Can I see a North Carolina therapist if I live in Landrum?
Yes, as long as the therapist is licensed in the state where you are sitting during each session. That is the rule that matters, and it surprises people who cross between Landrum and Tryon several times a week without thinking about it. Licensing boards regulate work with clients located in their state. The North Carolina board for social workers, for example, says practicing without a North Carolina license is unlawful and that this includes electronic practice and telehealth. South Carolina's Board of Social Work Examiners runs its own registration for telehealth providers.
Laura Bass is licensed in North Carolina and in South Carolina. So an adult from Landrum, Campobello, Inman, Gramling or Gowensville can work with her, and the question of which side of the line you are on during a given appointment does not have to be a worry. It is still a good idea to mention where you live when you first get in touch, so the practical details are set up correctly from the start.
Where the South Carolina foothills towns are
Landrum is the closest. It is a small city of about 2,500 people, according to the 2020 Census, founded in 1880 and sitting just west of Interstate 26 at the top of Spartanburg County. Tryon is just under 4 miles north up US 176. Campobello, with fewer than 700 people, and Inman, with just under 3,000, are further down the I-26 corridor toward Spartanburg. Gramling is a small community in the same county.
Gowensville is a different county. It sits in the northern edge of Greenville County, toward the mountains, and Travelers Rest is further south and west in Greenville County again. Spartanburg County had about 328,000 people at the 2020 Census and Greenville County about 525,500, so the towns near the line are the quiet, rural ends of two large counties.
How far is the Columbus office from Landrum, Campobello and Inman?
Laura Bass Counseling's main practice is in Charlotte. In 2024 Laura opened a part-time office at The Healing Cottage in Columbus, North Carolina, the Polk County seat. Measured town center to town center on a public route planner, the approximate road distances to Columbus are:
- Landrum: about 8 miles, via SC 14, I-26 and NC 108.
- Gowensville: about 13 miles.
- Campobello: about 14 miles, via SC 11 and I-26.
- Gramling: about 17 miles.
- Inman: about 18 miles, via SC 292 and I-26.
- Spartanburg: about 29 miles.
- Travelers Rest: about 39 miles, via US 25 and I-26.
What those distances mean in practice
For most people in Landrum the drive to Columbus is shorter than a drive into Spartanburg or Greenville. The route uses the Columbus interchange on I-26, which NCDOT numbers exit 67. Because the Columbus office is part-time, ask Laura which days she is there before you plan around it. Ask, too, whether video sessions are an option for you; that depends on her current arrangements, and she can tell you directly.
What Laura works with
Laura Bass is a psychotherapist who works with adults, 18 and over, in individual counseling, couples counseling and infidelity counseling. The concerns she lists include relationship difficulties, infidelity and rebuilding trust, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, midlife issues, life transitions, shame, trauma and chronic illness.
Her approach is holistic: she works with mind, body and spirit, and some clients choose to include the Emotion Code or other energy work she is trained in. That is always the client's choice, and it is not medical or crisis care. The Emotion Code and spiritual healing near Tryon page explains what that involves.
Couples from the South Carolina side often have one partner who works in North Carolina and one who does not. That is not a problem for licensing when both states are covered, but it is worth naming in a first call if you plan to join some sessions from different places. The couples counseling in Tryon and Polk County page covers what that work looks like.
Insurance when you live in South Carolina
Laura is in network with Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, United Behavioral Health, MedCost, Magellan, Carelon Behavioral Health (formerly Beacon Health Options), CBHA and Medicare. South Carolina residents often carry a South Carolina plan, and network rules can differ for a provider whose office is in another state. Call the number on your card, say you would be seeing a provider in Columbus, North Carolina, and ask what your benefits cover. The insurance guide for therapy in Polk County has a short list of questions to ask.
If you need help sooner: South Carolina crisis numbers
Laura's practice is not a crisis service. If you or someone with you is in danger, call 911. For a mental health crisis anywhere in the United States, call or text 988.
South Carolina's Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (BHDD) runs SC Mobile Crisis, which it describes as available 24/7/365 for anyone in South Carolina, at 833-364-2274. Its public mental health centers for this area are the Spartanburg Area Mental Health Center, which serves Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union counties, at 864-585-0366, and the Greater Greenville Mental Health Center at 864-241-1040. BHDD also lists a Crisis Text Line: text HOPE4SC to 741741.
For domestic violence in Spartanburg County, Project R.E.S.T. lists a confidential 24-hour hotline at 864-583-9803 or 800-273-5066. The crisis and support resources page lists the North Carolina numbers too, which matters if you live in one state and spend much of your week in the other.
How to start
Call 704-706-3264 or use the contact page. It helps to say which town you live in, whether you are thinking about individual or couples work, and which insurance you have. A consultation is a conversation about whether working together is a fit, not a commitment.
If you would like to look at other options too, the guide to therapists in Tryon and Polk County lists the practices we could verify near the line. The full Tryon counseling guide covers the rest of the foothills, and the Landrum area page has more about the town itself.
Common questions
Is Laura Bass licensed in South Carolina?
Yes. Laura is licensed in North Carolina and South Carolina. That matters because a license covers work with people who are physically in that state during the session. With both states covered, an adult living in Landrum, Campobello, Inman or Gowensville can work with her, whether they come to the Columbus office or, if Laura offers it, meet some other way. Mention your town when you first get in touch.
How long is the drive from Landrum to Columbus, NC?
About 8 miles by road, using SC 14, I-26 and NC 108, according to a public route planner measured town center to town center. Most people would expect a drive of roughly a quarter of an hour without traffic. From Campobello it is about 14 miles and from Inman about 18 miles. The Columbus office is part-time, so ask Laura which days she is there.
Does my South Carolina insurance work with a North Carolina office?
It depends on your plan. Laura is in network with several insurers, including Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare and Medicare, but network rules for providers in another state vary. Call the member number on your card, explain that the office is in Columbus, North Carolina, and ask about your outpatient mental health benefits before your first appointment.
Can we do couples counseling if we live in Landrum but one of us works in Tryon?
Yes. Because Laura is licensed in both states, it does not matter which side of the line each of you is on for a session. What matters more is finding appointment times you can both keep. If either of you is afraid of the other, couples counseling is not the right setting; the National Domestic Violence Hotline at thehotline.org can advise confidentially.