Nour Tawil
Co-founder, family therapist
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) · TN Lic. # 000000
Sees children, teens and parents together and apart. Helps families plan the school week and talk with the school.
Child, teen and family therapy in Chattanooga
Therapy that fits around the school day
Nook is a two-clinician practice for children and teens who find school hard, and for the parents getting them out the door. Sessions start before the first bell and run after the last.
Who Nook is for
Who we see, and who we don't
A short list, so you know in a minute whether to call.
Children 6 to 12
Play, drawing and talking. A parent joins for the first and last few minutes of each session.
Teens 13 to 17
Mostly talking, at the pace the teen sets. Parents hear the plan, not a transcript.
Parents and caregivers
Time on your own to plan the school week, the mornings, and what to say to the school.
What we don't do
Emergencies, prescriptions, school testing and custody evaluations. We'll point you to someone who does.
Services
Three ways to start
All three are in person in Chattanooga. Parent sessions can also be by video.
Child sessions
For ages 6 to 12. Fifty minutes of play, drawing and talking, with a parent at the start and the end.
See child sessions
Teen sessions
For ages 13 to 17. Fifty minutes of talking, at the pace the teen sets, with a short update for parents.
See teen sessions
Parent and family sessions
For parents on their own or the whole family: a plan for school mornings and for talking with the school.
See parent and family sessions
The school-day schedule
Sessions are timed around school, not through it
Most of our sessions are set so your child doesn't miss class to come to therapy.
7:15 or 7:45 a.m.
A session that ends before the first bell, for the mornings that are hardest.
3:45 to 6 p.m.
After school, Monday to Friday. Most of our sessions are here.
Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon
For families with a long drive or a full week.
During school hours
Only when a parent, the school and your clinician agree it is the right call. Never the default.
School letters
Our school letters: what they say, and what they don't
Schools often ask for a letter. This is our policy, written down, so you know what to expect before you ask.
| A Nook letter says | A Nook letter doesn't say | |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance | A Nook letter saysThat your child is in therapy with us, and the days and times of sessions. | A Nook letter doesn't sayThat an absence is excused. The school decides that. |
| Support | A Nook letter saysSupports that you ask us to include, such as a gradual return or a quiet place to start the day. | A Nook letter doesn't sayA diagnosis, unless you ask for one and your clinician agrees it fits. |
| Meetings | A Nook letter saysYour clinician can join an attendance, 504 or IEP meeting by phone, with your written permission. | A Nook letter doesn't sayAn opinion on grades, placement or discipline. |
| Timing | A Nook letter saysWritten within five school days of a signed release. | A Nook letter doesn't sayAnything about custody or a parent's fitness. |
The clinicians
Two clinicians, and you choose who to start with
Both see children, teens and families. You'll know who you are meeting, and their license number, before the first session.
Ignacio Cortina
Co-founder, child and teen therapist
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) · TN Lic. # 000000
Sees children and teens, and meets with parents between sessions. Joins school meetings by phone when a family asks.
What we talk about
- School mornings
- Worry before school
- Friends and group chats
- Sleep and screens
- Big feelings at home
- A parent's own stress
- Changing schools
- Going back after time away
Licenses
Licensed in Tennessee, and how to check
Each clinician's license is listed in the footer of every page, with the board that issues it. You can check any license with that board.
State licenses
Nour Tawil, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
TN Lic. # 000000 · Tennessee Board of Professional Counselors, Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Pastoral Therapists
Required to practice therapy in Tennessee
Ignacio Cortina, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
TN Lic. # 000000 · Tennessee Board of Social Worker Licensure
Required to practice clinical social work in Tennessee
How fees work
The answers to what families ask before a first session. No prices on this page: your clinician gives the fee in writing first.
Insurance we work with
Nook is out of network with insurance plans, so you pay for each session yourself. We do not take Medicare or Medicaid (TennCare) directly. If you want a clinician who bills your plan, we will gladly give you names of colleagues.
Out of network with insurance plans
No Medicare or Medicaid
If you pay yourself
You pay at the end of each session by card, including HSA and FSA cards. The fee is given to you in writing before the first session. A limited number of reduced-fee spots are open to families; ask how to request one. We ask for 24 hours' notice to change an appointment, because early-morning times are hard to fill again.
Receipts for reimbursement
Each month we give you an itemized receipt (a superbill) with the dates and kind of session, to send to your plan, which may reimburse part of out-of-network care. It carries a diagnosis code that your insurer can see, under your child's name. Your plan decides whether it pays anything; ask it before you start.
An estimate in advance
If you pay without insurance, you have the right to receive a written Good Faith Estimate of what your care will cost before you start. We give you one before the first session. If the final bill is $400 or more above the estimate, you can dispute it. The estimate is not a contract.
Checking your benefits
We do not bill your plan, so there is nothing for us to verify. To find out whether your plan reimburses out-of-network care, call it before the first session and ask about out-of-network mental health benefits for a dependent child.
Questions
What families ask first
Do you take our insurance?
Nook is out of network with insurance plans, and we do not take Medicare or Medicaid (TennCare) directly. We give you a monthly itemized receipt (a superbill) to send to your plan, which may reimburse part of out-of-network care. How fees work has the details.
How much does it cost, and can I use an HSA or FSA card?
Your clinician gives you the fee in writing before the first session, and you can pay with an HSA or FSA card. A limited number of reduced-fee spots are open to families; ask how to request one.
Will you write a letter for my child's school?
Yes, with your signed release. A Nook letter says that your child is in therapy with us and when sessions are, and can include supports you ask for. It does not excuse absences or give a diagnosis unless you ask and your clinician agrees. School letters has the policy.
What happens in the first session?
A parent or guardian comes with the child. We explain how we work and the limits of confidentiality, you tell us what the school mornings are like, and we agree on a first step. Your first session page has the details.
What is confidential, and what are the limits?
What your child says stays between them and their clinician, apart from a few limits we explain in writing before the first session: when someone's safety is at risk, when the law requires a report, and when a court orders records. Parents get updates on the plan, not a record of what was said.
Can you see my teen, and how does consent work?
A parent or legal guardian gives consent before the first session for every child and teen we see. Tennessee law sets out when a teen may consent alone; your clinician explains it in plain words and we involve a parent in every child's care.
Ask for a first call
Leave your name and how to reach you, and the times that work. We reply on school days.
Phone(423) 555-0103
Hours
- Monday – FridayToday
- 7:15 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- SaturdayToday
- 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- SundayToday
- Closed