01 · Who Yolanda works with

Yolanda works with relationship issues, parenting issues and self esteem

Yolanda lists 9 specialisms and 9 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Yolanda chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Yolanda's own words

What Yolanda says about the work

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

*Are you having a challenging time in your relationships, either personal or professional? *Would you like to optimize your combined strengths? *Have you been hurt by a loved one or close friend? *Looking for assistance with life's challenges? *Unsure about the path you should take?

Allow me to assist you with your behavioral and emotional needs. Hello, I’m Yolanda Pender-a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Texas and a National Certified Counselor, with 20+ years of progressive counseling experience.

I have had the privilege of working with both civilian and military populations, offering individual and couples counseling, marriage mentoring, family support, trauma and grief care, social services, and personal development.

While we cannot change the past, together we can work toward understanding its impact and finding meaningful resolutions for the challenges you face today. I approach every client with compassion, honesty, dignity, and respect, creating a safe and supportive space to explore what’s weighing on you and what’s possible for your future.

My counseling style is collaborative and interactive, tailored to meet the unique needs of each client. I draw from humanistic principles while integrating approaches such as Interpersonal Therapy, Cognitive and Cognitive-Behavioral techniques, and Psychodynamic insights, among others. My goal is to help you identify the strategies and tools best suited to your growth, well-being, and long-term success.

Thank you for considering me as a partner in your journey. I look forward to walking alongside you as we uncover new ways forward and create space for healing, resilience, and renewed hope.

Yolanda Pender, on the BetterHelp listing · read 5 Nov 2026

03 · How Yolanda works

The 4 approaches Yolanda lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Yolanda lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Yolanda'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 Yolanda runs a session.

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.

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.

Narrative Therapy

Treats the story you tell about your life as something that can be examined and retold rather than as the plain facts. Separates the person from the problem - “the anxiety” rather than “your anxiety” - to make room for the parts the current story leaves out.

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.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Yolanda 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 Yolanda'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 Yolanda at this point.

2. Naming Yolanda specifically

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

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

3 questions worth asking Yolanda

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

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Narrative 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.

• “With 18 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

Texas

Licence

TX LPC 65470

Licence number

65470

Licence expires

30 Nov 2026

NPI

1437593621

Years in practice

18

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

9 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Yolanda'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 5 Nov 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 Yolanda. 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.