Bio
Education and Experience
Teri received her Bachelor’s Degree from Anderson University with a double major in Psychology and Family Science. She completed her graduate studies at Indiana University where she received her Masters in Social Work.
Teri is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Florida and Indiana, as well as a Licensed Clinical Addictions Counselor in Indiana.
Teri was a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) and a member of The National Council on Family Relations for 8 years. She is currently a member of The National Association of Social Workers.
Teri has been in private practice since 2004, serving various populations including individuals, couples, teens, families, and kids.
Personal
Teri enjoys spending quality time with her husband, her two children, her foster kids, and her dog. She loves serving at her church, having coffee with friends, being outdoors, visiting Disney, and cooking.
Teri’s Call to Becoming a Therapist
Teri’s passion to become a therapist started at age 12. Her parents divorced when she was 10, and she started seeing a school counselor shortly after. It was such a great experience for Teri that she wanted to help others the way she had been helped.
During Teri’s teenage years, she spent several summers traveling around the world on mission trips with churches and missionaries. While working at an orphanage in China and in one of Mother Teresa’s homes in India, Teri’s desire and compassion to help people in need grew strong. After this, God paved the way for this calling in her life.
Teri is a firm believer that it is difficult for a therapist to take a client where you haven’t been yourself. That is why her own personal therapy has been a big part of her life. She feels that the healthier she becomes, the better she can help direct and support her clients in their healing. Teri practices what she preaches and knows the road can be hard, but will guide you along the way.
Teri’s Counseling Philosophy
Teri believes that therapy is an amazing journey that can provide you with a life you never thought possible. Jennifer Rothschild said it best when she stated: “In the adversity we dread facing, we discover life of which we’ve only dreamed.” The issues people come to therapy for are not things we typically want to dissect and re-live, but doing so can give us incredible outcomes. Teri believes self-awareness is the key to making this happen. Teri is a root cause therapist, which means she is always looking for any underlying issue that explains more about your current struggle. It is important for Teri to get to know your story and parts of your history that will help her understand more of what’s going on. As Teri discovers any issues, she will educate you about it, provide you with resources, and help you build tools to make changes.
Writing
Check out Teri’s blog for information on therapeutic topics and helpful tips. Teri is also a contributor for iMOM, a program of Family First, which gives moms resources and support as they walk the roller coaster journey of parenting. You can also find helpful free resources Teri has written over the years.
Speaking
Teri is available in the Tampa, Florida area to speak to groups on issues related to specific therapy topics, Christianity and discipleship, and foster parenting. She also has experience speaking for women’s retreats, professional break out sessions, and church groups. Contact us for more information.