Alaina Kidwell, LCMHC

Therapist | alaina@3rdwavetherapy.com | 919-886-4052

Sometimes understanding why you feel anxious, disconnected, or stuck is only part of the work. Your body may continue responding as though a painful experience is happening right now, even when you know you are safe. In therapy, we can explore both the story you carry and the ways it continues to show up in your thoughts, relationships, and nervous system.

I work with clients navigating trauma, depression, anxiety, relationship challenges, intimate partner violence, self-worth, and personal growth. This includes supporting survivors as well as people who want to take responsibility for harmful behavior and build healthier patterns. My goal is to help you better understand yourself, reconnect with your sense of choice, and create a life that feels meaningful and aligned with your values.

My approach is holistic, collaborative, and tailored to you. I draw from Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and existential therapy. EMDR can help us process painful experiences and beliefs that continue to affect how you feel and respond in the present.

I also incorporate somatic practices such as breathwork, meditation, and mindful movement when they support your goals. As a registered yoga teacher with additional training in trauma-informed and addiction-focused yoga, I can integrate trauma-informed yoga practices into individual or group therapy when appropriate. These approaches offer another way to build a greater sense of safety in your body and access healing that may be difficult to reach through conversation alone.

• Treatment Specialties

  • Anxiety

  • Depression & Mood Disorders

  • PTSD, Trauma, & Abuse Recovery

  • Social Anxiety

  • Stress Management, Self-Growth, & Coping Tools

  • Maternal Mental Health

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Services Provided

  • Individual Therapy

  • Yoga

  • EMDR

• Education

  M.A. ed. Clinical Mental Health Counseling, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
  B.A. in Psychology, University of Maryland University College

• Experience

  I completed my Masters degree at UNCP in clinical mental health counseling and completed additional training in domestic violence, addictions, and trauma. I am a registered Yoga teacher, as well, and have completed yoga trainings to integrate yoga into the therapuetic space for trauma, addiction, anxiety, and depression both in individual and group formats.  I have worked for the department of adult corrections providing services to staff experiencing high stress and job related demands,  at UNCP providing services to college students experiencing life changes, high stress, and relational difficulties, as well as in private practice serving clients with a variety of needs.

• Insurances

  Blue Cross Blue Shield

  Aetna