About holly markley, lpc
When we understand ourselves more clearly, change becomes possible.
I'm Holly, a Licensed Professional Counselor providing online counseling for adults throughout Virginia and West Virginia. I work with people who are ready to move beyond simply managing symptoms and begin making sense of what's keeping them stuck.
what i want you to know
You don’t have to have it all figured out before we begin.
Therapy isn’t about having the right words or knowing exactly where to start. Some days, you may need to vent. Other days, you may not even know why you feel upset, stuck, or overwhelmed.
That’s okay.
My job isn’t to judge you or rush you toward answers. It’s to help you slow things down, notice what may be happening underneath, and begin understanding yourself with more honesty and compassion.
what you can expect
You can be honest here.
Some days, you’ll come in knowing exactly what you want to talk about. Other days, you may not know where to begin. Either way, that’s okay.
I’ll give you room to say what you need to say without judging you or expecting you to make it sound neat and reasonable.
But we probably won’t stop at the details. I listen for the words you repeat, the feelings underneath them, the patterns that keep showing up, and what you may be communicating without realizing it. I’ll help bring the conversation back to something deeper that may be worth understanding.
I’m direct, but I’m also curious. I may say, “I keep noticing this pattern. Do you see it too?” Or, if you tend to intellectualize everything, I might point out, “Your back in your head again and not in the rest of your body.”
There is room for serious work here, but therapy with me is not stiff. Humor sometimes helps us breathe, stay grounded, and talk honestly about difficult things.
Sometimes what is happening now touches something older.
I know personally that changes in the present can stir up pain you thought was behind you. During a season when I had to step away from work and rethink who I was beyond my roles and responsibilities, I realized that many of my reactions weren’t just about the present—they were connected to beliefs I had carried since I was younger.
It wasn’t okay for a while. But taking the time to look underneath what was happening helped me understand myself and heal in a deeper way.
That experience strengthened my belief that our present struggles often begin to make more sense when we understand what they are connected to.
I’m a Christian, and my faith shapes the compassion, honesty, and respect I bring to this work. You do not have to share my beliefs to be fully accepted here.
Therapy with me is…
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I want therapy to feel like a place where you can exhale. You don’t have to impress me, hide parts of yourself, or worry about saying something wrong.
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I listen for more than the details. I pay attention to the words you repeat, the emotions underneath them, and the patterns that continue showing up.
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I’m direct, but never judgmental. I may point out a pattern and ask, “Do you see it too?” My goal isn’t to criticize you, it’s to help you see yourself more clearly.
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We won’t stay on the surface forever. Once you feel grounded and ready, we’ll begin exploring the memories, beliefs, and experiences that continue to shape your life today.
areas i help with
Anxiety & Overthinking
Understand what your anxiety has been trying to protect, and learn how to respond without letting it run your life.
Trauma & Life Experiences
Understand what your reactions learned to do for you, why they still show up, and how to respond with more choice and compassion.
Grief & Loss
Understand what the loss has brought up, including changes in your identity, beliefs, roles, relationships, and ways of coping.
Experience & Clinical Approach
More than 25 years of experience has given me the opportunity to work with people across many different settings, roles, and stages of life. I've worked in a group home, schools, community mental health, outpatient counseling, intensive outpatient treatment, case management, court and detention settings, supervision, and higher education.
Working with children and teenagers taught me to look beneath behavior and become curious about the pain or unmet needs underneath it. Today, I bring that same curiosity to my work with adults—helping people understand the patterns, beliefs, and experiences that continue to shape their lives.
I never want to stop learning. Every role, every client, and every training has shaped the therapist I am today.
Education & Credentials
Licensed Professional Counselor - Virginia
Licensed Professional Counselor - West Virginia
Master of Education in Counseling Psychology
Certified Dialectical Behavior Therapist (C-DBT)
Currently completing EMDR training through the EMDR Institute
My Approach
My work is grounded in psychodynamic therapy, parts work, EMDR, and DBT. I also integrate attachment theory, CBT, ACT, CPT, and other approaches when they best fit your needs and goals.