Anxiety and depression therapists and psychiatrists in Johnson City, TN

There’s much more to your story.

I believe therapy should be a place where you feel seen, supported, and empowered to grow. Drawing on decades of experience, I provide a compassionate, practical, and holistic approach to therapy. I began my work as a spiritual and addictions counselor in 1981 and became a state-licensed mental health therapist in 2007. Since then, I have partnered with individuals, couples, families, and groups to help them build on their strengths, clarify their values, and create lasting change.

Before moving into private practice, I spent 20 years serving the Cleveland, Tennessee community as an outpatient therapist with Volunteer Behavioral Health.

For more than 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside individuals, couples, and families as they work toward healing, growth, and change. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor, and Substance Abuse Professional, I bring both deep clinical knowledge and a compassionate, down-to-earth approach to therapy.

I specialize in helping clients navigate life’s most personal challenges—including relationship and intimacy concerns, life transitions, grief and loss, trauma, and mental health struggles. I also provide substance abuse treatment, DOT/SAP evaluations, and recovery support using evidence-based approaches such as CBT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing, Reality Therapy, Trauma-Focused CBT, the Duluth Model, and the Matrix Model.

I have a special commitment to serving Black communities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people living with HIV, re-entry populations, sex workers, and youth facing challenges. I understand how personal, cultural, and systemic factors shape each person’s story, and I create a safe, affirming space where clients feel truly seen and heard.

In our sessions, you can expect a respectful, judgment-free environment where your voice matters. I believe therapy works best as a partnership—we’ll set goals together, explore what’s holding you back, and develop practical strategies you can use in daily life a more fulfilling life. Whether you’re seeking support for a specific issue or simply want to invest in your personal growth, I’m here to help you take that next step.

If you understand why you feel the way you do but still can’t seem to change the patterns keeping you stuck, therapy can go deeper than simply talking about what’s wrong.

Hi, I’m Emily Burgess, LCSW, PMH-C, CMNCS, owner of Conduit Counseling Collective. I work with clients who may look like they’re functioning well on the outside but internally feel anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, stuck in old patterns, or exhausted from holding everything together.

My approach is warm, practical, collaborative, and whole-person focused. We’ll make space to understand your story and where your patterns came from—but we won’t stop there. I believe insight is most helpful when it leads to meaningful change in everyday life.

My work integrates evidence-based therapy with parts work, somatic approaches, nervous system regulation, and the connection between mental and physical wellbeing. When appropriate, we may explore how sleep, movement, nutrition, stress, relationships, and daily rhythms are impacting the way you feel. Mental health doesn’t exist separately from the rest of your body or your life.

I’ve worked in mental health since 2013 and have specialized experience in anxiety, life transitions, women’s mental health, and perinatal mental health.

Therapy with me is supportive, but it’s also active. I’ll bring curiosity, compassion, perspective, accountability—and probably some humor. You don’t need to have the right words or show up with everything figured out.

My goal is to help you better understand yourself, build trust in yourself, and turn insight into change that actually carries into your life.

I’m a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, and I believe therapy works best when it feels safe, collaborative, and human. I bring empathy, a sense of humor, and a strong focus on building a genuine therapeutic connection. I also believe you should set the pace for counseling — this is your space, and we move in a way that feels right for you.