“Trauma is the result of an overwhelming sense of danger, powerlessness, and fear. Healing is a result of feeling safe, empowered, and supported.”- Emmy Marie

My name is Alyson Whitworth, LCSW, and I believe in creating a safe space where you feel seen, heard, and valued for who you are at this exact moment in time without judgement. I am passionate about advocacy, promoting self-efficacy and independence, empowering individuals and families to capitalize on their strengths, challenging unhelpful thoughts, and changing the narratives we tell ourselves. I am highly empathetic, non-judgmental, and charismatic. I focus a lot of time and attention on building a strong and trusting relationship. I view human relationships as vehicles of change and understand the important role having a strong relationship plays in the healing process. I have experience working with anxiety, depression, complex trauma, sexual and physical abuse, mood disorders, ADHD, highly sensitive persons, dysregulation, shame and guilt, intrusive thoughts, low self-esteem, abandonment/attachments issues, and grief and loss.

I graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and from Southern Adventist University with a master’s degree in Social Work. I worked in foster care for 8 years as a case worker, team leader (supervisor), and a level 3 therapist. Foster care has given me a well-rounded experience and has exposed me to working with attorneys in the court room, advocating for educational rights in IEP and 504 meetings, providing family therapy within the foster home and with biological families to work toward reunification, promoting self-efficacy through independent living opportunities, stabilization and stepping youth down to least restrictive environments, and much more. Foster care taught me to view people through a trauma lens and ask, “what happened to you” instead of “what is wrong with you?” I am trained in Parent-Child-Interaction Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

A few non work-related things about me: I love being silly and doing ridiculous dances with my daughter and husband. I love laughing and being outdoors. I am a highly sensitive person and I live with anxiety and depression that is managed with therapy and medication. I love meeting new people and I am an extrovert.