Addiction Therapists in Nashville

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who works with adults navigating anxiety, trauma, relationship challenges, and major life stressors. Many of the people I work with are feeling overwhelmed, stuck in painful patterns, or trying to make sense of difficult experiences that continue to impact their daily lives. My approach is compassionate, practical, and grounded in evidence-based treatment. I strive to create a space where clients feel safe, understood, and supported while also working toward meaningful change. I believe that healing happens when we are able to better understand our experiences, regulate our nervous system, and develop healthier ways of responding to stress, emotions, and relationships. I am trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and I often incorporate nervous system regulation, mindfulness, and trauma-informed strategies into our work together. Clients often tell me they appreciate having a therapist who is both supportive and direct. My goal is to help you gain insight, build practical skills, and move toward a life that feels more stable, connected, and aligned with your values.

I believe that each individual is special and unique. Therefore my therapeutic technique is tailored to best serve my client's personal needs. I utilize a holistic approach to therapy, which considers the entire human being and collective life experiences. This method includes physical and spiritual contexts as well as mental well being. I am licensed in the states of TN and IL, and offer both in person and virtual therapy sessions. I’ve been practicing since 2011 and my areas of specialty are grief, trauma and loss, depression and anxiety, substance abuse, women’s issues, and helping those in a transitional phase of life. I would be honored to walk alongside you on your personal journey.

I believe good therapy starts with a genuine human connection. Clients often tell me they appreciate that I’m both compassionate and straightforward, and that I’m willing to ask meaningful questions while staying steady when conversations become difficult. My clinical work is shaped by a strong foundation in both research and practice. I hold a BA in Psychology, a master’s degree in Counseling, and a PhD in Clinical Counseling. I am trained in EMDR, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples. These approaches guide my work, but therapy with me is never rigid or one-size-fits-all. I tailor the process to each person or couple, focusing on what will be most helpful for your specific goals. I’m especially interested in how early experiences, trauma, and relational patterns influence the ways we cope, connect, and protect ourselves. Much of my work involves helping people develop greater emotional awareness, work through shame and self-criticism, and create more secure and meaningful relationships. Outside the therapy room, I’m a family-oriented person who values time with the people closest to me. I enjoy traveling, exploring new places, and recharging that way. I’m also a lifelong Chicago sports fan, particularly the Bears and the Cubs, which means I’m familiar with patience, hope, and sticking with something through ups and downs!

I strive to become the best I can be in and out of the therapy room. I enjoy reading, singing, listening to music, working out at the gym, and exploring new ideas. Water sports, running/walking, and hiking are my outdoor activities of choice. Playing a board or strategy game with my friends and family are ways I stay connected and are what I look forward to after some time with myself. I am grateful to worship at St. Elizabeth Orthodox Christian Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. On our journey, I want to help you gain more self-knowledge and channel your thoughts, emotions, and desires in a way that helps bring you to a place of greater wholeness and connection.

A Nashville native, aka unicorn, I identify as she-who-seeks-to-shine-light, as a holder-of-space, a gentle ear/shoulder and a supportive hand. I am also a mother to 4 movers and shakers, spouse to a man I believe to be equally yoked, and I enjoy nature, travel (not vacations!), reading, hiking and thrifting.

With almost twenty years as a therapist, and having completed training in attachment science, addiction and trauma, I offer clients a safe and judgment free space to work on their concerns. My undergraduate degree is in Social Work and Psychology. My graduate degree is a Master of Marriage and Family Therapy. I also value my life experiences as a human, woman, wife, mother and grandmother, in no particular order.

Life can feel overwhelming, and sometimes old patterns keep us stuck in places we don’t want to be. I help individuals, couples, and families untangle those patterns and create healthier ways of living and relating. My style is empathetic, intuitive, and a little playful. I’ll listen deeply, but I’ll also challenge you and bring creativity into the process. Whether you’re navigating anxiety, relationship struggles, parenting challenges, or family conflict, therapy with me is a safe place to plant new seeds of change, mend what’s been broken, and begin to bloom. Taking the first step toward therapy can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. If you’re feeling stuck or weighed down, I’d be honored to walk alongside you. Together, we can plant seeds of healing and growth so you can move toward the life and relationships you long for.

I believe my purpose is to help you find yours. After getting sober from addiction in my early 20's, I realized there was so much information that I was unaware even existed. My most important goal at that point was to learn as much as possible to help others avoid the pain and suffering that comes with not knowing, while maximizing their full potential.

Hello! I’m Gwen Pontikes, the dedicated therapist behind Therapy with Gwen, specializing in trauma and addiction. With experience in supporting clients facing mental health challenges and substance use disorders in residential settings, I bring a wealth of life experience to my therapy practice. My own journey through a childhood marked by addiction and codependence has shaped my approach to therapy. Having navigated my struggles with anxiety and depression, I’ve gained valuable insights into managing childhood dysfunction and overcoming unhealthy coping mechanisms. I also understand the complexities of supporting a loved one through addiction recovery, which inspired me to transition into a second career in counseling. Throughout my life, I have cared for my parents during their declining health and end-of-life issues, striving to balance my responsibilities to them, my spouse, my children, and myself in a healthy manner. The grief I faced from losing my parents has deepened my understanding of life’s emotional challenges, allowing me to offer compassionate support to my clients. I prioritize my own wellbeing as a therapist by seeking supervision and consultation, and I invest in my personal growth through therapy. This commitment helps me be the best therapist I can for my clients.

I'm a psychotherapist with over 30 years of clinical experience. My interest in this work began early, shaped by growing up in a codependent and emotionally complex family system. From a young age, I was drawn to understanding human behavior, emotional regulation, and the way people adapt to survive. Later, my professional path was deepen by my own lived experience of addiction and long-term recovery. With 38 years in recovery, I bring a grounded, compassionate, and non-patholigizing lens to the therapy process. This experience informed my deep respect for the nervous system, attachment patterns, and the intelligence of adaptive responses. My approach is relational, somatic, and experiential. I integrate nervous system based and parts – informed modalities to support healing that unfolds through safety, pacing, and attuned presence. I am particularly interested in helping people move beyond insight, alone toward embodied, change, integration, and renewed agency. I believe therapy works best when it honors both resilience and vulnerability, and when healing is approached as a collaborative process rather than something imposed.

Life can be complicated, and sometimes the things we struggle with aren’t easy to untangle on our own. Mental and emotional challenges come from a mix of life experiences, environment, genetics, and our own readiness or ability to make changes. Counseling gives us a place to slow down, make sense of those things, and better understand why we feel or react the way we do. Through that process, people often develop greater self-awareness and experience real emotional and mental growth. I’m Joe Chester, LPC-MHSP, and I’ve been practicing counseling full time since 2011. Before becoming a counselor, I spent more than 30 years working as an engineer and project manager here in Middle Tennessee. That experience shaped how I approach counseling today. I tend to be practical and thoughtful, helping people work through problems in ways that make sense for their lives while also creating space for deeper reflection and growth. Outside of my counseling practice, I enjoy volunteering with local churches, community organizations, and non-profits throughout the area. One thing I believe strongly is this: no one knows you better than you do. I’ll never claim to be the expert on your life. My role is to listen, ask the right questions, and walk alongside you as you work through challenges and discover the path forward that feels right for you. If you decide to begin counseling, it would be a privilege to walk that journey with you.