About Emily
Emily Materdo is an LCSW with 13 years of clinical and medical social work experience. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, mood disorders such as bipolar and depression, and compassion fatigue. She also supports those coping with chronic illness, caregiver strain, grief, and issues around attachment and family of origin.
Emily uses a collaborative, person-centered style. She listens first and helps people set practical goals. Sessions focus on real-life steps, emotion regulation skills, and clearer communication with others.
Background and approach
Her work brings together several evidence-based approaches, including cognitive behavioral techniques and skills from dialectical behavior therapy. She also draws on acceptance-focused strategies and attachment-based ideas to help people understand patterns tied to relationships and life stress. Emily has worked in both clinical and medical social work settings.
That background informs how she supports people with chronic health concerns, end-of-life situations, and caregiver stress. She aims to meet clients where they are and adapt plans to each person’s needs. People who meet with Emily can expect a calm, straightforward tone and an emphasis on building skills that fit daily life.
She encourages clients to notice small changes and to try practical tools between sessions. The goal is clearer thinking, more effective coping, and a stronger sense of agency. Sessions are offered in English and are based in North Carolina.
Emily helps people explore next steps and practical strategies as they work toward their goals.
How Emily’s Approaches Work in Online Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice painful thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them. It emphasizes values and small actions you can take toward a more meaningful life. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions link together and teaches concrete strategies to change unhelpful patterns. These approaches can be useful for anxiety, depression, and mood challenges.Finding the right approach is part of therapy. Emily works collaboratively to figure out what fits each person’s needs, goals, and preferences. She adapts techniques to fit daily life and checks in regularly to see what is helping and what needs changing.
Online sessions are available as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video is helpful when you want face-to-face interaction and visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a quieter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging are useful for brief updates, homework check-ins, or when shorter, more frequent contact fits a busy schedule.
These online options aim to make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or medical appointments while keeping the focus on usable strategies and steady progress.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Bipolar disorder
Also works with
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Blended family issues
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Depression
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- First responder issues
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Immigration issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
- Experience
- 13 years
- Licensed
- North Carolina
- Languages
- English