Charles Baker

Something brought you here — and it's worth paying attention to. Maybe a substance, a behavior, or a pattern has gotten louder than you'd like. Maybe you've been quietly wondering if you're on the autism spectrum and aren't sure who to talk to. Maybe nothing in particular feels wrong, but something hasn't felt right in a long time. All of those are good reasons to start.

I'm Charles, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Tennessee. I earned my Master's in Social Work from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2018, and I've spent the last 8 years working with people who often feel like therapy "wasn't built for them" — adults with autism, people working through substance use or process addictions (alcohol, gambling, gaming, internet, sexual behavior), and folks navigating anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and life transitions.

I'm certified in Choice Theory (William Glasser International) and Motivational Interviewing, and I work in an ACT/CBT-informed style. What that means in practice: I won't push you toward change you don't actually want. We'll figure out what you do want, and I'll help you build the steps to get there.

You don't have to have everything figured out to be here. The work we do is a partnership — I bring training, you bring expertise on your own life, and together we figure out what's actually going to move the needle for you.

My style is collaborative, direct, and non-judgmental. I'll meet you where you are — including if where you are is "I'm not sure I'm ready to change anything yet." That's a fine place to start. Motivational Interviewing, one of the approaches I'm certified in, is built around exactly that.

Depending on what fits, I draw from ACT, CBT, Solution-Focused therapy, 12-step principles, and Choice Theory. For clients with autism, I lean heavily on what works for you specifically — neurotypical therapy frameworks often miss the mark, and I'd rather adapt than push something that doesn't fit. Same goes for substance use and process addictions: I won't moralize, I won't shame, and I won't pretend the path is more linear than it actually is.

Most people don't come to therapy because everything is going well — so the first session isn't about having it all figured out. It's about getting a real sense of each other.

We'll spend the time talking about what's been hardest recently, what brought you in (and what almost stopped you), what's worked or hasn't in past therapy, and what you're hoping will feel different. There's no script. If you want to dig in fast, we can.

If you want to spend the first session just feeling out whether I'm someone you'd actually want to talk to weekly, that's also completely fine.

By the end, we'll have an early sense of what we'd work on together and whether the fit feels right. There's no pressure to commit beyond that first conversation — and if I'm not the right therapist for you, I'll help point you toward someone who is.