Maybe you’ve tried to sort it out on your own. You’ve read the books, changed your routine and talked it through with a friend, and you still feel stuck. It could be anxiety that won’t settle, a low mood that’s lasted longer than you expected, a relationship that keeps hurting or a season of life you didn’t plan for. You want life to feel different, and you’re not sure where to start.

There’s no reason to feel embarrassed about reaching out. Whatever you’re carrying, someone has carried it before you, and it helps to know you’re not the only one.

Hand-drawn ball of yarn with a loose strand
Hand-drawn ball of yarn with a loose strand

Counseling for adults
in Tullahoma

Woman wrapped in a knit blanket holding a mug of tea in a cozy armchair

I’m LeeAnn Childers, a counselor at Pearl Counseling in Tullahoma. I grew up here, and I came back on purpose to do this work in my own community. My training is in marriage and family therapy, so I look at your whole life, including the relationships and history that shaped how you handle things today.

The first few sessions are for getting to know you and what brought you in. Within three to five sessions, we’ll set goals together based on what you want to change. Those goals can shift as we go. If a crisis comes up one week, we’ll make room for it and then get back to the plan.

My style is relational and conversational. I’m gentle, and I can be direct when that’s what will help you move forward. I use narrative therapy to help you look at the story you’ve been telling about yourself, along with EMDR, CBT tools, mindfulness and self-compassion.

Sometimes what’s happening now has roots in something older. When that’s true, we’ll look at early experiences and the beliefs they left behind, at a pace that feels safe to you.

I want my office to be a soft place to land. You won’t be judged for what you bring in or made to feel silly for asking questions.

One woman I worked with was getting ready to visit family, and she knew the trip would stir up hard memories. She’d already made a plan for her teenage son: if he needed to leave, they’d get in the car and go get coffee. I asked her if she could offer herself that same care. She cried, because no one had ever told her she could.

If you’re wondering whether counseling could help, let’s talk. The first call is free and takes about 15 minutes.

Start Here

  • Adults come to me for anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, life transitions like retirement, and hard experiences from earlier in life. If you’re not sure your reason counts, call and we’ll talk it through.

  • Before your first visit, you’ll fill out paperwork through an online portal. The first session is an intake, where we talk about what brought you in. Over the next few sessions we’ll get to know each other and set goals together.

  • Yes. I see adults in person at my office in Tullahoma and also offer telehealth. Clients come from Tullahoma, Winchester, Manchester, Shelbyville, and Moore, Coffee and Grundy counties.

  • If addiction recovery or a personality disorder is the main focus, I’ll help you find someone better suited for that work. I don’t provide medication management.

  • Tell me. If it doesn’t feel right, we’ll talk about it, and I’ll help you find someone who’s a better fit.

  • Sessions are $120. I offer a sliding scale, and I’m not accepting insurance at this time.