01 · Who Phyllis works with

Phyllis works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and family conflicts

Phyllis lists 14 specialisms and 30 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Phyllis chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Phyllis's own words

What Phyllis says about the work

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

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor- Supervisor with a national board certification in counseling and a Specialist Degree in counseling and psychology. I have over 20 years experience in counseling with diverse populations from many different backgrounds. I specialize in treating anxiety, depression, women's issues, relationship issues, and career concerns. I have been successful in helping clients become emotionally healthier and make better decisions.

My counseling style is eclectic and insight oriented. I combine rational-emotive, psychodynamic, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. I also use reality therapy techniques to assist clients in evaluating their present situation and setting goals for the future.

If you are struggling with depression, feeling discouraged, isolated or anxious and fearful, I understand and I can help. I have the credentials necessary to bring hope and change to brighten your tomorrows. I enter the process with you and will assist you in reaching your goals for treatment. You no longer have to struggle alone but have someone ready to help meet your needs.

Phyllis Houston, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Oct 2026

03 · How Phyllis works

The 5 approaches Phyllis lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Phyllis lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Phyllis'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 Phyllis 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.

Also listed

• Existential Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Phyllis 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 Phyllis'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 Phyllis at this point.

2. Naming Phyllis specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Phyllis 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 Phyllis.

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 Phyllis

Built from what Phyllis actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Phyllis's - Phyllis 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 26 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

LPC

Licensed in

Mississippi

Licence

MS LPC 0457

Licence number

0457

Licence expires

30 Jun 2027

NPI

1437374436

Years in practice

26

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Phyllis'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 7 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 Phyllis. 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.