MORE ABOUT DR. REIF
Hello! I'm Dr. Emma Kate Reif, a licensed psychologist and Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) based in Charlotte, North Carolina. I've been in practice for 10 years and specialize in working with individuals navigating anxiety and OCD, ADHD, trauma, and complex life and relationship concerns.
My path to this work began with a deep curiosity about why we become who we are. I started my career working with children and families, which gave me a unique window into how development and our earliest relationships and experiences shape the ways we learn to understand ourselves, other people, and the world around us.
Over time, I became increasingly interested in how those early patterns continue into adulthood. The ways we learned to adapt, cope, connect, and protect ourselves don't simply disappear as we get older. They can show up in our relationships, anxiety, self-worth, emotional responses, experiences of grief and loss, and the ways we make meaning of life's challenges.
That realization ultimately drew me toward working more with adults. Not simply to manage symptoms, but to understand what lies beneath them and create opportunities for meaningful change. At the heart of my work is the belief that many of the patterns we struggle with developed for understandable reasons. Understanding where they came from doesn't mean we're stuck with them. Instead, it gives us a place to begin doing something different.
While my training deeply informs my work, I genuinely enjoy connecting with people and hearing their stories. I also welcome the exploration of spirituality, values, and meaning when these are important parts of a client's life. I believe therapy works best when you feel like you're sitting across from a real human being. Someone who brings knowledge and experience to the room, but also curiosity, warmth, humor, and respect for the fact that you will always be the expert and authority on your own life!
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Dr. Reif earned her Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of South Carolina, with training in human development, neuroscience, psychological assessment, autism, behavioral intervention, and evidence-based treatment. Alongside her doctoral training, she pursued additional clinical experiences and has continued advanced training throughout her career. Her clinical training spans anxiety and OCD, trauma, ADHD and neurodivergence, attachment and relational concerns, and includes specialized approaches such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), attachment-focused and parts-based approaches, and exposure-based treatment.
Dr. Reif is currently working toward becoming an EMDRIA Certified Therapist in EMDR. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), having completed an International Coaching Federation (ICF)-accredited training program. She is licensed as a psychologist in North Carolina and South Carolina and is authorized to provide telepsychology in multiple states through PSYPACT.