Allen Gholston, LCSW

Allen Gholston is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with two decades of experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, trauma, and relationship struggles. He uses straightforward, respectful talk to help people make practical changes. He offers a judgment-free approach and emphasizes positive regard for every client.

He works in a client-centered way, tailoring each plan to the person in front of him. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one tool he draws on to identify unhelpful thoughts and shift everyday habits. He also uses skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy to help with emotional regulation and from mindfulness practices to increase present-moment awareness.

Sessions focus on clear goals and small steps people can use between visits. He encourages deliberate effort and applauds progress along the way. Conversations are direct but warm, with attention to what is most pressing right now.

Allen brings practical experience with chronic illness, body image concerns, gender and sexuality questions, and substance use issues. He also supports people facing career changes, compassion fatigue, or midlife transitions. His practice includes work on mood and personality-related concerns, post-traumatic stress, and the effects of prejudice and discrimination.

Based in Tennessee, he offers help in English and accepts international clients. People who want to get started complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session. He aims to make therapy understandable and useful from the first meeting.

How Allen uses practical therapy approaches online

Allen commonly integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Client-Centered work into online sessions. CBT involves identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors to reduce anxiety, depression, and problematic habits. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, respect, and tailoring the pace to each person's needs, which helps people feel heard and make change at their own speed.

He also uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills when emotional regulation is a concern. DBT provides concrete tools for managing intense emotions, improving relationships, and tolerating distress without acting impulsively. Together these approaches offer both practical techniques and supportive collaboration to meet goals.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. He will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals and preferences, and adjust plans as progress unfolds. That collaborative process helps people try different strategies and keep what works.

Online therapy offers flexibility: video calls for in-depth conversations, phone sessions when bandwidth or motion matters, live chat for shorter check-ins, and text-based messaging for ongoing support between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule and keep momentum between appointments.