Challis Russell, LPC, LCMHC

Challis Russell is a licensed counselor who helps people manage stress, anxiety, relationship struggles, trauma and abuse, and other life challenges. She keeps language simple and focuses on practical steps that people can use between sessions. Challis presents herself as calm and direct, aiming to make therapy feel understandable for someone who is worried and needs clear help.

Challis uses a holistic outlook that looks at physical, social, and emotional needs together. She listens first to learn what each person needs, then shapes sessions around those priorities. Her work draws on client-centered listening, cognitive behavioral ideas, mindfulness practices, and solution-focused techniques to build short-term skills and longer-term coping strategies.

She completed a master’s degree in clinical counseling at Johns Hopkins University and holds LPC and LCMHC credentials. Over five years she worked with a diverse set of clients and with concerns such as anxiety, depression, trauma, domestic violence, and immigration-related stress. That experience informs how she notices patterns and plans change.

In sessions she aims to combine empathy with practical tools - for example, pinpointing thoughts that increase worry, practicing brief grounding or breath work, and setting small goals that build momentum. She also helps people sort relationship and intimacy issues and navigate life changes like separation or career shifts.

Challis offers services from South Carolina and conducts sessions in English. She is open to working with international clients. Before booking, confirm current session formats and scheduling details with the service.

How these approaches translate to online therapy

Challis commonly uses client-centered work that focuses on understanding each person’s priorities and building the relationship first. This approach means sessions start by listening closely, then shaping the work around what matters most to the client.

She also draws on cognitive behavioral therapy, which looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect. CBT techniques help people spot unhelpful thinking, test new behaviors, and practice small changes that reduce anxiety or depressive patterns.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the process. Challis will collaborate with each person to pick techniques that match their goals and preferences, adjusting methods over time based on what helps most.

Session formats were not specified in the biography, so confirm available options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - for example, shorter check-ins during a lunch break or sessions that avoid travel time. It can also make practicing skills between meetings simpler, since tools like brief mindfulness exercises or thought records can be shared and reviewed remotely. Licensed professionals can adapt these approaches so sessions feel useful whether someone needs skill-building, symptom relief, or help navigating big life changes.