Michael Eason, PhD, LCMHC, NCC

Doctorate Level Therapist / Senior Clinician | michael@3rdwavetherapy.com | 919-886-4052

If you’ve clicked through enough therapist profiles to feel like you’re online shopping for someone to trust with your actual life, I get it. As an LGBTQ+ affirming therapist in Chapel Hill, NC, I work with people who are tired of feeling stuck and ready for something real. Finding the right fit is harder than it should be, and I’m not here to give you a polished pitch. What I can tell you is that I show up as a real person in the room, I take your goals seriously, and I’m trained to actually help, not just listen and nod.

I’m a PhD-level counselor with 17+ years of experience working with teens and adults. Originally from Georgia and shaped by over a decade living in Hong Kong, I bring a genuine appreciation for multiculturalism and the many ways identity, culture, and environment shape who we are. My approach is rooted in Humanistic Psychology and draws on a variety of modalities, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – tools I use flexibly depending on what you actually need.

My top areas of specialty include:

• LGBTQ+ individuals

• Couples

• High-performing adolescents and adults

Whether you’re navigating identity, relationships, the pressure of high achievement, or just trying to feel more like yourself, this is the work I’m here for.

My approach is client-centered, meaning we co-create your treatment together. No onesize fits all plans, no performance required.

• Treatment Specialties

  • Anxiety

  • Depression & Mood Disorders

  • PTSD, Trauma, & Abuse Recovery

  • Stress Management, Self-Growth, & Coping Tools

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

  • Social Anxiety

• Services Provided

  • Child & Adolescent Therapy

  • Couples Therapy

  • Individual Therapy

  • Executive and Wellness Coaching

  • Clinical Supervision

• Education

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Psychology, City University of Hong Kong, 2017
  Specialist in Education (Ed.S.), Guidance and Counseling, University of West Georgia, 2007
  Master of Arts, (M.A.), Psychology, University of West Georgia, 2004
  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Psychology, The University of Georgia, 2003

• Experience

  I’ve been doing this work since 2005, across outpatient and inpatient settings, with adolescents and adults, through individual sessions and couples therapy. That’s 17+ years of showing up for people in some of their hardest moments.

  Experience & background:

  • Co-founded and served as Clinical Director of a private psychology group practice in Hong Kong

  • Completed PhD studies abroad, bringing a genuine multicultural perspective to the work

  • Lectured at City University of Hong Kong and SCAD

  • Presented research at international conferences in Hong Kong, Japan, the UK, Czech Republic, and Singapore

  • Co-authored chapters in two Springer-published books (2019, 2021)

  I specialize in:

  • LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy

  • Couples and individual therapy

  • Teens and adults

  • Trauma-informed care

  • Patterns of behavior that feel impossible to break on your own

• Insurances

  Blue Cross Blue Shield

  Aetna

  North Carolina State Health Plan