Mariam Al-Akhdar
LCMHCA
Mariam Al-Akhdar (she/her) is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate who earned a master’s in clinical mental health counseling from North Carolina State University. She has served in the community and the mental health field over 3 years working as a crisis line volunteer and medical advocate for a local domestic violence center, and has worked with clients experiencing chronic illness and pain.
Mariam identifies as a gender fluid pansexual woman who grew up in a bicultural, biracial, and bireligous home, in which her father is Muslim and her mother is Catholic. She also has had chronic tick-borne illnesses for most of her life, and identifies as a Spoonie. Mariam’s experiences have all played an integral role in teaching her the vitality of identity in finding happiness and belonging in life. She deeply understands the many challenges that chronic pain and illness can produce socially, professionally, romantically, within the family system, and most importantly on individual expression and confidence in sense of self. Mariam has personally felt the effect of the world on her own self-esteem and identity, and the journey to discovering herself led to a passion to help others through self-discovery and self-actualization.
Mariam believes that every person is unique, and therefore uses an eclectic theoretical approach in counseling. She incorporates techniques from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) because of the emphasis on identifying core values and beliefs that become central to the therapeutic process. ACT also focuses tactics to cope with and manage negative thought processes, sensations, and situations through radical acceptance. Mariam works with clients on aligning their core values and beliefs with their behaviors and environments. She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and solution-focused therapy to process and address circumstances as they arise in sessions.
Mariam works with clients from ages 16 to 85+ with anxiety, depression, ADHD, disordered eating, amongst other presenting concerns. Based on her personal background, Mariam also has a special focus on individuals and families identifying as LGBTQIA2S+, and bicultural and biracial.
