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Professional Counseling and Essential Therapy

In many ways, counseling and therapy are vital to restoring emotional stability. At Tuscaloosa Center for Cognitive Therapy in Alabama, count on Dr. Doris Vaughans’ eagerness to help you achieve mental health goals through counseling and other services.

Get to Know Dr. Doris Better

Before pursuing a career in professional counseling, Dr. Vaughans was a practicing registered nurse. After her beloved father, Rev. Calvin Chambers, passed away, she began working to comfort the bereaved.

After acquiring an intimate understanding of the many challenges that arise during the transition that follows after a loved one passes on, she realized the need to help people cope with the sense of loss.

Thus, began her career helping people and companies through loss transitions in 1999. The transitory challenges that she helps people deal with include:

  • Bereavement, Loss, and Grief
  • Retirement Lifestyles Changes
  • Post-Accident Changes
  • Post-Illness Changes
  • Post-Divorce Changes
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She extends her professional training and practice to include:

  • Depression and Anxiety Management
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Many Other Life Adversities

Credentials

Dr. Vaughans' credentials include a Ph.D. degree in Counselor Education from the University of Alabama. She teaches counseling classes at her alma mater, encompassing counseling skills and multicultural counseling.

She is also a published author, researcher, and a recipient of national and statewide awards, such as:

  • The Alabama Counseling Association's Outstanding Practitioner Award
  • The Wilbur A. Tincher Humanitarian and Caring Person Award

Dr. Vaughans states, "While those things are noteworthy, they are not the total representation of who I am. I love that, through my work, I can be my authentic self, a caring person who strives for excellence in all endeavors.”

“There is an intrinsic reward for living a purpose-filled life of helping others at what may be the most challenging times in their lives. I am fortunate and humble."

Therapist Career Highlights

Dr. Vaughans is a competent and ethical therapist, governing her practice according to the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics and the Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling.

Her initial expertise and training lie in the area of bereavement.

She temporarily relocated to Memphis to study under Dr. Robert Neimeyer, grief and bereavement researcher, practitioner, and educator at the University of Memphis.

She also developed a professional model of grief, The S.E.A.R.C.H. model of bereavement. This is a grief therapy technique documented in the book "Techniques of Grief Therapy,” edited by Robert Neimeyer, Ph.D.

Currently, she is a faculty member of Portland Institute of Loss and Transition.

Counselor for Organizations and Learning Institutions

Dr. Vaughans has provided professional counseling services that have proven effective in diverse employment settings, schools, universities, religious communities, and social organizational setups.

She is licensed to practice professional counseling in Alabama and Georgia.

Academic Credentials

  • Associate Degree in Nursing in 1986, Troy University
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing in 1992, Troy University
  • Master’s Degree in Counseling and Psychology in 2007, Troy University
  • Ph.D. in Counselor Education in 2014, University of Alabama

Confer With Dr. Doris

Seek Dr. Doris Vaughans’ guidance. If you wish to undergo cognitive therapy, she would be eager to discuss this matter with you before getting started.