Contemplative Psychotherapy Therapists in Nashville, TN

Hello, I'm Dr. Ruth Viehoff, and it's a pleasure to virtually meet you! My practice is geared towards gen Z and millennial clients who struggle with anxiety, worry, perfectionism, and ADHD. My clients are often college students, graduate students, or are early in their careers as high-powered professionals. I have experience working with physicians and other medical professionals, engineers, high-stress business professionals, and lawyers. Often my clients over-schedule, over-optimize, and feel like they are working so hard to keep things in order in their lives. To other people, it may appear that you have it all together, but they don't see your internal struggle, your sense of overwhelm, and your hope that you will finally get a grasp on things tomorrow. Often my clients rely on achievement and external forms of validation and praise to feel like they are doing enough. They struggle to internally approve of themselves and their efforts. In therapy, I help my clients to cultivate self-compassion, re-evaluate and replace unhealthy personal standards, and increase attention to their own internal wants, needs, and opinions. Therapy is an opportunity to cultivate your own internal sense of knowing and increase your sense of agency in your own life. Reach out to me today to book a free consultation call!

Dr. Jenny Shields specializes in supporting healthcare providers, executives, and high-achieving professionals who feel overwhelmed, burned out, or stuck—especially those who’ve dedicated their careers to caring for others while quietly neglecting their own well-being. Her approach is deeply rooted in evidence-based behavioral science, balanced with genuine warmth, empathy, and down-to-earth candor. Known for quickly pinpointing core issues, Dr. Shields offers clarity and practical tools to help clients step out of survival mode and into meaningful, lasting change—reclaiming their sense of self, purpose, and professional fulfillment.

My clinical experience is wide and deep. I estimate I have conducted about 90,000 hours of psychotherapy sessions, including many hours training and supervising other therapists. This experience covers many modes: individual therapy, as well as family, couple and group therapy. My basic orientation is existential and psychodynamic, but I have added much training and experience in other approaches on top of that over the years. I am Board Certified in Clinical Psychology, ABPP, have served 2 terms as a board director and secretary for the American Academy of Psychotherapy, and previously trained young clinical psychologists and psychiatric residents at the University of North Carolina. We keep learning more about how to be effective therapists, and I have aggressively added to my clinical wisdom. I stand ready to work to understand you deeply, and help you profoundly, whatever your current dilemmas.

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.

I have been a psychologist in trauma work for many years, thus I can tailor my approach to meet your needs. Different ages and developmental stages throughout the life span require differing approaches. People generally wait to start therapy until their symptoms are really bothersome. I am currently accepting new patients, with no waiting list.

Nashville's identity as the hub of the country music and entertainment industries creates distinct demand for therapists who understand performance anxiety, creative identity, and the psychological pressures of a career where public persona and private self are often difficult to separate. The city's explosive growth — driven by healthcare, technology, and tourism — has brought a large influx of transplants navigating social isolation and the challenge of building community in a fast-changing city. Vanderbilt University Medical Center and HCA Healthcare, one of the largest hospital systems in the country, provide major institutional mental health resources alongside a growing network of private practices. Nashville's strong faith community means many residents seek therapists who can integrate spiritual values with evidence-based treatment for anxiety, depression, and relationship concerns.

Gender ID

	55%	Female
	45%	Male

Session Type

	73%	Online Only
	27%	In Person and Online

Top Specialties

91%	Anxiety or Fears
82%	Depression
55%	Loss or Grief
55%	Relationship and Marriage Counseling
55%	Stress
45%	Codependency
45%	Divorce

Ages Served

100%	Adult
64%	Young Adult
45%	Senior
36%	Teen

Client Focus

45%	Women
36%	Men
27%	LGBTQ+
18%	Buddhist
18%	Jewish

Contemplative Psychotherapy therapists in Nashville, TN

Dr. Ruth Viehoff

Dr. Jenny Shields

James C. Carpenter, PhD, ABPP

Alan Jacobson, Psy.D.

Nancy Hayes-Gary, Psy.D.