Martha Gillen, LCMHC

Martha Gillen is a licensed clinical mental health counselor (LCMHC) in North Carolina with 17 years of experience. She has worked as both a counselor and a supervisor and helps people facing substance use concerns as well as common mood and stress problems.

Martha sees people who are dealing with depression, anxiety, stress, and career transitions. She also supports those who struggle with anger, low self-esteem, relationship and family tensions, and compassion fatigue. Drug and alcohol addiction are listed as an additional focus area.

Her approach blends practical, skill-based work with conversations that help people find motivation for change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is part of how she structures sessions to identify unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors. She also uses Motivational Interviewing to help people clarify their own reasons for change and build readiness.

Martha tends to keep things straightforward and collaborative. Sessions are organized around clear goals and small steps that can be practiced between meetings. She aims to create a space where someone can talk through challenges and try different strategies without pressure.

People who prefer direct guidance and tools to manage mood, stress, or substance use may find her style useful. Martha encourages a paced, goal-oriented process that adapts as circumstances change.

Practical approaches and online therapy options

Many of Martha's techniques are well suited to online work because they focus on concrete skills and short, goal-based steps. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and test small behavior changes to improve mood and manage anxiety. Motivational Interviewing focuses on building a person’s own reasons for change and increasing commitment, which is useful when addressing substance use or ambivalence about making a change.

Choosing the right approach is part of the process and will be done together. Martha will listen to your goals and preferences, try methods that fit your situation, and adjust the plan as you progress. The work is collaborative and paced to what you find manageable.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video calls are good for a full session with visual cues, phone sessions can fit into a busy day or use less bandwidth, live chat is useful for brief check-ins, and text messaging allows shorter, on-the-go communication and homework reminders. These options make it easier to continue regular work toward goals without long commutes.