Answers before
you reach out.

You're not overreacting. If something is heavy enough that you keep coming back to it, that's reason enough to reach out. Therapy isn't reserved for people in crisis or people with a diagnosis. A lot of people who do the most meaningful work in therapy look completely fine from the outside. The fact that you're asking the question is usually worth paying attention to.

Primarily high-achieving Black professionals in their 20s, 30s, and 40s navigating some combination of burnout, identity, career pressure, and relationship dynamics, along with the particular weight that comes with being excellent on the outside while running low on the inside.

I also work with college students managing academic stress, anxiety, and identity questions, and with couples working on communication and conflict. Not sure if you fit? Reach out anyway.

Yes. GoldAura's focus is high-achieving Black professionals, and that includes men. A lot of the work centers on things that hit men specifically hard: the pressure to have it together, not having many spaces where it's okay to not be okay, and the identity questions that come with navigating predominantly white spaces at a high level.

If you're a Black man who has been on the fence about therapy, that conversation is worth having.

That's exactly what the free 30-minute consultation is for. We talk about what's going on for you, I ask a few questions, and you get a real sense of how I work. If it's not a fit, I'll say so honestly and point you toward someone who might serve you better.

No pressure either way. The goal of the consultation is an honest answer, not a sale.

You don't need a script. You can say exactly what's on your mind, even if it's just "I've been feeling off and I think I need to talk to someone." That's enough.

When you book through this site, you'll fill out a brief intake form before the consultation, so I'll already have some context before we speak. The first call is a conversation, not an interview. Say whatever feels true.

Use the scheduling link on this site. Pick a time that works, no referral needed, no intake paperwork before we've even spoken. Just show up. The consultation is free and there's no obligation to continue after it.

Yes. Current openings are listed in the scheduling system. If you see availability, it's real. If the calendar looks full when you check, reach out directly and I'll let you know the timeline.

It's more conversational than most people expect. You share what's going on, I ask questions, and we start to identify what's underneath the surface. Not just what you're dealing with, but where it's coming from and what's keeping it in place.

Sessions are direct and engaged. Most end with something concrete: a reframe, a practical strategy, something you can actually use before we meet again. You won't just vent and leave.

Direct and practical. Sessions aren't passive. I ask questions, push back when it's useful, and offer real perspective rather than just reflection. Clinically, I draw on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), solution-focused techniques, and culturally informed frameworks that account for the specific stressors that come with being a high-achieving Black professional or a college student navigating identity.

The modality matters less than whether the work is actually moving. That's what I measure by.

Both, but not in equal measure, and not the way most people expect. A good session isn't passive listening, and it's not advice-giving the way a friend or mentor would do it. I ask questions, offer perspective, challenge patterns, and sometimes make direct suggestions.

The goal is for you to develop your own clarity, not to become dependent on mine. Most people leave sessions with something concrete to think about or try. It's not a one-way conversation.

Yes. Both are among the most common things people bring into GoldAura, and both respond well to therapy when the approach is specific. Burnout isn't just tiredness. It's a pattern: the overextending, the inability to stop, the quiet resentment that builds over time. Imposter syndrome is usually tied to identity, belonging, and the specific experience of being one of few in the rooms you occupy.

Therapy gets underneath both.

Not necessarily. Some work requires going back to understand what shaped a current pattern. But not every presenting concern requires excavating your childhood. If the past is relevant to what you're working on, we'll go there. If it's not, we won't.

I follow your lead on what's useful and don't push into territory that doesn't serve the work.

Most clients start weekly. That cadence builds momentum and gives us enough time together to get clear on what's driving what. Once things start shifting, some people move to biweekly.

The frequency is based on what actually supports your progress. We'll dial that in together and adjust as the work evolves.

That depends on what you're bringing in and what you want to accomplish. Some people come in with a specific situation, say a career transition or a relationship pattern they keep repeating, and six months creates real lasting movement. Others are working on longer-standing things and benefit from more time.

I don't put people on a timeline, and I don't keep people longer than makes sense. The goal is for you to need therapy less, not more.

Most people feel a mix of relief and something harder to name. Sometimes the first session stirs things up a bit, which is normal. What should happen: you leave with a clearer sense of what you're working on and what working together looks like. I'll typically give you something to sit with or try before the next session.

The first session is orientation. The real work picks up from session two onward.

No. As a licensed counselor (LCMHC, NCC), I provide talk therapy, not medication. If medication comes up as something worth exploring, I can talk through what that process looks like and refer you to a psychiatrist or your primary care physician.

Therapy and medication aren't either/or. A lot of people find both useful, and I'm happy to help coordinate care if that becomes relevant.

Life gets busy. That's not a reason to stop. Scheduling is flexible, and if a regular cadence stops working, we adjust. The work you've done doesn't disappear because a few weeks passed.

A sliding scale is available. Reach out if cost is a concern and we'll find something workable.

When the work is specific and the relationship is right, yes. People make real changes: better relationships, less anxiety, more clarity about who they are and what they want. The other side of the ledger: the cost of not addressing something is usually higher than people account for. Burnout that goes untreated affects your health, your relationships, and your career.

Most people who invest in therapy say they wish they'd started sooner.

Yes. GoldAura Therapy accepts the following plans:

For other plans, I'm out-of-network, but a lot of clients get partial reimbursement through their out-of-network benefits. I can provide a superbill, an itemized receipt your insurance needs to process a claim. If you're not sure what your plan covers, bring it up at the consult and we'll figure it out.

You can still use those benefits. A lot of people on parent plans have mental health coverage they've never touched. Call the member services number on your insurance card and ask specifically about outpatient mental health benefits and whether out-of-network providers are covered.

I can walk you through what to look for at the consultation. Don't let confusion about insurance stop you from reaching out.

GoldAura is fully virtual. All sessions happen over a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform. No commute, no waiting room, no rearranging your schedule around office hours. Attend from your home, your car, wherever you have privacy and a reliable connection.

If you're a college student, your dorm room works fine.

I'm licensed in North Carolina, so I can work with anyone physically located in NC, regardless of where they're originally from. If you're out of state, reach out and I can point you toward resources.

Weekend sessions aren't currently available, but scheduling is flexible. If standard weekday hours are difficult to work around, bring that up at the consultation and we'll find something that actually fits your life.

It depends on what you're dealing with and what you're looking for. GoldAura works with college students in North Carolina who are managing anxiety, academic stress, identity questions, and the pressure of figuring out who you are when everyone around you seems to have it together.

If your campus counseling center has a long waitlist or hasn't felt like the right fit, private therapy is worth exploring. The free consultation is the best way to find out if this is the right match.

A few meaningful differences. Campus counseling centers often have session limits, long waitlists, and high counselor-to-student ratios. The national average is one counselor per 1,700+ students, and six to eight week waits are common. Private therapy means consistent access to the same therapist, no session caps, and a relationship that builds over time instead of starting over each semester.

It also means what you share is completely separate from your school. Nothing connects to your academic record, financial aid, or any other campus system.

It depends on your situation. If you're on a parent's insurance plan, that plan may have mental health benefits you've never used. Student health plans at many NC universities also include some mental health coverage. A sliding scale is available for students who need it.

Bring your insurance information to the consultation and we'll figure out what's actually workable. Cost shouldn't be the reason you don't even have the conversation.

As long as you're physically located in North Carolina during sessions, we can keep going, summers included. For study abroad or extended time out of state, we'd pause and pick back up when you're back.

No. And if you're asking this question, you're probably carrying something you've been afraid to say out loud. Whatever it is, I've likely heard a version of it before. My job isn't to evaluate your choices. It's to help you understand them.

The things people feel most ashamed of are usually the most important things to bring into the room.

That's a real concern and worth naming upfront. Therapy that was too passive, not specific enough, or felt like you were just venting into a void, that experience is more common than people think. I work in a more direct, engaged style.

If previous therapy felt like it wasn't going anywhere, tell me that in the consultation. That context matters and shapes how we start.

Yes, with a few narrow legal exceptions: imminent risk of harm to yourself or others, and certain situations involving minors. Everything else stays between us.

GoldAura is a private practice, which means nothing connects to your employer, your school, your academic record, or any other system you're part of. Seeking therapy does not show up on background checks or professional licensure applications.

Very normal, especially for high-achieving people who have built their identity around being capable and self-sufficient. The idea that you should be able to handle everything alone isn't a sign of strength. It's usually a sign that the weight is too much for one person to carry.

The decision to invest in this kind of work is a strategic one, not an admission of failure. Most people who are excellent therapy clients spent time talking themselves out of reaching out first.

No. The context that comes with being a high-achieving Black professional, the identity tax, the code-switching, the weight of being excellent in spaces that weren't built for you, all of that is built into how this practice works. You won't spend sessions educating your therapist.

You can come in and get straight to the actual work.

Then we talk about it. Therapy only works when both people are honest about how it's going. If something isn't clicking, the approach, the pace, the fit, that's a conversation worth having directly rather than quietly disengaging.

If after that conversation it still makes sense to find a different therapist, I'll help you do that. The goal is for you to get the support you need, not to keep a client relationship that isn't serving you.