About Me
My name is Elizabeth Harles (she/her), I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, and am certified by the North Carolina State Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors. I am also an AASECT (American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists) Certified Sex Therapist.
Whether at work or in my personal life, I have a HUGE lust for life and am excited about lifelong learning.
I am passionate about volunteering for LGBTQIA+ youth and traveling the world. I also adore pit bulls and vintage fashion.
I identify as a cisgender, queer/bisexual/fluid, polyamorous, white, 43 year old woman, who not only lives and works in Raleigh today, but was born and raised here too! I returned to Raleigh in 2009 after living and working in New York City for 9 years.
I choose to show up in my work in my authentic self. I am the same person in the therapy room as I am outside of it. I choose to bring my own humanity and experience rather than remaining neutral. I share my opinions, and contribute my own life experiences to the therapeutic relationship.
Professional Credentials
In addition to a BA in Cultural Anthropology from Hunter College, City University of New York, I have a Master’s Degree in School Counseling from the same institution. I graduated in 2009, and I am unlearning some of what I studied then, as much of the foundation of modern psychology is rooted in white supremacist ideology. In 2022, I completed the University of Michigan’s Sexual Health Certificate Program. I am a certified Sex Therapist by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists, which means I have undergone extensive sexuality training, classes and sex therapy supervision.
I believe in continuous professional improvement and lifelong learning, and I will continue to add to my skills and credentials throughout my career.
Counseling Experience
As of 2023, I have accumulated over 10 years of professional practice as a counselor, including one on one counseling, working with groups in workplace and school settings, and teletherapy.
My primary areas of practice include life transitions, sexuality, gender identity, polyamory, consensual/ethical nonmonogamy, workplace stress and trauma, anti-oppression, supporting individuals most affected by systems of oppression, kink, and LGBTQIA+.
I have worked with people from various backgrounds at all ages and life stages, and I truly believe that lasting, meaningful growth is possible with the assistance of a therapist.
Though I have many years of experience, I find that my enthusiasm and genuine love for this work continues to grow. Being a therapist is not only my career, it is part of who I am. I completed tons of training, etc, but I have learned more from doing the work than I have in a book or a class.
Personal Commitment
The first step in finding the right therapist is often to ensure that they are licensed, skilled and experienced in the type of counseling you need.
As you can see, I have both the professional training and the hands-on experience necessary to fulfill these criteria, but I think that finding the right therapist is so much more than just checking the official boxes.
There is a personal commitment required from any therapist, to their client’s well being and the therapeutic relationship.
It is this passion for for meaningful change and that I bring to all my therapeutic interactions, and it is very often why people choose to work with me. My style is collaborative, and I desire to build a relationship between equals, and I do my best to remove any sense of hierarchy or an unbalanced power dynamic.
I will approach my clients respectfully and with positive regard. I am open minded in all my interactions and will help you to discuss uncomfortable topics and deeply hidden traumas, without shame or judgement, as we work together towards achieving a sense of comfort in self and identity.
I believe that there is no such thing as “TMI” in the therapy session. I strive to create a sense of safety and comfort within the therapeutic relationship, so that people can feel free to say anything.
I am not an aloof, without opinion, “blank slate” type of therapist. I share, I provide feedback, I might even interrupt at times, but I am not one to sit across from people quietly and nod my head for an hour.
Lived Experience
I also bring my lived experience into the therapeutic relationship. As a queer person, I have had my own journey with my sexuality and my experience in interacting with social and institutional entities. My path has had its share of traumas and celebrations. I also identify as polyamorous, I’ve felt the wide range of complicated feelings. The numerous mistakes that I’ve made along my way in non-monogamy have helped me to become well equipped to help others, along with my training and experience working with the community.
I am a trauma survivor, I manage ADHD and anxiety. I have done a lot of hard work of healing and growing, and will continue to do so for the rest of my life. I bring myself, my personality, my humanness and my wholeness into my work with people.