Carolyn Hollingshead, LCSW, LISW-CP

Carolyn Hollingshead is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship problems, addiction, and eating concerns. She draws on two decades of clinical experience to guide practical steps for everyday life. Carolyn writes plainly and focuses on what a person can do between sessions to feel steadier and more capable.

She combines Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with acceptance-based and client-centered approaches. Sessions often include skill practice, focused problem solving, and gentle exploration of family history when that feels useful. Carolyn also brings experience with trauma, chronic pain, hospice and end-of-life concerns, and life transitions.

Her earlier career as a Registered Dietitian and a PhD in Nutrition shape a holistic view of health. That background informs work on body image, disordered eating, and weight-related issues without reducing concerns to calories or scales. She also has experience with aging and geriatric issues and blended family challenges.

Carolyn emphasizes collaboration and clear goals in therapy. She uses tools from mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and the Gottman Method to support better communication and behavior change. Clients can expect straightforward feedback and practical homework between sessions.

With 22 years of practice and dual social work credentials - LCSW and LISW-CP - Carolyn offers a steady, experienced presence for people navigating loss, chronic illness, parenting stress, ADHD, career crossroads, and midlife shifts. Her approach balances insight with skills people can use right away.

Approaches that translate to online care

Carolyn uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and test small behavior changes that can ease anxiety and depression. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is also part of her work and focuses on clarifying values and building actions that matter even when feelings are uncomfortable. Client-Centered Therapy provides a supportive frame where the person’s goals guide the pace and focus of sessions.

Choosing the best approach is a team effort. Carolyn will talk with each person about goals, try different strategies, and adjust the plan as progress becomes clear. The first few sessions often include simple experiments to see what methods feel most useful for the person’s everyday life.

Online formats make regular care easier to keep up. Video calls work well for conversations and skill demonstrations, phone sessions are helpful when bandwidth is limited, live chat allows quick check-ins, and text-based messaging can support brief coaching or progress notes between sessions. These options help people fit therapy into work, caregiving, or medical schedules while keeping a steady plan for change.