Hello! My name is Makenzie Wilbourn (she/her) and I am millennial woman who enjoys living life as if I am approaching my 80s—including hobbies of crocheting, reading, and laying in hammock. I often hear from the people in my life that I am an “old soul” and I take that compliment to heart. How I am outside of sessions is the same version you will get during our time together each week; why make life harder by not living authentically.

A little bit about my educational background is that I am an East Carolina University Pirate for life (even have a skull and crossbones tattooed right below my ankle). I attended ECU for both my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and my Master’s Degree in Clinical Counseling. Since graduating almost 6 years ago, I have worked primarily with adults in both inpatient and outpatient settings addressing symptoms of substance use, anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, relationship conflict, and trauma.

I take on a holistic and compassionate approach in my counseling style, integrating techniques from a few modalities including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). I’m a trauma-informed therapist with a focus on treating anxiety and panic symptoms, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, self-esteem issues, and substance use or behavioral addictions.

I moved to the Asheville, NC area in 2019 after completing my graduate program, with my husband and our cat, Izzy. I grew up majority of my life in Apex, NC, with my early years living in Michigan. Outside of work, I like to spend my time doing anything outdoors either on the water or on a trail, crocheting, reading, gardening, or cooking a delicious meal while watching reruns of The Office or Friends.