- ACT
- CBT
- Mindfulness
About Carol
Carol Costner is an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) in Alabama with 21 years of experience. She works with stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, depression, grief, parenting strain, guilt and shame, and related struggles. Carol helps people who feel stuck by listening and using practical strategies in sessions.
She trained first as a nurse at the University of Alabama in Birmingham and later earned a Master’s degree in Community Counseling from Jacksonville State University. Over two decades she has worked in hospitals and community settings with people facing emotional and relational difficulties. That mix of medical and counseling experience shapes a grounded approach.
Carol describes her work as client-centered. She treats the person as the expert on their life and begins with each client’s own assessment. She also draws on cognitive behavioral techniques, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, mindfulness, and narrative tools to address thoughts, behaviors, and meaning.
In sessions she uses straightforward feedback alongside listening. She aims to help people stop being overly hard on themselves while encouraging responsible steps toward change. Practical skills, mindful awareness, and clearer values often appear in the work.
She frames therapy as collaborative. Goals, pacing, and techniques are chosen together so the work fits the person. People seeking help for guilt or shame, panic, communication problems, career stress, or compassion fatigue may find this approach useful.
How her approaches inform online work
Carol uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in ways that translate well to remote sessions. ACT focuses on clarifying values and taking small actions that fit those values, which can guide practical homework between meetings. CBT targets thought and behavior patterns with exercises and experiments that clients can practice in daily life.She also draws on mindfulness practices to help people notice stress and guilt without reacting immediately. These short, focused exercises can be used between appointments to build awareness and interrupt unhelpful cycles. Choosing which combination to use is collaborative; the therapist and client decide together what tools and pacing suit the person’s goals and circumstances.
Confirm the session formats offered before booking so you know how meetings will be held. When format details are unspecified, ask about options and scheduling before you sign up. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when time is limited, and reduce travel time so sessions can happen around work or family commitments.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
21+ years
Listed in
Alabama
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, depression, grief, parenting strain, guilt and shame, and related concerns.
How would she approach feelings of shame or guilt?
She uses client-centered work combined with cognitive behavioral and mindfulness tools to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and practice different responses.
How much experience does she have?
She has 21 years of professional experience that include hospital and community counseling settings.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an LPC, a Licensed Professional Counselor, practicing in Alabama.
Are sessions offered in other languages or countries?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients.
What session formats are available?
Please confirm current session options before booking so you know which formats she is offering at the time.
How are sessions paid for and what does it cost?
Cost varies by location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin if I want to work with her?
Click the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.