About Allen
Allen Gholston is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, grief, trauma, and relationship strains. They work with concerns related to self-esteem, career shifts, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue. Allen uses a nonjudgmental style and focuses on practical steps people can try between sessions.
Allen holds a Master of Social Work and practices as an LCSW. They bring 20 years of experience supporting people through mood disorders, post-traumatic stress, substance use issues, and gender-related concerns.
Background and approach
Sessions aim to be straightforward and respectful of each person’s experience. The approach is client-centered and collaborative. Allen draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and on dialectical behavior strategies to build emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills.
Mindfulness and motivational interviewing are used to strengthen self-awareness and motivation for change. In sessions Allen helps people set realistic goals and develop daily coping tools. Practical exercises and small experiments are common parts of the work.
Allen also addresses overlapping issues like chronic pain, body image, and prejudice-related stress when they affect mood and functioning. People can expect an encouraging, strengths-focused style. Allen aims to tailor plans to each person’s situation and values.
Questions about the process or goals are welcome at any time.
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Allen commonly combines client-centered therapy with cognitive behavioral therapy to make sessions practical and focused. Client-centered work means listening carefully and shaping goals from what matters most to the person. Cognitive behavioral work involves identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing small changes to see what helps with mood and anxiety.Allen also uses dialectical behavior therapy tools to build emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills. These skills are useful when feelings feel overwhelming or relationships create repeated stress. Together these approaches aim to increase coping skills and clear next steps rather than rely on abstract theory.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the process. The therapist works collaboratively to decide which methods fit best based on a person’s needs, goals, and preferences. Adjustments are made over time as progress and challenges become clearer.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video calls are useful for more in-depth work and face-to-face conversation. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a camera is not wanted. Live chat and text messaging work well for brief check-ins, follow-ups, or homework support between longer sessions.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Anger management
- Body image
- Career difficulties
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family conflicts
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Grief
- LGBT
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- Trauma and abuse
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 20 years
- Licensed
- Tennessee, Mississippi
- Languages
- English