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About the practice

No single approach fits every person.

We are here to provide the highest quality, compassionate care to our clients affected by mental health and substance use concerns through comprehensive services. We believe all people have value, potential, and something to contribute, and are to be treated with dignity.

"The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination."— Carl Rogers

Hands held gently in warm light

Our story

Mental wellness as a living practice.

What is mental wellness? What is the impact of it on our relationships with family, friends, and community? What is the potential impact on our workday, focus, and by extension our efficiency?

Mental wellness is an internal resource that helps us think, feel, connect, and function; it is an active process that helps us build resilience, grow, and flourish. Our team is committed to the wellness of individuals, their families, and the community through prevention, intervention, treatment, and education.

Meet the team

Clinicians who meet you where you are.

Art of Wellness Counseling is a group practice: three licensed clinicians with distinct focus areas, sharing one approach to care. That means you can be matched with the person whose work fits what you're bringing — and this website stays the most complete, up-to-date source for what we offer.

Portrait of Zumrad Masar (Ahmedjanova), LCSW-S, founder and clinical therapist
01

Zumrad Masar (Ahmedjanova)

LCSW-S, LCAS, CCS · Founder & Clinical Therapist

zumrad@artofwellnessnc.com

Focus areas

  • Couples and relationships
  • Relationship intensives
  • Trauma and complex trauma
  • Psychedelic preparation and integration
  • Multicultural identity

My work is more than just therapy — it's about creating meaningful connections and empowering individuals and couples to break free from the patterns of unhappiness, worry, and stagnation. Whether you're navigating life's transitions, seeking deeper self-awareness, or exploring the edges of your consciousness, I'm here to walk alongside you with compassion, curiosity, and expertise.

My approach is holistic and integrative, blending the biopsychosocial model with a focus on the mind-body connection. I help clients reconnect with their emotions and embodied experiences, creating a pathway for deeper self-awareness and healing. My work often centers on relationships, which can manifest through anxiety, depression, trauma, and addiction. I also support clients navigating multicultural concerns, identity exploration, racism, oppression, loss, grief, and life transitions.

I have a particular interest in non-ordinary states of consciousness and their potential for healing and growth. I offer dream work, psychedelic integration, and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy support — including sitting with clients during ketamine infusions and providing pre- and post-infusion integration sessions to help them process and embody their experiences.

My educational background includes a graduate degree in Cultural Anthropology and a Master's in Social Work from UNC-Chapel Hill. I have also completed postgraduate training in Transactional Analysis and the Developmental Model of Couples Therapy under Ellyn Bader, Ph.D. at The Couples Institute. These diverse influences, combined with my lived experiences, inform my therapeutic approach.

In addition to individual and couples therapy, I offer workshops and specialized sessions designed to support healing and personal growth. If you're ready to explore a deeper connection with yourself and your relationships, I invite you to reach out.

Portrait of Zemzem Amme, LCMHC, clinical therapist
02

Zemzem Amme

LCMHC · Clinical Therapist

zemzem@artofwellnessnc.com

Focus areas

  • Adults and teens 12+
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Anger
  • Trauma
  • Life transitions
  • Children of immigrants
  • Young adults and college/school transitions
  • Identity and cultural transitions
  • Psychodynamic therapy
  • Solution-focused therapy

I'm a licensed clinical mental health counselor (LCMHC), and I've been working in this field for over ten years, partnering with both adults and teens (ages 12 and up). If you're navigating things like anxiety, depression, anger, big life changes, or trauma, I'm here to help. I use a psychodynamic approach, which means we won't just look at the surface—we'll explore how past experiences may have shaped beliefs and patterns that still influence your life today. Unpacking those hidden patterns can be especially helpful if you've been feeling stuck in chronic anxiety or depression.

That said, if you're looking for something more short-term and focused, I also offer solution-focused therapy to help you tackle specific, immediate challenges. No matter what brings you in, my approach is centered around you, your unique background, and your lived experiences in a conversational and collaborative environment.

Because background matters so much, I have a special interest in supporting children of immigrants as they navigate the beautiful, complex, and sometimes exhausting reality of living between two cultures. If you've ever felt the weight of balancing family expectations and cultural values while trying to figure out who you are, we'll explore those unique experiences together. I also enjoy working with young adults navigating school, identity development, and other important life transitions.

I strive to create a space that feels safe and nonjudgmental, but I'll also gently challenge you when it's needed. I've found that meaningful change often happens at the intersection of support and growth. Let's collaborate and help you find a way forward.

Portrait of Sarah Harrocks, LCSW, clinical therapist
03

Sarah Harrocks

LCSW · Clinical Therapist

sarah@artofwellnessnc.com

Focus areas

  • LGBTQIA+
  • Gender identity
  • Kink-affirming care
  • Adults
  • Life transitions

I work with individuals and couples who find themselves stuck in the same patterns — whether that shows up as anxiety, disconnection in relationships, or just feeling off and not quite like themselves. A lot of the people I work with are thoughtful, intuitive, and aware that something deeper is going on, but aren't sure how to shift it.

In couples work, I help partners move out of repeating cycles of conflict and disconnection and toward clearer communication, understanding, and a stronger sense of connection. I tend to work well with clients who want a more grounded and direct approach to therapy.

My approach is relational and body-aware, drawing from somatic work, CBT, and experiential practices. I help clients not only gain insight, but also feel and apply change in their everyday lives.

I have a special interest in working with clients who identify as intuitive, creative, or open to deeper self-exploration. I also provide an affirming space for LGBTQIA+, polyamorous, and kink communities. I offer both individual and couples therapy and have been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 2009.

Our approach

Five principles quietly underlie every conversation.

01

The relationship is the work.

For us, the most important part of our work is developing an effective therapeutic relationship — one where you feel emotionally safe, respected, encouraged, and supported. We remain committed to our role as a trustworthy, non-judgmental collaborator as we work with you to find effective resolutions to the challenges you face.

02

Your wisest guide lives within you.

At some level, we all know what is true for us, but our ability to listen to the inner voice is often undermined by fear. Our work often involves helping you address the fears that block your path to this inner voice, so you can be freer to make thoughtful and effective decisions for yourself.

03

Awareness is the first move.

Becoming aware of the extent to which the issues we struggle with control us is vital if we are to find the path of emotional freedom. Awareness is the most important step in the process of change; we work with clients to help them notice areas of self-blindness so they can move beyond painful, repetitive patterns.

04

Personal responsibility opens the door.

As adults, taking personal responsibility for our actions and choices returns power to us. Believing our lives are controlled by exterior influences robs us of that power. We help clients who often feel powerless recognize that living by this principle allows for a far more fulfilling life.

05

Solutions are found together.

Each of us needs to discover our own creative solutions to the challenges we face, but our vision can be narrowed by the very issues we are struggling with. When you're unsure of what to do, we work together to identify possibilities — while trusting that you know best what is right for your life.

Modalities

A quiet toolbox, used with care.

  • Psychodynamic Counseling
  • Transactional Analysis
  • Gestalt Therapy
  • Redecision Therapy
  • Somatic Experiencing
  • Energy Therapy
  • Mindfulness-based counseling
  • Attachment-based Therapy
  • Developmental Model of Couples Therapy
  • Humanistic / Person-Centered
  • DBT
  • Internal Family Systems
  • Motivational Interviewing

Our lead clinician is a graduate of the Developmental Model of Couples Therapy training under Ellyn Bader, Ph.D., at The Couples Institute — one of many trainings that inform how we sit with you.

Ready when you are

Let's have a brief conversation.

Book a consult call