Teresa Carter,Licensed Professional Counselor

Hello, my name is Teresa Carter and I go by Terri. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) licensed by the state of Georgia, where I live and provide therapy across the state via telehealth. I primarily work with adults 18 and older experiencing anxiety, depression, substance use, trauma, and relationship concerns. The modalities I most rely upon include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy-Mindfulness to help my clients progressively regain their life balance.

My therapeutic approach varies according to the person, presenting concern, and goal and is always client-centered and interactive. The therapeutic approaches I most rely upon include Person Centered-Unconditional Positive Regard, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, Mindfulness, Solution Focused Therapy, and Trauma Informed Care. These modalities help process client concerns in a new light and steer the healing process. It has been my experience that my style and approach fit well with adults as moving through daily life can sometimes seem almost confounding, like how did life become so difficult! Major life transitions may be at the forefront. However, often there is no obvious explanation for the overwhelming feelings that can completely upset life balance and emotional wellbeing resulting in anxiety, depression, couple discord, and even substance use concerns. I work to help my clients gain tools to navigate these periods with confidence and skill.

I am committed to establishing a strong therapeutic relationship with my clients built upon trust, rapport, and mutual respect. Therefore, my communication style is calm, personable, and direct. I would like my clients to feel safe sharing any information with me as I am skilled at listening and avoiding judgment. I decided upon a career change in 2006 from Information Systems to Mental Health Counseling earning my master's degree in 2010. Throughout my life I have been naturally attracted to human service, finding nothing more gratifying than helping others. I like to say of my career change, I used to make money, now I make a difference!‚ Having the opportunity to navigate my client's positive therapeutic journey and to witness their life balance restored is the reason.

My approach to goal setting is to work with my client to clearly define what we hope to accomplish through this process. Establishing trust, rapport, and comfort with the therapeutic process leads to literally setting goals with frequent check-ins to measure progress. During our first session clients are asked to share basic background information about themselves to help me conceptualize presenting concerns. The majority of our first session will be spent processing how clients are feeling and their reason for seeking therapy at this time. The first session is about beginning a connection and deciding if and how to proceed. If I feel we are a good match, I ask my clients if they feel comfortable in proceeding with me as well.