Carly

Licensed Associate Professional Counselor

Hello! 🙂

I’m a New York/Long Island transplant who has called the Lehigh Valley home since 2011. My life has always revolved around music and community, shaping my love for connecting with people and creating spaces where they feel seen and understood. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Music from Fordham University and my Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Kutztown University. Before becoming a counselor, I spent more than 15 years touring internationally with my band, composing instrumental music for film and TV, and advocating for greater inclusivity and diversity within the music industry. Those experiences  gave me a unique understanding of unconventional life paths, burnout, relationships, identity, and building a meaningful life when yours may not follow a traditional roadmap. 

My own experience with therapy also shaped the counselor I wanted to become. When I first sought support for anxiety, I struggled to find someone who understood the isolating and unpredictable realities of a life and career outside the mainstream. Finding the right therapist showed me how powerful therapy can be when you don’t have to spend the whole session explaining yourself before you can actually be yourself. 

I provide individual and couples counseling for people navigating anxiety, relationships, identity, self-esteem, perfectionism, creative burnout, and major life transitions. I especially enjoy working with young adults, LGBTQ+ individuals, musicians, artists, creatives, and people who have spent much of their lives feeling like they don’t quite fit into the boxes they were given. I also love working with couples. I help partners better understand the patterns underneath their conflicts, communicate more effectively, strengthen their friendship, and  feel heard without losing their individuality. I incorporate evidence-based interventions from the Gottman Method alongside a person-centered and affirming approach. My goal is to help you better understand each other and build a healthier, more connected relationship. 

My counseling style is person-centered, collaborative, and grounded in humanistic, multicultural, and feminist counseling principles. In other words, I want to understand you as a whole person and consider the relationships, identities, communities, and experiences that have shaped you. Depending on what works for you, sessions might include reflection and deeper emotional work, practicing coping and communication skills, humor, creativity, mindfulness, or simply having a space where you don’t need to have everything figured out. 

Community is also an important part of my work. Through my involvement with Lehigh Valley Girls Rock, and organizing local mental health and LGBTQ+ community events, I’ve seen how powerful connection can be outside of the therapy room. I love creating opportunities for people to build confidence, express themselves, meet others, and experience a greater sense of belonging. I am also a big fan of fidgets, squishes, coloring, and crafting during sessions, so if having something to do with your hands helps you talk, you’re in good company!! If there’s a particular fidget you think the office is missing, tell me. I can probably be convinced to acquire it 😉 

Outside of counseling, you’ll usually find me cuddling my corgi Biff, watching guilty-pleasure TV (especially Jersey Shore), creating wedding entrance music for TikTok, or playing in my indie/punk band with my husband. I also love hiking, going to concerts, and eating any and all carbs. I look forward to meeting you!

You can contact me at carly@findyourselfbethat.com and (267) 375-9505.