carly woolard, msw, lcsw-a

Pronouns: she/her

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About carly

Carly is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Associate and is an Outpatient Therapist at Longleaf Counseling & Collaboration. She sees children, adolescents, and adults. Carly primarily specializes in assisting individuals experiencing struggles related to trauma, ADHD, and autism.

Carly utilizes Play Therapy, AutPlay which is a specific modality utilized for children and adolescents who have neurodivergence challenges such as ADHD or ASD, somatic work, Internal Family Systems, and utilizes trauma focused and informed modalities and lenses.

She utilizes Internal Family Systems, trauma focused informed modalities and interventions, attachment style modalities, animal assisted therapy, talk therapy, and other modalities with young adults, college students, and adults.

She additionally specializes and has training in working with children, adolescents, adults, and families who are navigating:

  • Anxiety

  • Autism & Neurodivergency/diversity

  • Trauma

  • Sexual Assault/Abuse/Violence (including CSA)

  • All Forms of Abuse (Interpersonal/Domestic Violence, Emotional Abuse, Physical Abuse, etc)

  • Low Self-Esteem

  • Grief & Loss

  • Suicidal Ideation and Self-Injurious Behavior

  • Child Abuse and Neglect

  • Social-Emotional and Behavioral Concerns

  • ADHD and Executive Functioning Challenges

  • Family Conflict & Divorce in Families

  • Parenting Stress

Carly also assists with concerns and challenges surrounding anger management in children & teens, crisis intervention, identity, depression, self esteem, and mindfulness.

Whether a young person is struggling with overwhelming emotions, behavior changes, trauma, or difficulty at home or school, her goal is to provide a safe and supportive space where healing and growth can begin.

She offers in person therapy and virtual therapy in Raleigh, NC to children, adolescents, college students, and adults to clients who reside in the State of NC.

To learn more about Carly’s therapy modalities, education, and experience, please see below.

counseling approach

Carly’s approach to therapy is warm, collaborative, and trauma-informed. She primarily draws from Internal Family Systems with children and adults, Synergetic Play Therapy, expressive arts evidence-based model that helps people understand the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors - while building tools to manage stress, improve emotional regulation, and navigate relationships more effectively. She also incorporates motivational interviewing to support autonomy and readiness for change, and use a strengths-based lens to highlight and build upon each client’s existing resilience and inner resources.

Sessions are developmentally tailored and often incorporate play, creative expression, mindfulness, trauma informed work and somatic tools to help children, adolescents, and adults feel engaged and understood. Carly takes a holistic view of each child, recognizing that their experiences are shaped by family, school, culture, and environment - and that these systems must be considered in the healing process.

For parents, Carly utilizes a dyadic developmental psychotherapy and interpersonal neurobiology to assist with nurturing the parent-child bond and parenting support.

Carly also has a speciality and works with college-age students, and adults - healing from relational trauma, sexual violence/assault, strengthening self-esteem, softening emotions related to anxiety and depression, stressful transitions, and ADHD and/or Autism

    • Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Associate (LCSW-A)

    • Master of Clinical Social Work (MSW) - University of New England

    Over the past seven years, Carly has worked with the mental health space - dedicating her education and profession to mental health care. She has experience working at Duke University and NC State University supporting students and their mental health and those impacted by relational violence - that includes domestic violence and sexual assault.

    Carly has also worked as an outpatient therapist with children, adolescents, college students, and adults.

    Carly is a certified therapy dog handler with Canines for Service and holds a certification in Therapeutic Horticulture from the NC Botanical Garden. She is also continuing her training in Synergetic Play Therapy, EMDR, and AutPlay.

    These experiences have deeply informed her practice and shaped her passion for supporting children, adolescents, adults, and families through life’s most complex and challenging moments.

  • Carly’s approach to therapy is warm, collaborative, and trauma-informed. She primarily draws from trauma informed approaches that include:

    • Theraplay

    • Animal Assisted Therapy

    • Motivational Interviewing

    • Internal Family Systems

    • Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy

    • Synergetic Play Therapy

    • Child Based Play Therapy

    • AutPlay

    • Interpersonal Neurobiology

    Carly utilizes evidence-based models that helps children, adolescents, young adults, and adults understand the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors - while building tools to manage stress, improve emotional regulation, and navigate relationships more effectively.

    She also incorporates motivational interviewing to support autonomy and readiness for change, and utilizes a strengths-based and mindfulness lens to highlight and build upon each client’s existing resilience and inner resources.

    Sessions are developmentally tailored and often incorporate play, creative expression, mindfulness, animal assisted therapy, narrative therapy, expressive arts, trauma informed approaches and somatic tools to help children and adolescents feel engaged and understood.

    For young adults and adults, she utilizes Internal Family Systems, expressive arts, animal assisted therapy, and other trauma informed approaches and will soon be trained in EMDR.

    • Play Therapy

    • Trauma Focused & Trauma Informed

    • AutPlay - AutPlay® Therapy is an integrative play therapy approach designed for neurodivergent children and adolescents, particularly those with autism, ADHD, and sensory processing challenges. It blends play therapy, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and parent involvement to support emotional regulation, social skills, and connection. AutPlay creates a safe, engaging space where children can express themselves and build confidence through therapeutic play.

    • Mindfulness

    • Motivational Interviewing

    • Strength-Based Approaches

    • CBT

Work with Carly & Winnie!

Animal-assisted therapy with Carly and Winnie offers a comforting and supportive option for clients who find healing through connection with animals. Participation is always optional and available upon request with the proper consent forms.

Want to work with carly?

Are you ready to feel better and begin your journey to heal? Are you ready to have a two way conversation and not just have a therapist who stares at you? Are you ready for your child, your family, and/or you to receive support? Complete this form and our team will be in touch within 24 business hours!