Dr. Richard Highland, LPC-MHSP, LPC

Dr. Richard Highland is a licensed professional counselor with 27 years of experience. He practices from Tennessee and focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, addictions, anger, and depression. He frames clients as the experts in their own stories and aims to support them as they make change.

He meets people where they are and looks for strengths to build on. Sessions are direct and practical. He helps clients identify small, concrete steps toward clearer thinking and steadier moods.

Dr. Highland uses tools from cognitive behavioral approaches to spot unhelpful thinking patterns. He combines that with motivational techniques to help people who struggle with addictive behavior. Mindfulness practices are woven in to calm intense emotions and improve focus.

People who want straightforward guidance often find this style useful. The therapist encourages clients to set realistic goals and to track progress between sessions. He works with relationship concerns, communication problems, and issues tied to family origins.

There is also a focus on life transitions and aging and geriatric issues, as well as caregiver stress and cancer-related concerns. This makes his work relevant when health changes or family roles shift.

He asks clients to take small steps and to notice what changes. The approach is collaborative and goal-oriented. Getting started involves a short matching questionnaire and scheduling according to availability.

How chosen approaches translate to online work

The description below explains two approaches commonly used in his practice and how they can help in an online setting. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It uses simple exercises to change unhelpful thought patterns and to build new habits, which can help with anxiety, depression, and stress. Motivational Interviewing focuses on a person's own reasons for change and helps resolve mixed feelings about taking steps forward; it is often useful when addressing addictions or ambivalence about behavior change.

Choosing the right approach is part of the process. The therapist collaborates with each person to identify goals and to test methods that fit their needs and preferences. Over time they review what is working and adjust the plan together so the work stays practical and relevant.

Session format options should be confirmed before booking, as formats are not specified here. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life by removing travel time, allowing shorter check-ins, or letting someone connect during a break at work. Discussing scheduling needs and how sessions will run is one of the first steps when starting work together.