About Richard
Dr. Richard Highland is a licensed professional counselor with 27 years of experience. He practices in Tennessee and focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, addictions, anger, and depression.
He emphasizes practical support and encourages clients to use their own strengths as they work toward change. He approaches sessions with a straightforward style. He listens to each person’s story and helps them set clear, achievable goals.
Sessions focus on skills people can use between meetings, such as coping strategies for strong emotions and steps to reduce substance use or harmful behaviors.
Background and approach
Dr. Highland uses evidence-informed approaches like cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. He also integrates mindfulness tools to help people stay present and reduce tension.
Motivational interviewing is used when people want to increase readiness for change and resolve mixed feelings about it. People who come to him often want practical, step-by-step help. He spends time making sure goals match what the person actually wants.
He also pays attention to life transitions, relationship stress, and long-standing family issues that affect mood and behavior. Sessions are offered through multiple online formats including video, phone, chat, and text messaging. Dr.
Highland aims to make sessions fit into daily life, whether someone needs a quick check-in or a longer work session. He encourages clients to take small, steady steps toward clearer thinking and calmer days.
How his methods translate to online therapy
Dr. Highland commonly uses cognitive behavioral techniques and mindfulness work in online sessions. Cognitive behavioral work helps people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can ease anxiety and low mood. Mindfulness practices teach simple attention and breathing skills to reduce reactivity and improve focus.Motivational interviewing is also part of his approach when someone feels unsure about change. That method focuses on exploring a person’s own reasons for change and building motivation one step at a time. He treats selection of methods as a collaborative process and will adjust the plan based on a client’s goals and preferences.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation for skills work and guided exercises. Phone sessions are useful when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging let people send updates, ask quick questions, or check progress between longer sessions. These options aim to make therapy more flexible and easier to fit into daily life.
Questions people ask
What concerns does he help with?
What is his general approach in sessions?
How long has he been practicing?
What credentials and location are listed?
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Can international clients work with him?
What session formats are available?
How are costs and scheduling handled?
What this counselor works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
Also listed
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 27 years
- Licensed
- Georgia, Tennessee
- Languages
- English