Virginia Covington, LCSW

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of North Carolina with almost 2 decades spent in the study and treatment of eating disorders, and the founder of Bluebird Counseling & Collaborations PLLC. Bluebird Counseling & Collaborations is an out of network telehealth practice located in the heart of the Research Triangle Area specializing in evidence-based treatment for Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) in children. In addition to treating ARFID I also specialize in treating pediatric anxiety disorders and somatic complaints. I have extensive experience working with children and adults with a dual diagnosis of ARFID and ASD and/or ARFID and ADHD. Before starting Bluebird Counseling & Collaborations PLLC, I worked and trained at the Duke Center for Eating Disorders for almost 14 years. At the Duke Center for Eating Disorders, I worked in both research and clinical practice with a focus on treating ARFID in adults and children. I am passionate about eating disorder education and have participated as a speaker multiple times with The Duke Area Health Education Center (AHEC) as well as HEAL (2020) and the 2015 International Eating Disorders Conference. At Bluebird Counseling & Collaborations PLLC we believe in a strengths-based approach to all treatment. As an eating disorders provider, I am always working to help families/individuals find peace, foster growth, and establish curiosity around food. Parents are the experts on their children and I focus on building a strong therapeutic relationship with both the parent and the child. My therapy style is authentic with an emphasis on flexibility and building skills for the real world. I am highly proficient in providing exposure therapy with feeding and in-depth parent training. I am trained in the SOS method of feeding and utilize a sensory friendly approach to feeding and somatic complaints. I believe collaboration is a key element in the successful treatment of eating disorders with both children, parents, and multi-disciplinary community providers. I am a native of North Carolina and graduated from North Carolina State University with my undergraduate degree in Psychology in 2001. Upon graduation I worked in pediatric psychiatric research at The Center for Epidemiology at Duke University for 5 years. I completed my Masters in Social Work at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2008, after which I returned to Duke University to join the Duke Center for Eating Disorders team in 2009. In the Spring of 2023, I began my private practice at Bluebird Counseling & Collaborations PLLC. Outside of the professional world I am the keeper of stories and kitchen traditions in my family of origin. My imagination comes alive in a kitchen and I love to share my creations with family and friends. The NC mountains are my happy place and you will rarely find me anywhere without my two dogs.