Licensed to practice in Tennessee and accepts 9 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Child or Adolescent, Depression and 8 more.
New to Grow
Hello, my name is Les Parker, and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor-Mental Health Service Provider (LPC-MHSP) and National Certified Counselor (NCC). I provide telehealth therapy to clients throughout Tennessee and work with children, adolescents, and adults facing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, life transitions, relationship challenges, and stress-related concerns. I believe therapy should be a safe, supportive space where you can be yourself without judgment. My approach is collaborative and tailored to your unique needs, helping you better understand your experiences, develop practical coping skills, and create meaningful change in your life. I utilize evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Brainspotting, and Internal Family Systems (IFS). These approaches can help address anxiety, depression, trauma, negative self-beliefs, emotional overwhelm, and patterns that may be keeping you stuck. Many of the clients I work with appear to be functioning well on the outside while struggling internally with worry, self-doubt, emotional pain, or unresolved experiences from the past. Others come to therapy feeling overwhelmed by life’s challenges and wanting a better understanding of themselves and their relationships. My goal is to help clients gain insight, build resilience, improve emotional well-being, and move toward a life that feels more connected to their values and goals. Whether you are facing a specific challenge or simply looking to grow and heal, I am committed to meeting you where you are and supporting you throughout the process. Taking the first step toward therapy can be difficult, but you do not have to navigate life’s challenges alone. I look forward to helping you move toward lasting healing and personal growth.
What to Expect During Your First Therapy Session Starting therapy can feel intimidating, especially if you’ve never worked with a therapist before. Many people wonder what they should say, whether they’ll be judged, or if they need to have everything figured out before they begin. The good news is that you don’t need to prepare a perfect story or know exactly what you want to work on. The first session is designed to help us get to know each other and begin understanding what brings you to therapy. During our first session, we will review important information such as confidentiality, its limitations, office policies, and what you can expect from the counseling process. This is also an opportunity for you to ask questions about therapy, my approach, or any concerns you may have about getting started. A significant portion of the session will focus on understanding your story. We will discuss what prompted you to seek therapy, the challenges you are currently facing, and how those challenges are affecting your daily life, relationships, work, school, or overall well-being. Depending on your situation, we may also explore relevant background information, including family relationships, significant life events, medical history, previous counseling experiences, and current sources of support. The first session is not about solving everything at once. Instead, it is about building a foundation for our work together. My goal is to create a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental environment where you feel comfortable sharing at your own pace. You are never required to discuss anything before you are ready. As we talk, I will begin identifying patterns, strengths, and areas that may benefit from additional attention. Together, we will discuss your goals for therapy and what you hope to achieve. Some clients come in with very clear goals, while others simply know that something needs to change. Both are completely normal. By the end of the session, we will typically develop an initial plan for treatment. Depending on your needs, future sessions may incorporate approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems (IFS), mindfulness-based strategies, or other evidence-based interventions. Most importantly, the first session is an opportunity to determine whether you feel comfortable working with me. Research consistently shows that a strong therapeutic relationship is o
Strengths I Bring to the Counseling Process I believe one of my greatest strengths as a therapist is my ability to create a safe, nonjudgmental environment where clients feel comfortable being themselves. Many people come to therapy carrying shame, fear, anxiety, or painful experiences they have never shared with anyone. My goal is to help clients feel heard, understood, and accepted while we work together toward meaningful change. I take a collaborative approach to therapy, recognizing that clients are the experts on their own lives. Rather than telling people what to do, I work alongside them to better understand their experiences, identify patterns, build on existing strengths, and develop practical solutions to the challenges they face. I bring a balance of compassion and directness to sessions. Clients often appreciate that I can provide support and empathy while also helping them recognize patterns, beliefs, or behaviors that may be keeping them stuck. My goal is to help clients gain insight while also creating real-world change. I am trained in multiple evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). This allows me to tailor treatment to each client’s unique needs rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. I also believe in meeting clients where they are. Some clients need practical coping skills and structure, while others benefit from deeper work focused on trauma, emotions, relationships, or personal growth. I strive to adapt my approach to fit the individual rather than expecting the individual to fit a particular therapy model. Most importantly, I bring genuine care, curiosity, and a commitment to helping clients move toward healing. Whether someone is struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship difficulties, or life transitions, I aim to provide a supportive space where they can feel empowered, develop resilience, and create lasting change.
My ideal client is someone who is ready to better understand themselves and create meaningful change in their life, even if they are unsure where to begin. They may be struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship difficulties, life transitions, or feeling stuck in patterns that no longer serve them. Often, they have spent years trying to manage their struggles on their own and are looking for a safe, supportive space where they can be heard without judgment. Many of the clients I work with are high-functioning on the outside but feel overwhelmed internally. They may appear successful, responsible, and capable while quietly battling excessive worry, self-doubt, emotional pain, or unresolved experiences from the past. Others may feel disconnected from themselves, their relationships, or their goals and want help understanding why they continue to react in ways that do not align with who they want to be. I enjoy working with individuals who are willing to engage in the therapeutic process and explore both the symptoms they are experiencing and the deeper factors contributing to them. My approach is collaborative, meaning we work together to identify goals, develop practical coping skills, and address underlying emotional wounds. Whether through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems (IFS), or other evidence-based approaches, treatment is tailored to each client’s unique needs. I also enjoy working with children, adolescents, and adults who are navigating anxiety, behavioral concerns, trauma, family stress, or significant life changes. Regardless of age, my goal is to help clients gain insight, build resilience, improve emotional well-being, and move toward a life that feels more fulfilling and aligned with their values. Therapy is not about fixing what is broken—it is about helping people access the strengths and resources they already possess create lasting change.
Other specialties
Brainspotting
I use Brainspotting to help clients access and process emotional experiences, trauma, anxiety, and distress that may be stored deeper in the brain and body than traditional talk therapy can reach. During a Brainspotting session, I help clients identify a specific issue and then locate an eye position, or “brainspot,” that appears connected to that experience. While maintaining focus on that spot, clients are encouraged to notice thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and memories as they arise. This process allows the brain’s natural healing mechanisms to work through unresolved material, often leading to reduced distress, increased insight, and greater emotional regulation. Brainspotting can be used for trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, performance issues, and other emotional challenges.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify and challenge unhelpful thought patterns that contribute to emotional distress and problematic behaviors. Together, we examine the connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions, and develop more balanced, realistic ways of thinking. CBT is a practical, goal-oriented approach that helps clients build coping skills, improve emotional regulation, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and create lasting behavioral change.
EMDR
I use Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to help clients process and heal from traumatic experiences, distressing memories, and negative beliefs that continue to impact their lives. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or tapping, to help the brain reprocess stuck memories in a way that reduces emotional distress and allows for healthier perspectives to emerge. EMDR can be effective for trauma, anxiety, grief, panic, phobias, and other experiences that continue to affect present-day functioning.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
I use Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help clients better understand the different “parts” of themselves that influence their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Rather than viewing symptoms as problems to eliminate, IFS helps clients develop curiosity and compassion toward the protective parts that have developed in response to life experiences. Through this process, clients can heal wounded parts, reduce internal conflict, and build greater self-awareness, emotional balance, and self-leadership.