IFSTherapists

The therapist listings are provided by BetterHelp and we will earn a commission if you use our link - at no cost to you.

LPC

Teresa McCarthy, LPC

  • Experience10 years
  • LocationPennsylvania
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, and Self esteem
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Client-Centered Therapy
Continue with Teresa

Review online therapy options and next steps on BetterHelp.

About Teresa

Teresa McCarthy is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Pennsylvania who centers her work on Internal Family Systems alongside client-centered and cognitive-behavioral techniques.

Background and approach

She brings a decade of professional experience and a broad clinical background that includes foster care and adoption services, domestic violence response, school-based and home-based therapy, mobile crisis work, and hospital-based care.

Teresa combines these perspectives to help people navigate issues such as stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, addictions, bipolar disorder, ADHD, grief, sleep difficulties, and parenting challenges. Teresa draws on a flexible, person-focused approach that adapts methods to each client’s needs rather than following a single protocol.

Her practice emphasizes emotional safety, patience, and an empathic presence so clients can explore attachment and family of origin issues, codependency, chronic pain or illness, gender dysphoria concerns, and struggles with self-esteem, shame, or forgiveness. She also supports people coping with life transitions, compassion fatigue, relationship and communication problems, and other complex patterns.

Working collaboratively, Teresa aims to accompany clients at a pace they find comfortable while using evidence-informed strategies to address their goals.

Integrating Parts Work and Practical Skill-Building Online

Teresa often blends Internal Family Systems with client-centered and cognitive-behavioral strategies to tailor care to each person's situation. Internal Family Systems (IFS) helps people explore and relate to internal parts or subpersonalities with curiosity and compassion, which can be useful for trauma responses, persistent shame, or self-critical patterns. Client-centered therapy focuses on empathic listening and supporting the client as the expert on their own life, fostering a safe pace for change and emotional processing. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) identifies and shifts unhelpful thoughts and behavioral patterns, which can help reduce anxiety, improve sleep, and support mood regulation.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Teresa works with clients to clarify goals, evaluate which methods feel most helpful, and adjust the plan over time so therapy stays aligned with needs and preferences. This collaborative stance allows exploration of different techniques while respecting the client's pace and priorities.

Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, making it easier to fit consistent care into busy lives. These formats support continued access to licensed professionals from varied locations within Pennsylvania, allow follow-up and between-session communication, and make it possible to maintain momentum in therapy even when in-person meetings are not practical.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Teresa commonly address?
Teresa supports people facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addictions, bipolar disorder, ADHD, grief, sleep problems, parenting challenges, and relationship or family issues among other areas.
What is Teresa's therapeutic style and approach?
Her work is primarily person-centered and collaborative, integrating Internal Family Systems and cognitive-behavioral techniques when appropriate to meet each client's needs.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Teresa has 10 years of experience across foster care and adoption, domestic violence services, community mental health, school-based and home-based therapy, mobile crisis work, and a county psychiatric hospital setting.
What are her credentials and where is she located?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with license number PA LPC PC012948 and practices in Pennsylvania.
Does she offer services in other languages or to international clients?
Teresa provides services in English and is not currently accepting international clients.
Which session formats are available for working together?
Sessions can take place via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on the client's preference and therapist availability.
How are costs and payment structured for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; services use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What steps are involved in beginning therapy with Teresa?
To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule appointments according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Also works with

AddictionsRelationship issuesFamily conflictsGriefSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAttachment issuesBody imageCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommunication problemsControl issuesDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameImpulsivityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMidlife crisisObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationWomen's issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Existential TherapyEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

10+ years

Licensed

Pennsylvania

Languages

English