About Us
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Center for Authentic Growth is a queer-affirming, values-driven group practice offering individual therapy, couples and relational therapy, coaching, group work, intensives, supervision, community offerings, and energy healing.
Our therapists, coaches, healers, and master’s-level interns provide inclusive, trauma-informed care for individuals and relationships in Nashville and across Tennessee via telehealth.
Get to Know Our Team
I’m Cadey and my pronouns are she/her. I show up to therapy as a real human first, bringing warmth, curiosity, and embodied presence into the room. My approach is experiential, relational, and deeply affirming, inviting you to move beyond talk alone and reconnect with your inner wisdom. I gently challenge while offering compassion, humor, and care, creating space for meaningful, sustainable change.
- Trauma and complex trauma
- Ethical non-monogamy support
- LGBTQIA+ and queer affirming support
- Anxiety and nervous system regulation
- Shame, self-criticism, and internal conflict
- Grief and loss
- Identity exploration and life transitions
- Spiritual exploration and spiritual deconstruction
- Disordered eating, body image concerns (HAES-aligned)
I’m Payton, an openly queer, nonbinary human, and my pronouns are they/she. I show up as my full, authentic self and invite you to do the same. My work is experiential, creative, and deeply affirming, often moving beyond traditional talk therapy to include art, movement, embodiment, and curiosity. I balance advocacy and warmth with honesty and care, creating space for growth, resilience, and change.
- Gender identity exploration and gender-affirming care
- LGBTQIA+ and queer-affirming support
- Trauma and complex trauma
- Anxiety, stress, and nervous system regulation
- Identity exploration and self-authenticity
- Relationship challenges and non-traditional relationships
- Emotional processing through experiential/creative approaches
- Life transitions and personal growth
I’m Shelby, and my pronouns are she/her. I show up with warmth, steadiness, and deep respect for the complexity of your story. My work is relational, systemic, and affirming, honoring how personal history, relationships, and larger systems shape who we are. I walk alongside you with curiosity and care, creating space for healing, growth, and meaningful change.
- Anxiety, chronic stress, and nervous system overwhelm
- Relationship therapy, couples partners, and family dynamics
- Midlife transitions, identity shifts, and meaning-making
- Self-worth, boundaries, and relational empowerment
- ADHD and neurodivergence
- LGBTQIA+ affirming care, identity exploration
- Consensual non-monogamy (CNM/ENM), polyamory, and non-traditional relationship support
I’m Lydia, and my pronouns are she/her. I show up with creativity, empathy, and deep respect for your lived experience, offering a collaborative and non-judgmental space to explore what feels hard to put into words. As a queer, neurodivergent art therapist, my work is experiential, inclusive, and grounded in connection, inviting healing through expression, authenticity, and meaning.
- LGBTQIA+ affirming care and identity exploration
- Neurodivergence and self-understanding
- Trauma and complex life experiences
- Anxiety, stress, and emotional overwhelm
- Creative expression as a tool for healing
- Identity development and self-acceptance
- Life transitions and meaning-making
- Emotional processing beyond traditional talk therapy
I’m Jason, and my pronouns are he/him. I bring a calm, curious, and collaborative presence into therapy, creating space for reflection, emotion, and meaning to unfold without pressure or judgment. My work is person-centered, trauma-informed, and grounded in both science and humanity, supporting steady, thoughtful healing through connection and trust.
- Anxiety and chronic worry
- Depression and low mood
- Religious trauma and spiritual harm
- Identity exploration and self-understanding
- Life transitions and meaning-making
- Stress, overwhelm, and nervous system regulation
- Trauma and emotional healing
- Personal growth and self-connection
I’m Abbi, and my pronouns are she/her. I create a compassionate, non-judgmental space where you are empowered to show up as your authentic self. As a queer, neurodivergent therapist, my work is client-centered, collaborative, and grounded in parts work, curiosity, and care. I bring an affirming, intersectional lens to therapy, honoring your identity, pace, and lived experience as we work toward growth.
- Anxiety and chronic stress
- Depression and mood challenges
- ADHD and neurodivergence
- Autism spectrum support
- Trauma and emotional healing
- LGBTQIA+ affirming care and identity exploration
- BDSM and kink-affirming therapy
- Teen and adult life transitions
I’m Summer, and my pronouns are she/her. I bring compassion, curiosity, and creativity into the therapy space, creating a non-judgmental environment where you feel seen and supported. My approach is collaborative, client-centered, and grounded in an inclusive, systemic lens, honoring your identity, autonomy, and pace as we explore what matters most to you, with openness and intention.
- Anxiety, stress, and emotional overwhelm
- Life transitions and personal growth
- Identity exploration and self-understanding
- Relationship and family dynamics
- LGBTQIA+ affirming care
- Trauma and difficult life experiences
- Neurodivergence and self-advocacy
- Navigating cultural, societal, and systemic stressors
I’m Sydney, and my pronouns are she/her. I show up in the therapy room with warmth, curiosity, and a deep belief in each person’s capacity for healing and growth. My approach is relational, attachment-focused, and affirming. I love helping clients explore the patterns, emotions, and experiences that have shaped their lives with compassion rather than judgment.
- Trauma and emotional healing
- Depression an anxiety
- OCD
- ADHD and neurodivergence
- Addiction & recovery
- Attachment wounds and relationship patterns
- Identity exploration and life transitions
- Religious trauma and spiritual deconstruction
- LGBTQIA+ affirming care
Hello! My name is Lauren, my pronouns are she/her. I come to this work with a genuine belief that some of the most meaningful growth happens when we feel truly safe, seen, and understood. That’s what I’m committed to building in every space I share with a client. I find so much meaning in witnessing people do the courageous work of understanding themselves more deeply. I care about the people I work with, genuinely. It’s a privilege to be trusted with someone’s most courageous and vulnerable parts.
- Trauma and complex trauma
- Anxiety and nervous system dysregulation
- Shame, self-criticism, and internal conflict
- Relational and attachment challenges
- Parent-child family reconnection
- Couples and relational work
- Intimacy and sexuality concerns
- People-pleasing and self-abandonment patterns
- Identity exploration and life transitions
- LGBTQ+ and queer-affirming support
- Inner child and parts work
I’m Ana and my pronouns are she/her. I am passionate about the mind-body connection and show up as a human first, therapist second. I believe in creating a safe and authentic space by honoring your choices and trusting that you are your own greatest teacher. I am a heavily meditated goth at heart, and sessions with me will often incorporate science, mindfulness (including some gentle movement), existentialism, and storytelling. I am honored to walk alongside you on your healing journey.
- Grief, traumatic grief, loss, terminal diagnoses, and end-of-life-support.
- Trauma, complex trauma, and sexual trauma.
- Life transitions, meaning-making, and existing in “liminal spaces”.
- Nervous system regulation and emotional processing.
- Neurodivergent identity exploration.
- Shame, self-criticism, and cultivating mindful self-compassion.
- Anxiety, storm anxiety, and stress.
- Intergenerational wounds, and boundary setting.
I’m Jenna, and my pronouns are she/her. I strive for warmth, curiosity, and grounded presence in therapy, creating space for you to explore your experiences without judgment or pressure. My approach is relational and experiential, drawing from existential, somatic,
attachment-based, and parts-informed modalities. I’m interested in helping you understand the patterns that have shaped you while also exploring who you are becoming and how you want to live.
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Anxiety, panic, and nervous system regulation
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Trauma and complex trauma
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Attachment and relationship patterns
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People-pleasing, boundaries, and self-abandonment
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Shame and self-criticism
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Identity exploration and life transitions
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Values, meaning, and existential concerns
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Emotional awareness and somatic connection
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Family dynamics and cultural expectations
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Personal growth and developing greater self-trust
I’m Hannah (she/her), an openly queer therapist-in-training who approaches therapy through a systemic and relational lens. I believe our lives are shaped by the relationships, communities, cultures, and experiences that surround us, and that healing happens when we can better understand those connections while developing a deeper relationship with ourselves. My approach is collaborative, affirming, and grounded in curiosity, compassion, and authenticity.
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LGBTQIA+ affirming care and identity exploration
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Religious trauma, spiritual harm, and deconstruction
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Neurodivergence (ADHD, autism, and self-understanding)
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Life transitions and personal growth
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Self-compassion
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Parts work (IFS-informed)
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Relationship and family dynamics
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Anxiety, stress, and emotional overwhelm
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Exploring authenticity, belonging, and self-discovery
I’m Harper, and my pronouns are she/her. I show up with curiosity, compassion, and steady presence, creating space for you to feel deeply heard and respected. I believe everyone deserves the right to live their full and meaningful lives and to exist without fear because of an identity they hold. I bring lived experience with chronic illness, neurodivergence, and religious trauma into my work. I am disability justice–aligned and provide LGBTQIA+ affirming, culturally sensitive care. Being part of someone’s healing and growth journey is an intimate and courageous process, and I am honored to even be considered.
- Anxiety and overwhelm
- Life transitions
- Identity exploration
- Neurodivergence
- Chronic illness
- LGBTQIA+ affirming care
- Religious and spiritual trauma and exploration
- Clients navigating marginalization or systemic stress
My path to becoming a therapist wasn’t a straight line. Before pursuing Marriage and Family Therapy, I spent more than 25 years in entertainment, helping tell stories through music, television, and film. Along the way, I became fascinated by the stories people live, the struggles they carry, the patterns they repeat, and the resilience that keeps them moving forward. My hope is to create a space that feels real, where you can be honest about what hurts, make sense of what’s been weighing on you, and begin moving toward healing, connection, and change.
- Anxiety and chronic stress
- Grief and loss
- Life transitions and unexpected life changes
- Parenting support
- Self-esteem and self-worth
- Navigating disappointment and setbacks
- Communication and relationship patterns
- Family relationship dynamics
- Personal resilience and coping skills
Hi, I’m Jess (she/her). I’m a Licensed Massage Therapist based in Nashville, Tennessee, and have been providing therapeutic massage and bodywork since 2014. My approach is trauma-informed, LGBTQ+ affirming, and rooted in collaboration, clear communication, and respect for your boundaries. Whether you’re seeking relief from pain, managing stress, or simply looking for a space to reconnect with your body, my goal is to create a calm, supportive experience where you feel safe, heard, and cared for.
- Chronic muscle tension
- Neck and shoulder pain
- Stress and burnout
- Headaches and jaw tension
- Recovery from everyday physical strain
- Reduced mobility
- Relaxation and nervous system regulation
- Mind-body connection and overall wellness
Explore Therapy Options
If you are looking for affirming, relational individual therapy in Nashville or virtual therapy anywhere in Tennessee, we invite you to reach out. Our team would be honored to support you.