Lissa Carter, MA, NCC, LCMHCS, LCAS (she/her)

***Please note that my practice is full and I am not currently accepting new clients; please do reach out if you would like to be added to my waiting list or would like referrals to counselors with current openings. ***

Welcome~ I am so glad you found your way here.

I have spent my life learning skills that help people build resilient, meaningful lives in the face of trauma, relationship issues, addiction, depression, grief, anxiety, and pain. I have also learned to honor the grief, anger and pain that make us human, rather than trying to “fix” them— or you. Turns out, we’re not broken!—just incredibly complex and constantly evolving.

It is an honor for me to create a safe, confidential space in which you can speak all of the things you've been afraid to say out loud. I will listen carefully, and teach you skills and practices that will loosen the grip these painful thoughts and memories hold on your mind. This frees up space to implement new thoughts and behaviors that are more in line with who you want to be as a person. Together, we will create a way forward to the meaningful, empowered life that you envision.

I have great respect for the wisdom of my clients; to your inner expertise I add my training, education, and ability to hold and navigate the overarching patterns and goals that can become obscured when we are too close to them.

I know that it is difficult to speak with a stranger about what is weighing on your heart and mind. I do everything I can to ensure that you feel safe and heard. I offer a free 30-minute consultation in person, so that you can get a feel for how we might work together before committing your money and time. 

I use the research-based modalities of ACT and Expressive Arts. In our sessions we can incorporate therapeutic storytelling, movement, and art-making in addition to talk therapy to access new sources of information and healing. This modality is uniquely suited to safe exploration of trauma, abuse, addiction, and grief.

I am trained in EMDR, a modality that is empirically effective in resolving single-incident traumas. I am also an IFS-informed therapist trained through the IFS Institute; this modality helps us make sense of our complex and sometimes mystifying inner worlds.

My couples work is informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Relational Life Therapy. (I define “couple” as the assemblage of human beings who are seeking counsel around how to conduct their relationship/s with greater integrity, health, and joy.)

Healing is an inward journey, but it thrives in community. My practice also offers workshops, retreats, and classes for those who prefer to learn, laugh, and heal in community. You can see our current offerings here. 

 I am a Nationally Certified Counselor, a licensed clinical addictions specialist, and a licensed clinical mental health counselor and counselor supervisor.  I hold a Masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Graduate Certificates in Expressive Arts Therapy and Addictions Counseling, and a Permaculture Design certificate; my former careers in teaching, herbal medicine, and permaculture design inform my understanding of our lives as relationally interdependent—we live, think, and feel in systems, and sometimes healing needs to happen in the system as much as it needs to happen in the individual.

I have worked in multiple mental health arenas from substance use disorder recovery to family systems care and have served as the Clinical Director for a residential mental health program. I have created and taught courses at Warren Wilson college and Lenoir Rhyne University and have served twice as the President of NCASERVIC (the North Carolina Association for Spiritual, Ethical, Religious, and Values Issues in Counseling). I take delight in supervising and mentoring counselors-in-training.

I am in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna health insurance. I can bill out-of-network for other insurances that allow out-of-network mental health benefits.

As a card-carrying human being, I am also aware that our human lives can be shockingly complex and awe-inspiringly resilient, and I will treat yours with the reverence and attention it is due.