Therapists in Watauga County, NC

I specialize in working with professionals responsible for others like healthcare providers and teachers. I help them decrease symptoms of overwhelm and increase calm and Well-BEing. The work we do together helps them feel calm, collected, and back ON, which in turn causes them to have a more positive effect on your clients, students and teams. Tired of feeling on edge and missing your pizzazz? Want skills, hacks, and methods to live a life you love again? You'll learn ways to decrease anxiety, sleep issues, the effects of constant stress so you can return to Well-Be-ing and begin to Thrive with 10 min Homework applying skills.

It can feel like distress, vulnerability, or loss are all that bring us to counseling. With these, though, I see courage & strength. Maybe you’ve been around the therapy block before and know exactly what you’re looking for. Maybe this is all new for you. Either way, courage brought you here and Fortitude Counseling is all about honoring that courage and partnering with you to strengthen identity, process trauma, and gain momentum where you’re stuck. I believe we all have courage and the "stuff of fortitude" in us. Sometimes we need someone to come alongside us and help us dig deep, find our courage, & let it take root.

To be human is to experience the ups and downs that life has to offer. I'm here to help you overcome and thrive! My goal is to help you feel heard, understood, supported, and validated so that you can do your best work to make progress towards your goals. Whatever we are holding back or we aren't saying has power over us. That's what keeps us stuck, unhappy, and unfulfilled. It's time to take the power back!

With over twenty years of clinical experience in a wide variety of settings, I am able to apply my experience and expertise to deliver psychological services through a variety of ways. I see clients via telehealth and have found that it is a wonderfully accessible way for people to receive therapeutic services. It removes transportation barriers, eliminates commute time and many individuals find they prefer it. I believe in helping clients identify their goals so that we can work together to have a clear plan to decrease symptoms and improve mood and functioning. I would describe my approach as direct and engaged.

Do you find yourself wondering why you're where you are in life...what brought you to this point? What is the meaning of this crisis in my life? Is there a purpose for my life? My approach to therapy is founded in Carl Jung's Depth Psychology and is useful for all life's problems that come our way - depression, anxiety, trauma, abuse, grief, relationships, career and aging as well as for reflection and personal growth. Together we can find the answers to these questions. My approach is holistic, warm, client centered and non judgmental.

I identity as a queer, genderqueer person. I specialize in working with the LGBTQ+ population, including couples, and families, through a sex-positive, affirming perspective. As a therapist, I utilize a variety of techniques to help individuals, couples, and families work though a variety of concerns including religious trauma, attachment concerns, substance use, and shifts in identity. I draw from dialectical behavioral therapy techniques, through feminist therapy to assist clients in treatment. Change is hard and I provide a safe space to make that change with compassion and accountability.

My name is Julia Smith. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and full time a tele-health therapist who is dedicated to helping individuals enhance their emotional well-being. My areas of clinical expertise include, trauma, anxiety, and depression. I have a wealth of experience treating emotional and behavioral issues affecting teens, parents, and young adults. I possess specialized training in evidenced based practices including: Brainspotting Phase I, Trauma Focused-CBT, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness, and Motivational Interviewing (MI).

Suffering presents itself in a number of ways- behaviors and relationships we desire to change, uncomfortable emotions, chronic health problems, and feeling out of touch with meaning in our lives. I aim to help clients not only feel better, but live a life according to their values. I work with adults across the lifespan to heal trauma, anxiety, and depression. Beyond feeling better, we work together on insight and growth. In addition to traditional psychotherapy, I offer customized intensives, ketamine assisted psychotherapy and psychedelic preparation/integration. My group practice affirms diversity, sex and body positivity.

Have you been experiencing pain that interferes with your daily functioning, feeling like you have to put on a brave face to get by, but suffering inside? Are you a young adult who previously led a vibrant, active life, now struggling to adjust to a diagnosis and figure out what that means for your present and future? Do you struggle with patterns of thoughts and emotions that heighten your pain and leave you feeling hopeless about ever escaping this cycle? Maybe you are starting to consider that traumatic events in the past have contributed to your current experience of pain and suffering.

I am a therapist that believes in change, that each individual has the ability to self-heal, but sometimes needs some support to do so. Navigating our world and lives can be hard, and you don’t have to go through it alone. My role as your therapist (or your child's) is to act as a supportive agent, where we work collaboratively to achieve the goals you set for yourself. You would be encouraged to express your own experience through activities, verbalizations, or a combination that feels best to you in a safe space. I do my best to make sure everyone who comes into my office feels accepted as themselves, with no judgement whatsoever.

Life asks a lot from us. How can we thrive in our lives, work and relationships in fulfilling, whole-hearted ways? We all occasionally feel blocked or frustrated and benefit from support that can connect us with our potential. You are deserving of purpose, meaning and joy in your life and we will work together to discover what your unique needs are so that you can live in closer alignment with your goals and values. I specialize in serving adults who are experiencing anxiety, depression, challenging life transitions, domestic and/or sexual violence as well as substance use and addiction.

Life can be challenging for all of us. Stress, anxiety, and depression in these times are common, and you are not alone. Maybe you are looking for happiness, peace, and stability, but don't know where to start. Or maybe you just want to have a safe space to explore who you really are at your core, and find the sources of meaning and purpose in your life. All humans have an amazing ability to grow and change, and sometimes our struggles are just here to give us a push forward into new horizons. As a therapist, I see myself as someone who helps to facilitate that growth in others.

Being human can be tough! There is something new to worry about each day and you might find yourself wondering, “What new dystopian nightmare are we experiencing this week?” or “Which of my rights are being threatened today?" All the while, you’re just trying to make it to class and get your assignments done; find time for your relationships and hobbies while working; or just exist in the world as a person. Sometimes listening to your new favorite album on repeat or scrolling aimlessly through TikTok just isn’t doing it for you anymore- even if that For You Page really gets you! If this sounds familiar, then hi!

The stories that define our lives are powerful, and can impact the way we look at everything. But we also have the ability to rewrite our stories and create new ones that can be better, and even more powerful than the ones we are living by today. If you are feeling stuck, alone, lost, or overwhelmed - you're don't have to keep going on your own. Sometimes rewriting the story we're in the middle of can seem like a totally impossible task, especially without support or a meaningful plan for change. In my work as a therapist, I am passionate about helping my clients feel empowered and equipped to take their narrative back.

I am pleased you are considering working with me. We all have issues which need improvement. Life is a journey of change in which therapy can be a supportive tool.

I work with clients on issues surrounding anxiety, depression, trauma, LGBTQIA+, gender identity and expression, family dynamics, relationship issues, self-discovery, and career exploration. I approach the therapeutic relationship creating a non-judgmental space where you can share and learn more about yourself and your motivations. I will help you look at your assumptions, patterns, behaviors that work for you or aren’t working for you to achieve your goals in therapy. Mindfulness and present moment awareness is incorporated into moving forward as we work together.

Hi! Going to therapy can be an intimidating process, and my goal is to create an authentic and accepting environment to help you feel seen, understood, and give you the confidence to try things differently. Vulnerability can be one of the scariest, most liberating and empowering acts, and takes courage – so I commend you for being here, wherever you are in your process.

Whether your mind is constantly chatting about things you need to get done and jumping into future worries, or you have been feeling down and lost, therapy can be a place to both be witnessed and actually figure out how to get out of a of feeling stuck. Folx see me to process difficult life transitions: moves, break-ups, college stress and future decisions. I enjoy working with client on healthy relationships skills, and support both traditional and polyamorous/ ENM relationships. I also help with assertiveness, boundaries, parent relationships, and co-dependency. I’m a graduate student completing my internship at Project Yes PLLC.

I believe it is my job to collaborate with my clients to create a Narrative that feels authentic and attuned their passions, identities, and values. We often get lost in what we feel like we should or can't do, which confines us in little boxes that make it hard for us to feel vibrant and celebrate our uniqueness. I believe that when we explore and deconstruct the social constructions and dominant discourses in our social-cultural location and biases that don't align with our personal experiences or beliefs we have the autonomy and freedom to get in touch with our most core self and better understand how we interact with our world.