Etta "Serena" Faison, LCSW

Etta "Serena" Faison is a licensed clinical social worker in North Carolina with 14 years of experience. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, bipolar disorder, depression, addictions, and relationship struggles. She approaches clients with respect and aims to strengthen each person’s own resources for change.

She asks questions and listens closely to understand what matters most to each person. Her style is down-to-earth and supportive. She treats people as the experts in their own lives and helps them build on existing strengths.

In sessions she uses practical tools and straightforward conversations. Techniques draw on cognitive behavioral ideas, mindfulness practices, and acceptance-based work to help manage difficult thoughts and emotions. She also uses client-centered and existential ideas to keep therapy focused on each person’s values and choices.

Often the work includes setting small, achievable goals and trying new ways of coping between meetings. She helps people notice what gets in the way of their goals and experiment with alternatives. The aim is steady progress rather than quick fixes.

Her approach suits people who want a collaborative therapist who will encourage them without taking over. She supports clients who want greater clarity, more effective coping, and a clearer sense of what they want from life.

How her approaches guide online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take small actions that match those values. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and when someone wants more meaning in day-to-day life. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and testing them through practical exercises. It tends to help with anxiety, mood concerns, and changing patterns that keep problems going. Client-Centered Therapy centers the person’s experience and pace, offering empathy and reflection to help someone make sense of their situation and choices.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will ask about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before, and then suggest techniques to try. Clients and the therapist check in and adjust the plan as needed so the approach fits the person rather than the other way around.

The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, such as taking a shorter check-in during a work break or joining from a quieter room. It can also let people use written exercises, mindfulness practices, and homework that integrate into everyday routines without needing extra travel time.