Emily McBay, LMHC

Emily McBay is a licensed mental health counselor with 13 years of experience. She left an early career interest in meteorology to pursue counseling and now practices in Florida. Emily brings a warm, down-to-earth approach and a focus on practical change.

She uses several therapies, including cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, attachment-based work, client-centered methods, and elements of dialectical behavior therapy. Sessions tend to be collaborative and goal-oriented, with simple tools people can use between meetings.

Emily has worked in a variety of settings, including with people involved in the criminal justice system, students and families at a university, and in treatment centers. That background shaped her comfort with complex life problems like trauma, addiction, caregiver strain, and mood disorders.

Common concerns she helps people address include anxiety, depression, relationship and family problems, parenting strain, trauma and abuse, anger, self-esteem, career questions, ADHD, and coping with life changes. She also focuses on attachment issues, codependency, infertility and fertility stress, infidelity, and midlife concerns.

In sessions she aims to meet each person where they are. Emily describes her style as person-centered and integrative. She works with clients to set realistic goals, practice skills, and find what fits for them.

Therapeutic approaches and online options that fit your life

Emily often uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people notice unhelpful thinking patterns and try different behaviors that can reduce anxiety and low mood. CBT focuses on clear steps and practical skills to change how someone thinks and acts.

She also draws on acceptance and commitment therapy, which helps people name their values and take action toward them even when difficult feelings remain. Attachment-based work looks at how early relationship patterns affect current connections and communication, and it can help with intimacy and trust issues.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Emily works with each person to match methods to their goals and preferences, adjusting the plan as progress is made. She encourages short-term goals and homework between sessions so change feels tangible.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexible options. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat suits a quick check-in, and messaging supports ongoing, short-form contact between appointments. These formats make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy routine and keep work moving forward.