Chantelle Okoye
Hi! My name is Chantelle. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor based out of Arizona. I received my Masters in Professional Counseling from Grand Canyon University. I have extensive experience working with children and adolescents dealing with a variety of mental health needs including various traumas, substance use disorders, needs relating to the spectrum, and foster care. I have a total of 14 years of experience as a mental health professional, 10 of which providing therapy to the Arizona community. I own a private practice brand called Happy Black Therapy where I provide support and education to various communities. I know that life can be overwhelming when you're constantly showing up for others while struggling to make space for yourself. Whether you're navigating anxiety, burnout, relationship challenges, life transitions, or the pressure to have everything together, therapy can be a place where you finally exhale. I value creating a supportive, judgment-free environment where you feel heard, respected, and understood. My approach is collaborative, strengths-based, and grounded in evidence-based practices. I believe therapy should be more than simply talking about problems; it should help you develop practical tools, gain insight into your patterns, and create meaningful, lasting change.
You don’t have to carry it all alone. Let’s work toward healing together.
I enjoy supporting adults who are ready to better understand themselves, strengthen their relationships, establish healthier boundaries, and challenge the self-critical thoughts that may be holding them back. Together, we can explore the experiences that have shaped you while identifying your strengths and building strategies that align with your goals. You don't have to be in crisis or have everything figured out to benefit from therapy. You deserve support, too. My goal is to meet you where you are and help you build a life that feels more balanced, fulfilling, and authentic to who you are.
First session
Your first session is an opportunity for us to begin getting to know one another and explore what brought you to therapy. You don't need to have everything figured out or know exactly where to start. My goal is to create a comfortable, judgment-free space where you can share your experiences, ask questions, and begin feeling at ease with the therapeutic process. During our initial sessions, we will focus on understanding your concerns, learning about your history, identifying your needs, and exploring what you hope to accomplish through therapy. I want to understand not only what you're experiencing but also how those experiences affect your thoughts, emotions, relationships, and physical well-being. Just as importantly, I want to learn about your strengths, the things that have helped you navigate difficult seasons, and the goals that matter most to you. Building trust and rapport is an essential part of my approach. Because I believe in addressing concerns directly and working toward meaningful change, I want you to feel prepared, supported, and confident in the process before we begin exploring more difficult experiences. We will move at a pace that respects your comfort level while gradually building the skills and understanding needed for deeper therapeutic work. You can also expect opportunities to learn about how therapy works, ask questions about my approach, and collaborate with me on developing goals that feel realistic and meaningful to you. There is no expectation that you disclose everything immediately or tackle your biggest challenges in the first session. My hope is that you leave our initial meeting feeling heard, understood, and more hopeful about the possibility of change. Therapy is a collaborative process, and we will build that foundation together, one step at a time.
Strengths
One of my greatest strengths as a therapist is balancing compassion with directness. I believe meaningful change happens when we feel safe enough to explore difficult experiences while also being willing to face the things that may be keeping us stuck. In our work together, we won't simply focus on managing symptoms; we'll work toward understanding the underlying patterns and experiences contributing to them. I am extensively trained in trauma-informed approaches and incorporate trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) techniques and somatic interventions into my practice. I place a strong emphasis on the mind-body connection, helping clients recognize how anxiety, stress, and trauma can show up physically. Together, we explore where discomfort lives in your body and develop practical ways to increase awareness, regulate your nervous system, and respond to distress more effectively. While I believe in addressing difficult topics directly, I never expect you to go somewhere emotionally before you're ready. Preparation, education, emotional regulation, and trust are essential parts of our work. We build toward challenging conversations at a pace that feels manageable, ensuring you have the tools and confidence to navigate them. My approach is warm, collaborative, and honest. I will hold space for your experiences while also helping you examine patterns, challenge unhelpful beliefs, and take accountability where needed. Whether we're exploring trauma, relationships, substance use, or longstanding coping strategies, my goal is to help you feel supported while doing meaningful, sometimes uncomfortable work. You can expect a therapist who will meet you with compassion, encourage your growth, and help you face difficult things with greater understanding, confidence, and resilience.
Ideal clients
My ideal client is anyone who has found the courage to consider therapy, even if they aren't entirely sure where to begin. I believe that simply being here, exploring your options, and considering reaching out for support is a meaningful first step. You don't have to know exactly what you need, have the right words to explain what you're feeling, or be completely ready to make changes to deserve a space where you feel supported. I enjoy working with individuals who are navigating anxiety, trauma, relationship difficulties, stress, substance use, life transitions, or patterns that seem to keep repeating despite their best efforts. You might be someone who has spent years taking care of everyone else, someone who feels stuck in familiar patterns, or someone who knows something needs to change but isn't quite sure how to make it happen. I welcome clients who are curious about themselves and open to exploring the connection between their experiences, emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. You don't have to be comfortable discussing difficult things right away. Therapy is a process, and we will work together to build the trust, understanding, and skills needed to approach those conversations at a pace that feels manageable. I also believe you can be uncertain, hesitant, frustrated, or even skeptical about therapy and still be a wonderful fit. You don't need to arrive motivated every session or have everything figured out. What matters is your willingness to give yourself the opportunity to explore, learn, and grow. Ultimately, my ideal client is someone willing to show up as they are. Whether you're taking your first step toward therapy or returning after time away, you deserve support. We can begin wherever you are and work together toward where you want to be.
Origin story
My journey to becoming a therapist began with my own experience of struggling during college. During a particularly difficult period in my life, I experienced a mental health crisis and began working with a psychiatrist who also provided counseling. The compassion, guidance, and support she offered had a profound impact on me. At a time when I felt overwhelmed, having someone who genuinely listened, helped me make sense of my experiences, and supported me in finding my footing made a lasting difference. That experience changed the way I viewed mental health and helped me recognize the importance of having a safe space where people can be vulnerable without fear of judgment. It also showed me that seeking help is not a sign of weakness, but an opportunity for growth, healing, and self-discovery. As I continued my education and career in behavioral health, my appreciation for the therapeutic process deepened. I became increasingly passionate about helping others navigate life's challenges, understand themselves more fully, and recognize their own strengths and resilience. Today, I approach therapy with the understanding that every person's story is unique. I know that reaching out for support can feel intimidating, especially when you are accustomed to being the person everyone else depends on. My goal is to create a space where clients feel safe enough to be honest, explore difficult emotions, and work toward meaningful change. Ultimately, I became a therapist because I experienced how much the right support can matter. I hope to offer that same sense of understanding, encouragement, and possibility to the people I work with.
Ongoing work together
Our ongoing work together will focus on understanding the underlying causes of your concerns, developing effective coping strategies, and helping you feel more confident navigating the situations and emotions that once felt overwhelming. A central part of my approach is desensitization: gradually helping you build tolerance for difficult thoughts, memories, emotions, and experiences so they become less distressing over time. Early in our work, we will identify how distress shows up for you, both emotionally and physically. You might notice anxiety, tension, avoidance, racing thoughts, or changes in your breathing when discussing certain topics. We will use these initial observations as a baseline and continue monitoring how your responses change throughout therapy. Because I believe meaningful growth involves addressing difficult things rather than continually avoiding them, my approach can be direct. However, we will work collaboratively, prioritize emotional regulation, and build the necessary skills and trust before approaching challenging material. The goal is not to overwhelm you or force you to relive painful experiences, but to help you develop a greater sense of safety, control, and confidence as you work through them. You will know you're making progress when conversations that once felt unbearable become more manageable, your physical responses to stress become easier to regulate, or you find yourself responding differently to situations that previously triggered you. Progress may also look like setting healthier boundaries, recognizing unhelpful patterns, or feeling more comfortable acknowledging difficult emotions without immediately avoiding them. We will regularly reflect on what's changing, what remains challenging, and what adjustments may help you move forward. Healing isn't always linear, and progress doesn't mean never feeling distressed. It means gradually developing the insight, skills, and resilience to face life's challenges with greater confidence and less fear.
Treatment methods
Trauma-Focused CBT
I use Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) techniques to help clients understand how difficult experiences can influence their thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and relationships. My approach focuses on helping you recognize the connection between what you've experienced and how you're responding to life today. Our work begins with building trust and developing the tools you need to manage difficult emotions. I incorporate education about trauma, emotional regulation strategies, coping skills, and techniques to identify and challenge unhelpful thought patterns. I also integrate somatic interventions to help you recognize how distress shows up in your body and learn practical ways to manage those responses. As we build a strong foundation, we can gradually begin exploring painful experiences, identifying patterns, and addressing beliefs that may be keeping you stuck. I believe in approaching difficult topics directly, but never without preparation. You will have opportunities to develop skills, ask questions, and understand the purpose behind our work before moving into more challenging areas. I incorporate trauma-focused cognitive behavioral techniques with both younger clients and adults, adapting interventions to each person's needs, experiences, and goals. I recognize that trauma affects everyone differently, so our work will be collaborative and paced with your emotional safety in mind. My goal is to help you move beyond simply surviving difficult experiences toward developing a greater sense of control, confidence, and resilience. Together, we will work to reduce distress, challenge unhelpful beliefs, and help you respond to life's challenges in ways that support your well-being and long-term growth.
Location
Virtual sessions