Graduate Interns
We firmly believe in the power of collaboration and teaming up with a counselor you trust to work through life's challenges.
At Matters of the Heart, we are also a teaching site. We offer an opportunity for carefully selected graduate students to apply the rigorous course work and education to the test real time with client's who are ready for change! By working with our graduate interns, we offer you a discounted rate that is compatible with most "co-payments" so that you can begin your journey into greater mental, emotional, and relational health.
All graduate interns are directly supervised by Joanna Dixon, their school advisor, and have completed their masters level course work. This allows you to benefit from the experience of seasoned therapists as we guide our students through the work they do.
Please, do not let finances be a barrier to beginning your journey. If you have any concerns, questions, or would like to be considered for a scholarship opportunity, please email us.
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Masters Level Intern
Blake Roberts
"I'm honored to walk alongside clients as they discover who they're made to be, get unstuck, and heal their relationship wounds."
Blake spent about half of his life in Kentucky and the other half in Illinois before moving to Nashville 5 years ago. He completed his undergrad at Lindsey Wilson College, where he also played football. Blake is passionate about creating a safe place for others to work through the challenges and joys that life brings. He believes engaging our stories in an honest way helps us heal and improve our relationship with ourselves, others, and God.
As a counselor, he hopes to be that of a guide or a wounded healer - walking alongside his clients as they discover who they're made to be, get unstuck, and heal the wounds in their relationship to self and others. He enjoys working with couples and individuals who are ready to take the courageous step seek counseling. Blake is married to his wife Shelly and enjoys watching/playing sports, is an avid podcast listener, lover of good music and vacationing in a cabin in the mountains and enjoying nature in the cooler months of the year.
Areas of Focus
Anxiety/Depression
Men’s Issues
Couples Counseling
Engagement/Marriage Counseling
Family/Relational Issues
Trauma/Childhood Wounds
Addiction/Recovery
Codependency
"Imposter Syndrome"/Identity Issues
Blake uses a blended approach incorporating Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Narrative, Somatic, and Attachment Based-Therapy.
Education
Current Student of Marriage and Family Therapy Master’s program
Trevecca University
Bachelor's Degree
Lindsey Wilson College
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Megan French
Masters Level Intern
"Sharing with my client's in this space that seems so defeating, and helping them dig in to find hope. That's what energizes me, that moment of courage!"
Before pursuing her career in counseling, Megan spent the majority of her time abroad, exploring new cultures and meeting people from all over the world while gaining love, understanding, and respect for those with various backgrounds. Her time overseas and in different cultures has significantly contributed to her desire to work with all who seek counseling and support, regardless of their backgrounds or belief systems. As a military family, living in Germany and Hawaii at different times, she understands the challenges that can come from being in a military family. She and her husband and daughter returned to the Nashville area to settle in closer to family.
Megan is passionate about learning how growth happens within the mind, body, and spirit. Her focus is on understanding how thoughts influence behaviors while encouraging those she works with to seek compassion and grace for themselves and those around them.
Areas of Focus
Individual Counseling
Couples Counseling
Divorce Recovery
Family Counseling
Stress Management & Solution Finding
Trauma/Crisis
Anxiety/Depression
Women's Issues
Parenting Support
Addiction & Family Members of those in Recovery
Military/First Responders & their Family
Education
Current Student of Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master's Program
University of West Alabama
Bachelor's Degree in Psychology
Chaminade University of Honolulu
Lauren Lowery
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Masters Level Intern
"Helping individuals begin their journey to personal growth and greater mental health is an exciting adventure I get to be a part of!"
Lauren is a Chattanooga, TN native. She moved to Nashville in 2016 after college and found her passion for mental health while teaching at an alternative school where most students had a history of severe trauma. She found a tremendous amount of personal growth and healing in her own journey with therapy, and hopes to be a guiding light for others who are ready to face their struggles. She believes the key to change is building self-awareness about your own behaviors, patterns, and relationship with others.
As each individual is unique, Lauren believes that no two therapy processes are the same. She primarily utilizes an attachment-based lens, understanding that the way we attach as children plays a direct role in how we attach to others around us as adults. She hopes to help clients understand themselves in the context of a larger system.
She has also found the enneagram to be an incredible tool to building self-awareness and incorporates that into the therapeutic process with her clients.
Outside of school both as teacher and student, she enjoys live music, podcasts, and scary movies with her dog, Cal. Lauren enjoys warm weather, time on the lake with friends in the summer, and is excited to have the opportunity to aid in the process of supporting those who are ready to grow in their own mental health!
Areas of Focus
Individual Counseling
Couples Counseling
Engagement/Marriage Counseling
Family Counseling
Parenting Support
Adolescents & Emerging Adults
Family of Origin Issues
Depression/Anxiety
Women's Issues
Trauma/Crisis
Education
Current Student of Marriage & Family Therapy
Trevecca University
Bachelor’s Degree in early childhood education
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Lindsay Loftis
Masters Level Intern
Lindsay is a Nashville native. She is currently pursuing her master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy at Trevecca Nazarene University. Lindsay has a passion for working with children, adolescents, and emerging adults. Lindsay received her bachelor’s in Child Development and Family Studies at Middle Tennessee State University in 2016. She has years of experience in social work, which has allowed her to remain open-minded as she has worked with diverse populations and has had the opportunity to walk alongside others and provide them with hope and empowerment as they process their trauma and work towards healing and growth. She feels this experience has aided her ability to meet clients where they are in every aspect of their lives. Lindsay enjoys connecting with her clients and helping them navigate through life’s challenges while promoting health, healing, and growth. She believes that everyone can benefit from therapy; each person has their own unique story to tell, and those experiences have led you to the person you are today. She offers her client’s a non-judgmental, safe, space to explore their deepest feelings while providing them with validation, hope, and encouragement.
Lindsay highly promotes self-care, healthy boundaries, and a work-life balance. She enjoys spending her free time hanging out with her husband, family, and friends, playing with her puppy, Ollie, traveling, dancing/exercising, watching movies, reading a good book, or spending time on the lake boating or kayaking.
Areas of Focus
Pre-Teen/Adolescents & Young Adults
Depression/Anxiety
Life Transition & Adjustment
Life Skills/Social Support
Women's Issues
Relationship Issues
Co-Dependency
Stress Management
Childhood Trauma
Self-Esteem
Adoption/Foster Care
Identity Crisis
Parenting/Co-Parenting Support
Education
Current Student of Marriage & Family Therapy Master's Program
Trevecca Nazarene University
Bachelor's Degree in Child Development & Family Studies/Psychology
Middle Tennessee State University
Julianne Peace
Masters Level Intern
"There's no "should" or "should not" when it comes to having feelings. They're part of who we are and their origins are beyond our control. When we can believe that, we may find it easier to make constructive choices about what to do with those feelings."
-Fred Rogers
Julianne is a Nashville native that grew up listening to vocabulary CDs in the car with her well-dressed mother. Thus, a love of storytelling and pencil skirts was born. As time passed, her love of storytelling morphed into an understanding and appreciation for individuals’ stories. Through her personal and professional counseling work, Julianne has formed a passion for assisting people to process their stories and create more hopeful future chapters.
As a counselor, she hopes to assist clients in understanding their emotions and develop a fuller sense of their whole self. She also believes while an individual sense of self is important, understanding how that self connects with those around it is vital to mental and emotional health. Ultimately, she is motivated by working with her clients to empower their individual goals and make positive changes in their lives, families, and circumstances, made possible with a whole lot of empathy, compassion, and grace. She constantly hopes to provide a safe space for people's hurts and hang-ups. Outside of the counseling room, she enjoys a good Chai latte and the magic of East Tennessee.
Areas of Focus
Grief & Loss
Depression/Anxiety
Women's Issues
Shame & Discontentment
Codependency
Adolescents & Emerging Adults
Media Trauma
Long-term & Chronic Illness Issues
Family of Origin Issues
Engagement/Marriage Counseling
Family Counseling
Parenting Support
Education
Current Student of Clinical Mental Health
Trevecca University
Bachelor’s Degree
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Rebekah Bragan
Masters Level Intern
“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”
-Epictetus
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” -Thomas Edison
Everybody is dealing with hurts, habits, and hangups. When it keeps you from living your best life and being your best self, taking the first step to get unstuck is sometimes the hardest. Life experience, personal crises, and various roles have given Rebekah a vast base from which to pull to help maximize your God-given potential, overcome challenges, and celebrate the joys of life. Using a blended approach that is as unique as each individual’s story, she utilizes several therapy models and techniques to help one achieve their goals. Offering compassion, lots of grace, and a listening ear, she strives to provide a safe place where change and growth can happen.
Rebekah and her husband, both from Durham, NC (Go DUKE!), have been married for over 33 years and have four children. Together they have ministered for over 26 years in several southeastern states and WY, settling near family in TN, along with their Bearded Dragon, Beans. Her favorite things are being Mimi, outside walks, a good book, and coffee talks; she is an accomplished pianist and piano instructor, and two-time cancer survivor. Her greatest challenge and joy is balancing her current roles of ministry wife, mom, Mimi, graduate student, piano teacher, and parent-caregiver. Her passion is to come alongside those who are hurting, and help them navigate life, and find healing and emotional health.
Areas of Focus
Pre-Marriage & Marriage Counseling
Family Counseling
Women's Issues
Parenting Support
Ministry Families
Depression & Anxiety
Grief & Loss
Crisis & Trauma
Life Transitions & Adjustment
Chronic Health Issues
Certified SYMBIS Facilitator
Education
Current Student of Marriage and Family Therapy Master’s program
Liberty University
Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Christian Counseling
Liberty University