Finding a good marriage or couples counselor is HARD! You have individual wants, needs, desires. You aren’t certain this is going to work, but you do know you need to find a therapist you can both connect with and agree on. While you might be struggling to see past the pain, frustration, loss, betrayal, and fear, the future can be brilliant.

I believe we cultivate vitality in our lives by creating a sense of safe connection to significant others, by cultivating thriving relationships. Intimate relationships offer support and grounding, and through this, opportunities for healing, further perpetuating our ability to thrive, instead of merely surviving.

Hi! My name is Cara Lima. I am a marriage and couples counselor and sex therapist in Charlotte, North Carolina.

How I help

I teach couples how to

  • eliminate judgment and defensiveness from their conversations

  • learn to compromise around challenging issues

  • restore fun, intimacy, and passion into their lives

  • build rituals of connection

  • and create an ongoing culture of appreciation, fondness, and respect in their relationship

I use evidence-based treatment to help you recognize the relationship patterns you are stuck in, and why. I believe these unproductive patterns are a direct result of not knowing how to get our needs met in more positive ways. I can help you understand what is going on that makes you react to your partner in hurtful ways, especially when the response logically doesn’t seem to make sense! I help you uncover the thoughts and emotions that are behind your actions, to help you make sense of them and learn new patterns.

I work best with people who are motivated to learn, and committed to happier, healthier, and more balanced relationships with themselves and their loved one.

I especially enjoy working with couples before they get married as well as couples who desire more intimacy and shared meaning in their relationship, but feel stuck due to poor communication, differences in needs, infidelity, or challenging life transitions.

I work with couples and individuals throughout North and South Carolina via telehealth and in person in Charlotte, NC. Call 704-975-1242 or click here to schedule your free 15-minute phone consultation.

 

Training & Experience

I began my career in the helping profession in 2010 as a coach for high school athletes, followed by a 200 hour Yoga teacher certification in 2015. In 2016 I completed by Bachelors of Science in Psychology from University of North Carolina Charlotte. I began training for a certification in 2017 in parallel with obtaining a Masters of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, graduating in 2020. During this time I saw couples and individuals as a supervised intern at a community clinic and at Atrium Rehabilitation Hospital.

I’m a marriage and family therapy associate, but you might also refer to

me as a sex therapist, a relationship specialist, or an intimacy catalyst.

Your relationship has been struggling, and you want someone who specializes in knowing how to help couples—not someone who “occasionally sees couples.” My practice is dedicated to helping couples like you revive your relationship and sex life. Couples are my PASSION, which means I am constantly learning, researching, and seeking certifications to let me help YOU best!