Teletherapy for Alexandria, VA

Hi there! I’m Suzanne, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who provides telehealth therapy to individuals in Virginia. I help people tired of struggling with self-doubt, overwhelming emotions, shame, and difficulty in relationships move from self-criticism to self-compassion for more meaningful living. For many clients, the pain they experience might stem from past trauma, growing up in homes impacted by addiction, codependency, emotional neglect, invalidation, or loss.

A Rhaea Hope is a multidisciplinary group practice that offers individual therapy, couples counseling, and coaching. Our mission is to help individuals live authentically by unlearning unhealthy patterns and uncovering barriers preventing them from achieving happiness, stability, and success. Our specialties are as follows: anxiety, depression, codependency, coping skills, family conflict, infidelity, parenting, peer relationships, divorce, work burnout, self-esteem, stress, women’s issues, trauma, LGBTQ+, and topics related to gender identity. ​ We work with individuals, families, adolescents, and college students.

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.

I believe that everyone can heal, grow, and thrive through therapy. I enjoy working with clients to help them process trauma, loss, and grief and to help those who are suffering from depression and anxiety. Everyone needs connection and relationships in their lives. I help my clients become aware of their own needs, emotions, and fears so that they are better able to connect with others. My own experience with grief after losing my husband in a car accident forced me to grow and learn about recovery from catastrophic loss. We all face unique challenges and tragedies in our lives. Therapy can help us to feel less alone in our pain.

As a holistic trauma-informed therapist, I help you—or your child—move from overwhelm and anxiety to navigating life with confidence, ease, and joy. My areas of focus are anxiety, trauma, ADHD, and addiction—and they often occur simultaneously. I help you see your innate wisdom so that you can create goals, remember dreams, and find a deep, abiding sense of contentment within yourself. Many clients I work with were told they were "too sensitive" or "overdramatic" as a child. I am skilled at guiding you reconnect with younger parts of yourself and shift unhelpful core beliefs. I am licensed in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

Whether you're looking to set a new course in life, heal a wounded heart, break from unhealthy habits, I can teach you strategies and skills to become the person you want to be. Any positive change requires awareness, determination, and effort. At heartsandmindshealth, my goal is to improve your mental health and well-being. I take an insight-oriented, solution-focused approach to our work, After setting mutually-determined treatment objectives, I help individuals, couples, and groups achieve life goals, heal emotional wounds, become "unstuck", or break free from unhealthy patterns.

I am a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with 15 years of experience in behavioral healthcare. I see adults (18+) with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and trauma related disorders. I have collaborated with clients to adjust to life transitions, improve personal relationships, grieve the loss of loved ones, build a more robust social life, manage workplace stressors, build self-esteem, recover from trauma, and achieve a higher quality of life.

There is a solution. There is hope. And there is healing. Anxiety, depression, disordered eating, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, disruption in relationships, substance abuse, and on and on. These are curable, changeable, healable issues. When you go straight to the root of the issue, you can bring deep, lasting change. And we now know that the root of every mental health disorder (and many physical diseases as well) is some form of unresolved trauma. Trauma refers to any moment in our lives that we were unsafe in some way. Big or small, single events or years-long patterns-if we aren't able to process it, we store it.

Your mental and emotional health is just as important as your physical health and well being. Just as you would see your primary doctor to maintain your physical health, counseling is here to help maintain your emotional health. I provide counseling to help individuals and their loved ones address various life issues including (but not limited to): Family and marital conflicts, Problems in school, Depression, family separation, Adoption issues, Feelings of anxiety or nervousness, child and adolescent behavioral issues and Addiction issues. Weekend sessions are available.

Some commonly believed myths about couples counseling are (1) it’s the first step to divorce or separation, (2) a partner is going to feel outnumbered and gained up on, and (3) it involves nothing but tears, sweat, and pain. I am passionate about helping couples heal and rebuild trust after experiencing hurt, neglect, or an affair. I am all about helping couples find their spark again developing habits and communication patterns that help connect them and feel understood by one another. Couples therapy can be fun! Humor lowers tensions and brings a sense of lightheartedness into therapy, reminding us all that we’re only human.

Are you feeling anxious, overwhelmed, frustrated or misunderstood? Do you ever feel exhausted or resentful from trying to make sure everyone else is happy, trying to keep from rocking the boat and putting your own needs last? Are you a high-achiever who has met all the qualifications and still feels nagging self-doubt? If you want to feel safer and more comfortable in your interactions with others, I would like to help you understand your emotions and improve balance and connection in your relationships. My therapy style is open, warm and collaborative, and I create space for you to feel truly accepted, present and hopeful.

Accepting new clients. Are you a college student navigating challenges of academics and social life? Are you looking to understand who you are as a young adult? Do you have a teen or adolescent who could benefit from tools to manage the stressors of teen years? I’m here to help young adults, teens, and adolescents grow through and manage life’s challenges. I aim to help increase self-awareness, discover what healthy communication is, and create awareness of the mind-body connection for overall wellness. My approach creates space and fosters growth for clients to improve themselves for the better.

I view my engagement with individuals who are focused on building a life worth living as a core passion that supports a positive treatment experience. I enjoy working with teenagers, adults and couples who are navigating life issues that are preventing them from fulfilling their highest potential or accessing their best self. I also take pleasure in partnering with individuals on their journey as the therapeutic process can be just as enriching as the realization of the identified treatment goal.

I help bridge the gap between partners to create better communication and build intimacy. I want to encourage you and your partner(s) to be vulnerable with each other in order to come to mutual conclusions. Whether you are considering the higher commitment of marriage or rekindling your connection after difficult life events/transitions, I am here to provide the trained third party perspective that you seek to get back on the same page. When you're ready to get started, please reach out to schedule an intake assessment!

If you struggle with self worth, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, ADHD, insomia/sleep disorders, women's health, and/or general health psych related problems such as chronic pain, acceptance of a new medical diagnosis, etc., I can provide the tools to assist you in navigating the complexity of these issues.

Whether you are an executive working to find your rhythm in leadership, a member of the armed services struggling with return from deployment, a young adult questioning your sexual orientation, a couple trying to inspire the next phase of your relationship, or an athlete trying to push through a frustrating plateau, my solution-focused approach will help you accomplish your therapeutic goals. Relying on humor, frank dialogue, compassion, and strong interpersonal skills, I work quickly to break down barriers of discomfort and vulnerability to create a safe space for people from any walk of life.

If you're thinking about starting therapy, you've already taken the first step toward making a change. I work with individuals and couples to help people move toward living more rewarding lives. Many of my clients are struggling with depression and/or anxiety. We work to reduce symptoms through simple interventions like mindfulness and breathing practice. At the same time, we journey together to understand the deeper meanings of your symptoms--whether they are biochemical, experiential (rooted in your past) or situational-the goal is to heal old wounds and change the current patterns that aren't serving you.

We all can benefit from an objective, caring and trained professional who can effectively listen, identify key issues and help clarify options. I specialize in treating adults and older teens and look forward to helping all who have finally decided to seek out the help of another and courageously take that first step.

Therapy is an unusual process; there is nothing like it in day to day life. You come to a professional who focuses solely on you, your past, your future, your health, your goals and your perspective. Whatever you have been through, whatever you are trying to become, my goal is to do everything we can together to inspire you, to help you realize you can, and to help you know deep down that you are worth it. I will facilitate your understanding of your emotional (or lack of emotional) responses. You will learn the tools you need to heal from the trauma learning of the past and move forward, free to engage in life on your terms.