01 · Who Carolyn works with

Carolyn works with stress, Anxiety, family conflicts and trauma and abuse

Carolyn lists 12 specialisms and 13 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Carolyn chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Carolyn's own words

What Carolyn says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Hi; I have over 40 years of experience and expertise in the field of mental health as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist . I have thoroughly enjoyed spending my career treating the elderly, adults, adolescents, children and their families in private practice, residential , hospital and educational settings. I've received specialized training in trauma treatment , cognitive behavioral therapy, PTSD treatment, play therapy, solution focused therapy and client centered therapy, among many other treatment modalities .

I truly believe that every individual deserves help, treatment and the opportunity for hope. I've been told , numerous times , that I possess a wonderful sense of humor; I believe that laughter , along with compassion , empathy , kindness and understanding are mandatory to be give an individual the therapeutic outcome they deserve.

I've held several administrative positions in mental health including directing a residential treatment program for severely emotionally disturbed children and years later I was the Director of Psychiatry for a major children's medical center. I spent several years working with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities helping them navigate the system and building relationships within the community. In private practice I worked with adults struggling with relationship issues, stress issues, issues related to raising difficult to manage children and adolescents and parenting issues. I have spent 5 years working with the elderly who have been recently diagnosed with early onset dementia , Alzheimer's who are co-diagnosed with anxiety disorders and depression. This past year has been extremely difficult for adults, children and families. As a result, it has created stressful situations for parents. If you've had difficulties with these issues , I taught parenting classes for numerous years and I'm more than happy to help with issues related to anxiety, depression and any school related problems your children or adolescents may be experiencing as a result of the pandemic. Please feel free to reach out to me, I'm here to help.

I look forward to working with each one of you !

Carolyn Presnall, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Carolyn works

The 6 approaches Carolyn lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Carolyn lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Carolyn's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Carolyn runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Emotionally Focused TherapyEFT

Built for couples and rooted in attachment: the recurring argument is treated as a cycle two people are stuck in rather than as one person's fault. Sessions work to interrupt the cycle and get to what each person is actually asking for underneath it.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Carolyn practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Carolyn's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Carolyn at this point.

2. Naming Carolyn specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Carolyn is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Carolyn.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Carolyn

Built from what Carolyn actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Carolyn's - Carolyn has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 42 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCSW

Licensed in

Texas

Licence

TX LCSW 00199, TX LPC 5583

Licence number

00199

Licence expires

31 Jan 2028

NPI

1134512601

Years in practice

42

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Carolyn's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Carolyn. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.