Marguerite Elkins , LMFT

Marguerite Elkins is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) practicing in Tennessee. She helps people manage anxiety, stress, depression, bipolar symptoms, trauma, grief, anger, low self-esteem, and ADHD. She also offers support around body image, attachment and abandonment concerns, chronic illness and pain, and issues tied to military or first responder experience.

Her sessions are direct and practical. She uses a mix of talk and structured techniques to help people change unhelpful patterns and regain control. Clients can expect clear strategies for coping and short exercises to practice between meetings.

Marguerite brings 15 years of clinical experience to her work. She draws on approaches such as cognitive behavioral methods, dialectical behavior strategies, EMDR for trauma processing, mindfulness practices, and solution-focused tools. These methods are combined to fit each person's needs rather than applied the same way to everyone.

In sessions she often breaks big problems into manageable steps. She helps people notice thought patterns, learn calming skills, and try new ways of responding to stress. Progress is tracked by practical goals and things people can do at home.

Her background includes a focus on trauma, mood disorders, and crises linked to domestic violence, sexual assault, and disaster. People who prefer working with a therapist experienced in these areas may find her approach reassuring and goal oriented.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Marguerite uses cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors. CBT sessions often include short homework tasks and simple skill practice to reduce anxiety or manage mood symptoms.

She also integrates dialectical behavior strategies to teach skills for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and improving relationships. DBT tools are practical and can be taught in short, focused exercises during a call or chat.

EMDR is used as a trauma-focused tool to help process upsetting memories. In online work this involves guided processing and grounding techniques adapted for video or phone formats.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful, then adapt methods over time. Clients and therapist decide together which techniques to try first and how to pace work.

Online sessions offer flexibility and fit into busy lives. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction, phone sessions work when bandwidth is low, live chat is useful for brief check-ins, and text-based messaging supports ongoing contact between meetings. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent while balancing work, caregiving, or health needs.