Center for Authentic Growth

Center for Authentic Growth modern mental heath group practice🧠
helping humans of TN grow into their most authentic relationships with themselves & others🌱
in person & virtual✨

03/27/2026

sometimes the most clinically indicated intervention is… mini golf ⛳️

turns out co-regulation also looks like laughing too hard, missing easy shots, mild competitiveness, and getting out of the office together. these off-campus hangs are part of how we take care of ourselves and each other so we can show up more grounded, present, and human in the room with you

community isn’t just something we talk about here, it’s something we practice 💛

03/24/2026

This month’s Lunch & Learn with was such a good reminder of how important collaborative care really is 🤝

They do such a beautiful job of integrating medical and therapeutic care, looking at the whole person and creating treatment plans that actually reflect people’s real lives and needs

And honestly… this is why we care so much about connection!! Knowing who your referral people are, trusting them, and feeling confident sending clients their way matters so much. It’s how we make sure folks are actually supported, not just passed along

We love building a community of providers who get it and who we can collaborate with in meaningful ways 🧠💛

More of this always

03/23/2026

Office Four 💜 (Lydia’s space)

Our main art therapy room and honestly… it feels like stepping into someone’s creative brain in the best way.

The purple walls hold you in this really cozy, expressive way, and so much of the art you see is actually Lydia’s—pieces that make the room feel deeply personal, lived-in, and inviting. It’s not a blank, sterile office. It’s a space that says you get to show up as you are, make a mess, try things, and create something new out of it.

This room has held a lot—play, grief, curiosity, big feelings, tiny moments of pride. It’s colorful, a little chaotic in the most grounding way, and full of possibility.

If you’ve ever needed a place where words aren’t the only option… this is one of those rooms.

***rtherapist

03/06/2026

✨ In Session with Shelby ✨

Meet Shelby, one of the incredible therapists here at the Center for Authentic Growth. Shelby is a relational, trauma-informed clinician who helps individuals, couples, and families slow down, understand their patterns, and build relationships that feel safer, clearer, and more connected. 

Her work is deeply collaborative. Shelby believes you are the expert in your own life, and therapy becomes a space where your experiences, values, and inner wisdom guide the process. 

Shelby works with folks navigating anxiety, identity shifts, trauma, relationship dynamics, neurodivergence, and the messy, meaningful work of being human. She’s also passionate about supporting LGBTQIA+ folks and people exploring non-traditional relationship structures. 

In session with Shelby you’ll find curiosity, warmth, and someone walking alongside you as you reconnect with yourself and your relationships.

We’re so lucky to have her as part of the CAG community. 💛

LGBTQAffirming TherapistCommunity CouplesTherapy NashvilleTherapy

02/24/2026

Still thinking about our Lunch & Learn with Amanda Johnson on the Safe + Sound Protocol 🧡

There is something so powerful about sitting in a room full of clinicians who care deeply about nervous systems, connection, and doing this work well. Amanda walked us through the science and clinical application of SSP and how intentionally filtered music can support regulation, social engagement, and readiness for deeper therapeutic work. As a somatic, trauma-informed practice, it felt so aligned with the way we already think about safety, pacing, and polyvagal-informed care.

I love when our team gets to pause in the middle of busy caseloads and remember… we are students forever. We are collaborators. We are building something thoughtful here.

Grateful for generous teachers. Grateful for curious clinicians. Grateful for spaces where learning feels energizing instead of obligatory.

More of this please. 💛

TherapistsOfInstagram

01/21/2026

✨ In Session with Lydia ✨

Meet Lydia Henderson, MA, ATR-P — our incredible art therapist creating judgment-free space for healing through creativity and connection. 🎨💛 Lydia believes you don’t have to be an artist to benefit from art therapy — it’s about expression, exploration, and finding new ways to tell your story. Together, she works collaboratively with clients, weaving art-making with talk therapy to deepen insight, support identity exploration, and foster emotional growth. 🌱

Lydia brings a q***r, neurodivergent, intersectional lens to her work, honoring each person’s lived experience and creative voice. 🖌️✨ Whether it’s collage, altered books, sculpture, or photography, she helps you make art about what matters most. 

📍 Listen to what she is like in session and see how art isn’t just what you make — it’s how you make meaning.

01/12/2026

✨ Friday’s Lunch & Learn was SUCH a treat — we got to spend the afternoon with the incredible Hannah Bethel (.healing), a certified clinical hypnotherapist, master practitioner of NLP, and all-around magical human. ✨

Hannah walked us through how hypnotherapy supports nervous system regulation, subconscious healing, and the rewiring of old patterns that keep clients stuck — and y’all… it was so cool to learn how powerful and body-based this work can be.

We even got to do a little embodied deepening demo, and our whole team was feeling grounded, soft, and very “wow, our subconscious minds are WILD.”

Huge thank you to Hannah for sharing your brilliance, your warmth, and the incredible science + artistry behind what you do. 💛

Always grateful for a community that learns together, heals together, and stays endlessly curious.

01/07/2026

Office No. 1 ✨ Payton’s office ✨

Cozy on purpose. A little eclectic. Very lived-in.
This space is full of plants that keep growing, shelves that get pulled from mid-session, soft chairs you can really sink into, and lots of thoughtful little details for real humans doing real work.

Play is woven into the room—not separate, not obvious, just there when it’s needed. Sensory objects to fidget with, art and playful textures, room for curiosity, creativity, and moving through things without needing the right words. Whether you’re a kid, teen, or adult, this is a space where play, imagination, and expression are part of how safety and healing happen.

Warm without being stuffy. Grounded without being serious. A space where you get to show up as you are, breathe a little easier, and be human. 🌿

***raffirming

01/01/2026

A room full of clinking glasses, deep laughs, and people who genuinely show up. ✨

Last year stretched us, grew us, challenged us, and shaped us in ways we’re proud of. We learned how to slow down, how to support each other better, how to hold care with integrity, and how to keep choosing community even when things felt full.

We’re endlessly grateful for this team - for the heart, creativity, thoughtfulness, and presence each person brings into the room and into their work.

Here’s to carrying that care forward.
Into the new year, new intentions, deeper connection, and continued growth, together. 🥂

12/15/2025

Last Friday’s Lunch & Learn was one for the books. 💛🎶

We were so lucky to welcome Maria Malafronte from Empower Music Therapy, who led our team through a powerful, embodied experience on the impact of music therapy. Together, we listened to Crowded Table and reflected on what we’re carrying from 2025 and what we want to intentionally bring into 2026.

Through lyric analysis, we circled words, noticed emotions, tracked sensations in our bodies, and paid attention to the sounds that stirred something deeper. There truly wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

We closed by reflecting at our tables — naming what we want more of, who we want to make space for, and how we want our “tables” to feel in the year ahead. Full hearts, meaningful connection, and a beautiful reminder of how creative therapies help us access what words alone sometimes can’t.

So grateful for community, music, and learning together. ✨

12/09/2025

Obsessed is an understatement 🥹📚🌱

Our Little Library + Art & Seed Exchange is officially live and ready to be loved by our community!

Here’s how it works:
✨ Take a book, leave a book
✨ Drop off or grab art supplies, zines, or small creative treasures
✨ Swap seeds, cuttings, or little plant starts
✨ No checkout, no rules, no expectations — just sharing

This little cabinet exists because we deeply believe that access to resources, creativity, and connection shouldn’t be locked behind money or gatekeeping. Sharing what we have is one small way we can show up for each other, build community, and remind ourselves that mutual care matters. Whether you’re taking exactly what you need today or leaving something for a future stranger — it all counts. 💛

Come by, grab something that speaks to you or swap something sweet to help us keep this tiny magic box full! ✨

Also, shout out to Payton‘s Grandpa who made this for us! 🥹

12/06/2025

Office 6 — Shelby’s Sanctuary ✨

Shelby’s space is cozy, earthy, and so thoughtfully curated — a room filled with soft light, warm tones, expressive art, and grounding textures that help clients settle in and breathe a little deeper. From the floral rug to the layered artwork to the lived-in comfort of the chairs and couch, every corner invites connection, creativity, and authenticity.

We believe therapy feels different — safer, richer, more transformative — when clinicians bring their whole selves into the room. Shelby does exactly that. This space holds stories, identities, big emotions, quiet moments, and everything in between… all with care and intention.

If you’re looking for a place that’s both supportive and deeply human, Office 6 is ready for you. 💛

Address

Nashville, TN
37204

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+16157672385

Website

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