Peggy Fair , LCSW

Peggy Fair is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 40 years of experience in mental health. She began her career in Virginia as an emergency mental health therapist at a community mental health clinic before relocating to North Carolina 30 years ago. Over the course of her career she spent 16 years working as a mental health therapist in an inpatient psychiatric hospital and then dedicated 14 years to providing care for Marines and Navy service members while working with the military.

Alongside her full-time roles, Peggy maintained a part-time private practice for 23 years where she focused primarily on couples work - helping partners resolve conflicts and build positive coping skills together. Relationship work is a particular passion and she often met with couples in the evenings to provide that support. Now semi-retired and living in Florida, she values being near family and the beach while continuing to support clients.

Peggy describes her approach as integrative, drawing on a range of therapeutic tools to help clients define goals and develop practical strategies to reach them. She works with issues including stress, anxiety, trauma, relationship and family concerns, addiction, grief, parenting, bipolar disorder, and many midlife and caregiving challenges. She checks messages several times a day, seven days a week, and aims to respond within 24 hours or less, making timely communication a priority for those seeking help.

Approaches that guide online care

Peggy Fair integrates client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in her online practice to meet a range of client needs. Client-centered therapy emphasizes a collaborative, empathetic relationship where the therapist follows the client's lead and helps them clarify personal goals - this approach often helps with relationship concerns, self-esteem, and life transitions.

CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors through practical skills and structured exercises, making it useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and coping with change. DBT teaches skills in emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness - techniques that can benefit people dealing with intense emotions, relationship conflict, and patterns of impulsive behavior.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Peggy partners with each client to determine which methods fit their goals, preferences, and life circumstances, adapting strategies as therapy progresses. Licensed professionals and therapists work collaboratively to tailor care to what will be most effective for the individual.

Online therapy offers flexibility and accessibility by allowing sessions by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, maintain continuity of care during life changes, and access support from different locations while working with a therapist experienced in these approaches.