Emily Long

Hi, I’m Emily Long, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over a decade of experience supporting children, adolescents, families, and school communities across North Carolina. My background includes extensive work in school mental health, behavioral support, crisis intervention, and helping individuals navigate emotional and life challenges with compassion and practical support.

I hold a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Tulane University and my professional experience has centered around supporting children, adolescents, and adults with anxiety, depression, emotional regulation difficulties, behavioral concerns, trauma, school-related stress, ADHD, and family challenges. I also work closely with adults who are experiencing burnout, stress, compassion fatigue, life transitions, or feeling overwhelmed by the demands of work and caregiving.

My approach to therapy is warm, collaborative, authentic, and nonjudgmental. I believe therapy should feel like a safe and supportive space where clients can be honest, feel understood, and develop meaningful strategies for change. I work from a strengths-based and trauma-informed perspective and tailor treatment to each individual’s unique needs.

My therapeutic approaches include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP), Motivational Interviewing, solution-focused therapy, and supportive therapy. I especially value approaches that help clients increase self-awareness, strengthen emotional flexibility, improve relationships, and build lives that feel more meaningful and aligned with their values.

I provide ongoing therapy services for clients ages 12 and older. For children ages 5–11, I offer comprehensive clinical and diagnostic assessments, including recommendations for school supports, accommodations, and intervention planning when appropriate.

I also offer parent and caregiver consultation sessions focused on helping families better understand and support their child’s emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs across home, school, and community settings.

If you would like additional information about these services or to discuss whether they may be a good fit for your child or family, please feel free to reach out to me directly.

Clients can expect a welcoming, supportive, and nonjudgmental environment where they feel comfortable being themselves. In our first session, my primary goal is to get to know you — not just the challenges bringing you to therapy, but also your strengths, experiences, relationships, values, and hopes for the future.

We will spend time discussing what has been difficult recently, what you would like to change or improve, and what a meaningful and successful therapy experience would look like for you. Through this process, I am able to complete an initial assessment and work collaboratively with you to develop an individualized treatment plan that feels appropriate, realistic, and aligned with your goals and needs.

I also understand that starting therapy can feel uncomfortable or overwhelming for some people, so I strive to create a space that feels calm, collaborative, and emotionally safe.

Together, we will begin identifying goals that support meaningful progress. Depending on the client, this may include improving emotional regulation, reducing anxiety or stress, processing trauma, strengthening relationships, increasing self-confidence, managing behavioral challenges, or simply feeling more balanced and understood.

My approach is collaborative and flexible. Some clients benefit from developing practical coping strategies right away, while others first need space to process experiences and feel heard. I tailor therapy to the individual and work at a pace that feels supportive and productive. My hope is that clients leave the first session feeling understood, encouraged, and hopeful about the work we can do together.