Anna Vargas, LCMHC
As a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, I help people craft their own life stories, work through relational challenges, heal from past painful experiences, and cope with the curveballs that life inevitably throws our way.
My Journey To Becoming A Therapist
My journey to becoming a therapist has been all but smooth and linear. A creative at heart, I began my journey as an aspiring actor, captivated by the art of understanding and embodying characters and telling stories that bring people closer and help them feel a little bit less alone in an overwhelming world.
I received my BFA in Acting from UNC Greensboro where I honed my craft. The art of storytelling brought incredible meaning, purpose and healing to my life during a time when that was much needed. After some years in the business, I also learned that the business of acting and the craft of acting are two very different things and decided it was time to pivot. I received my Master’s Degree in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling from UNC Chapel Hill in 2021 and subsequently began working as a private practice therapist.
My Style + Approach
My therapeutic style is warm, down-to-earth and often direct.
I love incorporating humor into sessions and aim to approach clients with gentle curiosity and compassion, listening intently and with sensitivity to your emotional needs. I believe in the importance of a collaborative therapeutic dynamic in which you are the expert of your life story and I am here to support you in navigating what you want to come next from a mental wellness perspective. Together we will sit down and unravel the complexities of being human in order to get to the root causes.
The process is unique to you based on your specific needs and goals for therapy. My hope is that you will experience growth in the form of expanding self-awareness, cultivating self-compassion and empowerment, shifting perspectives, and letting go of unworkable patterns in order to move in a more meaningful and intentional direction. Feeling “not good enough” or “paralyzed” by emotion doesn’t have to rule your life.
I pull from a variety of evidence based modalities which allows me to treat each person both individually and wholly.
These approaches include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Attachment Theory, and Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP). These modalities allow me to use a trauma-informed and process-based lens. In session this may translate to:
taking a closer look at underlying patterns of thoughts, emotions and behavior and how they impact your life
noticing and naming emotions, how they show up in your body, and the information they are giving you
identifying current coping strategies and how they are/are not serving you
developing skills for managing difficult thoughts and emotions
exploring values and how they are guiding your life choices
discussing patterns in relationships and how they are working or not working
exploring attachment style and family of origin relationships
exploring effective boundary setting and communication skills
processing difficult and overwhelming life experiences,
exploring how past experiences are affecting you presently,
practicing self-compassion.
The therapeutic process is about working on what is important to you. Together we will decide what that looks like.
All stories are welcome here.
One of the most important parts about therapy is emotional safety for everybody.
It is of the utmost importance to me that every person I work with feels welcome in the therapy space, no matter their background, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, ability, or body. Discrimination impacts mental health. As the daughter of a Mexican immigrant, I have seen first hand what this impact looks and feels like. It’s a big reason why I do this work. Feeling “othered” because your story is different from the majority is deeply painful. I am dedicated to continuously learning and respecting all cultural backgrounds and increasing my own self-awareness through ongoing reflection, supervision, and education.
Schedule A Free Consultation
Begin your journey towards more self-compassion and understanding today. We’ll explore what you’re looking for and how I can support you to ensure we’re the right fit.