Carrie McDaniel, LPC

Clients I work with: Adult individuals and Couples

Issues I work with: Life transitions (going to college, having children, divorce, career changes, empty nesting, retirement, etc.), relationships, pre-marital work, early parenthood, communication, attachment style, emotional connection, emotional intimacy, anxiety, depression, grief, loss, trauma, emotion regulation, self-worth, life purpose, identity, boundary issues, intergenerational cycle breaking, and issues stemming from family of origin or childhood.

 

My Approach

I believe every one of us carries a story — not just the highlight reel, but the complicated, messy, tender story of how we came to be who we are. Our sense of self is shaped by thousands of moments: the way we were loved (or not loved), the messages we got about who we were allowed to be, the losses we’ve carried, and the ways we’ve learned to protect ourselves.

When we work together, my hope isn’t just to help you cope with symptoms or push through hard days. I want to sit with you in your story — the parts that feel heavy, confusing, or maybe even too much — and make space for them. Often, the ways you’ve learned to survive — shutting down, people-pleasing, overachieving, holding everything in — were brilliant strategies that got you through. But they may also leave you feeling stuck, unseen, or disconnected from yourself.

In our work, we’ll gently explore those stuck places. We’ll get curious about the protectors you’ve relied on, the wounds that still need tending, and the parts of you that are longing for more freedom, safety, and love. I believe healing doesn’t happen by erasing your past, but by making sense of it — by giving voice to what was hidden and compassion to what was hurting.

I see emotions as guides, not problems. Sadness, anger, guilt, and anxiety aren’t flaws — they’re signals pointing toward what matters most. Together, we can learn how to listen to those feelings with gentleness, instead of pushing them away or being swallowed by them.

Therapy with me is not about “fixing” you — because you are not broken. It’s about helping you remember your own strength, reclaim your voice, and begin showing up in your relationships (and with yourself) in ways that feel more authentic and life-giving. If you’re tired of repeating old patterns, if you want to break cycles that have been handed down to you, if you’re longing for deeper connection, or if you’re simply ready to feel like yourself again — I would be honored to walk alongside you.

I don’t take lightly the courage it takes to open up. It’s vulnerable, sometimes scary, to step into this kind of work. My promise is to meet you with warmth, honesty, and care — and to create a space where you don’t have to carry it all alone anymore.

Individual Therapy

Therapy is first and foremost a relationship — a place where you don’t have to hold it all together, perform, or pretend. My aim is to meet you exactly where you are, without judgment, and to walk beside you as you move through your healing process. 

Many of the challenges people bring into therapy — anxiety, depression, self-doubt, struggles with relationships, difficulty setting boundaries, or feeling weighed down by old beliefs — are often rooted in places where our needs went unmet. Maybe you longed for comfort that never came, encouragement you didn’t receive, or protection that wasn’t available. Sometimes, parts of us get stuck in those moments of pain. They carry forward the weight of unmet needs and old narratives like “I’m not enough,” “I’m too much,” or “I don’t matter.” These parts can end up shaping how you relate to yourself and others, even years later.

In our work together, we’ll begin gently making space for those hidden and hurting parts. We’ll listen to what they’ve been holding, give them a voice, and offer them the compassion and care they may have missed. This isn’t about digging into pain for its own sake — it’s about unburdening what’s been carried for too long and allowing those parts of you to reclaim their strength, freedom, and sense of belonging.

Healing is not a straight line. My commitment is to move with you at a pace that feels safe, honoring the protectors and strategies you’ve relied on up until now. These strategies — whether it’s withdrawing, people-pleasing, perfectionism, over-functioning, or shutting down — may have once been brilliant ways of surviving. We’ll honor them as such, even as we explore new possibilities for living more openly and authentically.

Through this process, you may find yourself becoming more attuned to your needs, more compassionate toward your feelings, and more willing to trust your own inner voice. You might discover the freedom to set boundaries that honor you, to risk being vulnerable with those you love, and to show up as more of your full self. Sometimes, healing means not only tending to wounds but also reclaiming the strengths, resilience, and wisdom that have always been within you.

At the heart of it, I believe therapy is about integration — gathering the scattered pieces of your story, the beautiful ones and the difficult ones, and weaving them into a whole that feels more true, more compassionate, and more you. It is my honor to walk with you in this process, to witness your bravery, and to support you as you reconnect with yourself in deeper and more life-giving ways.

Individual Therapy

In the early years of a relationship — whether you’re planning a wedding, newly married, or finding your rhythm as new parents — love can feel both steady and uncertain. You’re building a life together, learning each other’s patterns, and facing new demands on your time, energy, and hearts. Amid all the joy and promise, it’s also normal to feel stretched thin, disconnected, or unsure how to navigate the changes that come with deepening commitment, life transitions, or growing a family.

Even strong relationships can get caught in cycles of miscommunication and hurt. You may find yourselves arguing about the same things, drifting apart as daily responsibilities pile up, or missing the easy closeness you once shared. The transition from “us” to “family” can bring both beautiful and difficult moments — times when love is there, but it’s harder to feel.

In therapy, we slow things down and make sense of what’s happening underneath the surface. Using Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), we’ll explore how each of you reaches for connection and how stress, exhaustion, or fear can sometimes get in the way. These patterns aren’t signs of failure — they’re signals of longing and protection, ways you each try to stay safe and connected when life feels demanding.

Together, we’ll learn how to pause the cycle, communicate what really matters, and create new ways of reaching for one another — even in the busyness of everyday life. Our work helps you build the skills to repair any misses, nurture emotional safety, and keep your bond strong through the inevitable ups and downs.

When couples feel secure in their connection, everything else flows more easily. You can face challenges as a team, savor the moments of laughter and calm, and know that no matter what changes around you, you have a safe place to land — in each other.

My Background

I received my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. I have 5 years of hands-on experience working in PHP, residential, and private practice settings. I’ve had the privilege of working with children, teens, and adults who struggle with eating disorders, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and adjustment-related disorders.

I have experience utilizing evidence-based approaches that include Attachment, Internal Family Systems, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). I also incorporate Polyvagal techniques to help foster nervous system regulation. I believe it’s important to tailor my treatment approach to the specific needs of the client.

I am a supporter of the LGBTQIA community and welcome individuals from all cultural backgrounds. My office is a safe space for all.