Therapists in Charlottesville City County, VA

I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years of experience. I view my work with clients as a team effort. We all have unique strengths and abilities, yet sometimes life gets hard and we can end up feeling lost, defeated, or overwhelmed. My goal is to help clients re-discover their strength, feel better, and enjoy life again.

I help individuals find desired change, relief, and insight by increasing understanding and awareness of their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. I teach practical coping skills and guide clients in reprocessing distressing experiences and memories. With a mindfulness and strength-based approach, one technique I offer, as needed, is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing). Through this work together, you'll connect more with your inner, positive voice and truths, and decrease automatic behaviors and thoughts that make "small" issues feel overwhelming, that cause "freezing" or fighting. This results in more comfort with yourself and more confidence with other people or situations.

I have explored the mind-body connection since 1980. I use healing and recovery models of therapy that respect my clients' strength and potential. I specialize in gentle and supportive methods of assisting clients to overcome the recurrent effects of trauma. I have advanced training and experience with mind/body modalities including EMDR to facilitate healing and foster posttraumatic growth. This generally involves helping a client learn to manage the recurrent symptoms of trauma and concurrently address and heal from the cause.

Finding a therapist who you feel comfortable with and supported by is key to any successful therapy. I work to develop a strong, trusting relationship with every client and design a treatment that is tailored to your needs. I enjoy working with a wide range of people struggling with many different issues, including relationship problems, anxiety, depression, grief, reactions to trauma, and child and adolescent problems, among other difficulties.

We all experience times of feeling disconnected from family, friends, or coworkers. When this human experience is prolonged or frequent it may lead to unskillfull coping and greater suffering. I BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF CONNECTION WITH OTHERS AND I KNOW THIS PROCESS MUST START WITH CONNECTING TO OURSELVES. With over 15 years of experience in the field of mental health and wellness, I have supported countless people on their journey to a more full and authentic life. My clients range from teenagers to older adults who seek support with relationships, grief/loss, depression, anxiety, and life transitions.

Clients coming to see me are generally in one of three categories: 1) People who are unhappy and know why. They have experienced loss, mistreatment, oppression, trauma, major illness, discrimination, or other experiences that they identify as the source of their distress. 2) People who are unhappy and don't know why. They may feel depressed, anxious, or dissatisfied with their lives and not know the reason. 3) People who feel okay but want to come to life more fully and feel even better.

Current waitlist for new clients, please inquire! Struggling is a normal part of life, but it's definitely harder when we do it alone. By looking at the whole You instead of just symptoms, you can find a greater sense of purpose and peace. Counseling with me will focus on looking at the bigger picture - meaning, purpose, and authenticity - while helping you build more sustainable habits.With every client, I work to create a unique relationship where you can feel safe to laugh, cry, or have any emotion on the wide, beautiful spectrum of human experience and trust that I'll still be here.