About

Hello! My name is Emily Donald, and I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor in the state of North Carolina. I also have my Approved Clinical Supervisor, Registered Play Therapist, and National Certified Counselor credentials. I’ve been licensed for about 12 years. I received my Masters in Community Counseling (now Clinical Mental Health Counseling) in 2005, followed by my PhD in Counseling in 2015, both at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I currently split my time between Tennessee, where I am a faculty member in a counseling program, and Charlotte, NC. As someone with a specialty in clinical mental health, I have worked with a variety of issues. However, areas I would consider specialties include working with parents/caregivers, as well as children/adolescents and working with folks who have experienced trauma. Additionally, I am especially versed in parent-child work to help parents improve relationships with their children. However, I consider myself a generalist able to assist people with a variety of issues such as anxiety, depression, relationships, and general life transitions. I present on, and have expertise in, a variety of advocacy-related topics and consider myself a passionate social justice advocate. As such, attending to intersecting cultural identities and issues of oppression in counseling is something that I am committed to doing with clients. I am an ally and am affirming of all gender and sexual orientation identities. With regard to how I work with clients, I primarily take a humanistic approach. This translates, in practice, to a strong focus on our therapeutic relationship, and making sure we are working together collaboratively to help you achieve your goals. I strive for authenticity and genuineness in the therapeutic relationship in order to create a safe space for you to activate your own internal healing mechanisms. I believe strongly in my clients’ ability to grow and change in the direction they choose! I have completed the first level of training for accelerated experiential dynamic psychotherapy (AEDP) and hope to continue training in this modality. I appreciate the way this theory draws on what we know about how the brain works, as well as relies on processing of emotions as a route to healing. I incorporate this into my work with clients by helping clients process emotions without becoming overwhelmed by them, as well as by helping them understand how those emotions serve a function in their lives. I also enjoy incorporating creative approaches into my work with clients, if that serves them well. You can often find me outside (running, hiking, camping) or doing yoga or meditating, so this is a natural fit for my work with clients. I look forward to working with you and providing you the support you need to achieve whatever goals are bringing you to counseling!