Courtney Surigao

Courtney Surigao is a licensed clinical mental health counselor (LCMHC) in North Carolina with 18 years of experience. She focuses on helping people who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or worn out by stress, grief, or major life changes. Her approach emphasizes listening, respect, and practical steps toward clearer goals and greater day-to-day functioning.

She combines client-centered care with structured techniques to address anxiety, depression, bipolar mood concerns, and trauma and abuse. Sessions may include worksheets, brief skills practice, and small assignments to try between meetings. This helps people bring changes from the therapy room into everyday life.

Courtney also supports concerns around relationships, parenting, family problems, intimacy-related issues, and blended family dynamics. She works with issues like body image, caregiver stress, chronic illness, and isolation. Grief, hospice and end-of-life counseling are also within her focus areas.

Narrative therapy and emotionally-focused ideas are part of her toolbox when helpful, along with solution-focused work to set short-term goals. She values the client’s strengths, faith, and personal values when shaping therapy so plans feel realistic and meaningful.

People who meet with her can expect a collaborative, straightforward process that identifies steps toward change. The aim is clearer priorities, safer emotional ground, and practical plans for reaching the life the person wants.

How her approaches translate to online work

Client-Centered Therapy centers the person’s experience and priorities, focusing on listening, empathy, and building a trusting working relationship. It helps people who need space to be heard and then decide what changes matter most to them.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on practical skills to change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. It is often useful for anxiety, depression, sleep and eating concerns, and for managing mood swings by practicing concrete strategies and small behavioral experiments.

Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) highlights emotions and attachment needs to improve closeness and emotional regulation. It can help people better identify feelings and reshape how they respond in emotionally charged moments.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what has worked or not worked before, then try methods that fit the person’s needs. Plans can be adjusted over time based on what helps most.

Session formats are not detailed in the biography, so confirm the available online options before scheduling. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow focused check-ins or skill practice from wherever is quieter. Many people find remote sessions useful for continuity of care during life transitions and for keeping consistent progress.