Pamela Hicks, MMFT

ME AS A PERSON

I’m Pamela and my pronouns are she/her. As a therapist, I believe that each person I sit with deserves compassion and unconditional positive regard regardless of what might compel them to meet with me. I aim to meet them where they are and to create an environment that will feel supportive and safe. I love my job and feel honored that what I do allows me to connect to others with compassionate care and curiosity. When I’m not working, one can find me spending time with my partner, my bonuses, my pups, my chosen family of friends, as well as my loving siblings and their beautiful families. I enjoy reading, traveling, the visual arts, learning new things, dancing, swimming in clear water, and being outside in nature. I am so excited to work with you, wherever you are in your life’s journey.

MY THERAPEUTIC APPROACH IS:

Person-Centered

Embodied

Affirming
Systemic
Highly relational

Experiential

Holistic
Non-Judgmental
Client-Centered

Relatable
Anti-Racist
Collaborative

I thoroughly enjoy helping people reconnect to their inner wisdom so they may discover their inner compass, one that guides them in their journey to find joy, fulfillment, self-understanding, and skills at building mutually satisfying relationships with others. I’m here to listen without judgment and help them find peace and empowerment as they chart their paths of healing.

As a systemically-trained therapist, I consider all factors at play in one’s life story. This means not just the family systems in which we were raised, and what happened to us along the way, but also the internalized messages from our society that can limit our abilities to understand ourselves and our world. In my work, I strive to help people turn down the noise of the world so that they may find their own inner wisdom about who they are, what they need, and ultimately how to heal.

I integrate a variety of research-supported psychological treatments, skills, training, and techniques, that are both insight- and behavior-oriented, to best meet the needs of each client individually. For those interested in the technical terms, I primarily integrate Internal Family Systems (IFS) or “parts work” with Brainspotting, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Polyvagal Theory, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), mindfulness, and somatic-based interventions including therapeutic yoga, experiential, and psychodrama. I also pull from Non-Violent Communication (NVC) principles, Bowenian ideology, and function with a mindset inspired by the work of Viktor Frankl, Martin Siegelman, and Brené Brown.

In our work together we will most likely slow down and connect to the wisdom of the body. I will lead you into developing a new awareness of the beliefs you hold and how they affect you in life. I will guide you into getting to know your internal system, understanding its many parts, how they function, and how they may heal. I will walk with you every step of the way and am honored to witness your healing journey.

MY TRAINING

I am a Marriage and Family Therapy Clinician working under a temporary license and the supervision of Cadey Phipps, license #1348, as I pursue full licensure status. I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, Sociology, and Criminal Justice from the University of North Alabama. I have four Master’s degrees, two of which apply directly to my clinical work. The first is a Master of Arts in Conflict Management from Lipscomb University and the second is a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling from Trevecca University. I have completed levels one and two of Internal Family Systems (IFS) training. IFS, or “parts work” is an amazing orientation that helps us to analyze and connect with our internal self-energy so that we can heal parts that carry lingering wounds or traumas. I have completed all the training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), which has provided me with a strong foundation in attachment theories for working with couples. I have completed three phases of Brainspotting training, which is an incredibly powerful tool that can help us process traumas by accessing the part of the brain where unconscious beliefs and connected emotions live.

I have also completed 500 hours of yoga training (RYT-500) including 300 hours of yoga therapy teacher training under the guidance of Chase Bossart, Pam Hightower, and Dolphi Wertenbaker, as well as training in both Somatic Experiencing and Somatic NVC training, all of which has expanded my knowledge of how to get out of our heads and into our bodies to fully release trauma.
I am certified in PREPARE/ENRICH, a parenting, premarital, and marital counseling, and assessment program. I have completed foundational Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and Non-Violent Communication (NVC) training. I also have completed mediation training through both the Conflict Resolution Center at Lipscomb University and Nashville Conflict Resolution Center, and am a Rule 31 eligible Civil and Family Mediator with special certification in Domestic Violence. I am constantly training, learning, and working to be the very best helper that I can be.

Whoever you are, whomever and however you love, I promise to provide quality professional services to persons without discrimination on the basis of race, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, health status, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or relationship status. Come just as you are.

 PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)
Tennessee Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (TNAMFT)
International Association of Yoga Therapists (IYAT)
International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT)
Center for Non-Violent Communication (CNVC)
Nashville Psychotherapy Institute (NPI)
American Psychological Association (APA)
International Society for Experiential Professionals (ISEP)
Southeastern Brainspotting Institute (SBI)
Climate Psychology Alliance North America (SPI-NA)