Find a therapist in Wake Forest, NC — covered by insurance

Are you questioning your relationship with substances or other behaviors, and want to make changes?

Is your child engaging in substance use or other risky/addictive behaviors, and you want to artfully guide them towards healthier decisions, or they’re interested in shifting their use?

Would you like support with creating family screen guidelines that keep your kids healthy, safe, and responsible, while reducing battles over it all?

Are you disconnected from your adolescent and eager for "teen whispering" skills to improve your relationship?

Then I’ve got you!

In the middle of college, at 19, I found myself in rehab, struggling with multiple addictions. This rerouted me from my dreams of Broadway to sparking a 30+ year career in the fields of prevention, early intervention and treatment of substance use disorders and other addictions. I have worked in inpatient and outpatient substance use treatment with adolescents and adults, in therapeutic schools, as a middle and high school counselor, and as a parenting coach.

I’m licensed as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Internationally Certified Advanced Alcohol & Drug Counselor, Prevention Specialist, and certified in Digital Health & Wellness. It's also important you know that my own family and close social circle are diverse humans, and I'm comfortable and specially trained to work with LGBTQ+, racial, cultural and religious diversity.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Addiction Specialist — and this work is not just my profession, it is my calling. I specialize in supporting individuals navigating substance and behavioral addictions, and I also hold space for something that often goes unaddressed: the family members of addicted loved ones, who carry their own profound pain and deserve their own healing. I am trained in EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Relapse Prevention, and Self-Compassion practices. But beyond the credentials, here is what I want you to know about me: I believe that therapy is about walking beside you — not directing you, not fixing you — with the quiet understanding that we are all, in our own way, walking one another home. That belief shapes everything about how I show up for my clients.

Hi, I’m Emily Long, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over a decade of experience supporting children, adolescents, families, and school communities across North Carolina. My background includes extensive work in school mental health, behavioral support, crisis intervention, and helping individuals navigate emotional and life challenges with compassion and practical support.

I hold a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Tulane University and my professional experience has centered around supporting children, adolescents, and adults with anxiety, depression, emotional regulation difficulties, behavioral concerns, trauma, school-related stress, ADHD, and family challenges. I also work closely with adults who are experiencing burnout, stress, compassion fatigue, life transitions, or feeling overwhelmed by the demands of work and caregiving.

I'm Joellen Rhyndress, LCSW, and I specialize in working with veterans, first responders, and executives — and I genuinely love this work. I'm trained in EMDR and have spent years as a trauma expert, particularly around critical incidents and life-disrupting events. I've worked with over 250 clients and I understand your world, your culture, and what it takes to finally ask for help.

Hello, I’m Ambrose Ukpebor, DNP, PMHNP-BC, a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with experience supporting individuals facing depression, anxiety, trauma, and other mental health challenges. I earned my Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and have worked extensively in crisis and community mental health settings, helping individuals stabilize and move toward recovery. My approach is compassionate and collaborative, focusing on personalized treatment plans that may include medication management and supportive strategies. My goal is to create a safe, respectful space where you feel heard, supported, and empowered in your mental health journey.

I earned my Masters in Social Work, and am licensed as a Clinical Social Worker. I also earned a Masters in Science in Hospice and Palliative Studies. I started this degree in Michigan, but I did my internship after I moved here in the Bereavement Department of Four Seasons Hospice in Flat Rock NC. I have continued to learn through Continuing Education. I am a lifelong learner, so I continue to learn and to teach and utilize what I have gained with clients in session. I have trained extensively in Mindfulness, Self Compassion, Compassion Focused Therapy, Grief and Loss, and Death and Dying, and Non Violent Communication. I am also trained in and utilize Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing.

In my past position of working as clinical Therapist, a large part of my clientele was working with clients struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD, Communication, and focusing on working with women primarily. I would like to continue to with that focus. In the past I also worked with children and families with Intensive In Home, and people who were homeless, primarily women, with ABCCM. I learned a lot through these experiences that benefit me with my current work.

I enjoy empowering clients with ADHD to understand their gifts and strengths, and to learn ways to feel supported with the struggles of living with ADHD, by learning new coping skills, psycho education, to gain new insights, and feel stronger within themselves.

I have focused much of my clinical enjoy working with women, especially older women, guiding them toward fierce compassion, along with re-creating themselves as they are grow in strength and feel their possibilities in a new way.

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 am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a unique educational background in Pre-Pharmacy and Bachelors of Science in Biology. This diverse educational background plays a role in my ability to encompass the mind, body, soul approach during therapy. I have a strong foundation in trauma-informed care, biopsychosocial assessments, and culturally competency care. I specialize in working with a wide range of populations, but particularly youth and families impacted by trauma. I have experience helping clients navigate complex medical needs, coping with negative emotional stressors, accessing resources, and overcoming the unexpected.

Hello! My name is Cierra Alsobrooks, it’s great to meet you! I am a UNCW & NCSU alumni & have been providing therapy services for 5 years, primarily working with college aged individuals for concerns of anxiety, depression, stress management, adjustment, trauma, disordered eating, and OCD.