Ava Weaver , LPC

Ava Weaver is a Licensed Professional Counselor with 26 years of clinical experience working with a wide range of people across the lifespan. She has provided services in regional mental health and mental retardation centers and in a psychiatric hospital setting at UTHealth Science Center Northeast, offering therapy to adults, adolescents, and families. Her background also includes teaching special education in public school districts, which contributes to her experience working with children and developmental differences.

Ava's practice emphasizes trauma work, including PTSD and trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and she has training in Cognitive Processing Therapy through the Department of State Health Services. She also has experience with play therapy, couples and family therapy, and a broad array of concerns such as mood disorders, anxiety, addictions, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, and caregiver and first responder stress. Her approach is interactive and solution-focused, combining client-centered principles with practical feedback to help people identify and address life challenges.

She integrates complementary techniques to tailor treatment to each person's needs and strengths, working with compassion and a focus on achievable personal growth. Her professional credentials include Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPCS), Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), and certification in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). She also holds a Master of Science in Counseling from Texas A&M and a Bachelor of Arts in Education from East Texas State University, along with training from the Institute in Counselor Supervision at the University of North Texas and a teacher certification for the IDD population through the Texas Education Agency.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Ava Weaver draws from client-centered therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy to guide online sessions. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and building on a person's own strengths to support growth and decision making - it is helpful for relationship concerns, life transitions, and self-esteem work. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) addresses the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, offering practical strategies for managing anxiety, depression, mood instability, and coping after trauma. If relevant, elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) can be incorporated to teach emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills for intense emotions and relationship challenges.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process and will be collaborative. Ava will work with each person to identify goals, assess needs, and adapt methods so treatment fits individual preferences and life circumstances. This flexibility helps ensure the plan remains relevant and responsive over time.

Online therapy offers practical benefits for busy lives and varied schedules. Video calls and phone sessions provide real-time conversation similar to in-person meetings, while live chat and text-based messaging allow ongoing check-ins and flexible communication between scheduled sessions. These options increase access and convenience, making it easier to engage in consistent work toward personal goals with licensed professionals and therapists.