Aayla Alexander

Rise & Thrive Counseling, PLLC is a Holistic Counseling Practice that offers therapy to teens, adults, couples, and families. Conveniently located in the Brier Creek area close by to the Research Triangle Park of the Raleigh-Durham area, Rise & Thrive Counseling is committed to providing you the highest quality therapeutic support either in person or via distance counseling. *I strictly provide telehealth sessions.

My counseling philosophy puts the client in the driver's seat. I firmly believe you are the expert on your own concerns. I believe in the power of a person-centered approach. I believe in collaborating with my clients in order to assist them with understanding their underlying concerns while identifying and utilizing their strengths in order to accomplish their goals. Together, we'll work as a team to clarify your vision for your ideal life. Though you'll be doing the work in your own life, you can feel safe knowing you have a trusted collaborator along the way.

My counseling style is warm, creative, and interactive. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I consider myself an eclectic therapist, drawing from a number of different approaches, based on the presenting concern of the client "in front of me." I borrow heavily from Cognitive Behavioral Theory, which teaches individuals to challenge and change unhelpful cognitive distortions (e.g. thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes) and behaviors, which can leas to improved emotional regulation along with the development of effective and helpful coping strategies to address concerns and whole life wellness.

I grew up here in North Carolina, hailing from Fayetteville. I obtained my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Queens University of Charlotte in 2012 where I started out working with at-risk youth in community based mental health. I now have over five years post-grad experience providing individual and group therapy. I continued providing a full range of services that helped individuals of various ages and families overcome addiction and mental health concerns along the way. Since graduating with my Masters of Social Work in 2016 from UNC Charlotte, I have worked primarily with college aged students within university counseling centers. I also enjoy supporting future generations in our mental health field by serving as an adjunct professor at UNC Charlotte since 2021. I enjoy working with ages ranging from young adults (18-24) to adults 24+.

I celebrate you for taking the first step in this journey towards change - be it big or small. I will be here to support and empower you along the way!

I look forward to working with you. Talk soon!