Scott Morris (he/him) is a licensed clinical mental health counselor associate (LCMHCA) in the state of North Carolina, and is based at the Central Asheville location. He earned his M.A. in counseling from Lenoir-Rhyne University in 2024. He has a passion for helping people through their most difficult life struggles to reestablish meaning, purpose, connection and health again.
Scott’s primary approach with clients is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This evidence-based approach helps people to develop greater awareness of their internal and external experience, identify their most important values, and make choices that align with those values. For those clients who may not fit well with ACT, Scott is happy to pivot toward Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), existential, or person-centered approaches to find a better form of support. Generally, Scott enjoys teaching a variety of skills to help clients manage their distress a little better each day, for instance learning to notice and intervene with patterns of thoughts or emotions that may be contributing to or compounding distress. He also teaches practical tools for reducing stress, calming the body and mind, improving sleep and eating, and enhancing connection to others and to a larger sense of purpose. Self-compassion and kindness are also at the center of Scott’s work. He has found this approach is particularly important for clients who face limited control in their lives. In these cases, the focus of therapy is often on developing effective self-care and a connection to spiritual or personal meaning.
Scott has been practicing Buddhism and studying Buddhist psychology for many years, so clients who are looking for support from this perspective are welcome to bring these topics into their session. For those clients who come from other spiritual traditions, such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism—or any other for that matter—Scott holds great regard and respect for these beliefs and wants to actively include discussion of these values in sessions together. Of course, if organized or personal spirituality is not a significant part of someone’s life, he is glad to explore meaning and values that resonate for each person individually. Scott has experience supporting folks through anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, divorces and separations, family conflicts, struggles with self-esteem, illness, death and grief, job loss and dissatisfaction,
major life transitions, disconnection and isolation. He works with adults and young adults (16+), and has a special interest in working with elders who face unique issues of retirement transitions, changes to physical and brain health, caregiving, death and loss, isolation, spirituality, and identifying meaningful choices in the face of our mortality.
Outside of counseling, Scott is a serious nature nerd in the mountains of Western North Carolina. He also builds furniture and other woodworking projects, creates art, and loves hosting dinner and games for friends with his partner. He has a Corgi-Red Heeler mix, named Gizmo, who is a fantastic trail buddy and just about the sweetest being he’s ever met.
