Who I am
My name is Mandi and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor. I grew up in a small town in Tennessee just outside of Knoxville with two older brothers who taught me love, a mother who fought for me to have better, and a father who taught me compassion and sacrifice. I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Maryville College and continued on to successfully complete my Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I am all Vols all day, and naturally had to move back home where others bleed orange just like me.
In my spare time I love chilling at home with my husband and our two furbabies, Cash and Luna, and our two feather babies (chickens) Lottie and Dottie... yes, we are those millennials.
You can often find us enjoying long walks with Cash, watching the Memphis Grizzlies grit and grind, wearing orange on Saturdays, or watching our favorite streamers play games on Twitch (enter nerd emoji here).
how I work
I am a very passionate person, and my number one priority is to help you find a way to wake up happy every day. I truly believe you deserve my unconditional care and support no matter what you bring to the table. I am an extremely open person and am accepting and supportive of all lifestyles when they do not cause harm to another person or group of people. I am not here to judge you, but to simply meet you where you are and help move you to a better place. I will walk beside you throughout your entire journey, in and outside of session.
Who I am as a couples counselor
I was lucky to have a relationship with both of my parents even though they divorced when I was young. I know what it feels like to have a split family. I watched my parents hurt as they struggled to try and make it work, and it’s a big reason why I feel so connected to relationship work. I often wonder what could have been if they only knew how to communicate in a way that brings closeness instead of creating more distance. I realized years ago that no one teaches us how to make it work with another person. Schools don’t teach it and parents either hide fighting or fight out in the open. I won’t even get into what movies and books teach us about love… Disney and 90s romcoms am I right? Helping other families like you learn what it takes and avoid the heartache of separation is a true passion of mine directly because of my own experiences.
I knew early in my educational experience that I wanted to specialize in couples and families, and I worked non-stop to set myself up to do exactly that. I completed my training for Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy before graduating with my master’s degree in counseling and \made connections with the local EFT community immediately so I could continue to learn and grow. I believe in EFT with every fiber of my being. I have seen the power it has in helping couples find a deeper, more connected love. I have witnessed partners struggling with infidelity find understanding, forgiveness, and re-connection. I have even had couples tell me how it’s helped them communicate with their children or other family members. It has been the greatest joy and privilege to find EFT and help families with it. I have a true soft spot for those who love each other fiercely, but just don’t know how to make it work. On the flip side, I also have a passion for helping those struggling with grief and loss. To lose any connection that matters is a singular kind of pain that sometimes takes a lifetime to learn to live with. I also truly enjoy working with couples who are early in their relationship or considering marriage. I believe in the power of being proactive, and learning how to stop negative cycles before they even get started will only set you up for a secure relationship that lasts a lifetime. No one enters a relationship or makes vows intending to break them. It’s learning how to keep them that makes all the difference in the world.
who I am as an individual counselor
As your individual therapist, I will help guide you to living a happy and full life. I never want you to feel alone, and together we will explore the areas of your life that don’t bring you happiness and change what needs to be changed. I believe healing begins with having an awareness of why you hurt and why it all matters. I believe less in changing who you are and instead helping you discover your authentic self and stepping into that boldly. I have a true passion for helping individuals navigate relationship issues. We were born with a built in need to be connected to others. When those relationships are strained it completely alters who we are and how we feel on an individual level. On the flip side, I also have a passion for helping those struggling with grief and loss. To lose any connection that matters is a singular kind of pain that sometimes takes a lifetime to learn to live with. Another passion point for me is women’s issues. I truly love helping other women come into their own. We deserve to feel confident, strong, independent, and free from insecurities that our culture can unfortunately instill. Men, I haven’t forgotten about you! You have likely been taught that you have to be strong and that it’s weakness to show any emotion or vulnerability. It makes you hide parts of yourself daily. I would love to work with you on getting a handle on your depression and anxiety and helping you find ways to show who you are to those you love and care about.
At the end of the day, I want you to feel safe and comfortable while you do the incredibly brave and hard work of becoming. I will go at your pace, meeting you exactly where you are while encouraging you and challenging you along the way. I am kind, compassionate, and incredibly openhearted. I have been known to be fairly unfiltered and can be tough when you need me to be. There might even be one or two well placed curse words in the mix.
