Your Online Therapist in North Carolina and Colorado
Hi! It’s Patricia but, you can call me “Pat”!
(She/Hers)
I’m excited to be apart of your amazing journey.
My Identities:
Black
(Heto) Cisgender
Womxn.
Neurodivergent (ADHDer)
Bicultural (Identifies as an Afro-Panamanian American)
An individual living with an invisible illness or “Spoonie”
I purposely wanted to start my biography with my identities. Our identities influence every aspect of our existence. Everyone has their own unique experiences of oppression, prejudice, and discrimination. This is something I hold to my heart and will reflect in our work.
My Counseling Philosophies
Trauma is stored and held in our bodies. So to heal trauma, we must venture from the cognition and drop deeper into our physiology.
Westernized Psychology is deeply flawed on how we approach mental health & well-being.
Therapy is Political. Trauma is Political. Life is Political.
All of your parts are beautiful. There is no such thing as “bad” parts.
That your trauma does not define you, but it can tremendously impact and shape your worldview.
Self-compassion is necessary.
The human experience is messy, complex, and also equally beautiful and simple.
You can still be kind, caring, and loving and still have healthy, firm boundaries.
I best describe my therapeutic style as:
• Authentic. I’m no blank slate therapist. You are encouraged to embrace the human experience, and I live by the same philosophy.
• Experiential. Some sessions may be more active than others. In-between sessions, I may encourage you to learn relaxation exercises, try new skills, observe different things, journal, sing, draw, or even at times- I may gently ask you to do “nothing” and note that experience.
• Collaborative. From the beginning to end, you can expect that I will always check in and make sure we are meeting your needs and goals. I encourage open dialogue. Feel free to tell me how it is - or how it should be.
• Liberating. I work from social justice, anti-oppressive liberation-focused approach. Within therapy, you can expect to address all areas of intersectionality that impact your experience.
• Humorous. When appropriate, of course, I may inject humor from pop culture references.
• Conversational. One of my values is to normalize the talk around mental health. No hiding in shame. No more whispers. Feel free to show up, and show out.
• Intellectual. I love brain stuff. Psycho-education often empowers my clients to help understand their behaviors, thoughts, and emotions!
Most importantly… centered around you!
Here is a better idea of my approach:
My approach is one built on connecting with the individual, YOU. Therapists may hold all of these fancy titles, trainings, and alphabet soup behind our names. But that does not contribute to the depth and personal connection needed to build a therapeutic relationship to facilitate your healing.
When building our relationship, I offer one built off acceptance, warmth, authenticity, down-to-earthiness, empathy and a dash of humor. Once trust is established, you can best describe my therapeutic style as, "We gonna do what works best for you" or, in a more formal term, integrative. We are all not all one people, nor will I reflect that in my theoretical orientation.
However, when working with all my clients, I take a mind-body trauma-informed, decolonizing, neurodivergent affirming, and relational approach. I realize that past trauma and the systems in place have impacted our experiences, affecting our worldviews, values, and beliefs.
The modalities I tend to implement are primarily Somatic-Oriented, along with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Compassion-Focused Therapy, Parts-Work, Strengths-Focused and Brainspotting.
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?
What is Compassion Focused Therapy?
The formal stuff.
I completed my undergraduate studies in psychology at Fayetteville State University and a Master's in Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from UNC Pembroke. During that time, I completed an Addiction's Certificate to pursue licensure as a Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist. I am a National Board-Certified Counselor (NBCC).
I spent most of my time in community-based agencies, where I developed a strong passion for providing counseling in underserved populations. I have experience working with individuals, groups, adolescent’s, families, and substance misuse. I worked with adults and adolescents on primarily addictions- relation concerns, developmental, and mental health. I am qualified to facilitate individual and group counseling. Specific areas of clinical experience substance-related and addictive disorders, minority populations, trauma, anxiety-disorders, depressive- disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic illness, and grief.
North Carolina Supervisor:
Lindley Cherry, Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS #20811)
Licenses
NC License Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate - A16360
NC License Clinical Addictions Specialist Associate - 26781
CO License Professional Counselor Candidate- LPCC.0019021
Professional Organizations
American Counseling Association (ACA)
Post Graduate Trainings
Adult Attachment/AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy): Immersion and Level 1
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Steven Hayes (Founder)
Brainspotting: Phase 1 and 2
Brainspotting: Freeze to Thaw
Brainspotting and Parts Work
Clinical Trauma Specialist from the Arizona Institute
EMDR: (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Becoming a Neurodivergent-Affirming Clinician by B Lourenco, MA
Trauma Resiliency Model Level 1
The Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method Level 1
Upcoming/Ongoing Trainings
Somatic Experiencing 3-year training program Intermediate 2 (January 2022-)
Learning doesn’t only originate in books and trainings.
It comes from the people. elders. ancestors. change makers. activists. healers. thinkers. mentors. dreamers.
On a more personal note.
Out of practice, you can find me wrestling my four-legged children (Bear, Cairo, and Asia), watching quirky shows with my spouse, trying not to destroy a plant, connecting with a few close friends, playing The Sims, listening to my grandmother's unique stories, and most importantly looking for yummy vegan spots.
My Personality Style: warm, relatable, quirky, curious, passionate, genuine, and driven.
I am actively on a decolonizing journey, both personally and professionally.
I am a lover of "The Sims" - (I really should have created a Youtube page back in the day). I love to see the growing BIPOC gamer girl community.
Animals are a second passion of mine! I want to get a pig or two in the future. I would love to incorporate animals into therapy work one day.
I have been on medication. So I understand the pros and cons. I will support and navigate your concerns about medication use (if you are interested).
I go to therapy, its my highest level of self-care and allows me to show for my clients everyday!
“It has been said that time heals all wounds. The truth is that time does not heal anything. It merely passes. It is what we do during the passing of time that helps or hinders the healing process.”
– Jay Marshall
Reach Out to a Therapist in Fayetteville, NC and CO Today!
You deserve a therapist that is relatable, and understands what you are going through. I can walk along side you during your therapeutic journey. The Virtual Couch specializes in chronic illness and pain counseling, anxiety therapy, grief and loss therapy, disability counseling, depression therapy, and trauma counseling. These services are available via online counseling in North Carolina from Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Durham, Chapel Hill, Wilmington, Greenville, Charlotte, or Asheville. If you are ready to begin, just follow these quick steps:
1. Contact The Virtual Couch for a free 15-20 minute meet and greet.
2. Meet Patricia, an online therapist.
3. Begin online therapy from anywhere in North Carolina and Colorado.