Our Compassionate Team
Healing Hearts Counseling is a team of compassionate professional therapists that specialize in Emotionally Focused Therapy. We work with individuals, couples and families. Dana Vince and Adam York choose, lead and train the therapists that come on to our practice ensuring high standards and quality of care to the clients we serve. We strive to provide a safe, collaborative, and therapeutic environment to help those in distress find healing, bonding and connection in their most important relationships. We welcome you to learn more about us. It is our honor and pleasure to serve you and we look forward to hearing from you.
Dana Vince, M.A.
Licensed Professional Counselor, Mental Health Service Provider, Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist and Supervisor. Founder and Owner of Healing Hearts Counseling
Hi there, my name is Dana Vince. I am the owner and founder of Healing Hearts Counseling and I’d like to share a little about myself and my journey of building this practice. I grew up on Long Island in New York. After serving in the United States Army for 4 years, I moved to Tampa, Florida where I earned my masters degree in Counseling. It was in Florida in 2006 that I started Healing Hearts Counseling. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to work with couples. I saw in my own life how people who love each other end up hurting each other and I wanted to understand this better and help people learn to love one another well. I wanted to learn how to help people heal their wounded places. I have always had a soft place in my heart for others’ pain. I wanted to understand more about how this love thing works and why it’s so hard. It has become my life’s work to counsel couples and families on how to communicate in ways that nurture one another and form deeper bonds in their relationships. It is important to me to provide a safe and confidential environment where couples and families can talk about the difficult and sometimes painful issues that are causing problems in their lives.
I had my degree and got the appropriate ongoing training to become a couples counselor, but the ones who have given me the most valuable education have been all the couples I have worked with over the years. I never take for granted the trust others place in me to walk their journey with them. I moved to Knoxville in 2010 and it was at that time that I began training in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy. That brought a whole new level of understanding and useable tools that I began to implement in my practice. And while I knew the research behind this method was strong, nothing compared to seeing with my own eyes the incredible healing impact this type of therapy had on the couples I was working with and in my own relationships. So I continued my training and efforts to master this model of therapy and in 2012 I became an EFT supervisor and started training other therapists.
It was at this time that my cheap psychics practice had grown beyond my capacity. Being only one person with only so many hours in the day, I had to start turning people away. It tore me up inside to turn people away who were reaching out for help, especially knowing I had such a powerful and effective way to help people get out of pain and distress. So I began hiring and training clinicians to be a part of my practice to see the clients I couldn’t see. This gave me great peace of mind because I could help more people and I knew they were getting the same quality care that I myself aim to provide through trusted colleagues working with me using the same effective model of couples therapy.
As the practice began to grow, it soon became overwhelming to continue to run the practice, teach and train therapists and still do the work I love and find most fulfilling, spending time with and helping individuals and couples heal.
In 2019 I brought on Adam York as my partner. When I met Adam I quickly saw why he had the reputation in Knoxville he had as an incredible helping professional. I got to know Adam well by supervising him in his learning of the Emotionally Focused Therapy model. An already highly educated and experienced therapist, I had urged Adam to go to the training for EFT knowing it would be a great fit and that it would transform the amazing work he was already doing. As I sat and watched his therapy tapes with him, I got to observe what an incredibly compassionate and gifted therapist he is. In doing other projects with Adam, I also got to observe that Adam is a really hard worker with strong ethics and integrity and is a natural leader. With his shared values and vision for how to serve couples and the Knoxville community, I knew he was the perfect fit for what I was looking for in a partner.
Now together, we continue to grow our team of incredibly compassionate therapists who share our passion for helping couples and families and are eager to learn and serve alongside of us. We personally pick and train each therapist that comes into this practice. It is of utmost importance to me that our clinicians share our vision and uphold our values of helping individuals and couples heal and find the connection and joy with one another that they long for.
Adam York, M.A.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist, Co-owner of Healing Hearts Counseling
Hi, my name is Adam York and I am the co-owner of Healing Hearts Counseling. I graduated from Johnson University with my Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and Professional Counseling, and I am currently pursuing my doctorate with the University of Tennessee.
My life’s work is to help people connect. In addition to my work in private practice, I work as the clinical director for Healthy Connections trying to strengthen relationships all over Knoxville through workshops, mentoring, and supervision. In addition to working with couples, I enjoy supervising therapists seeking to work with individuals, couples, and families. I primarily work from the perspective of emotionally focused therapy, believing that emotion drives the dance between partners, and that we all crave connection and fear isolation.
I have felt the deep confusion that occurs from the pain caused by those closest to us and the deep healing that occurs in the presence of a loving and nurturing relationship. I am passionate to help couples connect, whether they are fighting everyday or struggling to talk about small things. I started to hear about Dana Vince a few years back through therapists and clients of hers. Time and time again, I heard stories of dramatic reconciliation and renewed romance in couples who many other therapists might have written off as hopeless. I continued to hear stories from both men and women of Dana really understanding them and their relationship better than anyone ever had. I reached out to consult with her and quickly discovered that she has a relentless passion for couples and for helping therapists serve them well. I had read about emotionally focused therapy in graduate school, but had not pursued advanced training until Dana had recommended it. I have been supervised or received training from some of the most prominent national leaders in couples therapy and quickly realized that right in our backyard in Knoxville, we had a therapist with every bit as keen an insight into couples relationships as I had ever experienced. She understands couples better than they understand themselves, and more importantly she deeply cares about their relationship and them as people. She is widely known as the most gifted couples therapist in town, and when she asked me to partner with her in practice, I was incredibly flattered and overjoyed at the possibility of creating a space where couples relationships are given new life. I am so excited to join with Dana and the family at Healing Hearts Counseling to help the dream that couples imagine on their wedding day to become the reality that they get to live with every day.
My wife and I have been married since 2006, and we have two boys that we adopted from birth in 2011 and 2016. Do not be surprised if you bump into me and my wife at a sports match or movie with my older son, and if you see a small child shooting basketball for an hour or more, that is my younger son, and he will not talk to you much because he is really focused on his craft. When not with our kids, my wife and I enjoy playing strategic board games, working out, and traveling whenever we can.
AMANDA MCCUNE, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist and Health Service Provider, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist
I am a licensed psychologist practicing within the Knoxville, TN community. While I will always remain a Midwesterner at heart, I first fell in love with the charm of Tennessee while studying Psychology at Vanderbilt University. In 2016, I obtained a doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Adler University. Both the South and Midwest share the values of family and a sense of community, which are important to me. It is an honor to support individuals and couples navigating life’s challenges.
After experiencing the devastation and ripple effect of loss, I knew that my life’s passion was to help others feel connected and whole once again. In working with me you will come to find that empathy, compassion, and care are the cornerstones of who I am as a therapist and as a person. I am truly dedicated to helping my clients heal past and present wounds and live the life they desire and deserve. Being a licensed psychologist at Healing Hearts Counseling allows me to work alongside and consult with relationship experts whom I respect tremendously and continue to hone specialization in relationship concerns, grief, trauma, and infertility.
While each couple comes through our doors with a unique set of experiences and perspectives, they are not alone in the struggles they face to feel more connected or heard by their partner. You might find yourself in a rut exhausted by engaging in the same argument over and over again or feel misunderstood as if you and your partner are speaking a different language. It is common to respond by either pulling away to avoid conflict and keep the peace or react by lashing out in frustration deep down wanting to know if your partner still cares. These negative relationship patterns can lead to feelings of disconnection and may take a toll on your partnership and happiness. I assist couples by helping them to better understand this cycle and team up against the pattern versus blaming one another. I also provide safety to be more vulnerable with your partner in a way that they can hear, understand, and receive. Ultimately, our goal is to re-build safety, intimacy, connection, and fulfillment together.
As an individual facing loss, divorce, trauma, or infertility it may feel that the world as you know it has been shattered with no roadmap to guide you in moving forward. Those around you may not know what to say or how to best support you. I am here to bear witness to your pain and help you to feel more understood and less alone. I assist clients in making meaning of experiences, reconstructing their vision of the future, relinquishing feelings of guilt and shame.
If you have come to our site you are making a brave step towards change and I look forward to taking the first step with you!
Clay Culp, DSW, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist
It really hurts when you and your partner can’t seem to get through to one another. You may feel like you are having the same conversation over and over again without getting anywhere, or that it’s gotten so hard to talk that it feels easier not to talk at all. You are not alone. No matter how much two people love and care for each other, they can still find themselves in that painful, stuck place.
We are at our most vulnerable when in love. When something is that important to us, there’s a lot at risk. That vulnerability is what makes it so easy for partners to rub each other’s raw emotional spots, but that same vulnerability is also the pathway to deeper connection. I’ve witnessed the power of what can happen when a couple has a safe place to talk about the hard stuff. It is my goal to create that safe space and I consider it to be such a privilege and joy to work with couples who want to restore and deepen their bond.
The approach I use to help couples is called Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). My journey to working with couples began in 2014, working with the University of Tennessee Psychology Department’s Relationship Rx program as a Relationship Health Consultant. Despite seeing couples facing incredibly difficult challenges, I left that experience believing more than ever in the importance of relationships and in the capacity for healing within them. When I discovered EFT later, I quickly came to appreciate how it harnesses the incredible power of new emotional experiences to create lasting change. Since that time, I have completed an Externship in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT), and I am working toward becoming certified in EFT, under the supervision of Healing Hearts Counseling owner Dana Vince. It is an honor to work with Dana and Adam York and the rest of the Healing Hearts team. Being part of a team focused on the same mission of helping couples allows us to learn from and with one another, grow together, support one another and be greater than any of us could ever be alone. I hope the people we serve will feel that energy and that this place I love so much can be special for them too.
I earned both a Master of Social Work degree (2013) and a Doctor of Social Work degree (2018) from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Additional previous experience includes outpatient therapy at community mental health agencies and a university counseling center, working for mental health crisis response teams, and teaching Human Behavior in the Social Environment as adjunct faculty at the University of Tennessee College of Social Work. Beyond that, I am passionate about being a lifelong learner and exploring new ideas, the power of music to bring people together and make us feel, cheering on the Vols, and pizza.
Dianna Westbrook, M.A.
Licensed Professional Counselor, Mental Health Service Provider, Certified Imago Therapist
It is my goal to encourage, support, teach and empower couples toward whole-hearted living and conscious relationships. Both therapeutically and personally, I am committed to never stop learning and growing.
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor practicing in the Knoxville, TN area. I grew up in Illinois and relocated to Knoxville in 2012.
I have two Masters degrees in General Psychology and Professional Counseling. I am also a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in the State of Illinois and a Licensed Professional Counselor, Mental Health Service Provider in the State of Tennessee. I am a Certified Imago Relationship Therapist and a Certified Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Trainer since 2016.
I have 14 years’ experience in the field of counseling and mental health. My experience ranges from corrections, adolescent residential treatment, couples therapy, detox units, couples and family therapy, group work, and administration. I am currently the Chief Clinical Officer for a residential mental health facility and have operated a private practice on the side for 4 years.
I consider my therapeutic approach to be direct and interactive. I am passionate about therapy and draw on my education, experience, compassion, and continued curiosity of others to provide a safe and healing environment for my couples.
Amanda McEntee, M.A.
Provisionally Licensed Professional Counselor, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist
I am a provisionally licensed Professional Counselor practicing in the Knoxville area of Tennessee. I grew up in a small town in Tennessee just outside of Knoxville with two older brothers who taught me love, a mother who fought for me to have better, and a father who taught me compassion and sacrifice. I am a highly motivated, passionate, and nonjudgmental individual who believes everyone deserves unconditional care and support.
I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Maryville College and continued on to successfully complete my Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I interned in two private practice settings while in Charlotte, and worked with couples, families, and individuals. My passion areas include couples counseling, grief and loss, diversity and social justice, and empowering women. I am fully trained in Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) and am actively seeking certification within. I believe that we, as humans, innately crave closeness with others. Research shows we are happier and healthier when our bonds with others are secure. As an EFT therapist, I help guide couples in repairing emotional hurts and creating stronger connections. The focus within my practice centers on pre-marital couples counseling. I believe in the power of being proactive and I truly enjoy helping couples create positive communication styles early in their relationship. I also believe all things in life are systemic, and I specialize in guiding couples to create a more secure bond, which in turn generates self-assure individuals and builds stronger families. I firmly believe this sets couples up for a happy and healthy marriage, while also preparing them for many of married life’s difficult journeys. With my professional perspectives and your knowledge on you, you will create a happier and healthier life.
Lindsay Gunther, M.A.
Provisionally Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
I know from personal experience, not only in my own life but walking alongside friends and family, what it can feel like to be frustrated and desperate for change but not know where to start. That first step can feel so overwhelming. My heart’s desire is to walk alongside you as we learn together how to begin to heal your relationship and communicate better with your partner. I have experience working with couples through all stages of the relationship; dating, premarital, and marital both short and long term. In addition, I love working with individuals and have experience working with clients who suffer with depression, anxiety, addictions, and helping them identify what is getting in the way of finding fulfillment in their life and relationships. My passion has always been to help people dig deeper to create understanding of themselves and their pain which led me to pursue marriage and family therapy as a career.
I am originally from Bloomington, Indiana where I grew up with a very close family. After getting my bachelor’s degree from Indiana Wesleyan University, I attended Liberty University to get my graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.
I was able to combine my personal experiences with training to prepare myself for joining you in your journey. I think it is imperative that you feel like you are in a safe and secure relationship. My goal is to provide a compassionate, nonjudgmental environment to do the work of healing and bonding in your intimate relationships.
I am thrilled to be a part of the Healing Hearts team. It is a fantastic group of therapists that all truly care about helping others as well as supporting each other.
Stephanie Perez, M.S.
Intake Specialist and Administrative Assistant
I am originally from Florida but have called Knoxville home for 9 years. I attended the University of Florida where I received a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Business. I have a passion for helping others and am excited to be a part of the Healing Hearts team where I can connect partners with counseling experts. My husband and I have two wonderful sons together. I feel strongly about the process of therapy and the many benefits it provides both individuals and couples. I look forward to assisting you in scheduling an appointment with one of our therapists.