Heidi Lecount, LCMHC, NCC
Ms. Heidi LeCount has experience providing therapy to individuals of all ages from elementary school children to adults. She earned a Master of Science degree specializing in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from East Carolina University. Heidi has provided therapy services in out-patient private practice settings and has also worked in an intensive outpatient program (IOP), Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), and in higher education. While Heidi’s expertise spans all ages and presenting problems, her years working within higher education has created a unique specialty around young adult issues as she worked with students, parents, and families as they navigated and managed the various challenges of college life including academic, social, and personal concerns. These skills allow Heidi to support students of all ages and their parents to address academic concerns or social and personal struggles related to school environments. In addition, with a Bachelor of Arts in Art Education, she brings creative and visual experiences to therapy sessions for both children and adults who enjoy creative expression through which to grow. Lastly, interested in assisting adults with their professional development, Heidi has provided seminars on time management, communication, and leadership skills. She is licensed as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina, is a Nationally Certified Counselor, and holds a South Carolina Behavioral Telehealth License.
As a therapist, Heidi draws her counseling style from person-centered and strengths-based theories. She believes by focusing on a person’s strengths, they are empowered to build skills from their own framework as they move through their counseling and growth journey. Therapy techniques Heidi utilizes include Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), lifespan development, solution-focused theories, mindfulness, and psychoeducation. Heidi can also incorporate various forms of creative expression in therapy sessions, allowing clients to view their presenting concerns through a different lens.
Heidi has experience working with clients who are presenting with mental health challenges including all forms of anxiety, depression, parent/child conflict, relationship issues, couples therapy, social skills concerns, co-parenting conflict, emotional regulation, low self-esteem, inability to communicate effectively, life transitions (high school to college, college to post- graduation), divorce, academic challenges, etc. She works with all ages and with all presenting problems.
As a therapist, Heidi helps couples to identify their challenges and goals for therapy as the first step in the process. She views couples therapy as a collaborative journey and fosters that through mutual respect, while guiding conversations so that each individual is heard. Using person-centered and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) modalities, each person begins to better understand themselves, their role within the relationship, and how their spouse/significant other operates, while they work together developing healthy relationship skills. Heidi enjoys working with couples who present to therapy to address communication skills and coping strategies, and assists them to identify risks as well as protective factors within the relationship.
With children and families, Heidi works to improve learning and social-emotional outcomes. Through a systematic, problem-solving approach, she seeks to understand the source of unique difficulties and address the system as well as improve coping skills to improve understanding of behaviors, distress tolerance for the child and family, acceptance of diagnoses/challenges, and emotional regulation, to facilitate more positive outcomes for children and families. Heidi helps clients learn adaptive coping skills which can be used throughout their lives in various circumstances and settings. Clients will find new ways of understanding their own behaviors and those of others. Adolescent years can be a challenging transition between being a child and becoming an adult. Heidi works with adolescents to identify their values and strengths, which are underlying currents of the work she does with this population. Helping teens to find their voice, develop positive coping strategies, and learn communication skills to use with their family and peers is part of the therapeutic process. With her many years of working with emerging adults, Heidi also encourages adolescents to envision their future and set practical goals for themselves, whether it be attending college, community college, or learning a trade. Each adolescent is a unique individual – therapy can help them become the best versions of themselves for today and beyond.
Heidi works compassionately with individuals and families who are considering or experiencing separation and divorce. Focusing on the use of positive communication, Heidi works with individuals to manage heightened emotions, identify coping strategies, and draw on their strengths to navigate this new territory. She works with children of separating and divorcing families to provide an outlet for their emotions while family dynamics shift. For divorcing couples who are also parents, Heidi provides support as the couple works toward a healthy co-parenting routine and relationship that focuses on the children.
Heidi enjoys spending time with her teenage son and their rescue cat, checking out local towns and festivals, and attending performing arts and sporting events.