Courtney Surigao, LCMHC

Courtney Surigao is a licensed clinical mental health counselor (LCMHC) who focuses on practical, person-centered therapy. She helps people who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or worn down by life. Her style aims to listen closely and build a plan that fits each person’s strengths and values.

Courtney draws on 18 years of experience to support people through grief, depression, anxiety, trauma, and major life changes. She uses clear, goal-focused methods to help clients set realistic steps forward. Sessions may include exercises to practice between meetings so progress carries into daily life.

Her approach values each person’s story and faith, family roles, and personal resources. She helps people sort through relationship strain, parenting challenges, blended family issues, and caregiving stress. She also addresses body image concerns, eating and sleeping problems, chronic illness, and isolation.

Courtney commonly integrates Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy to match a client’s needs. Therapy often includes identifying strengths, clarifying values, and making achievable plans for change. She aims for straightforward, tangible steps rather than abstract talk.

People who want to work on communication, anger, self-esteem, or career questions will find a practical focus in sessions. She also supports those dealing with adoption and foster care dynamics, end-of-life concerns, and complex family of origin issues. The work may be challenging, but it centers on real, doable change.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and accepting what you bring to sessions. It helps people feel heard and builds on personal strengths to set goals and make choices. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at patterns of thought and behavior and uses practical exercises to change unhelpful habits and manage symptoms like anxiety or low mood. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) targets how feelings show up in close relationships and helps people name emotions and respond differently to create stronger connections.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work collaboratively to match methods to a client’s needs, goals, and comfort. That means trying tools, adjusting tasks, and choosing strategies together rather than sticking to one fixed plan.

The original profile does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy life, shorten travel time, and allow for brief check-ins when schedules are tight. It also lets people continue therapy while managing caregiving, work demands, or relocation. Licensed professionals can adapt worksheets, homework, and narrative or emotion-focused tasks to an online setting so progress continues between sessions.