Ariel Phelps, LPC, LCMHC

Ariel Phelps is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) with six years of experience. She focuses on relationship concerns alongside family and parenting struggles, as well as stress, anxiety, depression, and career-related strain. Ariel aims to create an atmosphere of respect and compassion so people feel heard from the start.

She uses a straightforward, person-centered approach and adapts conversations and plans to fit each person. Ariel draws on Client-Centered Therapy to follow a person’s lead and build trust. She also incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thoughts and Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills for managing strong emotions.

In sessions she helps people tackle everyday problems like low self-esteem, conflict at home, and major life changes. She supports those coping with grief, anger, postpartum depression, and process addictions among other concerns. Ariel also addresses issues such as infidelity, jealousy, fertility stress, and multicultural concerns when relevant.

Her work includes attention to personality-related struggles like avoidant and dependent patterns, and to serious topics including sexual assault, self-harm, and sex addiction. She tailors pacing and skills to each person’s goals, focusing on practical strategies and small steps forward.

People seeking therapy begin by completing a short questionnaire and scheduling based on Ariel’s availability. Sessions are offered in English and she is licensed to practice with credentials in Virginia and North Carolina.

How Ariel’s approaches translate to online therapy

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and following each person’s priorities. In practice this means sessions begin with the client’s concerns and move at a pace they find comfortable. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts and behaviors and teaches simple skills to shift unhelpful patterns. CBT can help with anxiety, depression, and stress through concrete exercises and small homework tasks. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) provides tools for managing strong emotions and improving day-to-day coping; it often uses skills like emotion regulation and distress tolerance.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. Ariel will discuss goals, try techniques in session, and adjust methods based on what helps most. The process is collaborative and built around the client’s needs and preferences.

Confirm current session options before booking so you know which formats are available. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow quicker check-ins when needed. Some formats require less bandwidth or can be shorter to accommodate a break at work, while others may allow more in-depth conversation. Discuss scheduling and practical arrangements during the matching process to find what works best.