Therapists in Washington, DC

Together we can improve your health, well-being, and help you overcome obstacles that may be getting in the way of life. My approach typically targets how you can be more open, aware, and actively engaged in your life. It is informed by a commitment to healing justice and fostering diversity and inclusion in all spaces. To accomplish this, I use several frameworks that bolster your intrinsic strengths, aid you in shaking free of unhelpful stories, deepen your sense of self-awareness, and allow you to heal collectively with natural supports. I also integrate the wisdom and the life experience that you bring.

I work with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, or those feeling lonely or bored with life. I have been practicing 20 plus years and will develop a treatment regime for you. The work is meaningful, rewarding, insightful, and life-changing. Good mental health is primary since it affects everything, so let's work together on fixing things. Some of my specialties include men's issues, LGBTQ, shame, and trauma. My goal is to ensure you have a safe, comfortable environment to share and explore your thoughts and life experiences. You have the skills. I bring them to your consciousness, through courage or psychedelics

I am a Black male clinical psychologist providing therapeutic services across the DMV. I have a passion for work with clients who experience issues with self-esteem, grief, loss, anxiety, stress, and trauma. I am particularly invested in providing supportive therapeutic services to clients of color who struggle to maintain a healthy sense of self in the context of constant feelings of inadequacy. I work with adolescents and adults to examine the experiences that have caused self-damaging thoughts and reorient them toward a more positive relationships with themselves, their environments and the people around them.

Overcoming mental and emotional challenges can be difficult, but even more when you feel like you are dealing with them alone. It's not always easy finding someone who's willing to listen and understands from a culturally responsive lens, especially when discussing personal challenges that have been discouraged outside of the home. Stress can come from many different avenues of life (career, family, relationships, society, and culture, etc) and can bring about depressions, anxiety, anger, isolation, and low-self esteem. It's not easy learning healthy ways to cope, managing your symptoms, and even recognizing that there's a problem.

You've always thought of yourself as confident and determined in your life's purpose, but now you are feeling overwhelmed with feelings of anxiety and thoughts or failure and loss. You may be thinking things are just too difficult to handle alone. If life is throwing you a challenge make the call. I can help. " Let Thoughts Come and Go. Just don't Serve them Tea."

Making the choice to start therapy can be a courageous first step toward paving a new path of personal meaning, insight, and growth. As your therapist, I see it as my job to work collaboratively with you to establish goals for making positive life changes. I believe in establishing a working alliance composed of empathy, trust, respect, validation, and transparency. I see the therapeutic relationship as the cornerstone of what makes therapy effective.

I am solution-focused, and believe that a solid therapeutic relationship is a key to successfully meeting identified goals. Utilizing humor, passion, and dedication to the service of others I aim to create a safe environment while challenging behaviors and thoughts to aid in motivation for change. I also use integrative psychotherapy, combining different therapeutic tools and approaches that fit the needs of each individual or situation.

Are you struggling with depression, anxiety, biploar disorder, or have experienced trauma? Have you self-medicated in an attempt to manage your emotions? You can expect supportive, practical help in overcoming trauma, the treatment of mood disorders, and recovery from substance abuse and behavioral addictions. Therapy will be tailored to your needs, using the tools that work best for you, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Restructuring (a core technique from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), and learning stress reduction skills. In therapy, you can build lasting alternatives to unhealthy family dynamics.

My approach to counseling is to create a safe space for growth and healing. I believe that growth and healing happen when people recognize that they have a circle of care (including clinicians) that show them empathy and support, that they can rely on and recognize that they have their best interests in mind. My therapeutic techniques include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, and Solution-Focused Therapy to create an atmosphere where the client recognizes that they are in control of their therapeutic experience.

Are you living your best life? Or are you experiencing the stress/anxiety, anger, lack of motivation, sadness, grief/loss, or low self-esteem/confidence that affects us all at some point? You are not alone. Now is the time for living up to your full potential. It takes courage to seek help but no one can truly live their best life without support. I am passionate about helping you to empower yourself and create "true" happiness in your life! I believe that we have the inherent capacity to heal ourselves. Let me show you how. Contact me today.

12/21/2023- Yes, we are currently accepting new clients. Welcome to A Fresh Start Therapy. FYI: This time of year is difficult for many as we get less sunlight and our days are shorter. Both Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Major Depressive Disorder flare up in the Fall. Consider making a small change in your environment like adding art to your sleeping area or tossing a piece of furniture or decor that no longer fits who you are. Making subtle updates to your home or work space can improve your mood a bit. Give it a try!

As a Latino Queer Therapist, I have learned that understanding the intersections of my identities and how I show up in multiple spaces has been imperative to my personal growth and my understanding of belonging.  Growing up, I always felt othered and often times unwanted. Therapy for me is about learning to understand our inner dialogues, validate our emotional experiences, and effect change in a way that is consistent with our desired narrative.  

Limitless Possibilities provide clients the respect, privacy, and confidentiality that every human being deserves. We seek to create a safe and nurturing environment, free of judgment and criticism. We provide a safe atmosphere where one can search within themselves to find answers through greater self-awareness and self-directed growth.The goal is to empower our clients to work towards improving their decision-making skills and practices through reflection, targeted insight, and strategic goal setting. We are excited to assist our clients with taking the next steps in finding their way towards healing, and peace.

Life brings change and when that change comes, how do you handle it? What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Over the years, I have supported and encouraged individuals through the Stages of Change. It’s not uncommon to experience anxiety when contacting a therapist, but I encourage you to contact me to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation. My role is to help you through the process of change and decision making that can, understandably, feel overwhelming. My goal is to support you and your journey towards a more whole you.

Debra Ann Cruz is a speaker, author, psychotherapist, and executive coach, and romantic intimacy specialist. Over the past 20 years, I have worked hard to create an innovative blend of psychotherapy, spirituality, and executive coaching to help clients reach breakthroughs and emotional healing to level up to own the success and prosperity they desire and deserve. Her specialty is helping high-functioning professionals, executives, and leaders to stop holding themselves back due to a negative internal dialogue of fear, anxiety, and self-doubt from their past.

Do you: Feel stuck and unable to move forward? Want to perform better under pressure? Feel overwhelmed and anxious? I help people manage the tension between what one has already achieved and what one still ought to accomplish. Together we explore questions about why powerful feelings and thoughts emerge, and how these emotions can be expressed and attended to in the most beneficial way.

Not Accepting New Clients - Life is a journey not a destination. The path is filled with obstacles, detours, and unexpected storms. Navigating your Healing Journey can be tough. Along the way it is helpful to have support to help you learn and develop new skills to navigate the challenges and help you realize your strength and power within.

If you are seeking to enhance your life by building connection, character, and community, we invite you to contact us so we can begin the journey together. Although our clinical team varies, we work, primarily, from a Cognitive-Behavioral foundation. Our clinicians use multiple counseling methodologies including: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Relational Cultural Therapy (RCT), Mindfulness, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Internal Family Systems, Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Gottman Couples Method, and others. Email inquiries preferred!

I work closely and collaboratively with you to explore emotions, process difficult experiences, identify feelings, and develop the skills you need to make effective changes. We will work together to establish the best course of treatment to meet your goals and needs. I help clients identify their problematic thinking patterns, develop coping mechanisms, and understand how past experiences affect their current functioning. I value the transformative nature of a strong therapeutic relationship. I have paired my passion for helping others and experience with multicultural and diverse populations into my counseling approach.