About us
Carolina Wellness and Counseling, PLLC was established in 2014 in Wilson, NC. Angela Small founded the practice with a vision to create a safe, nurturing space for clients to process, heal, and grow. Her approach emphasizes a whole-body perspective, addressing both emotional and physiological aspects of well-being.
With 23 years of experience in the mental health field, Angela has dedicated her career to supporting clients facing a wide range of challenges, including simple and complex trauma, abuse, attachment wounds, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, adult ADHD, mood disorders, depression, and grief healing.
Angela holds a Master of Science in Counseling and Psychology from Troy University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Psychology. She is licensed by the State of North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors and certified by the National Board for Certified Counselors.
Before starting her private practice, Angela worked in various mental health settings. Her experience includes supporting at-risk teenage girls at a non-profit organization (Girls Inc.), working in a Partial Hospitalization Program, and serving on a Psychiatric Unit at a major hospital in Alabama. After moving to North Carolina in 2008, Angela worked with children, adolescents, and adults in a community mental health agency until April 2015.
In 2014, Angela completed EMDR training, and in 2020, she earned certification as a Functional Medicine Health Coach through the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM). Angela has also been utilizing Parts Work (Ego State Therapy) in her practice since 2016. This approach helps clients identify and heal different parts of themselves (referred to as “insiders”) that may be in conflict. This method is particularly effective when combined with EMDR in addressing simple and complex trauma, as well as past stressors. Angela also incorporates somatic work, recognizing that trauma and stress are often felt and stored physiologically in the body.
Angela is trained in a variety of therapeutic modalities, including Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Somatic Psychotherapy, Attachment-Based Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
From the very first session, Angela prioritizes teaching coping skills and grounding tools to enhance client stability. She encourages clients to practice mindfulness and self-care, fostering balance throughout the therapeutic process. Angela actively works alongside clients to challenge negative thought patterns, replacing them with healthier, more rational perspectives. By diving deeper into the root causes of unhealthy thoughts and behaviors, Angela helps clients create new, cohesive, and healthy neural pathways for healing both the brain and body. Parts Work is often integrated into the process, as it allows clients to address and rewrite the unhealthy scripts, coping mechanisms, and behaviors created by their “insiders.”
A North Carolina native, Malinda received undergraduate degrees from Barton College in Wilson, North Carolina before pursuing additional education and receiving a Master of Social Work from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Malinda is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSWA) in the state of North Carolina and has professional experience working with young children, teens, young adults, families, and older individuals in a variety of settings including hospitals, Social Service agencies, and hospice.
Malinda emphasizes a collaborative approach when working with individuals and families and has experience in supporting those navigating grief, death and dying, life transitions, family conflict, and in assisting others to develop self-advocacy skills.
Malinda’s approach to therapy is person-centered, trauma-informed, incorporates practices popular in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and places an emphasis on gender-affirming care. Malinda believes in showing up authentically and collaboratively developing skills to maintain our own identities as we navigate the constant changes in our society.
Sarah is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, licensed in the state of North Carolina. She has over 20 years of experience in the mental health field, with the last 10 years as a licensed therapist. She has worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, parenting problems, trauma, motivation, self-confidence and self-esteem issues, as well as OCD and ADHD. She particularly enjoys working with individuals to find the meaning in their struggle, as she is a big believer in post-traumatic growth! Sarah is also a COVID/long-COVID survivor and has a unique perspective to offer that many cannot. There can be purpose in our suffering if we can help others.
Sarah’s approach focuses on the tenants of transparency, compassion and kindness. She believes in treating everyone with respect, and she likes for her clients to help her understand what that means for them, as we all define respect in different ways. Sarah’s counseling style utilizes an eclectic approach, utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), in addition to Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Motivational Interviewing, and Mindfulness practices always through a trauma-focused lens, just to name a few. She will tailor your dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs.
Seeking help for yourself is such a brave, important first step. Sarah considers it an honor and a privilege to bear witness to another person's growth and transformation. She often says to clients, "Nothing changes if nothing changes, so I commend you for taking the first step!"