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MY APPROACH TO COUNSELING

Counseling for Women in Hickory, NC

I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor providing counseling for women in Hickory, North Carolina, including support for anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, body shame, relationship concerns, life transitions, and emotional exhaustion.

My approach is compassionate, collaborative, and personalized.

I understand that reaching out for counseling can feel vulnerable. You may be preparing to discuss experiences you have kept private for a long time, or you may know that something in your life no longer feels right.

Meet Leslie McKenna

Confidential Support

Counseling for Women

Personalized Sessions

Support at Your Pace

Compassionate support with practical direction

My Approach at a Glance

  • Counseling focused primarily on women
  • EMDR when clinically appropriate
  • Communication and boundary skills
  • Neuroscience-informed education
  • Mindfulness and meditation
  • Practical exercises between sessions
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
  • Emotional processing
  • Respect for each client’s beliefs, identity, and pace

Warm, collaborative, and grounded in respect

A Compassionate, Neuroscience-Informed Approach to Counseling

I approach counseling with compassion, respect, curiosity, and humor. Although we can talk about painful experiences or difficult patterns, I do not believe every part of counseling needs to feel heavy or overly clinical.

I want you to feel safe, welcomed, and comfortable enough to be honest. I know it takes courage to talk about private experiences, particularly when you have been hurt, betrayed, criticized, or misunderstood by other people.

During our first phone conversation, I will usually spend about 15 minutes talking with you. I do this intentionally. I want to learn what you are looking for, answer initial questions, and begin determining whether I am a good fit for you. I also want you to have an opportunity to notice how it feels to talk with me.

Counseling with me is not about judgment, pressure, or expecting you to arrive with all the right words. I will meet you where you are while also encouraging you to take an active role in the work.

Together, we can:

  • Talk openly about what has been happening
  • Explore emotional and behavioral patterns
  • Practice returning your attention to the present moment
  • Develop tools for coping, communication, and emotional regulation
  • Work toward greater peace and well-being
  • Identify ways to use what you learn between sessions

I believe you are capable of learning new ways to respond to your thoughts, emotions, relationships, and life experiences. My role is not to fix you. I see my role as helping you understand what is happening, recognize the patterns that could be keeping you stuck, and develop skills that support the way you want to live.

Making brain science approachable

How I Use Brain Science in Counseling

I frame much of my work through a neuroscience-informed perspective. Whether you come to me because of anxiety, depression, body shame, trauma, relationship concerns, or another issue, I will help you understand how patterns in the brain and nervous system can influence what you feel and how you respond.

I want brain science to feel approachable. I will explain concepts in plain language and connect them to experiences you recognize in your own life.

I sometimes use the informal phrase “Chatter Girl” to describe the repetitive, conditioned, or self-critical thoughts that can pull your attention away from the present. It is not a diagnosis or clinical term; it is simply a relatable way to recognize these mental patterns with greater distance and curiosity.

Your Chatter Girl may revisit painful moments from the past, predict problems in the future, criticize your appearance, question your decisions, or tell you that you are not doing enough. When you are fully entangled with these thoughts, it can become difficult to recognize that a thought is not automatically a fact.

I can encourage you to give this voice a name. Creating some separation between who you are and what your mind is saying can help you observe these patterns more clearly.

From there, I can teach you ways to interrupt unhelpful mental habits, return your attention to your body, and reconnect with the present moment. With continued practice, you may become better able to notice a thought without allowing it to dictate your emotional state or behavior.

I often remind my clients that thought is an important tool, but it is not meant to be in control every moment of the day. My goal is to help you use thought when it serves you and recognize when repetitive thinking is increasing anxiety, shame, sadness, or emotional distress.

Support for what may be weighing on you

Concerns I Help Women Address in Counseling

You may come to counseling because of a specific event, or you may have a general sense that you feel overwhelmed, disconnected, anxious, or emotionally tired.

Anxiety and Persistent Worry

Anxiety can involve persistent worry, physical tension, heightened nervous-system responses, avoidance, or difficulty remaining connected to the present. Together, we can explore the patterns affecting you and practice strategies that support greater steadiness.

Depression and Emotional Disconnection

Depression can involve sadness, disconnection, exhaustion, low motivation, loss of interest, hopelessness, or persistent self-criticism. Our work can include emotional processing, awareness of recurring patterns, and manageable steps toward greater engagement with your life.

Body Shame and Self-Worth

I can help you examine the beliefs, experiences, comparisons, and internal messages that have shaped the way you relate to your body and yourself.

Relationship Concerns

I can provide space to explore relationship patterns, communication difficulties, trust, boundaries, conflict, loneliness, or the effects of painful interpersonal experiences.

Trauma and Betrayal

I have completed extensive training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, commonly known as EMDR, and use this approach when it is appropriate for a client’s needs. I understand that trauma is often connected to experiences involving other people. I will approach this work carefully and will not expect you to disclose or process difficult experiences before you feel prepared.

Grief and Loss

I can support you as you navigate the emotions, adjustments, questions, and changes that can follow a significant loss.

Life Transitions

I can help you process changes involving relationships, family roles, identity, aging, work, health, or another transition that has left you feeling uncertain or emotionally unsettled.

Burnout and Emotional Exhaustion

I can help you examine the demands you are carrying, the boundaries that might need attention, and the patterns that make it difficult to rest or care for yourself.

Feeling Stuck or Overwhelmed

You do not need a clear label for what you are experiencing. Sometimes the starting point is simply recognizing that the way you are living no longer feels sustainable.

Contact Me

A clear, supportive process

What You Can Expect From the Counseling Process

Step 01

Begin With a Conversation

When you contact me, I will usually speak with you by phone for approximately 15 minutes. I will ask what brings you to counseling, answer initial questions, and help us begin determining whether working together is appropriate for your needs.

Step 02

Make Space for Your Story

During our first session, I will invite you to share what brought you to counseling and what you hope may feel different.

I will not expect you to tell me everything at once. I know that trust develops over time, especially when your experiences involve betrayal, trauma, shame, or relationships in which you did not feel emotionally safe.

Step 03

Introduce a Shared Framework

Early in our work, I can introduce you to Chatter Girl and help you begin recognizing conditioned thought patterns. Having a shared framework can help us talk about your symptoms without treating them as evidence that you are broken or incapable of change.

Step 04

Build Skills and Awareness

As our work continues, I can incorporate reflection, mindfulness, meditation, communication skills, boundary work, emotional processing, or practical coping strategies.

I can also use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, also known as ACT, EMDR, or other counseling methods when they are appropriate for your needs and goals.

Step 05

Practice Outside Our Sessions

I want you to use what we discuss when you are living your everyday life.

You can practice observing your thoughts, returning your attention to the present, setting a boundary, communicating differently, meditating, moving your body, or noticing how daily habits affect your emotional well-being.

Step 06

Adjust The Work Together

I will continue checking in about what feels helpful, what remains difficult, and what you want to focus on next.

Progress does not need to be rushed. At the same time, I will encourage you to engage with the process and practice the skills that can support meaningful change.

Care built on trust, respect, and responsibility

What You Can Expect From Me as Your Counselor

Confidentiality

I treat your story with privacy, care, and professional respect. Counseling is confidential within legal and ethical limits, which I will explain as part of the intake process.

Respect

I will respect your experiences, identity, choices, beliefs, and readiness. I can encourage you to consider a different perspective, but I will not approach our work as though I know your life better than you do.

Emotional Safety

I understand that emotional safety can take time to develop, and I will not pressure you to move faster than you are prepared to move.

Collaboration

I will work with you rather than expecting you to follow a predetermined process. I want you to feel comfortable asking me questions and sharing feedback about our work.

Empowerment

My goal is not to tell you who to be. I want to help you reconnect with your own awareness, clarity, values, and ability to make choices.

Professional Responsibility

I am a clinical provider in good standing with the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors. I am also a member of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation and the American Counseling Association.

I have completed extensive EMDR training since 2012 through trainers vetted by Dr. Francine Shapiro, PhD, and I am also trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q&A About Counseling With Leslie



Women experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, body shame, relationship concerns, life transitions, burnout, or a general sense of feeling stuck may connect with this approach. 


No. You may begin with a specific concern, or you can begin with knowing that you feel anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, or unhappy with a pattern in your life. I can often help you slow down, identify what is affecting you, and clarify what you would like to address.


No. I understand that sharing painful or private experiences requires trust.

I will not expect you to begin processing trauma before we have established a foundation and determined that you feel prepared for that work.


No. I use EMDR when it is clinically appropriate and connected to a client’s needs and goals. My broader approach also includes neuroscience education, present-moment awareness, meditation, ACT-informed concepts, emotional processing, and practical skills.


I can incorporate spirituality when it is meaningful to you. I introduce my clients to meditation, and I can discuss centering prayer with Christian clients who would like their faith included in the work. I respect different beliefs and will not impose a spiritual framework that does not fit you.


Yes. I keep counseling confidential within the legal and ethical limits that apply to licensed mental health counseling. I will explain those limits and answer your questions about privacy during the intake process.


If you are interested in understanding yourself, learning about your brain and nervous system, practicing skills between sessions, and participating actively in the counseling process, then my approach may feel aligned with what you are looking for. 

You do not need to be certain before contacting me. Our initial phone conversation can allow you to ask questions, learn more about how I work, and decide whether you would like to schedule an appointment.

Read More FAQ Contact Leslie

Schedule a Counseling Consultation

Access Women's Counseling Services in Hickory, NC

I know reaching out for counseling can feel like a significant step. You may feel nervous, uncertain, relieved, or several things at once.

When you contact me, I will make time to learn what you are looking for and answer your initial questions. We can talk about what brings you to counseling, my availability, and whether my approach is a good fit for you.

Request an initial conversation with me about women’s counseling in Hickory, North Carolina today.

Request an Initial Conversation Contact Me