about us

Why online counseling? As counselors, Melissa and I are constantly asking each other the tough questions of how to help more people. During one of those conversations we began to look into the research of online counseling and its effectiveness versus face to face counseling. We knew if we were going to expand our reach we would need to head in the online direction. To our surprise, we found evidence that online therapy is just as effective as face to face counseling in numerous studies. The research shows that online counseling is just as effective with individuals, couples and even groups. The more we dug into the research the more we knew this was our future. Since moving our practice entirely online in May 2019, clients report” loving being able to do a session from their office or even while the kids are in the other room”.

With online counseling you can meet for a session on your day off or during a lunch hour. You don’t have to drive across town and worry about getting back on time. Couples can be across town from each other or even across the globe and we can still meet. What you can expect when you meet with Melissa or myself is a compassionate and authentic opportunity to address real issues and learn clinical tools to achieve your goals. We bring a unique approach to counseling and our clients share that we offer a genuineness that allows for the hard conversations to flow easy which helps them grow. As we continue to serve the great people of North Carolina and now Florida it would be an honor for our paths to cross and for you to let us help you in your journey.

      - Christopher Ostrander, Ph.D., LCMHC, LMHC, LPC, NCC

co-owner of Orchard Knob Counseling