Hidden Gems: Meet Tammy Cha of Tammy Cha Psychotherapy Services

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tammy Cha.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m a psychotherapist, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), and the founder of Tammy Cha Psychotherapy Services. My path has been shaped more by lived experience than by formal training.
As a Korean American who grew up in Orlando in an immigrant household, I became the first in my family to graduate from college. There was no roadmap for navigating higher education or for having open conversations about mental health, so much of my early adulthood was shaped by lived experience. I’m grateful for my parents’ sacrifices and the resilience they modeled. Our journey wasn’t without complexity, but their commitment to building a better future shaped my sense of responsibility and perseverance. I developed my values over time and learned from missteps, but a season changed me deeply. My faith became more than belief, turning into surrender. That shift reshaped how I carry responsibility, make decisions, and approach life, with greater grounding and intention.
There were personal seasons marked by difficult experiences and emotional lows that demanded honesty and change. Those experiences deepened my understanding of healing and accountability. Therapy became more than a career path for me; it became something I hold in deep respect because I understand firsthand what it means to engage in the work personally and what it feels like to suffer and grow through it.
Today, I am the founder of Tammy Cha Psychotherapy Services, a multi-state telehealth practice based in Atlanta, Georgia. I provide psychotherapy, immigration evaluations, comprehensive psychological evaluations, letters of support, and clinical assessments. I am licensed to provide telehealth psychotherapy in Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and Virginia, allowing me to serve clients across state lines and expand access to care. More information about my services is available at www.tammycha.com.
I am also pursuing my doctorate at Tulane University, where my Applied Practice Project focuses on expanding access to telehealth psychotherapy and culturally responsive mental health care for underserved and multicultural communities. I am especially encouraged by the growing curiosity among Asian American and other historically underserved communities about mental health and therapy. Seeing more openness and honest conversations about emotional well-being feels meaningful, and I am grateful to contribute in small ways to reducing stigma and making care feel safer and more accessible.
I try to surrender what I cannot control and trust the process, even when it stretches me. I believe difficult seasons can hold meaning, even if we do not see it right away. I trust that my clients are the experts of their own stories, and it is an honor to walk alongside them as we navigate their journey together. At the core of how I live and practice is a commitment to lead with love, humility, and respect for each person’s autonomy and beliefs. My hope is that everyone I encounter feels loved, seen, and accepted.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road. Navigating identity across cultures was complex, and there were personal seasons of difficult life experiences and emotional lows that shaped me in lasting ways. While education prepared me professionally, my lived experiences, including relational challenges and internal growth, truly refined me.
Building a multi-state telehealth practice while pursuing doctoral studies requires discipline and clarity. At times, the challenge is not a lack of motivation but a lack of time. There are only so many hours in a day, and I often wish I could support more people than is realistically possible. Learning to hold compassion while honoring boundaries has become an important part of my growth.
These challenges feel different from those in earlier chapters of my life. The deeper work happened long before the degrees.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Tammy Cha Psychotherapy Services ?
My work is trauma-focused and grounded in evidence-based practices, but above all, it is relational. I approach each client through a strong cultural lens and reject a one-size-fits-all model. Each person’s story is shaped by culture, family systems, faith, identity, and lived experience, and therapy should honor these factors.
I lead with warmth and empathy, using Socratic questioning to help clients examine patterns, process deeply, and reflect honestly. Therapy should feel safe, but it should also move you forward.
I am intentional about what I recommend in session. I don’t encourage clients to try strategies I don’t believe in or haven’t seen succeed. The approaches I use are evidence-based, practical, and grounded in real-world application. Whether we are working on boundaries, routines, overstimulation, sleep, movement, or social media use, I approach those conversations with integrity. I don’t ask clients to do work I’m unwilling to do myself. Change is difficult, and I respect the effort it takes.
I also provide specialized support for pet loss and grief. The bond between humans and animals is real and deeply emotional, and that loss deserves serious attention. I have a deep love for dogs and have seen firsthand the comfort, grounding, and emotional regulation they provide. Animals often offer a sense of safety and a nonjudgmental presence that can be profoundly healing. I am a strong proponent of emotional support animals when clinically appropriate, and I provide evaluations and letters of support when that recommendation aligns with a client’s mental health needs.
Through Tammy Cha Psychotherapy Services, I provide telehealth psychotherapy for teens and adults navigating anxiety, depression, substance and alcohol use disorders, racial and cultural identity concerns, religious trauma, and major life transitions. I also conduct immigration evaluations, comprehensive psychological evaluations, hardship waivers, VAWA petitions, U-Visas, and asylum cases, and prepare letters of support and other clinical assessments.
At the end of the day, I identify as a social worker. Expanding access and removing barriers to care are not just parts of my work; they are its foundation.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I’m open to meaningful collaboration with people who care about expanding access to mental health services and about doing the work with integrity. I value partnerships that are thoughtful, aligned, and rooted in respect, compassion, and genuine care for the communities we serve. At its heart, I believe the most impactful work is grounded in competence and love.

Pricing:

• Initial Evaluation (60 minutes): $250
• Individual Therapy (50 minutes): $200
• I accept most major commercial health insurance plans and some Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). I also support active-duty service members and military families through Military OneSource.
• Immigration and Psychological Evaluations, Letters of Support, and Clinical Assessments: Pricing available upon request.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tammycha.com/
• Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/tammy-cha-atlanta-ga/1199812

Image Credits
Sandra Rompala Photography
Dog Featured: Grobie