Therapist profile
Dr. Carmela Drake, LPC
Alabama
LPC - Addictions and Codependency support
Continue with CarmelaWhere Carmela stands
- Credentials
- LPC
- License
- LPC, Alabama / LPC03220
- NPI
- 1871117853
- Experience
- 25 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- Alabama
About
- Cognitive behavioral work
- Motivational interviewing
- Client-centered approach
About Carmela
Dr. Carmela Drake is an LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor in Alabama with 25 years of experience. She works with people facing addictions, anxiety, stress, relationship strain, parenting challenges, and issues around codependency and boundaries. She also addresses work and career concerns, self-esteem, ADHD, and process or substance-related addictions.
Drake uses practical talk and focused techniques in sessions. She combines cognitive behavioral strategies with a client-centered approach to help people notice patterns and try new responses. Motivational interviewing is part of most sessions to clarify goals and strengthen commitment to change.
Her background includes long experience in addictions and mental health services, including work with young adults and student-athletes navigating transitions. That history informs a direct style that leans toward problem-solving and short-term skill building when that fits the person’s goals.
In meetings she listens for how people get stuck around pleasing others, avoiding conflict, or relying on another's mood. She helps people practice clearer communication, set boundaries, and reduce behaviors that harm their own wellbeing. Sessions typically focus on concrete steps people can use between meetings.
People who want to start are asked to complete a brief matching questionnaire and schedule a first session. Fees vary by location and use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. Sessions are conducted in English and international clients are not accepted.
How sessions work
How her approaches inform online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions that reflect their values. It can help with stress, anxiety, and difficulty stepping away from people-pleasing patterns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and teaches concrete skills to change unhelpful habits, which can be useful for anxiety, anger, and addictive behaviors.Deciding which approach to use is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to match methods to specific goals and preferences. That means trying strategies, checking what helps, and adjusting the plan over time rather than committing to a single method from the start.
Confirm the current session options before booking since formats were not specified in the biography. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life - for example, shorter check-ins during a lunch break, avoiding travel time, or using audio when video would be difficult. Licensed professionals can adapt ACT and CBT exercises for remote sessions, assigning brief between-session practices and reviewing progress together.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
25+ years
Listed in
Alabama
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address?
She works with addictions, anxiety, stress, relationship and family concerns, codependency, parenting challenges, ADHD, career and workplace issues, and related problems.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
She uses a practical, interactive style that combines client-centered listening with cognitive behavioral techniques and motivational interviewing.
How much experience does she have?
She has 25 years of experience in addictions and mental health work, including work with young adults and student-athletes during major transitions.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor licensed in Alabama and practices from Alabama.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she accept clients outside the United States?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions charged?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What is the first step to begin working together?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe at home, use the crisis and helpline numbers.