Sara Tinker, LCSW
Therapist in Tennessee
Sara Tinker, LCSW, welcomes people who are stressed, anxious, grieving, or struggling with relationships and identity.
- Licensed inTennessee
- License1046
- NPI 1578905204
- Experience26+ years
- LanguagesEnglish
Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.
About Sara
Sara Tinker, LCSW, welcomes people who are stressed, anxious, grieving, or struggling with relationships and identity. She uses a calm, straightforward style to help clients feel heard and to build more stable connections. Her approach aims to reduce daily overwhelm and improve how people relate to themselves and others.
Sara draws on more than 26 years of clinical experience in Tennessee. She uses Attachment-based work alongside client-centered and emotion-focused ideas to help people understand patterns in their relationships.
Background and approach
Dialectical behavior therapy skills are woven in when clients need tools for mood regulation and coping. Her background also includes helping people with trauma, addictions, chronic illness, and caregiving stress. Sessions are conversational and practical.
She listens for what matters most, then introduces skills, reflections, or exercises that fit each person’s goals. When trauma is present, she uses approaches that address both thoughts and bodily responses to distress. The focus is always on small, usable changes that build toward greater stability.
Sara’s early training included work on stress, exercise, and mind-body connections, and she later practiced in community mental health, adolescent services, and independent practice. That range of work informs how she tailors care for different life challenges. Her aim is to help people find more ease, clearer communication, and stronger self-awareness.
People who want straightforward help with relationships, mood, or trauma-related concerns will find a practical, warm therapist in Sara. She emphasizes respect, dignity, and collaboration while helping clients move toward their goals.
Credentials
- LCSW (Tennessee)
- License 1046 · expires April 2028
- NPI
- 1578905204 · national provider identifier
Both are public records. A state board register will confirm a license and its standing, and the national registry will confirm an NPI. This directory copies what the therapist lists and checks neither.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Sara lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Trichotillomania
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Sara names
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Existential Therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.
Online support
Attachment and skills work online
Attachment-based work focuses on how early and current relationships shape feelings and behavior. It helps people notice patterns in connection, respond differently in relationships, and feel more emotionally regulated. Client-centered therapy centers the person in the room, using active listening and reflection to help people understand their values and make choices that match who they want to be. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) adds practical skills for managing intense emotions, improving relationships, and reducing self-destructive behaviors.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Sara will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful. Together they decide whether attachment work, client-centered reflection, DBT skills, or a mix of approaches best supports the work ahead.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect. Video calls allow full face-to-face conversation and visual cues, while phone sessions are helpful when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging let people check in between sessions or get support without scheduling a full appointment. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives and to continue progress across changing circumstances.
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Frequently asked
What kinds of issues does she help with?
Sara works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy concerns, grief, addiction issues, parenting stress, chronic illness and caregiver strain, and related challenges.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style is warm, interactive, and practical. Sessions combine listening, reflection, and skills practice to address day-to-day problems and relationship patterns.
What experience does she bring to therapy?
She has over 26 years of clinical experience in community mental health, adolescent services, and independent practice, and has worked with trauma, addiction, and chronic health concerns.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She holds the LCSW credential and practices in Tennessee as a licensed clinical social worker.
Can sessions be conducted in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different needs and schedules.
How much does therapy cost here?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working together?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions based on the therapist's availability.
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