Couples therapists in Durham, NC

Hi, I’m Jamelia Shahid-EL a LCMHC and school counselor with 10+ years of experience. I offer affirming, down-to-earth therapy for children navigating anxiety, identity, burnout, and life transitions. My space is inclusive, trauma-informed, and rooted in care.

I have worked in substance abuse treatment for more than twenty years. I have provided clinical treatment in a multitude environments. This includes medication-assisted treatment, medication-assisted detoxification, inpatient and residential, psychiatric hospitals, correctional institutions, and tele-health.

Hello! My name is Qiana Jones and I am a NC based therapist who has been in practice for over 22 years in various settings. I value using my knowledge and skills to assist my clients with achieving their therapy goals. Working together, building a sense of hope and developing insight and strategies are so important in the healing process. I'm excited to work with people from all walks of life!

I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor with a background in school counseling and emotional wellness support for children, teens, and adults. I work with clients navigating anxiety, stress, ADHD, life transitions, identity development, and family or relationship challenges. I aim to create a space where clients feel safe, understood, and supported. I value collaboration and use an integrative approach to tailor therapy to each person's needs, strengths, and goals.

I’m an LCSW, and my practice name, Life Shift Happens, comes from a truth I see every single day: people don’t come to therapy because they’re broken. They come because life stopped unfolding the way they expected, and they feel entirely stuck. A lot of the humans I work with are incredibly thoughtful and trying so hard. They usually don't lack insight; they’ve read the coping skills and talked things through with friends. Yet, they still find themselves procrastinating, shutting down, or feeling completely frozen by past stuff. When that happens, change isn’t a matter of forcing more willpower. It requires slowing down to look at the patterns and defense mechanisms we build to protect ourselves when life gets heavy.

My style is collaborative, deeply conversational, and entirely human. I’m not here to judge, lecture, or pretend I have all the answers. Instead, I’m active in our sessions through asking questions, noticing patterns, and gently pushing back when I see you getting in your own way. We will work on the practical things like boundaries, follow-through, and managing emotions, while sitting with the messy overthinking, panic, burnout, or feeling checked out underneath it all. Therapy with me is a relationship where we make sense of the sudden crises and quiet paralyses that come with life shifts. The goal isn’t a perfect, flawless life, but rather a therapeutic space where you can figure out what changed, sprinkle in compassion, and learn how to move forward in a way that feels genuinely your own.

I see counseling as a walk between two people, a time to discuss the ups and downs of life. I am person centered; solution focused and draw from a wide range of CBT mindfulness and Accelerated Resolution Therapy techniques that will help my clients find their own unique path in life.

In 2023, I happily celebrated 10 years in private practice! I received my Master's Degree in Counseling and Human Development in 1993, and obtained my LCMHC in North Carolina in 2011. Over the past 12 years, it has been my privilege to learn and grow alongside my clients. I possess particular interests in working with ages 8-adult, on such issues as: life transitions, autism spectrum and other neurodivergent people, gifted population, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and women's issues.

Please note: I do not perform formal evaluations or testing.