NICOLE KORELL, MA, LCMHC

Work with me.

I’m a Raleigh-based licensed clinical mental health therapist offering services across North Carolina. I work with adolescents and young adults and specialize in anxiety management, emotional resilience, and relationship building. My approach is based on a firm understanding of cognitive and behavioral psychology principles. Therapy with me is about creating real, lasting change by equipping you with practical tools and skills.

I help identify problematic thoughts, behaviors, and coping strategies. Together, we’ll explore and interpret these patterns, then challenge and replace them with more productive ones. I rely on scientifically supported methods like CBT, DBT, exposure, and mindfulness skills. My goal is to help you create change quickly and to get you on a path you are confident navigating on your own.

I KNOW how out of control and hopeless life can seem

You have the capacity to feel and handle this differently.

I’m quite fond of saying, “You’re brain is an a**hole,” because it’s true— your brain’s primary job is to keep you alive, not to make you happy. Our brain is hardwired to notice threats, recognize patterns (particularly negative ones), and to predict outcomes. Your brain wants to keep you safe from harm, and will even convince you that something is wrong with you if it believes that will protect you from harm, whether that’s physical, emotional, or cognitive. Understanding this can help separate ourselves from aspects of our identity that cause us distress (like feeling broken). For me, this saying is powerful, because it serves as a reminder that you are not broken even if you’ve tried and tried but continue to stay stuck. Your brain is an amazing, powerful thing, and what’s exciting is that we can learn to leverage our knowledge and understanding of it in a way to work for us, rather than against us. You can create change and you can be happy.

We are a good fit if —

  • You prefer a counselor who can be direct with you in a respectful, supportive, and nonjudgemental way.

  • You prefer a counselor who will help you define clear therapeutic goals. You want to know that therapy is working.

  • You’re interested in challenging your thoughts and behaviors & learning skills that can be used outside the therapy room.

  • You’ve been struggling with anxiety, depression, motivation, emotional regulation, body image, or relationships.

We are not a good fit if —

  • You are actively struggling with substance use or addiction. These issues have a profound impact on your health and well-being and are best served by a counselor who specializes in this treatment.

  • You have a neurocognitive or psychotic disorder (e.g., schizophrenia, psychosis, severe autism, etc.,).

  • You are under the age of 13.

Therapy with me is —

  • Goal-oriented therapy helps you focus on what you want to achieve and creates a clear, step-by-step path to get there. By setting specific goals we can evaluate our progress and success, and adjust as needed. Don’t worry if you’re not sure what your goals are just yet— it’s my job to help you figure this out.

  • Person-centered therapy is an approach that views the client as the expert of themselves. This means you guide the content and focus of each session. My role is to ask question and point out patterns that help your reflect, explore, and process.

  • Yes— even if you’re a minor (under the age of 18)! While it can be delicate to balance what can and can’t be shared with parents and caregivers, your privacy, respect, and trust are important to me. I will make sure you have a sense of clarity and confidence around this before we start working together.

  • My goal is to help you create meaningful change as quickly as possible— sometimes in as little as six sessions. I view therapy as a way to gain the tools you need so you can navigate challenges on your own. If you’ve reached your goals, we can slow down, take a break, or terminate altogether. We can always pick-up again if you’re needing it later. However, some people benefit from a longer therapeutic commitment, and I’m here to support that too.

My Background & Training

01

Education

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, MA
Social Psychology, BA

02

Professional Affiliations

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counselors) #1583937
Chi Sigma Iota (Alpha Sigma Chi Chapter)
American Mental Health Counseling Association Member

03

Training

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Dialectal Behavior Therapy
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
Attachment Therapy
Mindfulness Based Compassion Therapy

Feel better now