Self Psychology Therapists in Knoxville, TN

My training (Yale University Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology; four-year postdoctoral Certificate in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy) is broad and varied. I currently practice individual therapy and group therapy, both online. My approach to working with you will depend to a great degree on what you are seeking. Some people benefit from brief treatment; others seek and benefit from a deeper and longer exploration. I believe the combination of individual and group therapy can be particularly beneficial for many people. My work is guided as much by my own years of personal therapy and psychoanalysis as by my formal education.

My goal is to help you identify and resolve issues that may be preventing you from getting more of what you want in life. My style is warm and empathic, yet I can be challenging when it is needed in order to achieve growth.

I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years of experience working with adolescents, adults, couples, and families to create meaningful, measurable change in how they feel, function, and relate to others. My approach is evidence-based, empathic, and solution-focused, with therapy centered on helping you achieve clear goals so that progress is noticeable in daily life. I work with a wide range of concerns—including anxiety, low mood, loss, self-doubt, and life transitions—and have particular expertise in performance psychology, public speaking anxiety, panic attacks, fear of flying, and questions of purpose or meaning. If you’re unsure whether therapy is the right next step, I also offer a one-time consultation assessment to help clarify what may be contributing to your current stress and identify effective pathways forward, whether through therapy or other strategies.

Psychotherapy is most effective when two people (therapist and client) work together to develop a type of therapeutic relationship that not only seeks to make sense of unfolding dynamics but also provides a safe place from which to explore both the known and unknown. In other words, psychotherapy or counseling should offer a meaningful experience, offering new ways of being, relating, and experiencing. Lasting change becomes possible when we are able to find and apply new ways of thinking and feeling about ourselves and others - new ways of relating or responding to the world in which we live and engage.

I do my best to listen in the service of understanding and provide thoughtful responsiveness, which I have found helps my clients connect to their inner life and with others. Using gentle honesty and compassion, I value autonomy and collaboration to help people feel less alone while finding a sense of purpose within their lives and in the world.

Knoxville is home to the University of Tennessee — the state's flagship research university — and serves as the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains and Appalachian outdoor recreation culture, giving it a distinctive blend of college-town energy and Appalachian heritage that shapes its therapy community. The city's growing healthcare sector, anchored by UT Medical Center and Covenant Health, provides institutional mental health resources and supplies clinical training to the local community. Knoxville's working-class Appalachian communities carry distinct cultural attitudes toward help-seeking — including strong value on self-reliance and community support — that therapists must navigate with cultural sensitivity. The University of Tennessee's psychology programs, combined with the city's proximity to Appalachian communities experiencing opioid-related crisis, mean addiction recovery and co-occurring trauma are among the most active areas in Knoxville's local therapy landscape.

Gender ID

	58%	Male
	42%	Female

Session Type

	58%	In Person and Online
	42%	Online Only

Top Specialties

83%	Depression
75%	Anxiety or Fears
58%	Social Anxiety
58%	Self Esteem
50%	Relationship and Marriage Counseling
50%	Stress
42%	Parenting

Ages Served

100%	Adult
75%	Young Adult
58%	Senior
33%	Teen

Client Focus

33%	Women
25%	Men
25%	LGBTQ+
8%	Military / Veterans

Self Psychology therapists in Knoxville, Tennessee TN

Linda Michlin Ludwig

Dr. Tara Thompson

Alan Jacobson, Psy.D.

Dr. Sarah Pouliot

Dr. Adam Shafer (Chicago, IL)

Self Psychology therapists in Knoxville, Tennessee Statistics

Average years in practice

Average cost per session

Accept insurance

Offer sliding scale