationships, and build healthier patterns that support lasting progress.

John Dlugosz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) providing trauma-informed, faith-integrated therapy to children, adolescents, adults, couples, families, and veterans in outpatient and integrated care settings. He uses a holistic, strengths-based approach drawing from CBT, solution-focused therapy, and Christian counseling to support healing of mind, body, and spirit.

John creates a warm, supportive, nonjudgmental space where clients feel heard and respected. He integrates a Christian, biblically informed perspective when desired, along with CBT, positive psychology, and solution-focused strategies. He emphasizes collaboration, emotional safety, and practical skills that build resilience, clarity, and hope.

John begins with a collaborative intake to understand each client’s story, goals, and needs. He develops individualized, evidence-based treatment plans using CBT, trauma-informed care, and strengths-based interventions. Progress is reviewed regularly, and clients are equipped with practical tools for emotional regulation, growth, and lasting change.

Maria Pisani is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC-MHSP) with experience in both mental health and substance use treatment settings. She earned her Master’s degree in Counseling and Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from St. John’s University. Maria is also a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC) and Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS), with experience in outpatient counseling, assessments, treatment planning, and clinical supervision. She has worked with individuals navigating anxiety, depression, PTSD, anger, stress, and substance use disorders.

Maria provides a supportive, confidential, and nonjudgmental environment where clients feel safe exploring their challenges. She works collaboratively to help individuals better understand their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors while using a compassionate, practical approach tailored to each person’s needs. She incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and motivational techniques when appropriate and believes in meeting clients where they are in their personal journey.

Maria begins by learning about each client’s concerns, personal history, and goals. She develops individualized treatment plans designed to address each person’s unique needs while helping clients build coping skills, emotional awareness, and healthier thought patterns. Through supportive, goal-oriented sessions, she encourages progress and personal growth while adapting treatment approaches as clients’ needs evolve over time.

Shelby Combs, LCSW, has worked in outpatient group and individual therapy settings since 2018, supporting individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work from the University of Tennessee at Martin and a Master’s of Science in Social Work from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where she also obtained a certification in Trauma Treatment.

Shelby values meeting patients where they are, actively listening, and respecting each person’s autonomy and right to make their own choices. She approaches care with empathy and positive regard, working collaboratively to build self-awareness, strengthen emotional regulation, and develop integrative, person-centered strategies tailored to each individual.

Shelby begins by building rapport through open conversation, exploring a patient’s history, presenting concerns, family background, and past treatment experiences. She uses a person-centered planning approach to identify strengths and barriers, creating measurable and realistic goals. She also invites patients to share their expectations and vision for their future to guide treatment.

I'm a therapist who has spent years working across a range of clinical settings and with people from many different walks of life. That variety shaped how I practice: I've learned that no two people arrive for the same reason, and no single method fits everyone. My approach is client-centered, and I draw on cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, solution-focused work, and strengths-based techniques depending on what actually fits the person in front of me.

A lot of what I do is helping adults, including older adults, work through personal, emotional, and life transitions, the moments when something shifts and the old ways of coping stop holding. I lean on your strengths rather than fixating on what's wrong, and I build each plan around your goals rather than a formula.

Our first session is mostly about getting to know you and understanding what brought you here. I'll ask about your concerns and what you're hoping to gain, and we'll start laying a foundation we can keep building on together. I try to be thoughtful and steady, and I'd rather move at a pace that feels honest than rush toward a fix.

Deciding to start therapy takes something, and if you've gotten this far in reading, you've already done part of the hard part. When you're ready to talk, I'll be glad to sit down with you.

I'm a therapist, and I treat mood disorders, depression, the full range of anxiety, relationship and self-esteem struggles, adjustment concerns, and emotional dysregulation. I've worked in a lot of different worlds over the years, including correctional, educational, inner-city community-based, and corporate settings, and I've spent time among many cultures and ways of life. That range shaped how I think about the person in front of me, and about the ever-present connections between body, mind, and emotional state.

My orientation is psychodynamic, but I don't treat that as a rulebook. Depending on what you need, I'll bring in attachment theory, mindfulness, and pieces of CBT and DBT, and I keep it all coordinated with any medication that's part of your plan. I tend to be direct while staying compassionate, because I think a comfortable, co-owned relationship is where the real work happens. I consider it an honor to join someone on their journey, and my aim is to help you understand more fully how you can move yourself forward, then build the readiness to actually take that step.

When we've met your goals and it's time to part ways, I want your tool belt fortified with techniques you can use on whatever obstacles come next. Bring what's been weighing on you to a first visit, and we'll start sorting through it together.

I've spent years as a therapist working with adults who feel stuck in patterns they can't quite name, whether that's the intensity of bipolar disorder, the loops of OCD, the aftermath of PTSD, the friction of a personality disorder, or the daily static of ADHD. A lot of the people I see are driven and ready to move, they want to work on pressing issues and get some traction on their goals rather than circle the same ground.

My first session is really about getting to know each other and building a genuine sense of connection. We'll establish some rapport and sketch out a picture of your personal and family history so I understand the whole context, not just the presenting problem. From there my approach is collaborative and flexible. I ask a lot of questions because I'm genuinely curious about how you got here, and I'll give you honest, supportive feedback rather than tell you what I think you want to hear. Expect assignments, tools, and techniques to practice between our conversations; I don't want the work to stay in the room. I'll also encourage you to show up as your authentic self, because I've found that's where the real change starts.

If you're tired of talking in circles and ready to actually shift something in how you relate to yourself and the people around you, let's start that conversation.

I'm a licensed professional counselor with a particular focus on helping people through crisis and the rebuilding that comes afterward, and I've spent about ten years doing this work. Much of my background is in the harder chapters of people's lives: I've counseled survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, worked a mental health crisis line, and run support and therapy groups where people slowly figured out how to trust again. These days I see adults and older adults navigating anxiety, depression, shaky self-esteem, strained relationships, and the kind of communication breakdowns that leave you talking past the people you love most.

My own guiding idea is simple: I want to help people help themselves. So the relationship we build in session is close and steady, but the point isn't to lean on me indefinitely. Expect open, honest conversation, some digging into where old patterns come from, and practical, workable suggestions you can actually use between our meetings. I'll ask questions that build insight, and I'll be direct when I think it's useful. The pace is yours, though I tend to nudge toward forward movement.

Outside of session, I stay busy with continuing training, volunteering, sci-fi conventions, a slightly out-of-hand Disney collection, and thoroughly spoiling my nieces and nephews.

Curious whether this kind of counseling might fit what you're looking for right now?

I trained as a clinical social worker, and I mostly work with adults and older adults who are navigating depression and other mood disorders, anxiety, chronic stress, trauma, relationship difficulties, family conflict, and grief. Over the past 17-plus years, I've done this work in a lot of different settings: hospitals, community mental health and substance abuse clinics, and home-based crisis intervention, along with individual and group therapy and supervisory roles. That range has taught me that people arrive at very different points, and the work has to start from where they actually are.

My style is warm and engaging, and I think of the therapist's role as collaborative rather than directive. Depending on what you're looking for, our work together might mean building new skills to cope with emotional pain, learning to set boundaries in relationships, or looking for more meaning in your life. I draw on cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, narrative therapy, relational and psychodynamic approaches, and mindfulness and embodiment work, but whatever modality we use, it's always trauma informed and built on your strengths. In an early session, expect real conversation and some honest curiosity about what brought you here and what you'd like to be different.

Self-exploration, discovery, and healing tend to unfold at their own pace, and I'm comfortable letting them. If that's the kind of work you're ready for, we can start with a conversation and figure out the rest together.

I'm a therapist with a particular focus on anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, and the messy in-between moments that come with a major life transition. I've worked across outpatient, telehealth, and managed care settings, and much of what I do comes down to helping people make sense of the thoughts, emotions, and patterns that keep showing up, then building practical tools to actually work with them.

The way I work is integrative and person-centered, which really just means I don't hand everyone the same plan. Depending on what you need, that might look like CBT or DBT, motivational interviewing, solution-focused or interpersonal work, or mindfulness-based techniques, shaped around your goals, your strengths, and what you value. In a first session, expect me to listen closely and ask questions that help me understand where you're starting from before we decide where to go. I take seriously the job of walking alongside you through whatever you're facing, with compassion and respect, and I want you to feel heard rather than processed.

Healing and growth tend to happen at their own pace, and I'd rather move at yours than rush a timeline. If something in your life feels stuck, painful, or simply too heavy to sort out alone, bring it to a first visit and we'll start untangling it together.

I'm a therapist with experience treating anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, trauma and PTSD, grief, and the kind of anger that's hard to talk about anywhere else. Most recently I worked at a community-based mental health clinic, where I saw people of all ages arriving with all sorts of goals, and across eighteen years in human service and nonprofit work I've also spent time with a Mobile Crisis team and at an organization in Syracuse supporting people with sensory loss as they built or held onto their independence. I like that range, and I try to stay attentive to the things that shape a person's identity: culture, ethnicity, disability, neurodivergence, and being part of the LGBTQ+ community.

My approach is client-centered and strengths-based, which mostly means I don't come in with a fixed script. I'll draw on CBT, DBT, IFS, or mindfulness-based work depending on what actually fits you, and I'd rather adjust the model to the person than the other way around. Early sessions are largely about getting a real picture of what's going on and figuring out, together, where your own strengths already are. I aim for a collaborative pace, so you can explore what's troubling you, make sense of it, and build skills you can use when life gets difficult.

When you're ready to start that work, get in touch.

I'm a therapist who focuses on individual therapy with adults, drawing on more than a decade of practice here in Tennessee. Over the years I've worn a lot of hats: comprehensive child and family therapy, mobile crisis work, group-based Alcohol and Drug treatment, and most recently five and a half years in community mental health, where I worked with clients of every age. That range taught me to start with a person's strengths rather than their problem list, and to build a plan around the goals they actually care about.

My approach pulls from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Solution-Focused Therapy, but I try not to let the acronyms run the room. What that looks like in practice is breaking things down into specific, obtainable steps, so the work feels doable instead of overwhelming. Early on, I'll ask a lot of questions about what you want to be different and where you already have some footing. I especially connect with people in the LGBTQIA+ community, and I want the work to feel like it belongs to you, not to me.

I settled in Johnson City after training at Warren Wilson College and earning my Master's in Social Work at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and I've stayed close to this kind of one-on-one work ever since.

Deciding to look for a therapist takes something. If you've gotten this far, you've already started. When you're ready, I'll be glad to talk through what you're hoping for.

I'm a therapist, and most of what I see is adults and older teens working through anxiety, mood struggles, and the kind of life transitions that leave you unsure of what comes next. I work with people from about age 15 on up, and part of what I've learned across an inpatient psychiatric hospital, outpatient group practice, and PHP and IOP settings is that no two stories arrive the same way, even when the diagnosis on paper looks similar.

I tend to believe that every person has the ability to live a happy, healthy, engaging life, but sometimes you need an objective observer to help uncover what that life actually looks like for you. So a first session is really about hearing your story. I'll ask questions, listen for what matters to you, and start building from your strengths rather than handing you a formula. My approach leans client-centered and solution focused; I want us moving toward something, not just naming what's wrong. I draw on techniques like CBT and DBT where they fit, but the direction stays yours.

I genuinely care about the relationships I build in this work, and I put real time and energy into the healing process alongside the people I see. That matters to me more than any single method.

Curious whether the two of us would work well together? That's exactly what a first visit is for.

I trained as a licensed professional counselor, and I mostly work with adults and older adults who are navigating the kinds of struggles that don't fit neatly into a single label. Over nearly two decades in this field, I've sat with people from a lot of different backgrounds and circumstances, including years spent working with child services, foster care, and my own private practice back in Kentucky before I moved to Tennessee. That range taught me that no two people arrive at counseling for exactly the same reason.

My work is genuinely person-centered. I put real effort into matching the approach to the individual in front of me, rather than reaching for one method and applying it to everyone. Much of what I do is grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, woven together with mindfulness, and I lean on what I call the three C's: catching a thought, checking it, and changing it. In practice, that means our early sessions are about understanding the specific struggles you're facing and figuring out which direction actually fits your life, not a formula.

I'll be direct with you and steady in how we go, and I'd rather build something around your particular situation than hand you something generic. If you've been trying to sort through what's weighing on you and want a counselor who tailors the work to the person, reach out and we'll start there.

I'm a therapist, and most of what I see is depression, anxiety, substance use, and the aftereffects of trauma. My background sits at the intersection of mental health counseling and addictions work, and much of how I practice comes from asking how the brain and the autonomic nervous system respond when someone has been through more than their body knew how to hold. I lean on trauma-focused methods like EMDR, Brainspotting, and Polyvagal-informed and mindfulness-based strategies, alongside CBT, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. But those are tools, not the point. The point is helping you understand the cyclical patterns of thought and emotion that shape how you feel, so you're not at their mercy.

I care about body awareness, psychoeducation, and self-advocacy, because I want you to leave therapy able to steer it yourself. Early sessions are less about intervention and more about getting my bearings: what you're up against, what you actually want, and what a personalized path forward looks like. I'll be direct with you, and I'll expect us to work as partners, with real motivation and direction driving the process.

I'm not only interested in getting you to stable ground. I want to see you keep growing into the person you recognize as authentically yourself, whether you're a younger adult or someone doing this work later in life.

Reaching out takes something. If you've made it to the end of this, you've already started.

I'm a therapist who focuses on anxiety, depression, grief, and trauma, including the particular kind that comes from narcissistic abuse. Over the past sixteen years I've spent most of my time with adults who look composed on the outside but feel unsteady within themselves, people who are ready to figure out who they actually are underneath the coping and the roles they've been handed.

Much of my work is about helping your nervous system feel safe again. I pull from a range of methods, blending evidence-based practices with more experiential ones, and I tailor the mix to the person in front of me rather than running everyone through the same protocol. In session, that might look like tracing a reaction back to an early attachment pattern, gently challenging a core belief you've carried since childhood, or using polyvagal and mindfulness techniques to settle your body before we go anywhere with the harder material. I lean toward a collaborative relationship where you set goals that genuinely matter to you and feel some ownership in reaching them.

I think of healing as involving the mind, body, and spirit, and a lot of the work is really self-discovery, identifying your strengths and finding your authentic self along the way. Outside of sessions, I'm usually outdoors, reading, or with my husband, son, and two dogs.

Curious whether this kind of work is the right fit for you? A first conversation is exactly where we'd find out.

I'm a licensed professional counselor, and most of what I see are people working through trauma, substance use and recovery, and mood concerns like anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Over more than 16 years I've counseled in a lot of different settings: residential programs for kids and teens, family homes, community mental health centers, and outpatient substance abuse treatment. That range has let me sit with people of nearly every age, from teenagers to adults to older folks, each carrying their own version of a hard chapter.

The way I work is person-centered, strength-based, and collaborative. I'm reality-based too; I won't pretend change is easy, but I will help you figure out what's actually within reach. I put a lot of weight on trust, because without it none of the rest holds. Early on, expect a real conversation rather than a checklist: I want to understand what you're hoping to shift and why. Over time I might play a few roles for you, sometimes a support, sometimes a teacher, an advocate, or a facilitator, but mostly I try to be a good listener while we work out the changes you want to make.

If you've been wanting a place to speak openly and start moving toward something different, I'm ready to have that first conversation whenever you are.

I'm a licensed professional counselor with experience treating mood and anxiety disorders, personality disorders, and the strain that shows up in relationships and during hard transitions like grief and divorce. Over about four years, I've worked across several settings, private practice, school-based counseling, and a behavioral health hospital, which means I've sat with people at very different points in their lives and with a wide range of concerns. That range taught me not to assume any two people need the same thing.

My approach is grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy, and I bring in pieces of dialectical behavior therapy where they fit, mindfulness, distress tolerance, and emotional regulation. I don't hand out a one-size template. I pay attention to your background and what you actually need, then tailor the work from there. Early sessions tend to be practical: I want to understand what brought you in and how it's affecting your daily life, and I'll be honest with you about what I'm noticing and why I'm suggesting a particular direction. From there we adjust as we go.

I find this work most useful with adults who are navigating a difficult stretch and want tools they can actually use, not just a place to vent (though venting is welcome too).

Reaching out for the first time takes some nerve. If you've made it this far, you've already started the harder part, and I'd be glad to help you take the next step.

Most of my work as a therapist is with adults who are working through mental health and substance use challenges, often at the same time. I've spent time in both outpatient and inpatient settings, including my clinical internship at Parkridge Valley Psychiatric Hospital, and that range taught me how differently people arrive at therapy. Some walk in with a clear sense of what they want to change. Others are still figuring out where to start. Both are welcome.

I put a lot of weight on open communication. Early on, I'll take real time to understand your history, what's going on right now, and where you actually want to end up, and then we set clear goals and realistic expectations together. I'd rather be honest with you about what treatment can and can't do than sell you on something that doesn't fit. As we go, I keep checking in on how things are landing and adjust the plan when it isn't working, because a plan that made sense in month one doesn't always hold up in month four.

My aim is for care to feel purposeful and personal, built around your life rather than a template. I work with adults across a wide age range, including older adults navigating later-life changes.

When you're ready to start, get in touch and we'll take it from there.