Tammy Holcomb, LCMHCS, CEDS Supervisor, NBCCH

NC LCMHCS #S10785, GA LPC # 002216, and SC Telehelath Credential #602

Contact: tammyholcomb@stargazercounseling.com or 919-909-7959

Office Hours: 8am-7 pm Mondays-Thursdays

I am committed to providing a nonjudgmental and compassionate space for clients to share their stories and struggles. I like to work with clients to establish goals that will help them overcome obstacles that stand in the way of living successful and authentic lives. I appreciate and honor the diverse cultures and lifestyles that people come from, and I work to help clients set objectives that match their belief systems.

I recognize that people come to therapy for a variety of reasons. I adjust my style to try to match clients where they are in their journey. I employ a variety of styles depending on the circumstances from narrative therapy, where I allow a client to take the lead and set the pace, to more directive therapy, where I set guidelines for clients to help maintain their safety due to compulsive behaviors or harmful thinking.

In cases in which clients are not ready to start therapy, I enjoy working with family and friends to educate them about various mental health issues and to work with them to identify ways they can help a loved one who is struggling. Proper intervention from loved ones can often prevent someone from escalating to a dangerous point.

Professional Experience

I started my professional career working in an acute care psychiatric facility in 1987. This position helped me learn to establish a strong rapport with people who are in crisis and frequently at turning points in their lives. I have continued through the majority of my career to have a close relationship with local psychiatric facilities and community services centers.

I originally went into private practice in 1993 with Cobb Counseling Associates in Georgia. I maintained my private practice while working at a variety of agencies, including Council on Battered Women, Ridgeview Institute, Skyland Trail, and Manna Treatment Center. I founded the Atlanta Eating Disorder Coalition in 2003.

Most recently, I worked as the Executive Director of Carolina House eating disorder programs in Durham and Raleigh, N.C. I held this position for over three years prior to opening Stargazer Counseling PLLC. Currently, I am an active member of our local IEADP Chapter after stepping down from the Education Chair role. I am also an active member of the Licensed Clinical Counselor Association of North Carolina. I volunteer with them in addition to contract work to help train new supervisors.

Qualifications & Education

I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Supervisor in the states of North Carolina and Georgia. I am a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist through the International Academy of Eating Disorders Professionals Foundation and a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist through the National Board of Hypnotherapy.

I completed my Masters and Specialty Degree in Community Counseling at Georgia State University in Atlanta in 1993. I pursued continuing education training with a focus on trauma, eating disorders, addiction, and supervision.

Personal

An advantage of being in this field so many years is that I have had the opportunity to learn from so many excellent resources. Yet, I think I have learned the most from clients who have faced fears with courage and from young therapists whom I have supervised who bring fresh ideas and passion. Both have taught me that there is always something to learn and that persistence really can pay off in incredible ways.

I think my experiences in the management side of both nonprofit and private-for-profit mental health facilities are assets to me when working with clients who work in the corporate world. My understanding on a personal level of the pressure and challenges of corporations helps me better assist those living that lifestyle.

Finally, my own family and friends have been teachers to me as I have watched them slip and fall, but get up again to continue their journey.