Adoption Therapists in 20120
Melissa Douglas
Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC
Verified Verified
Centreville, VA 20120
Everyone needs a place for space. A space to be heard. A space to share whatever you want. A space to process feelings, try out new perspectives, laugh, cry, grieve, be angry, talk about betrayal, to fight inner demons, to be brave, to be nervous, to simply BE whoever you are. I am a licensed professional counselor with over 20 years of experience providing space for people to process whatever they are dealing with. People come to me with a wide range of different issues. I am an eclectic therapist but tend to focus on using cognitive behavioral therapy. I love to meet new people, and I would love to work with you.
Everyone needs a place for space. A space to be heard. A space to share whatever you want. A space to process feelings, try out new perspectives, laugh, cry, grieve, be angry, talk about betrayal, to fight inner demons, to be brave, to be nervous, to simply BE whoever you are. I am a licensed professional counselor with over 20 years of experience providing space for people to process whatever they are dealing with. People come to me with a wide range of different issues. I am an eclectic therapist but tend to focus on using cognitive behavioral therapy. I love to meet new people, and I would love to work with you.
Daniel Scrafford
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW, ACSW
Verified Verified
Centreville, VA 20120
Waitlist for new clients
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 30 years of experience working with adolescents, adults, families, and couples in a relaxed, safe, and caring environment. People enter my office because they feel stuck or lost. Clients recognize that they are unhappy and often know what makes them unhappy, but they don't know how to change. Many people in these situations are feeling depressed, anxious, and may be involved with self-defeating behaviors. Together, we examine these issues with non-judgmental dialogue.
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 30 years of experience working with adolescents, adults, families, and couples in a relaxed, safe, and caring environment. People enter my office because they feel stuck or lost. Clients recognize that they are unhappy and often know what makes them unhappy, but they don't know how to change. Many people in these situations are feeling depressed, anxious, and may be involved with self-defeating behaviors. Together, we examine these issues with non-judgmental dialogue.
Bernadette Landry
Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC
Verified Verified
2 Endorsed
Centreville, VA 20120
Working with a psychotherapist in individual therapy can be the key in generating positive change and real growth. Devoted to providing therapy to individuals, couples and families of all ages and populations, I have numerous years of experience in a variety of settings including private practices in the Northern VA area, substance abuse treatment centers and most recently, the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB). I have a personal interest in working with severe-mental illness and running Dialectal Behavior Therapy Groups.
Working with a psychotherapist in individual therapy can be the key in generating positive change and real growth. Devoted to providing therapy to individuals, couples and families of all ages and populations, I have numerous years of experience in a variety of settings including private practices in the Northern VA area, substance abuse treatment centers and most recently, the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB). I have a personal interest in working with severe-mental illness and running Dialectal Behavior Therapy Groups.
Amanda Kelsheimer
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
Centreville, VA 20120
I work with adult individuals and children aged 2-18 and their families/caregivers. I focus on supporting clients to creatively turn their pain into coping skills, missed connections into secure relationships, and problematic behaviors into strengths and resiliency. I focus on practical, real-world strategies that build security and connection through a balance of nurture, engagement, structure, and challenge. These strategies are a resource that can then be utilized through different life experiences, stages, and adversity. I support children and caregivers alike to learn new ways of responding, guiding, and supporting one another.
I work with adult individuals and children aged 2-18 and their families/caregivers. I focus on supporting clients to creatively turn their pain into coping skills, missed connections into secure relationships, and problematic behaviors into strengths and resiliency. I focus on practical, real-world strategies that build security and connection through a balance of nurture, engagement, structure, and challenge. These strategies are a resource that can then be utilized through different life experiences, stages, and adversity. I support children and caregivers alike to learn new ways of responding, guiding, and supporting one another.
See more therapy options for 20120
Adoption Therapists
Does my adopted child need therapy?
Not every adopted child needs therapy. However, many can benefit from seeing an adoption-informed therapist, especially if they were victims of abuse or neglect, appear withdrawn or disconnected, have behavioral or developmental issues (which may or may not be related to their adoption), are struggling with feelings of grief or loss surrounding their birth parents, or find it difficult to establish an identity, a challenge that often becomes most apparent during adolescence.
When should adoptive parents seek therapy?
Prospective parents can benefit from therapy even before an adoption—for example, to voice worries and fears; to reconcile infertility struggles, if relevant; or simply to prepare themselves for parenthood. After the adoption, parents who are struggling to bond with their child; are unsure how to talk about adoption or related issues, such as race; or whose child is dealing with developmental, behavioral, or psychiatric concerns can address these and other issues with the help of an adoption-competent therapist.
Is family therapy appropriate for adoptive families?
Family therapy can be invaluable for strengthening the bond between adoptive parents and children, helping the latter feel more secure in their place in the family. Family therapy can also help adoptive families navigate complex communication issues—for example, parents who feel uncomfortable discussing race with their child, who in turn feels invalidated by their silence, or a child who has questions about his birth parents but avoids asking them out of fear of hurting his adoptive parents’ feelings.
What therapy is not appropriate for adoption issues?
A discredited therapy known as “attachment therapy” (sometimes called “holding therapy” or “rebirthing therapy”) should not be used to treat adopted and foster children, though it was largely designed for this population. Attachment therapy involves restraining, coercing, and punishing the child in order for them to “release” negative emotions and attach to their new caregivers—techniques that are abusive and dangerous and have even proven fatal in some cases.