PuttingFamilyFirst

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RM Portrait of Richard McDonald
Online therapist

Richard McDonald

Support for parenting and family challenges

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Credentials
LCMHC
Experience
5 years
Licensed in
North Carolina
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Richard

Richard McDonald is a licensed clinical mental health counselor in North Carolina. He focuses on family and parenting concerns as well as stress, anxiety, addiction, mood struggles, and coping with life changes. He uses clear, practical talk to help people sort immediate problems and build everyday skills.

He trained in mental health counseling after earning a bachelor’s degree in economics and then a master’s in mental health counseling. Richard holds the LCMHC credential, listed in North Carolina as NC LCMHC 14159.

Background and approach

He has five years of formal counseling experience and a longer history in human services. In sessions he tends to blend evidence-based tools with steady, person-focused conversation. He draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to change unhelpful thought and behavior patterns.

He also uses acceptance and commitment ideas and mindfulness to help people tolerate strong feelings while moving toward priorities. Richard offers practical strategies for parenting stress, grief, trauma responses, substance concerns, anger, and mood instability. He pays attention to cultural and life circumstance factors that shape each person’s experience.

Treatment plans are shaped together so goals fit real life demands. His approach aims to make therapy useful from the first weeks. That looks like clear skills, practice between sessions, and check-ins about what’s working.

Families or parents reading can expect straightforward guidance and a focus on usable change.

Therapeutic approaches and online care

Richard commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and client-centered work. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with real-life actions to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression. ACT helps people accept difficult feelings while clarifying values and taking steps toward what matters. Client-centered therapy centers the conversation on the person’s experience, offering empathic listening and support while the client sets the pace.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist collaborates with each person to choose which methods fit their goals, preferences, and daily life. That means trying tools, reviewing how they work, and adjusting the plan as needed.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit busy schedules. These formats make it easier to attend from home, to check in between sessions, and to use brief coaching-style messages for practice and encouragement. The mix of structured techniques and flexible access aims to help people build skills while keeping therapy manageable.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Less about arguing with difficult thoughts, more about loosening their grip and acting on what matters to you anyway. Values and committed action carry the work, which suits conversation at a distance.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does he address?
He works with stress, anxiety, addictions, anger, low self esteem, depression, relationship and family problems, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting challenges, bipolar disorder, and coping with life changes. Additional areas include adoption and foster care, caregiver stress, mood disorders, panic, and post-traumatic stress.
What is his general therapy style?
Sessions are practical and conversational with a focus on skills you can use outside of therapy. He blends structured techniques with supportive, client-centered talk to help people make gradual change.
How much experience does he have?
He has five years of counseling experience and a longer background in human services. His training includes a master’s in mental health counseling and prior work across varied settings.
What credentials and location are listed?
He is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor with the registration NC LCMHC 14159 and practices in North Carolina.
In which languages are sessions offered?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
He provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging as options for online therapy.
How are costs handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist’s availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
5 years
Licensed
North Carolina
Languages
English

Next step

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