Donald McRae, LPC, LCMHC

Donald McRae is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) based in North Carolina. He brings 25 years of experience and a steady, practical approach to common life struggles. He speaks English and focuses on real problems like stress, anxiety, addiction, grief, relationship strain, and sleep trouble.

In sessions he uses straightforward methods rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) alongside acceptance-based and mindfulness practices. He blends those approaches with Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills and motivational interviewing to help people change thoughts, build coping skills, and move toward goals. The work is collaborative and goal oriented, with skills practiced between meetings.

Donald has worked in clinics, on military bases, and with nonprofit agencies. That variety shaped a flexible style that fits many life situations. He often runs individual therapy and has led groups when a skills-based format is useful.

He pays attention to practical changes - sleep habits, communication patterns, and daily routines - as well as to painful emotions like shame, guilt, and grief. He supports people facing caregiving strain, career stress, and aging-related concerns in addition to mood and trauma-related problems.

People who prefer clear explanations and step-by-step skill practice tend to do well with his approach. He asks about goals up front and helps set small, achievable steps. Sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules.

How CBT, ACT, and DBT Work Online

Donald often uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors that ease stress and anxiety. CBT focuses on concrete skills and short-term, problem-focused change and is useful for mood, sleeping, and work-related issues.

He also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify personal values and take meaningful action even when difficult feelings remain. ACT supports coping with grief, chronic stress, and transitions by shifting how someone responds to painful thoughts and emotions.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills are used to build emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and better communication. Those skills can help with intense emotions, relationship conflict, and impulse control.

Finding the best approach is a shared process. The therapist talks with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked before. Then he mixes approaches to match the client’s needs rather than using a single method for every problem.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation and skill demonstrations. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth or camera use is limited. Live chat and text messaging make quick check-ins or brief coaching easier between longer meetings. These options help fit therapy into busy schedules and different daily routines.