My Journey to Becoming a Therapist

My name is Courtney Warren, and I specialize in working with adults who feel overwhelmed by anxiety, stuck in unhealthy patterns, navigating relationship challenges, healing from trauma, or struggling to understand themselves more fully. Many of my clients are high-achieving, deeply caring people who spend so much energy taking care of others that they've lost touch with their own needs. They may feel exhausted by people-pleasing, self-doubt, perfectionism, or the weight of past experiences that continue to impact their present. My goal is to help clients better understand themselves, heal the wounds that keep them feeling stuck, and develop the tools needed to create more fulfilling relationships, greater emotional balance, and a life that feels authentically their own.

My path to becoming a therapist began long before I entered a graduate program or sat across from clients in a counseling room. As a teenager, I experienced firsthand the healing and support that therapy can provide during life's most difficult moments. Through my own journey, I discovered the profound impact of feeling truly seen, understood, and supported. Those experiences not only helped shape my own growth but also inspired me to dedicate my life to helping others find hope, healing, and lasting change.

The Experiences That Shape My Work

Life has taught me that healing is rarely a straight path. I have experienced many of the joys and challenges that come with relationships, family, loss, change, and personal growth. As someone who married her high school sweetheart, became a mother to two incredible daughters, and later learned how to navigate life as a working single parent, I understand firsthand how life can shift in unexpected ways.

Being the youngest by five minutes, growing up as a twin in a large, close-knit family, losing my father unexpectedly at just 19 years old, and navigating the many transitions that come with changing family dynamics have profoundly shaped the person and therapist I am today.

Those experiences taught me that life can change in an instant, that grief doesn't follow a timeline, and that healing isn't about erasing pain—it's about learning to carry it differently. They deepened my compassion, strengthened my belief in the resilience of the human spirit, and gave me a profound appreciation for what it means to feel truly seen, understood, and supported.

While every person's story is unique, I understand what it feels like to have your world turned upside down. I know that healing rarely happens through advice alone—it happens within the safety of a genuine, trusting relationship. My own journey allows me to meet clients with empathy, authenticity, and hope, believing that even after life's most difficult experiences, it is possible to heal, reconnect with yourself, and build a life that feels meaningful again.

Beyond the Therapy Room

When I'm not working with clients, you'll most likely find me spending time with my daughters or friends. Whether i’m watching them play softball, we're traveling, playing games, having impromptu dance parties, singing karaoke, or enjoying a movie night together, these moments are some of my greatest joys.

I also find peace and restoration in nature—especially in the mountains—and draw strength from my faith and church community. These experiences help keep me grounded and continually remind me of the importance of connection, resilience, and finding beauty even in life's most challenging seasons.

My Approach

I believe therapy works best when it feels like a genuine partnership. My goal is to create a space where you feel safe, understood, and accepted exactly as you are. Together, we'll explore the challenges bringing you to therapy, build on your strengths, and work toward meaningful, lasting change—at a pace that feels right for you.

It is truly an honor to be invited into people's stories, and I look forward to walking alongside you on your journey toward healing and growth.

Education & Professional Background

I pursued this calling at Middle Tennessee State University, where I earned both my Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW). Shortly after completing my graduate degree, I earned my license and became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and began the work I had long felt called to do.

I discovered my passion for trauma informed care using eye movement desensitation and reprocessing (EMDR) and started the training to become certified a month after getting my LCSW. I also incoprorate cognitive beahvioral therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Dialectal Beahvioral Therapy (DBT), and mindfulnes therapy to help my clients build healthier relationships, develop greater self-understanding, and move toward lives that feel more fulfilling and aligned with their values.