Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read my profile. I was born and raised in North Carolina. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master of Arts in Counseling both from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I have worked as a counselor in North Carolina and South Carolina for 19 years. I am licensed in North Carolina as a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and in South Carolina as a Licensed Professional Counselor. If you are seeking counseling to solely address substance abuse or dependence, that would be beyond the scope of my licensure and I would not be an appropriate choice of therapist for you. I have enjoyed a variety of work experience in my 19 years of counseling. I have helped clients coping with longer-term problems, and clients working through different life stressors. I have helped clients address concerns related to depression, anxiety/panic attacks, self-esteem and motivation, family stressors, grief and complicated bereavement, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, trauma and abuse, career development, and adjustment to phases of life. I would describe my therapy style as being sincere and genuine, and comforting and interactive. I have enjoyed helping people of a variety of age groups, cultures, and lifestyles. My main therapy approach is Person-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I also use interventions from Motivational Interviewing and Solution-Focused Therapy, skills for relaxation and distress tolerance, and mindfulness techniques. Person-Centered Therapy stresses “unconditional positive regard” and empathic understanding. I believe many of us strongly judge ourselves, and may also experience external judgement, and this often impedes positive change. I will offer a non-judgmental and supportive counseling experience to support you and help you utilize your own strengths. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy promotes change by examining the relationship between our thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. We sometimes develop patterns of thinking, either through our childhood experiences or stressors later in life, that often causes distress or makes it hard to achieve life goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help you identify if these patterns of thought are present and replace them with more positive and productive thought patterns. I enjoy spending time with my parents and friends, watching movies and historical documentaries, reading, yardwork, and weightlifting. I hope Betterhelp can help you with any problems you are experiencing. I also hope I can meet you and help in any way possible. For Disclosure purpose, things spoken/written in counseling are confidential, unless I were to think you were in immediate and clear danger of hurting yourself or someone else. At that point, I would need to contact your emergency contact and/or 911.