Pooja Ganatra, LCSW, LCAS is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist, and EMDR Basic Trained Therapist dedicated to providing evidence-based care for individuals experiencing addiction and mental health challenges. She sees clients both in person and virtually at Avance Care in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Pooja earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from North Carolina State University in 2019 and returned to NC State to complete her Master of Social Work (MSW) in 2022. During her graduate studies, she specialized in addiction counseling through the Opioid Workforce Expansion Program (OWEP), where she developed expertise in providing psychotherapy for individuals struggling with substance use disorders.
Her clinical experience spans multiple levels of care, including outpatient therapy, partial hospitalization programs (PHP), inpatient acute care, and residential psychiatric treatment. She has worked extensively with adolescents and adults experiencing depression, anxiety, trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), mood disorders, stress, substance use disorders, behavioral concerns, and relationship challenges.
Pooja has a special interest in working with individuals from South Asian backgrounds and those navigating bicultural identities. She understands the complexities of balancing South Asian cultural values, family expectations, and traditions with life in Western society. Her work often focuses on intergenerational family dynamics, identity development, acculturation stress, perfectionism, mental health stigma, and the unique challenges of living between two cultures. She is committed to creating a culturally responsive, affirming environment where clients can explore their experiences with greater understanding, self-awareness, and self-compassion.
Her therapeutic approach is attachment-informed and trauma-focused, recognizing the significant role that early relationships and life experiences play in shaping emotional well-being, interpersonal patterns, and nervous system responses. She integrates Polyvagal Theory, Ego States Therapy, and EMDR-informed interventions to help clients better understand and heal the effects of trauma, attachment wounds, and chronic stress.
Pooja tailors’ treatment to each client’s individual needs by integrating evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)-informed skills, along with attachment-based and trauma-informed interventions. Through this personalized approach, she helps clients gain insight, improve emotional regulation, strengthen coping skills, increase psychological flexibility, and create meaningful, lasting change.
Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Pooja enjoys spending her free time with her cats and friends, cooking, traveling, creating art, solving puzzles, riding her motorcycle, and taking her cat on outdoor adventures. She also loves exploring new restaurants, building LEGO® sets, working out, and playing badminton.