Therapists for college students near Durham, NC

Feeling like a shadow of your former self. Just going through the motions. All this pretending, performing—it’s exhausting. You’ve become a master at molding yourself to fit others’ expectations of you. And just to keep the peace. And social media is messing with your mental health. Every scroll through Instagram feels like being bombarded by a barrage of perfect lives. You can’t help but compare, feeling like you’re coming up short. And so you dive deeper into the people-pleasing game, losing yourself in the process, just craving some validation. How do you even begin to claw your way out of this hot mess express? You’re not wrong, change isn’t always crystal clear. But hand me that brain teaser. Before you know it, you’re on a clear path to your goals. Fast forward, you’ve ditched the stuff holding you back from happiness. You even love your messy, imperfect parts. Now, you’re fully embracing the real, confident you. Ditching anything that chips away at your self-worth. Nodding along? I’ve got you covered. Combining your drive for change with EMDR therapy is sure to bring incredible results. Think of EMDR as a train ride through your past, leaving issues behind as you move forward. It’s time to unlock your true potential. I’m here for you every step of the way. Ready to chat? Book a free 15-minute consult on my website!

If you're looking for a warm, inviting and sometime humorous therapist, you've found the right spot. I specialize in working with women who have experienced trauma whether it be from a difficult childhood, relationship, or violence. I enjoy helping young women find their voice in relationships and build their identities in ways that support who they want to be. I am trained in EMDR to assist in processing and desensitizing any past traumas that are holding you back. Reach out via text/phone/email to set up a consult to see if we're a good fit!

You are here on purpose! Through an integrative approach infused with mindfulness practices, you can learn to manage anxiety, trauma, depression, health & wellness, and more. Together we can tackle the challenges and uncertainties in a safe and judgement free space. Visit my website for more support! TELEHEALTH/VIRTUAL services only. "It's your road and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you." -Rumi

Our therapists and staff have been carefully and thoughtfully selected, and I consider it an honor to work alongside them to help heal the community. We have offices in Huntersville and Hickory, and also offer virtual sessions. Our goal is to continue to expand throughout the Carolinas and provide excellent, long-lasting, quality care. We are committed to building an inclusive, varied, mental health practice, welcoming to clients of all backgrounds

Today you are one step closer to a new you where you feel empowered and on a positive path to growth and well-being. At Immerse Counseling and Consulting, our goal is to provide a compassionate, non-judgmental, culturally sensitive environment that will assist you to uncover your true potential and lead a life that is worth celebrating. Mission At Immerse Counseling and Consulting PLLC, we strive to provide high-quality mental health and counseling services to promote the overall well-being, retention, and success of our children, adolescents, adults, and families from diverse backgrounds and varying socio-economic contexts. We endeavor to walk alongside our clientele as they navigate the uncertainties and life challenges and use a Person-Centered, Strength-Based, Compassionate, Trauma-Informed, and Multicultural approach to the therapeutic process. In the midst of their present circumstances and challenges, we aspire to provide stress and emotional management support to our esteemed customers with care and compassion. It is through our strong, relational connection that clients become holistically empowered and motivated to move ahead in a healthy and resilient way.

If you’re trying to balance everything- stress, relationships, health, school, life transitions, we’re a good match. You are most likely struggling with with body image, and/or self esteem, your connection with food, and you want to develop your communication skills, relationships and overall outlook on life.

I am a licensed clinical social worker with expertise in eating disorders. I have worked with individuals with various eating and body image issues and previously served as the Director of Adolescent Services for Eating Disorders at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. I also specialize in the treatment of anxiety and OCD. I offer Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which is an individual therapy focused on understanding patterns, increasing flexibility in thinking, and changing behaviors. Our work together will focus on identifying and capitalizing on your inherent strengths to overcome whatever may be getting in the way.

My name is Joseph B. Alexander, LMFT and I have a private practice called Footprints Counseling in Winston-Salem, NC. I have been licensed as an LMFT since 2007 and doing full-time counseling since 2009. I work with individuals, families, and couples and also work with kids 9 years old and above. It is important to me to listen to my clients and help them process and address the areas that are bringing them. I know it is a huge step to reach out and I would be happy to journey alongside with you.

Suzie has extensive experience working in mental health using several different unique modalities including sand tray and expressive art. Suzie is passionate about helping children and adults through physical, emotional or sexual abuse. After completing her Masters Degree at Liberty University, she held an internship position at Transitional Counseling Center working with the sex offender population while earning her Provisional Sex Offender Treatment Provider (PSOTP) certification. At the same time Suzie worked at Riverside Hospital conducting groups with schizophrenia clients in a day program unit. She later worked in a private practice setting working with a sex therapist with a focus on the LGBT, transgender and sex addiction population. She has also completed her training as an Approved Clinical Supervisor. Suzie has also completed her training in EMDR, a trauma focused psychotherapy, one of the most studied treatment for PTSD and found this very effective with the VA clients she is currently serving. Suzie has also worked in various roles associated with crisis intervention and volunteered at a domestic violence shelter for women and children. Suzie believes that each individual is unique. Her treatment approach is customized to bring greater self-awareness, psychological healing, and inner satisfaction. Suzie has extensive experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in treating psychosis, anxiety disorders, depression, self-esteem issues, mood disorders, and other issues faced in the journey of life. In addition to providing wellness counseling, she works with multiple issues requiring mild to more intensive therapy skills and complicated grief, caregiver, and mood management issues. Therefore, Suzie believes it is important to incorporate a knowledge of one’s thinking process to overcome a negative feeling.

Melissa Sisco, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist with 18 years of clinical experience. She is best known for her expertise in trauma recovery, aggression management, healthy sexuality, and systems of identity. She has a special interest in providing services for first responders and people with exposure to systems of aggression (sexual oppression, domestic violence, war, civil unrest) as well as communities of control (gangs, cults, unhealthy families). Clinically, Dr. Sisco operates primarily from a cognitive behavioral framework; however, she may shift strategies if an alternate modality is identified by clinical trials as the more effective treatment corresponding to a given diagnosis. Primary skillsets include: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Mindfulness-based Interventions, Guided Self-Hypnosis Training, Systematic Desensitization Therapy, Harm Reduction, and Brief Strategic Family Systems Therapy (BSFT), Insight-Oriented Therapy, and Reality Therapy. She has also engaged in mentorship/coaching, positive psychology, play therapy, and animal assisted therapeutic services. When working with Dr. Sisco, you will always be greeted with a sincere warmth and concern for your well-being. She “shoots from the hip” in a nonjudgmental way to help embrace personal truths and build the glory after the challenge. You will also notice that she can switch gears to hear you in the moment when a quiet presence is needed and help guide you towards answers when the time is right to address the problems. She will honor and respect your time schedule and your definition of clinical goals. She will accept you as you are and help you see the wonder in yourself while learning to navigate the struggles that we all face. Dr. Sisco’s experience and training has led her to four fundamental beliefs about all individuals: (1) We all have basic human drives, private desires, insecurities, ascribed identity, and an ongoing personal narrative that drive our interaction with the world. (2) Seemingly unimportant decisions lead to habits which cascade into life-changing results. (3) We all experience jilting traumas that alter us in some fashion. (4) We can all be well, whole people who love, are loved, and add value to the world. Specialties Dr. Sisco provides individual, couples, family, and group therapy, as well as clinical supervision. Throughout her career, she has worked with a variety of clinical populations, such as: first responders, healthcare workers, those in forensic settings, trauma survivors, sexual and violent offenders, those in substance abuse recovery, individuals experiencing severe mental illness, adults and children on the Autism Spectrum, adults and children diagnosed with Intellectual Developmental Disorders (IDD), parents of troubled children and teens, refugees, military Veterans, individuals with gang involvement, survivors of war crimes, and marginalized communities. Dr. Sisco’s skillset includes: assessment, report writing, case management, therapeutic sessions, administration, supervision, program development and evaluation, empirical standardization and manual development and implementation, crisis response, and community repair. She specializes in treating Mood Disorders (Depressive Disorders, Bipolar Disorder), Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI), trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Anxiety Disorders, Panic Disorder and Specific Phobias, anger and aggression, relationship problems, issues related to sexuality, gender transition and identity, addictions, stress and adjustment, personality disorders, weight loss, and smoking cessation, evaluation for bariatric surgery, and transplant preparation. Education and Training Dr. Sisco graduated in 2011 with a joint PhD in Clinical Psychology and Psychology, Policy, and Law with a minor specialty in Program Evaluation and Research Methodology from the University of Arizona. During this time, she participated in teaching, grant writing, providing research and statistical support, engaging in case review of civil and criminal cases regarding undue influence, working in clinical settings and supervising others in clinical settings. In addition, she aided in designing and implementing the first restorative justice program in the US, addressing date rapes on campus with Dr. Mary P. Koss of the R.E.S.T.O.R.E. project. She designed modified treatment curriculums for special populations of sex offenders (brain injured and developmentally delayed as well as female sex offenders) that were implemented in the Arizona Department of Corrections in 2013. She was also an integral part of building one of the first therapeutic mentorship programs designed to service foster-care youth with behavioral challenges with Dr. Julie Feldman. She worked most closely with her major advisor, Dr. Judith Becker, best known for her work on the Jeffrey Dahmer and Green River Killer cases. In her spare time, Dr. Sisco delighted in rehabilitating aggressive animals, predominantly horses and dogs, to provide hope for their rehoming. Dr. Sisco was selected for predoctoral internship at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center, Trauma-Specific Track. During her internship, she specialized in trauma-response care in emergency medical settings, outreach to high-risk, marginalized urban youth and their families during and after violence exposure, and identifying susceptibility to recruitment in terroristic and gang-related organizations due to community trauma. During her off time, she began training as a boxer and fell back into her roots of youth mentorship due to the engagement she experienced while training. She built a mentorship program for youth in crisis, BoutIt Mentorship program, specifically designed and implemented for youth housed in a crisis shelter. Participants in the program learned how to cope effectively with intensive trauma, aggression, and mental health diagnoses. In her work as a clinical consultant, Dr. Sisco provided education to the International Court of Justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the psychology of serial sexual assault during wartime. Dr. Sisco served as a professor at Roosevelt University for many years, as well as a forensic adjunct at the Chicago Professional School of Psychology. It was at this point that she incorporated Animal Assisted Therapy into her services; she delighted in seeing her clients and students find peace and release from being in the presence of her therapy dog. In 2017, Dr. Sisco returned to North Carolina, where she worked as a senior psychologist at Broughton State Hospital in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. While there, she worked with people who suffered with severe, debilitating mental illness and aided in a state shift to positive psychology and universal acknowledgements of strengths as opposed to illness. Dr. Sisco has published predominantly regarding systems of intimacy and violence. She has worked with many different populations including: persons struggling with addictions, veterans, inmates, international tribunals of war, psychiatric inpatients, families with marital and/or parenting concerns, sexual and domestic violence aggressors and victims, at risk youth, gangs, homeless, refugees, exonerees from capital cases, youth on the autism spectrum, people with severely and profound developmental delay, people with serious mental illness, people classified as serious violent predators, First Responders, police de-escalation teams, survivors of homicide/suicide of a loved one, and, of course, students and community members struggling with daily stressors. Additional Trainings Dr. Sisco has extensive training in Applied Behavioral Analysis, Multicultural Sensitivity, and Crisis Intervention Training. She is also well-versed in a variety of neuropsychological assessment batteries and engages in report writing for forensic and clinical purposes. Professional Membership American Psychological Association North Carolina Psychological Association National Register of Health Service Psychologists

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I know what it's like to be a college student and struggling with your mental health. It's a difficult and isolating experience. Finding healing in my clinical depression and anxiety was ultimately what led me to become a therapist, to help others like you going through it, too. When we talk about your thoughts and emotions, I know what you're going through and that pain you're experiencing. I also know the power of having a Christian counselor walk alongside you when your Christian faith is important to you. As a believer and therapist, I want to offer you both--a place where Jesus + therapy can co-exist. I offer Christian counseling to young women struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma/PTSD, and cross-cultural adjustment. I integrate clinical techniques along with Scripture and prayer, if you desire, as you work towards healing, renewal and hope! Send me an email today. Let's get started!

Hi! I have a 5 lb. Maltese and Hunter, my 115 lb. German Shepherd. I grew up on a farm and animals are incredibly important to me. They teach us so much about ourselves and have the capacity to unconditionally love us and at times, they can really challenge us. That's what therapy is all about - unconditional positive regard and pushing us to be our best selves. I work with females; ages pre-teens to adulthood and their families. Anxiety, depression, trauma, self-harm behaviors, relational issues, and emotional challenges are among my specialties. I love helping those find their purpose, path, and inspiration!

Are you having trouble adjusting to life transitions? Are you bothered that you aren't good enough? Are you concerned that having emotionally immature parents has caused you to struggle in adulthood? Your experiences with transitions could become overwhelming, causing a lack of focus, a decrease in self-esteem, and second-guessing yourself. Imagine understanding your struggle to make changes or adapt. Imagine understanding the impact of a lack of emotional maturity or intimacy. There is a way to change these patterns in your life. You can overcome the blockage and barriers of change. I primarily use Internal Family Systems and the Change Triangle . These therapies help identify the internal attachment of faulty thoughts and emotions and help to explore ways to "detach" and live your life with purpose. Over time, you can successfully change how you think and feel about yourself and the world. I can help you understand your self-capacities by offering individual, couples, and family therapy focusing on the impact life transitions may have on your present and future inner peace and happiness.

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Life can be tough sometimes. We all, at some point, need that extra help to find a new perspective, sort through the chaos, and reach our true potential. I’m glad you’re considering taking this journey with me. I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in Wilmington, NC. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from ECU (Greenville, NC) and a master’s degree in Counseling from AGTS (Springfield, MO). I love helping people and use a variety of techniques catered to the individual. My approach is usually very straightforward but compassionate. I enjoy working with college students and am a passionate supporter/ally of the LGBTQ+ community. My experience includes a wide range, but I most enjoy working with people with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and problems adjusting to life changes (such as moving out, empty nest, loss of loved one, new career, etc). Finding the ‘right fit’ in a therapist is truly important, so please let me know if you’d like to set up an initial consultation or appointment, or simply contact me with any questions you may have. I try to be available to my clients when needed, and the best way to reach me is by texting my office number. I hope to meet you soon!

In an increasingly anxious and isolated world, my hope is to cultivate authenticity and compassion through my clinical practice. Developing confidence and gentleness toward ourselves as we grow toward greater congruence between the real and ideal selves.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

I have 10 years of experience working with children and adults in both an outpatient setting and inpatient crisis stabilization. I also have several years of experience in Hospice and medical social work. Throughout the last 10 years, I have worked with individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, grief, and life changes. I offer a non-judgmental approach to therapy and understand that each individual has their own story and own set of circumstances. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing, which can be helpful in changing thinking patterns and offer a new perspective. I am glad that you are looking for a safe place to talk about what you are going through--you have taken a positive first step! Therapy can be a great opportunity for self-discovery and growth and I would be happy to guide you in whatever way I can. I look forward to hearing from you soon!