Hi, I’m Mariya, but you’ll probably hear me introduce myself as Masha.

It’s my Ukrainian name, and it’s the one I’ve always felt most at home with. I’m really glad you’re here!

I’m Mariya “Masha” Koval-Guffey, LCMHCA, NCC. I offer individual and couples counseling in person at my office in Charlotte’s Elizabeth neighborhood and virtually to clients throughout North Carolina, as well as life, career, and wellness coaching nationwide. Sessions are available in English and Russian.

I know that reaching out for support can feel like a big step. Maybe you know exactly what you want help with, or maybe you just know that something doesn’t feel quite right and you’re not sure where to start. Either way, you don’t have to have everything figured out before you reach out. We can start wherever you are and take it from there.

LCMHCA Board Certified (NCC) Chi Sigma Iota English & Russian Charlotte, NC Telehealth across NC

Get in touch See how I can help

My story

Why I do this work

I became a therapist because I know what it’s like to feel alone with something you can’t put into words. There were many moments in my childhood like that. Those experiences shaped the way I connect with people and move through the world, long before I had names for any of it.

The way I eventually made peace with those years was to give them a purpose. Everything I went through means that today, I can sit with someone who feels alone and scared and help them feel less so. I had to learn that kind of healing for myself, and now I get to help others find it. That belief still carries me into every session.

The other half of the story is simpler: I have always loved people. Hearing their stories, understanding what shaped them, watching someone find words for something they’ve carried for years. It never stops feeling like a privilege. Whether we work together in English or Russian, in therapy or in coaching, my hope for you is the same: that you leave our sessions feeling a little more understood than when you arrived.

How I work

What it’s like to work together

I will be real with you, and honest. I will do my absolute best to give you the space and the warmth to grow, make mistakes, and heal from the things that have hurt you.

Person-centered

You know yourself best

I don’t pretend to have all the answers. I believe you’re the one who knows yourself best. My job is to listen closely, ask honest questions, and help you find your own way forward, at a pace that feels right for you.

Culturally sensitive

Your background matters

Our backgrounds shape how we see ourselves and the world around us. I know that from my own life, not only from my training. Getting to know the person behind the struggle is the heart of how I practice.

Collaborative & flexible

No single formula

No two people need the same therapy. We’ll find the pace and the tools that fit you, and adjust them as you grow.

Background

Credentials & training

Licensure & certification

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate (LCMHCA) in North Carolina, practicing under board-approved clinical supervision while completing the path to full licensure. National Certified Counselor (NCC) through the National Board for Certified Counselors, and a member of Chi Sigma Iota, the international counseling honor society.

Education

Studied Psychology and Child & Family Development at UNC Charlotte, and earned a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Wake Forest University.

Approaches I draw from

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Attachment-based therapy
Motivational interviewing
Psychoeducation

Areas of focus

Anxiety, stress & feeling stuck
Relationships & couples
Life transitions & identity
Self-worth & personal growth
Career, direction & habits (coaching)

A little more about me

Between two cultures, at home in both

I’m a first-generation Ukrainian-American, born in Kropyvnytskyi in central Ukraine. I grew up in a big family after we immigrated to the United States, and growing up between two cultures shaped how I understand identity, relationships, and belonging.

The community I grew up in could be deeply warm, rewarding, and wholesome. At times it could also be deeply isolating, and I know both sides of it. Like most people, I’ve lived through hard and scary things that shaped me. All of it is part of why I never want to know just your symptoms. I want to know you.

Language is part of that story, too. I grew up speaking Ukrainian and Russian alongside English, and I offer sessions in English and Russian. Clinical work in Ukrainian isn’t something I offer just yet, but wherever your story comes from, it’s welcome here.

Outside the therapy room, you’ll usually find me with my family and my dog, Emmie, or out camping somewhere green. I read, I draw, and I will happily plan an entire day around food. Cooking it, sharing it, lingering over it. I’ve always believed food is how people take care of each other. A full table is one of the oldest forms of community we have, a place where stories get told and no one has to feel alone. In its own way, that’s what therapy offers too: a seat at the table, with someone who is truly listening.

Get in touch

Why the bee?

The bee in our crest is how I think about this work. Small, steady, unhurried visits, and over time, a whole garden in bloom. Nothing forced, nothing rushed. That’s the kind of growth I hope to help you find.