Tri-Star Counseling
Helping You Find Balance with Quality Therapy Solutions
Hi, I'm Brent Metcalf, LCSW
I am a friendly, funny, supportive therapist who can help you rise above what you are going through. I care for those experiencing high stress, excessive worry, and feeling overwhelmed in life.
What makes me different? I make almost anyone feel at ease. People tell me that they can let their guard down around me.
Hi, I'm Ben Wagner, LPC-MHSP
Ben is a Licensed Professional Counselor with years of experience helping children, teens and adults overcome trauma, anxiety and depression. Ben earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at East Tennessee State University and then completed his Masters in Counseling. Specializing in EMDR and having a warm and welcoming personality, Ben can help individuals hurting from long standing trauma finally heal. When not at the therapy office, you can find Ben at the gym powerlifting, out on one Appalachia’s hiking trails, or enjoying time with friends and family.
Hi, I'm Katie Metcalf, LMSW
As a master’s level social worker and therapist, I blend professional expertise with personal experience to guide teens and women in self-discovery and empowerment. Using methods like CBT and ACT, I focus on enhancing strengths and promoting well-being in a relaxed, nonjudgmental setting. My goal is to empower clients to lead fulfilling lives true to themselves.
Hi, I'm Deanna Justice, MSW
I am committed to fostering a therapeutic relationship with her clients, enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of their emotions and behaviors. I work with children and teens in foster care and adoption has shaped my deep commitment to helping clients navigate complex trauma and find healing.
Hi, I'm Cory Whitfield, LMSW
I’m passionate about helping individuals find healing and empowerment while navigating life’s challenges. I specialize in working with adults who face depression, anxiety, trauma, addictions, and men’s mental health concerns. My approach is grounded in empathy and collaboration, creating a safe and supportive space where clients can explore their experiences and build resilience.
Hi, I'm Amberli Shupe, MA, NCC
Being a therapist means creating a space where people feel safe to be fully themselves. I love helping clients find confidence, peace, and a deeper understanding of who they are. My hope is that each session feels like a step toward healing—where things begin to feel lighter, clearer, and a little more possible.
Hi, I'm Robin Craig, LCSW
I believe therapy is a space where people can finally exhale and be fully themselves. It’s an honor to sit with someone in both their heaviness and their healing.
My role is to walk with you as things begin to feel more manageable — to help you find steadiness, clarity, and a way forward that feels true to you.
Hi, I'm Michelle Rucker, LPC-MHSP
I believe therapy is about rediscovering your voice and learning to trust yourself again. It’s a privilege to help people untangle the patterns that have kept them feeling stuck and begin to see their own strength.
Whether you’re healing from emotional abuse, working to improve your relationship, or simply trying to find your footing again, I’m here to walk alongside you as life starts to feel balanced, peaceful, and your own again.
Hi, I'm Katie Thornton, Admin Assistant
My love for helping people brought me to Tri-Star, where I now serve as the Admin Assistant. This means I support all new and current clients in the practice. So whether it is helping you schedule appointments, assisting you with billing questions, or any other needs that you have, I am here and ready to support you in your healing journey!
Let Us Help You Soar!
Tri-Star Counseling was established to serve clients in our local area and across Tennessee and Virginia with quality, affordable in-person and telehealth mental health services. We meet our clients where they are with person-centered, compassionate care and therapy services.
Trauma Therapy
Anxiety Therapy
Depression Therapy
Men's Therapy
Men’s Therapy seeks to remove the stigma around men needing mental health assistance and provide real tools that help men cope with the challenges in every stage of life. Life can suck at times, but you can face it and overcome every obstacle with confidence and strength.
Substance Use & Behavioral Recovery Therapy
Tri-Star Counseling can help you break free from substance use and harmful behaviors with positive support and therapeutic treatment, leading to a healthier, more fulfilling life and a brighter future.
Couples Therapy
Anger Management
Anger is a powerful and valid emotion that can be positively channeled for good. At Tri-Star Counseling, we teach you how and help you identify the causes of your anger. Learn to improve your relationships as you get better at controlling anger responses.
Grief Therapy
Grieving over suffering and loss can sometimes be debilitating. We help explore your grief, learn more about grieving and your behavior, and learn strategies to process grief positively so you can move on with your life.
Brainspotting
This is a specific tool used in the clinical therapeutic relationship that helps you locate, process, and deal with trauma, experiences, and other mental health issues. It works to identify brain activity connected to where you look and related feelings as you struggle with life’s challenges.
EMDR Therapy
Accelerated Resolution Therapy
A powerful and evidence-based approach to healing trauma, anxiety, and painful memories—without having to relive the distress. ART helps you shift old patterns and emotions quickly and gently, often in just a few sessions. If you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed, our experienced therapists are here to help you reclaim peace, clarity, and control over your life.
Play Therapy for Children
Play Therapy is a compassionate and effective approach designed to help children express emotions, process experiences, and build healthy coping skills—all through the natural language of play. In a safe and supportive environment, our therapists use play to help children explore feelings, develop problem-solving skills, and gain confidence in managing life’s challenges. Whether your child is struggling with anxiety, behavioral issues, grief, or other emotional difficulties, Play Therapy provides a gentle path toward healing, growth, and emotional well-being.
Why Choose Tri-Star Counseling?
Everyone faces challenges in life, and we often need help. There is no shame in getting therapy to help us out of the ruts of life. Tri-Star Counseling brings professional and compassionate therapy to help everyone with combinations of strategies that provide real solutions. We accept referrals from many Tri-Cities area providers and several insurance plans. Unparalleled support, ready smiles and positivity, availability, evening appointments, and easy access to our Colonial Heights office are some of the top reasons our clients return to us repeatedly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tri-Star Counseling provides individual therapy, couples counseling, trauma therapy, anxiety and depression counseling, grief therapy, men’s therapy, substance use recovery support, anger management, and specialized therapies such as EMDR, Brainspotting, Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), and play therapy for children. We offer both in-person and telehealth appointments.
Yes. Tri-Star Counseling offers secure online counseling and telehealth therapy for clients throughout Tennessee and Virginia. Virtual sessions make it easy to receive support from the comfort of your home, office, or any private space with internet access.
Counseling can help with anxiety, depression, trauma, stress, relationship problems, grief, anger, life transitions, substance use concerns, and emotional overwhelm.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, stuck, anxious, emotionally exhausted, or struggling in your relationships, therapy can help.
Yes. Trauma therapy is one of Tri-Star Counseling’s core specialties, including EMDR, Brainspotting, and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART).
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a proven therapy technique used to help individuals heal from trauma and distressing memories.
Yes. Tri-Star Counseling provides therapy for children, teens, and adolescents, including play therapy and support for anxiety, behavioral challenges, trauma, grief, foster care, and adoption-related concerns.
Yes. Tri-Star Counseling accepts several insurance providers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Optum, United Healthcare, UMR, Magellan, and Medicare.
Session costs vary depending on the therapist and appointment type.
Tri-Star Counseling is located in Colonial Heights in Kingsport, Tennessee, serving the Tri-Cities region.
Appointments can often be scheduled quickly depending on provider availability.
Hear From Our Clients
Contact Us
Call or message us today. Share some information with a team member and schedule a consultation with us in Colonial Heights, Tennessee, just off Interstate 81.
