Raise Yourself With UpLift Support Groups
A small group approach to big problems
About Us
Who We Are- Nazli Koyl, LPC-MHSP, John Adler, LPE & Andrew Lawson, MA
Andy Lawson
I grew up in Knoxville. I have stayed here because I am connected to the people and the Appalachian culture, especially the music. I love bluegrass and play guitar and mandolin.
I have a Bachelors degree in psychology and a Master's degree in pastoral counseling. I am currently working on my doctorate in psychology with an emphasis on health and wellness. I embrace a multi-systems approach with influences from family systems and cognitive behavior therapy.
John Adler
I grew up in Wisconsin where I received a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology. I have lived in the South since 1972. I have been in Knoxville. Tennessee since 1990. I have written and recorded 62 songs expressing my life and spiritual journey. I obtained my Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Western Carolina University in North Carolina. The foundation of my clinical approach is integrating spiritual teachings and values with practical application and reprogramming of the brain. The soul has two wings: the spiritual (moral) and the scientific. If we want our lives to change, new neural programs have to be developed to carry out our higher purpose.
Nazli Koyl
I lived in various places abroad and in the United States. I moved to Knoxville in 2013. I am a licensed professional counselor (LPC-MHSP) who works with children and adults at All Ages Counseling in Knoxville, TN. I believe counseling is a reflective and personal journey between the counselor and client. I have over 15 years of experience as a meditation practitioner and believe meditation is a powerful coping skill that can help individuals heal themselves of emotional and mental turmoil. In my free time, I enjoy writing children stories, playing guitar and singing.
Action-Oriented Approach
Support That Makes a Difference
UPLIFT is an acronym that elaborates our underlying philosophy. It stands for, “Unlocking the Peace Locked Inside Fear and Trauma.” It explains that we believe that the painful and difficult experiences that often bind us to bad habits, negative emotional reactions, and poor coping skills, have the potential to reveal our life’s deeper purpose.
Group Structure
•Small groups of no more than ten
•Respect and understanding of people with different perspectives
•Resolution of conflict without attack
•Fostering of faith in yourself, other people and God
•Finding your higher purpose
Group Philosophy
We believe that one of the major factors that leads to negativity and frustration is that the experience of pain often causes us to disconnect from God, other people and our higher selves. By developing action plans, we find the path to positive responses to fear, anger and depression.
Group Purpose
Trauma often causes our minds to split into conflicting feelings and urges that work against each other and locks away the truth of who we are. This causes disunity within our own minds. Painful experiences create negative neural programs. When activated, these programs cause us to misinterpret present experiences according to past events. We work to reunify the mind and thereby open the door to a deeper and more meaningful experience of life.
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment”
Buddha
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