Meagan Barksdale
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist with over 18 years of experience in mental health and addiction counseling field. I am licensed in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Utah, and Maine. My career has included extensive work with Veterans, Active Duty personnel, and federal employees, providing trauma informed care. I have a background in women's health issues, POTS, EDS / hEDS, MCAS, MCTD, RA, Lupus, perimenopause, and other autoimmune and chronic illnesses that need therapy supports. I specialize in Women's mental health, Recovery, ADHD and supporting neurodivergent adults, LGBTQIA+ individuals, mental health issues due to chronic pain and medical trauma, trauma survivors, addiction, burnout, anxiety, women’s issues, and major life transitions. My approach is nonjudgmental and trauma informed, meeting clients where they are with curiosity and compassion while creating a space for authentic growth and understanding.
A space to feel deeply understood, transmute pain into possibility, and build a life that honors all of you.
I value appropriate self disclosure when it supports the therapeutic process and use my training and lived experience to help clients develop tools that genuinely serve them. My work draws from an eclectic foundation that includes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Solution Focused Therapy, Polyvagal Theory, and Somatic approaches. I also integrate alternative and mind body methods that expand healing beyond traditional talk therapy, supporting both emotional and physiological well-being. I practice from an intersectional perspective, recognizing that our identities; race, gender, sexuality, neurotype, ability, culture, and lived experience intersect to shape how we move through the world and how the world responds to us. Healing requires honoring all of those parts. I believe neurodivergence is not something to be fixed, but understood, supported, and celebrated. Therapy is a space to learn your brain, not fight against it, to understand how it works, and build systems of support that honor your authentic wiring.
First session
My work is grounded in cultural humility and inclusivity, with extensive experience supporting individuals from diverse racial, cultural, and religious backgrounds, including those who are spiritual, non-religious, or exploring belief systems, as well as those navigating religious trauma; I also provide affirming care for multiracial individuals, interracial couples, and the LGBTQIA+ community. My approach is open-minded, unbiased, and nonjudgmental. I strive to create a space where clients feel genuinely heard, respected, and supported without shame, pressure, or the expectation to have everything figured out. I believe therapy should feel validating, realistic, and useful in real life. I bring warmth, humor, practical skills, and solution-focused tools into the therapy space. My style is honest, collaborative, and grounded in helping clients build insight, confidence, and coping strategies that actually fit their lives. I do not believe in toxic positivity or generic, one-size-fits-all counseling. Instead, I work with clients as whole people, honoring their lived experiences while helping them move toward meaningful change. I help clients reduce shame by moving away from “what is wrong with me?” and toward “how do I actually work?” My approach supports clients in understanding their patterns, needs, strengths, masking, burnout, and coping styles with curiosity instead of criticism. Many clients come to therapy after years of feeling “too much,” “not enough,” misunderstood, or pressured to hide parts of themselves. Therapy can be a space to better understand yourself, build self-trust, and create practical strategies that fit your actual life rather than forcing yourself into a version of coping that was never designed for you. Our first session is a space for you to exhale, slow down, and simply show up as you are. We will begin by talking about what brought you to therapy, what you would like to work on, and what you hope to gain from the process. I will ask questions to learn more about your history, current challenges, and strengths, not to judge or label, but to better understand your story and how your experiences have shaped you. This is also your time to ask questions and get a sense of how I work. My goal is for you to leave the first session feeling heard, understood, and a bit lighter, even if we are just beginning to untangle what brought you here. Together, we will start building a collaborative plan that fits your goals and capacity. I will share tools, coping strategies, or small grounding exercises when helpful, but we will move at your pace. Therapy with me is a partnership. We will balance insight with practical tools, honoring both your lived experience and the way your brain and body uniquely respond to the world. You do not have to come prepared or have the right words. Just bring yourself. From there, we will begin the work of creating clarity, healing, and forward movement, one step at a time.
Strengths
One of my greatest strengths as a therapist is meeting clients exactly where they are, without judgment, pressure, or expectation. I believe healing begins when people feel genuinely seen, understood, and respected. I create a compassionate space where clients can safely explore shame, self doubt, painful experiences, and the belief that they are too much or not enough. My approach is eclectic, collaborative, and individualized. I integrate Somatic Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, mindfulness, Polyvagal Theory, nervous system focused interventions, and trauma informed care. Rather than using a one size fits all model, I help clients identify strategies that honor their history, values, identity, and nervous system. As a neurodivergent clinician, I offer both lived experience and clinical expertise when working with ADHD, executive functioning challenges, emotional regulation difficulties, and autism related concerns. I help clients reduce internalized shame, unmask safely, understand their needs, and develop realistic systems for attention, motivation, energy management, and regulation that work with their brains rather than against them. My practice is intersectional, culturally responsive, and affirming. I recognize how race, culture, gender, sexuality, disability, socioeconomic status, discrimination, religious trauma, narcissistic abuse, and chronic invalidation influence mental health. I welcome clients from diverse racial, cultural, spiritual, and religious backgrounds, including multiracial individuals, interracial couples, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. I support individuals navigating anxiety, OCD, trauma, addiction recovery, divorce, grief, burnout, chronic illness, pain, and major life transitions. Together, we reduce shame, strengthen self awareness, build practical coping tools, and reconnect with personal strengths. I do not believe people need to be fixed. My goal is to help clients move beyond survival mode and create lives that feel more regulated, empowered, meaningful, and authentic. Transmuting pain into power.
Ideal clients
I work primarily with women navigating women’s health concerns, along with anxiety, depression, ADHD, neurodivergent-related challenges, life transitions, divorce, grief, trauma, and burnout. Many of my clients are managing multiple roles and responsibilities while also carrying the impact of past experiences, chronic stress, or systems that have not fully supported them. I support women, neurodivergent adults, LGBTQIA+ individuals, Veterans, healthcare providers, first responders, and individuals experiencing high levels of stress or emotional fatigue. I also work with those adjusting to significant life changes, including relationship shifts, loss, and identity transitions. Chronic pain and illness with special interest in POTS, MCAS, EDS, autoimmune issues). I work with those who have felt misunderstood, overlooked, or not fully supported in previous therapy experiences. They are looking for a space that is nonjudgmental, affirming, and grounded in both clinical knowledge and real-world application. My approach is flexible, solution-focused, and individualized. I do not take a rigid or manualized approach to therapy. Instead, I draw from a range of evidence-based and integrative modalities, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), psychodynamic exploration, solution-focused therapy, and somatic, Polyvagal-informed, and nervous system-based approaches to meet each client where they are. Therapy is collaborative, with an emphasis on practical, sustainable tools while also exploring underlying patterns and experiences that shape current functioning. I specialize in neurodivergent-affirming care and approach ADHD and related challenges through a strengths-based, non-pathologizing lens. Therapy is not about fixing who you are, but about understanding how your brain and body function, reducing shame, and improving quality of life. Whether you are navigating emotional overwhelm, executive functioning challenges, relationship stress, or major life changes, my goal is to provide a space where you can process, stabilize, and move forward in a way that feels realistic and supportive.
Origin story
I became a therapist because I understand how important it is to have someone in your corner, especially during times when you feel alone, misunderstood, overwhelmed, or unsure where to turn for help. I was drawn to this profession by a desire to provide compassionate, dependable support that can make difficult experiences feel less isolating and more manageable. I have always been interested in understanding people beyond their symptoms. Every person has a unique history shaped by relationships, identity, culture, environment, and lived experiences. I believe people do not need to be fixed. They need to feel genuinely seen, respected, and supported as they reconnect with their strengths, values, and inner wisdom. As a clinician licensed in both mental health and addiction treatment, I understand that emotional wellness and recovery are often deeply connected. Recovery is not limited to stopping a behavior or substance. It can also involve healing underlying pain, rebuilding relationships, developing self trust, and creating a life that feels meaningful. I believe growth is a critical part of healing and recovery, even when it happens slowly or does not follow a straight path. Through my work with individuals from many backgrounds, I have learned that healing does not look the same for everyone. People think, process emotions, respond to stress, and move through the world differently. I strive to create a space where clients can show up honestly without feeling pressured to perform, mask, or become someone they are not. What continues to inspire me is watching clients recognize that their past does not have to dictate their future. I am honored to support people as they move out of survival mode, take back their power, reclaim their voice, establish healthier boundaries, rebuild trust in themselves, and create lives that feel more authentic and meaningful.
Ongoing work together
Our ongoing work will be collaborative, flexible, and centered on what matters most to you. We will begin by identifying the concerns bringing you to therapy, the patterns affecting your daily life, and the changes you would like to experience. Together, we will develop goals that feel meaningful, realistic, sustainable, and connected to your values rather than outside expectations. Sessions may include exploring emotions, relationships, past experiences, current stressors, and the ways your nervous system responds to difficult situations. We will also focus on practical, realistic, and sustainable strategies you can use outside of therapy, including coping skills, emotional regulation, healthier boundaries, communication, self compassion, and routines that work with your individual needs. I will regularly check in with you about what feels helpful, what is not working, and whether our approach needs to change. Progress does not always look dramatic, and it rarely follows a perfectly straight path. You may notice that you understand your reactions more clearly, recover from stressful situations more quickly, or respond with greater intention instead of reacting automatically. You may begin setting boundaries with less guilt, communicating your needs more directly, recognizing unhealthy patterns sooner, or trusting yourself when making decisions. Progress may also mean experiencing less shame, feeling more comfortable in your identity, developing healthier relationships, or using coping strategies before becoming completely overwhelmed. For clients working through addiction or recovery, growth may include understanding triggers, strengthening support systems, reducing harmful behaviors, rebuilding trust, and creating a life that supports continued recovery. We will review your goals throughout therapy and adjust them as your needs evolve. Progress will not be measured by perfection. It will be reflected in increased awareness, flexibility, self trust, emotional regulation, and your growing ability to take back your power and make realistic, sustainable choices that align with the life you want.
Treatment methods
Polyvagal Therapy
My therapeutic approach is integrative, trauma-informed, and tailored to each client’s unique needs. I draw from trauma-focused CBT, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure, and CBT-I for insomnia to support trauma recovery, anxiety reduction, and improved sleep. I integrate DBT, ACT, REBT, and solution-focused brief therapy to build emotional regulation, cognitive flexibility, and practical change. My work is grounded in person-centered (Rogerian), psychodynamic, interpersonal, feminist, and strength-based frameworks, allowing space to explore patterns, relationships, identity, and meaning while honoring resilience and autonomy. I intentionally incorporate polyvagal-informed and somatic therapies, as many neurodivergent individuals particularly those with ADHD, anxiety, OCD, and autism experience chronic nervous system dysregulation that cannot be addressed through cognition alone. Supporting body-based regulation helps improve focus, emotional tolerance, sensory processing, and stress recovery. Mindfulness-based interventions, psychoeducation, motivational interviewing, grief counseling, and supportive therapy are integrated throughout. I am gender-affirming, multicultural, and inclusive in my care, with an emphasis on empowering clients through trauma-informed, insight-oriented, and skills-based treatment.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
ACT is a core part of my approach when working with clients navigating painful thoughts, chronic stress, or life transitions. I guide clients in developing psychological flexibility, identifying core values, and learning to accept internal experiences without judgment. I often pair ACT strategies with mindfulness and somatic work for deeper integration. Currently only offering appointments evening and weekends. I’ve used CBT/DBT/ACT extensively throughout my career to help clients identify and reframe unhelpful thought patterns that impact their emotions and behavior. I integrate CBT techniques to support clients in building insight into their cognitive distortions, develop healthier coping strategies, and move toward actionable change. It’s especially helpful for managing anxiety, depression, ADHD, and trauma-related symptoms.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I incorporate DBT skills training—particularly emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness—into both individual and group sessions. DBT is especially useful when working with clients who experience intense emotions, trauma, or relational instability. I’ve found it effective with neurodivergent clients and those recovering from codependency or emotional dysregulation.
Somatic
Mindfulness is woven throughout my practice, whether through grounding exercises, breathwork, or present-moment awareness strategies. I use mindfulness-based interventions to help clients manage anxiety, cultivate self-compassion, and reconnect with their bodies. Somatic therapy complements this approach by integrating body-based awareness and gentle movement, allowing clients to release stored tension and deepen the mind-body connection. These practices are particularly effective when paired with ACT or DBT for clients managing chronic stress, trauma, or burnout.
Eclectic
My work is grounded in an eclectic approach that draws from a wide range of evidence-based therapies to meet each client where they are. I integrate somatic practices and Polyvagal Theory to help clients regulate their nervous systems, reconnect with their bodies, and build a greater sense of safety and resilience. At the same time, I draw from trauma-focused, psychodynamic, and narrative therapies to explore both the immediate impact of trauma and the deeper patterns that shape relationships, emotions, and self-perception. This flexible and holistic style ensures that therapy moves at a pace that feels safe, collaborative, and uniquely tailored to each client’s healing journey.
Location
Virtual sessions