Terri Burns Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate

Terri Burns, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate, 203711 is practicing under the supervision of Tiffany Nicole Smith (Texas, LMFT, 201220) at BHEC.

Please, note: A clinician listed as being “clinically supervised” is completing clinical hours toward their licensure. They have one or more fully licensed clinical supervisors that often have special training to become supervisors. They consult with their supervisor(s) on all of their cases, which means that, when working with them, you are getting the time and expertise of multiple therapists in your treatment.

My personal experiences have shaped how I work with clients to help them discover their own answers to problems in their lives. Overcoming challenges such as ADHD or learning how to communicate in a relationship are difficult but not impossible. Growth is scary at first. Relationships are the invisible threads that weave into our personal tapestry. The story that you choose to write is the one that matters. Let's work together to make a future for family that you envisioned.

I determine therapy goals with my clients. I spend the first few sessions learning about my clients and what brought them to therapy. We discuss their intake and decide what it is they want to work on. I design a treatment plan and check with the client to see if that is correct. If they agree, we begin working on issues that the treatment plan outlines. After the goals have been met, we usually end treatment. If the client wishes to work on another issue, we design a new plan to begin working on.

Therapy is a relationship. It is about being honest and transparent. The process is more important than the answers. It is allowing me to see a snippet of your life to help you learn something that may be unknown to you at this time. I can show you how to look at the situation or issue with an unbiased viewpoint. Therapy isn't a cure for situations, but it can transform how you interact in those instances. I believe my clients have all the answers inside them already, I just help them express their feelings by making them feel safe enough to do so.

I was a teacher for over 20 years in a previous life, I thought I could help more people by being a therapist, so I went back to school. I studied Marriage and Family Therapy and couples therapy. I decided that I could work with couples and families to help a broader range of people outside the classroom. I grew up in a dysfunctional family unit so I wanted to help people achieve a stronger family in their situation.