Therapists in Virginia

I’m Jonathan (he/him) and if you’re looking at my profile, chances are you’re looking for help. Life can be tough and prioritizing yourself can be even tougher. You're putting in a huge amount of effort for yourself, and I will be there to put in mine. I have experience in providing therapy for adults dealing with depression, anxiety, addiction, trauma, and more. I also help adults through life changes, gender and sexual identity issues, and interpersonal relationships. As a military spouse, I also understand the unique culture, lifestyle, and challenges faced by military dependents and service members.

Life can be challenging. Despite outward success, the best of us can often feel lonely, misunderstood, and inadequate. If you are struggling in relationships at home or work and feel disconnected from your loved ones or social community, you are not alone. If you have lost sight of who you are due to a loss of a loved one or a stressful life situation, I am here to help you put the pieces together. Together we will work at your pace and comfort level to establish healthy relationships, develop a path of personal growth, and maintain inner peace.

Are you eager to embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and healing? Whether you're navigating life's twists and turns, overcoming challenges, or seeking to support your relationships, I'm here for you. My unwavering dedication to providing culturally sensitive and effective mental health care is rooted in a deep understanding of the unique experiences faced by individuals from diverse backgrounds. I am from a Chinese background and speak both Mandarin and English fluently. This makes it easier for me to connect with clients from similar communities and build trust during our therapy sessions.

I specialize in providing counseling for racial identity and cultural issues (specifically in first and second Asian Americans/immigrants), navigating significant life transitions, and grief from a cultural perspective. My goal is to help you live a life that aligns with your values and move from a space of surviving to thriving. At the core of my approach is the belief that the therapeutic relationship is the strongest force in inciting growth. A sense of authentic trust and comfort is instrumental to begin doing "the work" and creating lasting change.

Feeling stuck? Overwhelmed and anxious? Burned out? Then it's time for you to feel empowered and prepared to navigate any challenge. If you want tools in your toolbox and the ability to approach situations with confidence, then I am here to support you. I come from a trauma informed lens and I draw from a myriad of different types of therapy to create a customized approach. My goal is to will provide you with the most effective coping strategies and help you feel equipped to manage life's curve balls.

Do you struggle with depression, anxiety, self-esteem, sexuality issues, and relationship issues? Have you ever been hurt your loved ones in any way that violates your right as a person, including infidelity, addiction, and all forms of violence? Have you ever hurt your loved ones in the same ways? I love to walk with your journey to redefine who you are as a wholesome person. I can help you become resilient and embrace yourself and your life in holistic ways. You will experience cutting-edge and holistic counseling approaches to find your answers to your finding your way to becoming a wholesome person again. Let's do this together!

No matter what has brought you to therapy, your experience is valid. I believe that even the most unlikeable, confusing, extreme parts of you have a wisdom to be understood, a protectiveness to be thanked, and a vulnerability to be seen and held. In my practice, I will seek to meet you exactly where you are, and together we can tend to the unique challenges in your life. My ultimate goal is for clients to uncover their essential self—to rediscover their own innate wisdom and strength that can face whatever life brings.

With every day changing so rapidly and the increase in uncertainty, life presents us with new obstacles and challenges that we might not expect. It takes great strength and courage to ask for help when you need it. I help clients with improving body image, increasing self-esteem, mood disorders, eating disorders, and identity challenges. As a minority myself, I have experience helping clients work through processing cultural barriers and unfair treatment. I am also passionate about working with BIPOC and the South Asian population. I also provide letters for gender affirming care.

I am a Resident in Counseling approved by the VA Board of Counseling, working towards becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor. I graduated with my Masters' degree in Clinical Mental Health and Addiction Counseling from The College of William & Mary. I have helped teens, college students, and adults experiencing anxiety, substance abuse, stress, low self-esteem, adjustment issues, academic/college struggles, relationship issues, identity development, and racial identity concerns. I have a passion for working with 1st and 2nd generation immigrants, BIPOC and South Asian population.

Sandhya Sharma is a South Asian Indian LPC and certified addictions specialist who works with: Adults, Teens, LGBTQ community, and International Communities. Sandhya will help create a safe and supportive therapy environment and work with you collaboratively to both accurately assess your strengths as well as areas of struggle. She will develop a treatment plan with you to help you facilitate behavioral changes that more successfully meet your goals. Sandhya will help you look at the ways you have been currently coping with life’s problems and help you to develop new strategies from a strengths-based perspective. 

Hello, I am thrilled you are “visiting with me” today. It is an understatement to say, “I love being a therapist.” It took ten years of education to earn the privilege of sitting before my clients. Being a therapist is my life's work and my passion. I am very aware of my great responsibility as a therapist for my clients. Over the years, I am always awed and inspired by the resilience of those who have shared their story with me. My path to becoming a therapist many years ago fulfills me every day. I can't describe with words the feeling of pride that I feel when it's the last day of a successful treatment, ending with my client(s).

You might have lost someone important to you or feel like you lost a loved one because the person has changed due to sickness or age. Or it could be that you have lost something important to you, like your identity, abilities, or dream, and it is difficult to live the same way. Grief is part of our life, yet every kind of grief is complex and hard to bear. It is normal to feel overwhelmed, out of control and isolated, as no one understands what you have been going through. Keeping yourself busy sounds like a good strategy for the short term, but even if you are strong and independent, we all need help sometimes.

As a licensed therapist, I'm passionate about empowering individuals to gain control over their lives. I work with diverse backgrounds, specializing in issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, and relationships. I create a non-judgmental space for open exploration, utilizing therapeutic approaches such as CBT, DBT, Mindfulness, and various trauma-informed techniques. I will tailor interventions to your unique needs and together we can dissect root causes, identify patterns, and work towards meaningful changes. Together, we can navigate towards clarity, calm, and joy.

Life can be challenging. Perhaps you are feeling stuck in your marital or relational issues. Maybe, you are feeling hopeless after the loss of a loved one or job. When you need help and direction most, therapy can guide you through challenges. I believe that anyone can excel with sufficient guidance and support. My areas of concentration are couples’ issues, family conflicts, life transitions, self-esteem, trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, emotional healing, spiritual issues, and more. Also, I use EMDR to help you with trauma and childhood experiences.

I conceptualize psychotherapy from a humanistic approach, which entails holistically understanding your background, identities, strengths, growth areas, interpersonal relationships, goals, values, etc. I strive to create a culturally sensitive, inclusive, and affirming space to facilitate growth and insights. This allows you to implement what you have gained in therapy in your everyday life. I specialize in trauma treatment and empowerment, identity exploration and integration, and working with folx from marginalized communities (i.e. LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, faith crisis/transition, immigrant/international background, etc. )

Do you have intrusive thoughts that become distracting and disrupt your day? Do you feel compelled to perform certain acts or rituals to alleviate your anxiety? Have you experienced a traumatic event that still haunts you? Has the stress of moving to a new country impacted your well- being? Are you lonely and struggling in an unfamiliar environment? You can move beyond your struggles. Gain coping skills to manage your OCD, heal from trauma and thrive in your new home. Reach out now, I look forward to hearing your story.

Adolescence is a transitional period where teens navigate biological and cognitive changes, independence and relationships with peers, parents and other authority figures. This can lead to behavioural issues, mood changes and cognitive challenges that cause anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, ADHD, ASD and more. We'll explore the experiences, patterns and relationships that either cause, maintain or worsen these patterns and collaboratively identify appropriate strategies to alleviate or eliminate these difficulties.

If someone asked you not to think for 10 minutes how hard would that be? Is overthinking about the “What Ifs” driving you to relentlessly check things over and over again? Are you determined to find certainty in an uncertain world? Do you frequently ask others repeatedly if something or someone is going to be OK? No matter how much you do a task or say a particular thing does peace of mind elude you? Does the compulsion to handwash, re-read, double check, pray, or re-arrange items never provide lasting relief? Do you find yourself burdened by intrusive thoughts that strike against your will and preoccupy your mind for hours a day?

Now accepting new clients for telehealth. I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor (VA 0701013457) and a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (VA 0710103621), practicing in Virginia. I have a collaborative approach in helping to discovering better ways to cope and navigate in overcoming life’s challenges, in a safe and supportive space. My foundation in a therapeutic approach is Person Centered, utilizing coinciding techniques as seen fit to one’s individual needs.