Tarsha Patterson, MS

Psychological Associate

Tarsha is a Psychological Associate who strives to create space for clients to have the freedom be unapologetically themselves. Tarsha’s goal in therapy is to provide a safe space that fosters the therapeutic bond and ultimately allows clients to explore various parts of their life with a therapist who is empathetic and judgment-free. Tarsha takes a collaborative approach to therapy, working alongside the client to set goals, identify strengths, and explore pathways to attaining those goals.

Tarsha’s therapeutic approach is integrative and includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as well as various other evidence-based treatments. She tailors her treatment approach in a way that fits the unique needs of each individual client. She believes that current behaviors are heavily influenced during the developmental stage and strives to enhance client understanding of behaviors by assisting them with drawing connections between childhood experiences and behaviors in adulthood.

She believes it is essential to understand that individuals cannot be separated from their environmental, cultural, social, and relationship contexts and influences, and thus approaches treatment with an increased awareness of cultural competency and self-awareness. Tarsha has previous experience with collective and intergenerational gender and racial trauma as well as the impact of acculturation stress on individuals. She is skilled at working with clients to identify, address, and overcome generational, gender, racial, and cultural wounds.

Tarsha has worked with a diverse group of clients including homeless Veterans with addictions, Veterans in residential settings, adults with addictions in inpatient settings, and children/adolescents and their parents. As a mother, she can relate to the complexities of raising children and the challenges of navigating relationships. As a parent of minority children, she can identify with the unique challenges these children and their families face. As a woman, Tarsha is understanding of the objectification and the duality of women’s gender roles, and the challenges women may face when trying to successively integrate and navigate those roles.

Tarsha has a passion for advocacy, having served on numerous Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) advisory committees and boards. She also created and co-chaired the University of Alabama’s Graduate DEI Committee. Tarsha has dedicated her time to causes such as Steward to Children for the Darkness to Light Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Organization, Safe Zone Ally, National Alliance on Mental Illness, CONTACT the Crisis Line, and CONTACT Reassurance Calling Program for the Elderly and Homebound. Tarsha has won numerous service and leadership awards. 

Tarsha earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Auburn University at Montgomery where she presided as the Graduation Grand Marshal. She also holds a Master’s degree in Women and Race Studies from the University of Alabama. She is an alumna of the prestigious Ronald E. McNair Graduate Fellow Scholar Program and was selected as one of the 2021 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Emerging Scholars.

She joined Weekend Therapy in October 2023 and functions as a Psychological Associate under the supervision of Dr. Nicholas Bennett.

CA Registration #PSB94028039