Carla McGehee

I graduated from Dallas Baptist University May of 2014. I did my Internship at Texoma Community Center (formerly the MHMR of Grayson County) in Sherman, TX as an Intake Specialist. I became a Texas Licensed Professional Counselor 11/2017 No. 71823. I continued at Texoma Community Center for an additional four and a half years as a mental health counselor. I started at Tidemark Therapy as a counselor in May 2020. Now I am looking to transition into my own practice and am looking for clients on BetterHelp to feel empty slots.

I have worked with a wide variety of clients. My counseling experience dealt with people struggling with depression, anxiety, loss, trauma, chronic pain, and emotional control. I have had success with clients that have anything from a diagnosed disorder to short-term adjustment issues.

I believe that attempts at real change create losses that need to be mourned. I have helped clients to let go of old habits that have been a comfort. In the case of situational loss, I can help with reimagining life after loss, be it the death of a loved one to a loss of a job. I have helped others to redefine their future so they can move on.

I have had success with those who have emotional control issues by applying a program designed to help emotional issues surrounding addiction/negative coping. Negative coping can be anything one uses to avoid fear or emotional pain. These can be behaviors and responses that can interfere with healthy functioning. I use concepts of Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I break down the concepts that help provide a way of talking about thinking, without which can get very abstract.

I am also very aware of how spiritual beliefs can help with the counseling process. With the client’s permission I am willing to use a client’s belief system to provide support and encouragement to help navigate the counseling process.

Sessions are usually 45 minutes long and go at the client’s pace. The sessions are flexible to allow time to deal with any new issues that may come up. The client is allowed to give feedback should they experience discomfort or become emotional. I do not believe in going into all the client’s sensitive experiences in order to counsel them. I strive to never probe areas that are not necessary to work on the client’s identified treatment goals. (These goals are defined collaboratively with the client and therapist’s input.) My goal is to never send a client out the door feeling emotionally torn up, but rather have them leave feeling hopeful. I believe, even if the subject matter is hard, it does not have to negatively affect one’s hope.