- Practical coping skills
- Emotion regulation tools
- Straightforward guidance
About Carla
Carla McGehee is an LPC who focuses on helping people manage intense emotions and improve daily functioning. She uses practical, evidence-informed tools to help clients facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and relationship or intimacy concerns. Carla writes plainly and keeps sessions paced to the client's needs.
She trained and gained experience in Texas, working first as an intake specialist and then several years as a mental health counselor. Over 13 years she has supported people with mood disorders, trauma, chronic pain, addiction-related coping, and adjustment after loss. Her background includes work in community mental health settings and outpatient care.
In session she emphasizes skills people can use right away. She teaches ways to notice and reframe unhelpful thoughts, and to build emotional regulation strategies so daily life is easier. She also uses storytelling techniques to help people reframe their experiences and see different possibilities for the future.
Carla recognizes that making change often means giving up old comforts. She helps clients grieve those losses and imagine next steps. When it fits the client’s wishes, she will incorporate the client's spiritual beliefs as support during the work.
Sessions typically last about 45 minutes and move at the client's pace. Goals are set together, and she avoids probing into unnecessary areas. The aim is to help people leave sessions feeling more hopeful and better able to cope with life challenges, including jealousy and relationship stress when those concerns arise.
She trained and gained experience in Texas, working first as an intake specialist and then several years as a mental health counselor. Over 13 years she has supported people with mood disorders, trauma, chronic pain, addiction-related coping, and adjustment after loss. Her background includes work in community mental health settings and outpatient care.
In session she emphasizes skills people can use right away. She teaches ways to notice and reframe unhelpful thoughts, and to build emotional regulation strategies so daily life is easier. She also uses storytelling techniques to help people reframe their experiences and see different possibilities for the future.
Carla recognizes that making change often means giving up old comforts. She helps clients grieve those losses and imagine next steps. When it fits the client’s wishes, she will incorporate the client's spiritual beliefs as support during the work.
Sessions typically last about 45 minutes and move at the client's pace. Goals are set together, and she avoids probing into unnecessary areas. The aim is to help people leave sessions feeling more hopeful and better able to cope with life challenges, including jealousy and relationship stress when those concerns arise.
How CBT, DBT, and Mindfulness Help Online
Carla draws on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help people notice and change unhelpful thinking patterns. CBT breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions so clients can practice different responses and reduce anxiety or depressive moods.She also uses elements of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to teach emotional regulation and distress-tolerance skills. DBT-style tools give concrete steps for handling intense feelings and urges without relying on negative coping behaviors.
Mindfulness therapy is woven into sessions to build present-moment awareness and reduce reactivity. Simple attention practices help people slow down and respond rather than react when jealousy or relationship tension comes up.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals and preferences and then choose which methods to try first, adjusting plans as needed based on what helps most.
Confirm session formats before booking, since the biography does not list specific options. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - for example, by cutting travel time or allowing a shorter check-in during a break. It can also let people use tools and worksheets in their own environment and continue skill practice between sessions.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
AddictionsLGBTFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseGriefIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBody imageCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)Divorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHoardingImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPost-traumatic stressProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy
Experience
13+ years
Credentials
Texas
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she help with?
She helps people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, addiction-related coping, relationship and intimacy issues, and related concerns such as ADHD and parenting strain.
How does she approach therapy?
She uses practical, skills-based methods like cognitive behavioral ideas and dialectical behavior concepts, plus mindfulness and narrative approaches to help people change thoughts and manage emotions.
What is her professional background?
She has 13 years of clinical experience working in community mental health and outpatient settings, focusing on mood disorders, trauma, chronic pain, and emotional control difficulties.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas (LPC) and practices from that state.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the U.S. work with her?
She is not taking international clients at this time.
How are fees and payments handled?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the continue button on this profile, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.