Courtney Surigao, LCMHC

Courtney Surigao is a licensed clinical mental health counselor (LCMHC) based in North Carolina with 18 years of experience. She focuses on relationship concerns and related personal challenges. Her approach is warm and practical, and she helps people take small steps toward more manageable days.

Courtney centers sessions on what matters most to each person. She uses a mix of methods including cognitive behavioral techniques and solution-focused ideas to set clear, achievable goals. Sessions may include worksheets or short exercises to practice between meetings.

Her work often addresses stress, anxiety, depression, grief, parenting strain, and intimacy-related issues. She also supports people coping with major life changes, family conflict, body image, caregiver stress, chronic illness, and complicated grief. Courtney pays attention to how family history and communication patterns affect current struggles.

She emphasizes strengths, values, and realistic planning. Clients collaborate on goals and use practical tools to try in daily life. The therapist describes counseling as active work that asks for effort alongside guidance.

Courtney brings a personal perspective shaped by long-term marriage and parenting, including experience with adoption and foster pathways in her family life. Her sessions aim to help people notice progress, regain hope, and move toward the kind of life they want.

How therapeutic approaches shape online work

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors to reduce worry and low mood. It often uses short exercises and worksheets to practice specific skills between sessions.

Emotionally-Focused Therapy focuses on what happens between people during conflict and closeness. It can help with intimacy-related issues by naming emotions and changing how partners or individuals respond to one another.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, needs, and preferences and then choose methods together. This collaborative process helps match tools to what actually feels useful for daily life.

If you plan to use online therapy, confirm which session formats are currently offered before booking since the biography did not list specific options. Online work can make scheduling easier, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time so sessions fit into busy days. It also makes it possible for international clients to connect with licensed professionals in North Carolina without relocating.

Courtney can combine the selected therapeutic approaches with practical assignments and goal-focused planning so online sessions support concrete change over time.