Couples Counseling Therapists in Fairfax, VA

Working with youth and adolescents is my passion as they embark on the arduous journey of self-discovery. During this process many youth and teens experience issues such as: oppositional behavior, emotional deregulation and expression, transitional challenges (autism, LGBTQ, school related issues, blended family), anxiety, mood disorders, ADHD/ADD, trauma, destructive behaviors and detachment issues from their surroundings, drug and alcohol abuse and dependency. In working with this clientele I utilize an authentic Cognitive Behavioral approach that integrates behavioral modification techniques promoting empowerment, motivation, self-confidence, self-awareness, and encourages personal responsibility, and growth in all stages of development.

I enjoy any opportunity to work with a individual psychotherapy clients (adolescents,adult, older adults and enjoy the challenge of sitting with couples/families. I do take the opportunity to conduct psychological evaluations and wish to expand this in my practice. Many of my clients are challenged by depression, anxiety, relation ship, low self-esteem, mood disorders, eating disorders, grief and life transition struggles. I work with a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic theory, and attachment-based couples treatment and to work with the client collaboratively in the treatment process.

I specialize in helping people with transitions due to some loss or change within their life. These usually include relationship issues,mid-life issues,career change, toxic workplaces as well as other life crises that bring forth anxiety and depression. I provide testing and coaching for career/job issues. Right brain techniques using Neurolinguistic Programming makes changing faster and deeper. I have been in practice for over thirty years. Within 3 months of weekly sessions you will notice positive changes in your relationship with yourself and/or others. See YouTube to view my award winning program Spotlight on Mental Health.

Finding our way back to our whole self can be a difficult journey, one that asks us to connect with feelings not yet owned, wounds not yet processed, and longings not yet voiced. When our needs for comfort, validation, protection, and predictability are not met in our relationships, we can be vulnerable to feeling unworthy, unsafe, and that our needs are unimportant. The strategies we have for dealing with our unmet needs often show up in similar patterns for managing stress, distress, and disconnection. Some move towards others, hoping that if we fight loud, long, or hard enough, our pain and anger will eventually be acknowledged.

Whether you're struggling with a particular issue, or just can't shake the feeling that there should be more to life, I am dedicated to help you create a healthier and more satisfying life. Getting support during difficult times can be helpful in encouraging yourself to move more confidently in a positive direction. I provide a caring environment in which you can gain better insight into yourself and your emotions, and embody this awareness in action that leads to an empowered life where you feel competent to take on life's challenges in a secure and confident way.

Life can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate at times. These challenges can often lead to feelings of hopelessness and anxiety. Therapy can empower you and provide you with the tools needed to manage your obstacles. I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over fifteen years of experience providing counseling to individuals, couples, and families. I value establishing a safe and open counseling environment for clients to feel heard and accepted.

Has your life gotten off track? Do you need an ASAM substance abuse evaluation because of an alcohol/drug related charge? Has alcohol affected your health or liver status? Have your life goals been put on hold because of an alcohol/drug related issue? Is it time to evaluate your relationship with alcohol/drugs and maybe make some changes? Do you need outpatient follow up from intensive treatment? Are issues such as depression, anxiety, stress management, life skills, grief, post partum depression, or adoption getting in your way? Come meet with a counselor skilled in substance abuse and mental health services to discuss options.

If you, you and your partner, or family members are going through a difficult period in your life/lives, I can help guide you in the direction you would like to see a change in. Relationships, work, family, and personal life are all intertwined. If your goals and needs are to achieve a healthy balance between all of them, please let me know. Every individual has different goals. We can work on them together in a non-judgmental therapeutic relationship.

Through couple and family therapy, I help individuals, couples, and families manage their emotions effectively so they are able to communicate them to others. This creates a secure attachment in marriages hurt by infidelity, mistrust, and lack of sexual intimacy. As a licensed marriage and family therapist, you will learn how to have an emotionally safe sexual relationship with your significant other. Continue reading to learn how to book a session with me.

Accepting new clients - The Center for Connection, Healing & Change focuses on the creation of secure, close, and satisfying relationships- within us and between us. We choose to specialize in relationships because we know the importance of satisfying connections for our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Services explore the relationship we have with both ourselves and others; how well we can live with emotional ease, know who we are, ask for what we need, be responsive to loved ones, set boundaries, deal with loss, move through stressful experiences, find our purpose, and access resilience in moments of need.

Often many individuals realize the need for professional assistance in order to successfully navigate and cope with barriers they are experiencing, whether this is relationship strain, personal difficulties such as intense emotional responses, or goals to achieve. In many cases there are learned behaviors that cause distress which resulted from previous experiences and further shape our choices into the future. Regardless of the barrier, individuals seek support when these begin to impact their ability to function day to day.

**Accepting new clients via teletherapy. Immediate availability.** Life can be so overwhelming and we can feel so alone. At Thrive have devoted ourselves to helping people navigate their lives to feel happier and more fulfilled. We help individuals gain insight and live fuller & more authentic lives. We provide compassionate, supportive and confidential care to children, adolescents, college-aged, adults and couples. We specialize in providing relief from anxiety, depression, loss & grief and trauma. We also help with issues related to life transitions and acculturation issues.

I value doing deep, attachment-based work that gets at the root of your struggles. Whether I am working with individuals, couples, or families, my goal is to help people feel less burdened by negativity and more connected with themselves and their loved ones. I can help you access the parts of you that need attention and healing so you can develop more self-trust, resolve internal conflicts, integrate past trauma, and show up more authentically in your relationships.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from University of Maryland and Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Maryland at Baltimore. Since 1986, I have been working with children, teenagers, and adults who experience depression, anxiety, trauma, family and relationship challenges, and adults with a serious mental illness. I have worked in foster care, hospital, outpatient, and community-based settings. I strive to be warm, open, encouraging, and direct and combine experience, education, creativity, and sense of humor with a humane, down-to-earth approach.

Teletherapy/In-Person Available. I own and run a private practice in Fairfax, VA- Fairfax Integrative Therapy. Using a strengths-based approach, I help individuals and couples achieve their internal and relational goals. I incorporate attachment based models to help clients build self-awareness as they address issues related to marital conflict, infidelity, difficult life transitions, personal insecurities, anxiety, depression, and trauma. I create a safe space through empathy, patience, and curiosity, while providing each individual and couple concrete strategies and clear feedback that becomes the foundation for lasting change.

Embracing the uniqueness of each individual, my therapeutic approach is centered on tailored, supportive, and collaborative methods. Together, we will work to integrate profound insights and self-awareness into your behavioral patterns, fostering processed and healthy emotional reactions. In therapy, my aim is to guide you through challenging life experiences that may seem persistent. You'll gain control over your choices, heal from the past, and develop coping strategies, empowering you to overcome obstacles and reach your full potential.

We help couples build person-to-person, heart-to-heart, soul-to-soul connections. We all long to be seen, heard, understood, held, and cherished by our precious person. Being in secure connection often conflicts with how life has shaped us. For many of us, relationship experiences have included bumps in the road, needs have been missed, wounds have developed, protections have grown, trust has been broken, limited beliefs have emerged, and parts of us have been hidden away. We help couples explore how life has influenced their interactions and then find lasting ways to heal, connect, repair, meet unmet needs, and build security.

Looking to talk and be heard? I follow a “one size does not fit all” approach and tailor therapy to the specific needs of clients. My specialities include working with couples, young adolescents, and blended families.

Life can be a roller coaster. It takes us high with the birth of a child, falling in love, or reaching new goals. It may drop us low mourning a death, suffering abuse, grappling with sexual issues, feeling isolated. Sometimes we feel stuck with no hope on the horizon. You are unique but not alone. Whatever your struggles might be, fighting these battles on your own can be difficult, painful and overwhelming. Your struggles are your journey and sometimes it feels like that road comes to a dead end. Because each journey is unique, I use an integration of therapies to seek other inroads into your healing. One size does not fit all.