Shepherd's Heart Counseling is based in Siler City, on the western side of Chatham County. Chatham County stretches from the edges of the Triangle down through Pittsboro and out to Siler City. For adults and families in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, and the rest of the Triangle, the practical way to work with John is usually secure video. This page explains how that works, who it suits, and when it's worth making the trip to the office.
Telehealth sessions happen on a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform, with the same length, price, and structure as office visits. Before your first session you'll get an email with a link, a checklist, and the intake paperwork. When it's time, you join from a phone, tablet, or computer, and John joins from the office in Siler City.
For adults with demanding jobs, the hardest part of therapy is often the logistics. Video removes the commute and the waiting room, so a session can fit into a lunch hour or the end of a workday. Individual therapy for anxiety, depression, or a life transition tends to translate well to video. So does parent counseling, where the work is about your own stress, history, and reactions. Trauma work usually starts in person at the Siler City office.
Teachers, school staff, and state employees carry a particular kind of load, and many North Carolina educators and state employees are covered through an Aetna-administered plan. John is paneled for the NC state employees' Aetna health plan, BCBS of NC, and other Aetna plans, with some exceptions listed on the fees and insurance page. The page for NC educators and state employees covers compassion fatigue, scheduling, and privacy in more depth.
For parents, video sessions can fit around school pickups and evening routines in a way a round trip might not. Parent coaching by video follows the same shape as in the office: a short debrief, focused work on one or two behaviors, and homework with the exact words to use. If your questions center on a teenager, the parents of teens page is a good place to start.
John's hours are concentrated in the daytime. The last appointment starts at 5:00pm Monday through Thursday and at 2:00pm on Friday, and late-afternoon slots fill quickly. Video makes a midday session more realistic, since there's no drive involved. Ask about availability early and be specific about what your week allows.
Some work lands better in the room. EMDR, especially the first time, tends to be more effective in person, as do high-conflict family sessions and work with younger teens. The Siler City office is a small brick house with blue awnings downtown, with parking off Chestnut Street. A plan can mix the two: occasional office visits for the pieces that need them, video for the rest.
John is licensed in North Carolina and only in North Carolina, so you must be physically in the state at the time of each session. If you're a student at a school in North Carolina, that works. If you're attending college out of state, John can't be your regular therapist while you're there. Young adults may find the young adults page useful.
Request a free 15-minute consultation by phone or video. John responds himself, usually within a business day, and will tell you whether he's the right fit and what he'd suggest first.
If you're ready to look at the format of the help, see individual therapy or parent counseling. Not sure where to start? Request a free 15-minute consultation and we'll figure it out together.
No. The practice's only location is its office in downtown Siler City. People in the Triangle can meet by secure telehealth and come to the office when in-person work makes sense.
A private space where no one can hear you, such as a closed room, an office with a door, or a parked car. Headphones help if your home is loud, and a reasonably stable internet connection matters.
Often, yes, especially older teens who are comfortable on video from their own room. Younger teens often engage better in person, at least at the start.
A free 15-minute consultation. Send a request and John will get back to you with times that actually work — no pressure, no forms up front.
