Meet Kristen J. Small, a Southern California native who is helping Tennesseans make mental health a priority. With a love for people, she has become a passionate advocate for the well-being of others. She considers it both a privilege and a sacred honor to assist individuals in reaching their greatest potential by equipping them with tools to confront and conquer in order to have the peace and fulfillment we all desire.
Title:
Mental Health Therapist
Hometown:
Southern California
What brought you to Nashville?
I moved to Nashville in 2013. It’s been an amazing 7 years. After witnessing so much of Nashville’s growth, I almost feel like a native!
Tell us what you are creating in Nashville?
I am blessed to create and facilitate spaces and opportunities for healing to individuals and families throughout Tennessee. I am a Therapist with Nashville Emotional Wellness (NEW) Counseling PLLC. At NEW our motto is “real people, helping real people, with real problems” and my colleagues and I absolutely embody this principle wholeheartedly. It is our mission to inspire growth, nurture healing and encourage change that allows individuals to stand in their truth and be their best selves. I’ve been a social worker, educator, and advocate for as long as I can remember. I was born with a passion for people and consider it a sacred honor to walk alongside individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences in their journey toward healing and wholeness.
What inspires you?
I am genuinely inspired by life. I am a very eclectic individual and moved by so many of life’s elements. Joy and laughter fill me. Music lifts me. Fitness motivates me. Reading intrigues me. Dancing connects me. Nature refuels me. Creating empowers me. Faith secures me. Helping individuals achieve their full potential both in fitness and in life.
Why Nashville?
I moved to Nashville 7 years ago with the intention to start a new chapter. Since that time, I’ve been blessed to not only begin my career doing impactful work and art that I love, but I’ve also built relationships, established connections, and fostered friendships that have become family.
What is your favorite Nashville spot you are digging right now during COVID?
As a Southern California native, there is nothing that moves me like being near the water. I have taken my love for water and nature and developed a deep joy for hiking. During Covid, this activity has sustained me by allowing my body to get the movement, energy, and rejuvenation it needs through exercise and grounding. Some of my favorite spots to hike include Radnor Lake, Long Hunter State Park, and Stones River Greenway.
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