Katherine Roethling, LCSW

Therapist / Senior Clinician | katherine@3rdwavetherapy.com | 919-886-4052

OCD, ERP, Anxiety and Trauma Therapy for Adolescents and Adults in North Carolina

Sometimes the hardest part of starting therapy is finding someone you actually feel comfortable talking to.

I’ve always been someone people naturally open up to, and that warmth is a big part of how I approach therapy. I want clients to feel comfortable, understood, and able to be themselves from the beginning.

I work with adolescents and adults experiencing OCD, anxiety, perfectionism, intrusive thoughts, and the effects of difficult or overwhelming experiences. Many of my clients seem completely fine on the outside while internally spending a tremendous amount of energy worrying, overthinking, checking, seeking reassurance, or trying to get things just right.

For adolescents, OCD and anxiety can show up as repeated reassurance seeking, getting stuck on fears, avoiding activities, confessing thoughts, repeating behaviors, or needing things to feel exactly right. These patterns can be confusing and exhausting for both teens and the people who care about them.

For clients with OCD, I use Exposure and Response Prevention, or ERP, along with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and other evidence based approaches. ERP helps clients gradually face uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, situations, and uncertainty while learning not to respond with compulsions or reassurance.

The goal is not to eliminate every anxious thought. It is to help OCD have less control over your choices and your life.

I also offer trauma informed EMDR therapy for adolescents and adults who feel that painful or overwhelming experiences are still affecting them.

My approach also draws from CBT, DBT, and ACT. Therapy with me is warm and collaborative, but it also has direction. We will work together to understand what is keeping you stuck, practice doing something different, and build confidence in handling difficult thoughts and emotions.

Ultimately, I want therapy to help you spend less time organizing your life around fear, anxiety, or intrusive thoughts and more time actually living it.

• Treatment Specialties

  • Anxiety

  • Depression & Mood Disorders

  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

  • PTSD, Trauma, & Abuse Recovery

  • Social Anxiety

  • Stress Management, Self-Growth, & Coping Tools

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Services Provided

  • Individual Therapy

  • EMDR

• Education

  Masters of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  BA in Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Experience

  My clinical work spans community mental health and private practice, where I’ve supported adolescents and adults through both short-term and long-term therapy. Working across these settings has given me a grounded understanding of how mental health challenges show up in real life, not just in theory.

  I’ve spent much of my career working with clients who are navigating anxiety, trauma, grief, and mood-related concerns, especially those who appear to be “doing fine” on the outside while feeling overwhelmed or stuck internally. I have a particular passion for supporting adolescents, young adults, and college students as they navigate identity, relationships, and the emotional weight of early adulthood.

  Along the way, I became trained in EMDR therapy and use it frequently to help clients process trauma and difficult life experiences in a way that feels paced, supportive, and manageable. My work is trauma-informed and evidence-based, while remaining flexible enough to meet each client where they are.

  Across my experience, one thing has remained consistent: meaningful change happens when clients feel understood, supported, and empowered. I bring that belief into every session, creating a space that feels steady, collaborative, and grounded in trust.

• Insurances

  Blue Cross Blue Shield

  Aetna

  North Carolina State Health Plan