LCSW, 5 years of experience
Hi! I'm Megan Cole, a licensed clinical social worker practicing in North Carolina. I received a master's degree in social work from UNC Chapel Hill in 2008, and obtained my clinical license in 2021. With many years of experience in healthcare, specifically hospice and serious illness care, I specialize in working with those who are coping with serious or life-limiting illnesses, individuals coping with caregiver stress and anxiety, anticipatory grief, and grief counseling after a loss. I also have extensive experience in the arenas of adoption, infertility, miscarriage, and pregnancy loss.
In our first session, we'll spend some time getting to know each other. You need to know that we will be a good fit for each other, so I hope that you'll feel comfortable asking me questions to help you feel comfortable. We will get some background information established, then we will spend time talking about what has led you to seek therapy at this time in your life, and what you hope to accomplish in our work together. The questions I ask, the concerns you bring, and the goals you have will help us create your individualized treatment plan that will serve as our roadmap to your wellness.
The decision to seek therapy is one of strength and vulnerability. I consider it an honor to be chosen to work with each client I serve to help them overcome the thoughts, feelings, and symptoms that are holding them back. With many years of healthcare experience, and particularly experience in hospice, grief, chronic/ serious illness, as well as with infertility, adoption, and pregnancy loss, I feel I am uniquely able to provide support to people in some of the darkest, most overwhelming, and isolating times of our lives. I know that in these valleys of life it can be hard to believe that things will ever get better-- but I am here to help show you your own incredible inner strength and capacity for growth, hope, and healing.
The clients I work with are often struggling with life transitions, and the accompanying feelings of anxiety, depression, stress, uncertainty, and fear that go hand in hand with big changes. My goal is to help you learn new ways of coping with stress and anxiety, feel empowered to face the ups and downs in your life, and know that you have what it takes to get through even the hardest times. I know that change can be scary and overwhelming, but I also know that each of us can be empowered to learn and grow through tough times!
Understanding your attachment history, especially the early relationships you had with your parents or caregivers, can provide valuable insight into how you see yourself and how you relate to others. When we explore your attachment style, you become more aware of your emotional responses in stressful situations, and how you form and maintain relationships. This awareness can be really helpful in managing anxiety and depression, healing from past trauma, and improving your current relationships. By recognizing your attachment style, we can work together to build healthier connections and support your emotional well-being.
I believe that we can improve symptoms of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem through encouraging self-compassion, and reducing self-criticism. In Compassion-Focused interventions, we work together to recognize and soothe your painful emotions through teaching mindfulness and self-compassion exercises. We work together to explore the root causes of your negative beliefs about yourself, and then reframe them with kindness, love, and understanding. In so doing, we are able to increase your emotional resilience and help you have healthier relationships with others.
I feel that Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy can be particularly helpful for people struggling with anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other conditions. CBT helps challenge our thoughts and fears by helping us learn healthier ways of thinking and coping with difficult situations, feelings, thoughts, and memories. CBT can also be helpful for people who are struggling with communication and conflict within relationships, people with low self-esteem or self-worth, and people who are coping with chronic stress.
I have worked in hospice and palliative care as a social worker for nearly 15 years. I have extensive knowledge and experience with anticipatory grief (the grieving before the loss has occurred), and all the ways feelings of grief can manifest in our bodies and minds after a loss. I also have experience with grief related to infertility, pregnancy loss, and adoption disruption. I also understand that grief manifests through divorce, job loss, loss of independence, moves, and other major life changes. In grief therapy, we acknowledge and validate your feelings, discuss what you have lost, what you have learned, and what will take with you into the future.
4 ratings with written reviews
May 27, 2025
Megan provides a great sounding board with direct advice and thorough solution-based perspectives that assist me in keeping my emotional balance in my time of grief. Very grateful to have found someone that can assist me during this period of grief.
April 30, 2025
Megan makes me feel more heard and understood than I have experienced in the past with prior therapists. Megan is very welcoming, warm, solution based, educated, wise, uplifting, and truly cares about her patients/clients. I am still a new client to Megan but I feel like our rapport and our therapeutic relationship have really benefited my life in a short amount of time. She also doesn't make me feel as judged as I have felt from previous therapists and that means a lot. Thank you Grow.
April 8, 2025
Megan was very kind, friendly, encouraging, and flexible with my schedule. Looking forward to working with her.