LCSW, 18 years of experience
Hello, I’m Martila, though most people call me Tila. I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with active licenses in Georgia, North Carolina, and Connecticut. As the founder of Relax, Release & Restore Counseling, LLC, I provide therapy for individuals and couples navigating life transitions, trauma, relationship challenges, and emotional overwhelm. A U.S. Army veteran and recent federal retiree, the therapist offers a grounded, trauma-informed, and strength-based approach specializing in couples therapy. Their practice emphasizes creating a safe, supportive space for healing, collaboration, and personal growth, helping clients build resilience, find their voice, and move toward a more fulfilling life.
Welcome! The first therapy session focuses on creating a safe, supportive environment where the client feels comfortable and understood. The therapist will learn about the client’s concerns, goals, and background while explaining their trauma-informed, strength-based approach. Key topics include confidentiality, expectations, and session logistics. The meeting aims to build trust, answer questions, and collaboratively develop an initial treatment plan and session schedule to guide future work.
The therapist combines real-world experience as a U.S. Army veteran and federal retiree with compassionate, evidence-based care. Their trauma informed and strength-based approach helps clients understand how past experiences influence current challenges while fostering resilience and self-confidence. Integrating CBT, relational, psychoeducational, and mindfulness techniques, the therapist focuses on emotional regulation, insight, and empowerment. Clients describe feeling heard, supported, and safe, with therapy emphasizing trust, collaboration, and lasting personal growth.
The therapist specializes in supporting individuals and couples seeking healing from trauma, anxiety, relationship issues, life transitions, Military Sexual Trauma, deployment-related challenges, and burnout. They provide a compassionate, culturally affirming, and judgment-free environment that balances structure with flexibility. Their client-centered approach emphasizes authenticity, self-reflection, and strength-building to help clients improve communication, rebuild trust, process past experiences, and restore emotional balance with clarity and confidence.
In my clinical practice, I use strength-based therapy to help clients recognize and build on their existing resilience, values, and personal strengths. Rather than focusing solely on problems, I guide individuals and couples to shift their perspective toward what’s already working. This approach empowers clients to reclaim their narrative, set meaningful goals, and move forward with confidence. Whether working with trauma survivors, couples in conflict, or individuals in transition, I use strength-based methods to foster growth, healing, and self-trust.
My treatment method is trauma-informed, strength-based, and culturally responsive. I create a safe, supportive environment where clients feel seen, heard, and empowered. I integrate evidence-based practices—such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), strength-based therapy, and elements of solution-focused and mindfulness-based interventions—tailored to each client’s unique needs and lived experience. As a veteran, mother, and clinician, I bring both professional expertise and personal understanding into the therapy space. I work collaboratively with clients to help them identify their strengths, reframe limiting beliefs, and develop practical strategies for healing, growth, and emotional resilience.