HELLO. Thank you for stopping by. My name is "AC" (Alisha) and I am a licensed professional counselor. Thank you for stopping by :-) I am trained clinically as a therapist. However, the reason I do this type of work is for a much deeper and meaningful reason. I will have to take you to the past for a moment. I have religious roots but they were not good ones in terms of helping me understand the things that I was struggling emotionally. If those challenged endured for a long time, there was really no help. It was summed up as not having "enough" faith. Tired of hearing this sentiment, I pursued counseling for Christians who felt like they were faithless because they had struggles. I wanted to stop this from perpetuating one person at a time. What you can expect from a counselor who is a Christian? You can expect that you will not be shamed into thinking that you do not have enough faith. In fact, we may not even talk about faith in sessions unless you ask for that. I say to people that I am a Christian so that you know my core values. Do I have people that do not share the same values? I sure do... not to talk about my values but what you are seeking relief in with kindness and care. Before we do: Here are a few things to expect: 1. Nervousness-What will happen? How will I feel? What should I say or not say? There are questions that can cause some nervousness. Just remember, everything that you have experienced is part of the human experience. Say what you want if you want, when you want. 2. Feeling like what's the Point-"I don't feel a change". Some times a light will flicker in therapy BUT not always in every session will that occur. But whether it occurs in real time or not, what we talk about is always working on you consciously or subconsciously. You will know when you notice that a new way of looking at something happens and think to yourself, "That is a new though or different reaction that I had." This delayed reaction to a therapy session is actually more common! 3. Frustration-As you do your "work", you'll notice that people who you are in relationship have not. Learning how to take your new found skills and freedom into the world takes a new perspective. Who are you now regardless of all circumstances is the question that you will be able to answer. This means that despite what others do or don't do, you will be OK. 4. It is time to Fly- You will find at some point in your personal work that you are not as distressed and you are better able to manage thoughts that once brought you distress. You are spreading your wings and will not have an imminent need for counseling. No matter when this occurs for you, I want you to fly. It may be time for you to end your subscription and do just that. If a few weeks have passed and you have not used the service, you are likely taking flight on something new that you discovered. Please Fly High. No need to feel as though you have to maintain your subscription "just in case". You can always come back later if you'd like. 5. Flexibility and Persistent pesky gnats. That is what I am calling thoughts and feelings that just need time to stop appearing and biting. Do not feel odd if you still fight to fan off pesky thoughts. Likely there is a "holding on" to a thought, belief, image, or something else that you have not fully released. This is where the need for flexibility comes in. You will have to be flexible and not hold on rigidly to the way you have interpreted things (even though you are sure that you are "right") . Even if you are right, you still may be left feeling less than free. Counseling is a good tool to see what is left in your thoughts that need to be re-worked. 6. Never Compare Yourself to Others. Do the best that you can do. That is Enough. Appointments: You are free to choose any time that you see on the calendar. If you need to verify that your time zone is reflected accurately, know that I am in the Eastern Time Zone in the US (EST time). Your time zone as listed on your account will be seen. If you travel outside that time zone, a good app is World Time Buddy to verify. My commitment to you is that I will be on-time and prepared for your session. I will not respond to other clients while I am in session with you. Should I have to reschedule an appointment, I will do that as soon as possible, likely days in advance as not to disrupt your plans. I will then get you reschedule ASAP. If I have an personal emergency and need to cancel the next day, I will inform you promptly of my situation and when I will be available. I ask that you take the same care when scheduling or cancelling. PLEASE NOTE: The Golden Rule Policy for No-shows or a Same Day cancellation. Please cancel 24 hours in advance. This allows for your block to be used. Cancellations that occur the same day, prevents anyone else from scheduling in that time. Emergencies do happen and I take a person's word for it without explanation. The honor system is enough :) In the case of a true emergency, you are free to reschedule as you wish. Crises and emergencies are rare. However, should 2 emergencies occur resulting in you not maintaining your appointment, please talk to me so that I can understand your unique needs before attempting to reschedule. If the no-show/same-day cancellation was for any other reason and you would like another appointment, I ask that you message me and Request a Same- Day appointment. I will give you the times that are open for the day you contact me. This it lessens the chance of a repeat no-show and I can serve efficiently. Have a lovely day, AC

Thank you for choosing me to embark on this journey with you! "To get thru the hardest journey, we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping" Hi, my name is Kandace Graves, I am a licensed professional counselor in the state of North Carolina. I received a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Capella University in 2016. I am currently licensed in North Carolina by the North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors. (13510). My graduate experience includes a 12-month internship counseling men and women within an urban community in Ohio. As your counselor my aim is to provide a safe and supportive environment where we can collaborate and work at your own pace to help you reach your goals. I work with men, women, children, teens, couples and families whom have experienced trauma, grief, depression, and anxiety. People who have difficulty transitioning into a new chapter in life and provide reunification therapy to families of divorce. I also provide couples counseling. The theoretical approach I use include but are not limited to Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Rational Behavior Therapy. Though each person will experience hardship and difficulty, I believe that the problem with emotions and behaviors are generally a result of how one thinks and feels about a given situation. Person-Centered Therapy emphasizes each person’s uniqueness, value and worth which provide an environment safe enough to share honestly and openly. Dialectical Behavior Therapy emphasizes acceptance of uncomfortable feelings or thoughts rather than struggling with or rejecting them, allowing change to occur. Solution Focused Therapy relies on what was helpful in other situations in which the client was able to cope. All theoretical orientations are helpful in identifying the root of distress. I believe that knowing where you come from is important to know where you are headed. Trauma and other experiences have a way of permeating into other areas of our lives such as marriage, familial relationships and friendships. Along with the many benefits of counseling come risks. Since counseling often involves discussing unpleasant or uncomfortable aspects of your life, you may experience feelings such as sadness, guilt, anger, shame and helplessness, just to name a few. Counseling allows you to process your feelings and often leads to better relationships and relief from feelings of distress. In order to benefit the most from the counseling experience you must be committed, engaged, and do work outside of therapy to meet your goals. I abide by the confidentiality standards set forth by NCBLPC and upheld by the state law. All of our communication becomes part of the clinical record, which is accessible to you upon request. I will keep confidential anything you say as part of our counseling relationship, with the following exceptions: (a) you direct me in writing to disclose information to someone else, (b) it is determined you are a danger to yourself or others (including child or elder abuse), or (c) I am ordered by a court to disclose information. This platform is not to be used for emergency purposes. If you are feeling like you will hurt yourself or someone else please contact the suicide hotline and/or go to the nearest emergency room. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. I am excited to join you on this journey!

My name is Jill Wheeler. I am a Licensed Certified Mental Health Counselor with twelve years of experience. I am certified by the state of North Carolina as an LCMHC. (LicensedClinical Mental Health Counselor). I work for the Department of Defense as a military counselor during the day and pledge my evening here on this platform. Previously, I worked as an Acute therapist in a psychiatric hospital unit. This experience broadened my counseling skills. Working in several school systems with children of all ages allowed me to experience counseling the younger mindset. Currently, I work with clients with a wide range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, parenting problems, career challenges, school problems, and spiritual matters. My counseling style is non-judgmental, inviting, respectful, thought-provoking, and sensitive. My counseling approach combines solution-focused and motivational interviewing. It takes courage to seek a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards change. If you are ready to take that step, I am here to support and empower you. I look forward to working with you!

I am a a licensed counselor in North Carolina, and have been practicing for 18 years. I have worked with adults in higher education settings and private practice. Common topics include disability related topics, wide variety of mental health concerns, and career related topics. I provide counseling specific to disability related issues such as diversity, adjustment, and legal obligations/requirements specific to ADA law. In my work with mental health counseling, common topics of focus are on stress management, depression, anxiety, mood disorders, grief, domestic violence, communication, work-life balance, general life skills, and academic success skills. I have more limited experience with career counseling, but do facilitate career counseling and am qualified to provide supervision from this perspective. I am certified to administer Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and other career inventories. My primary theories of practice most commonly include Solution-Focused techniques and Cognitive Behavioral strategies. I focus on the strengths within the client, promote empowerment, assist clients in exploring the answers within themselves, and utilize a strength-based approach and assignments. In line with CBT, I often assignment home work to clients in an effort to link sessions and continue work outside of our individual or group sessions. I also use role-play as a common strategy in session as well as exploring patterns of irrational or unhelpful thinking. I often utilize hand-outs for clients to illustrate various topics as well as serve as a resource for clients outside of therapy sessions. My counseling style is warm, collaborative and interactive. I treat all clients with respect, compassion and unconditional positive regard. I place high value on empowering clients and meeting clients where they are. I will individualize the treatment plan based on the goals explored and established with the client. Making the decision to attend counseling takes courage. Everyone deserve to be happy and healthy. Doing the work in counseling is worth the effort to achieve a better way of life. I'm ready to assist and support you in this journey.

My name is Dawn (she/her pronouns). I am a licensed clinical mental health counselor and have been licensed in North Carolina since 2014. I have worked in the mental health field for 20 plus years. I have really been enjoying my time working with clients here at BetterHelp. I began working on this platform in January of 2021 and I have to admit that I still am really happy working in this setting. Since being licensed I have been working with all age groups; starting with those at the age of 5. I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, parenting problems, career challenges, OCD and ADHD. I have worked with those who struggle with PTSD for many reasons; including but not limited to: domestic violence; rape/sexual abuse; physical abuse; neighborhood violence; disasters; military time and others. My counseling style is friendly and interactive. I am not passive and I am very communicative. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and I don't believe in focusing time on labels. My approach combines a combination of evidenced based therapies including cognitive-behavioral, dialectic behavioral, motivational interviewing and others. I will modify our time, discussions and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. It takes a lot to reach out and ask for help. I am so glad that you did. I look forward to working with you!

I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in the state of North Carolina for the last 6 years. I have worked in mental health for over 19 years. I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including anxiety, trauma, abuse, neglect, family issues, parenting concerns, ADHD, career concerns, relationship concerns, grief and loss, and depression. My therapy style is supportive, respectful, and warm. I believe that every situation is unique and utilize multiple therapeutic approaches to meet each individual need. Sessions will be tailored to the individual needs and desired outcomes to help support you in reaching your goals. Taking the first step to engage in therapy is courageous and inspiring and I look forward to working with you and supporting you through that process.

I am a licensed clinical social worker with over 30 years of experience in the Behavioral Health field. Over the years I have worked in many different settings ranging from Community Mental Health centers to private practice. I have worked with a wide variety of client populations and issues including depression, anxiety, relationship problems, codependency, addictions, abuse/trauma, anger management, stress management and many others. I am trained in best practice models including CBT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing and Wellness Management and Recovery to name a few. However, no matter how well trained and experienced I am, it means nothing if I am unable to empathically connect with my clients. This begins by recognizing and honoring the courage it takes to enter therapy and "bare your soul" to a complete stranger. I am naturally empathic and genuinely interested in others which I use to foster an environment in which my clients feel safe, understood and accepted. As a therapist I adhere to certain guiding principles such as the following: Each client is doing the best they know how. The problem is not that there is something wrong with them - it is that they simply are not aware of more effective ways to navigate life's issues or they lack the skills needed to do so; What is effective for one person, is not necessarily effective for another; Each person's solution lies within them and it is my responsibility to help them find it; and none of us received a "How to live life" handbook - Life is hard and messy and this means that none of us have all the answers including me! And so I view therapy in many ways as a collaborative process in which we work together to find the best ways forward. I don't see myself so much as an "expert", but rather as a guide imbued with knowledge and skills that can help a client find their own path to healing, health and recovery.

I am licensed in North Carolina with 3 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with relationship issues, intimacy related issues, motivation, self esteem, and confidence, & career difficulties. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.

I am licensed in Texas and North Carolina with 10 years of professional clinical experience. I attribute the quality of my practice to my time as an active duty social worker providing clinical services to service members and their family members. I am experienced helping clients cope with a wide range of psychological illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and trauma based disorders, as well as concerns such as phase of life stress, health problems, work-related issues, relationship concerns and other general problems. I believe that you are the expert of your life and it is important to me that you feel well involved and engaged in meeting your therapy goals. For me, your input in therapy will prove most valuable in structuring your treatment and meeting your goals. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. It takes a lot to commit your time, resources, and energy to yourself, and I am glad you did. I am here to support you in your process and look forward to working with you! ~Kate

I am licensed in North Carolina, South Carolina and Colorado with 3 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, coping with addictions, coping with grief and loss, & depression. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.

I am licensed in North Carolina and have been practicing psychotherapy for over 20 years. I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, stress and anxiety, addiction, relationship issues and grief. I have also helped clients process the trauma associated with physical and emotional abuse. My style is warm and compassionate and I tailor my therapeutic approach to meet your specific needs. I believe that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming personally challenging issues. Life is hard and most of us are ill-prepared to navigate the numerous obstacles we all encounter. Engaging in therapy will help you to develop the skills necessary to navigate all of life's challenges. You will learn how to be your own best problem solver. Taking the first step on your journey toward achieving a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support and empower you in that process. I look forward to working with you!

I am licensed in North Carolina with 9 years of professional work experience. I have experience with helping clients manage stress, anxiety, trauma, abuse, motivation, self esteem, and confidence, & depression. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.

I am licensed in Texas with 3 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with relationship issues, motivation, self esteem, and confidence, career difficulties, & coping with life changes. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!

I am licensed in North Carolina with 7 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, family conflicts, coping with grief and loss, & depression. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!

I am a doctor of clinical psychology and a licensed psychologist. My particular areas of expertise are in working with: teens, young adults, and parents; anxiety and depression; neurodiversity (such as ADHD and autism); and LGBTQ+ individuals and families. At this time, I'm only offering messaging-based services. This consists of asynchronous (not "live"), text-only conversations between the two of us. If you think that messaging might be a good format for your individual therapeutic or parent coaching services, please reach out and I'll be happy to discuss it with you further. I'm originally from The Triangle in NC, but I lived outside of Philadelphia for over ten years. During that time, I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Swarthmore College, as well as my masters & doctoral degrees at Widener University's Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology. I completed the following tracks & concentrations in my doctoral program: Diversity & Cross-cultural Psychology; Children, Adolescents, & Families; and School Psychology. My internships during my doctoral program were at: a public school; a community mental health center for kids, teens, & families; and an inpatient drug & alcohol rehabilitation facility. Upon returning to my home state in 2020, I worked primarily with LGBTQ+ teens, young adults, and their parents for three years in private practice. I approach individual therapy and parent coaching with warmth, acceptance, and compassion. I use an integration of third-wave therapies – such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), & Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) – and Family Systems. I'm particularly passionate about taking an intersectional, trauma-informed, gender-affirming approach to supporting LGBTQ+ young people and their families. I go by "Katherine" or "Dr. Ernst," and my pronouns are she/her. I live in The Triangle with my partner, along with our rescue dog and cats. I openly identify as a queer, disabled, Arab-American woman.