Parenting Therapists in Fairfax, VA

I work with a variety of clients including children, teenagers, parents, and families - focusing most of my work with school-aged children and parents. My goal is to create a safe and playful relationship with my clients. I believe in the therapeutic powers of play and expressive therapies and incorporate play therapy techniques with directive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) skills to help treat a variety of common issues seen in children including anxiety, depression, emotional regulation issues, trauma, and ADHD.

I believe that at various times in life everyone experiences a challenge, when their way of coping isn't working the way it usually does. I am passionate about supporting people who are committed to improving their lives. I have a solution focused approach and integrate alternative treatment options. I work with anyone from ages 5 and up, with 15 years of experience. I work with a lot Mothers and children who are adjusting to the changes in day to day life. I own a business with additional therapists, I can connect you with someone in my practice who specializes in other areas.

At The Center for Connection, Healing & Change we specialize in working with toddlers, children, teens, and their families. Our family therapists are skilled in working with relationships, attachment, anxiety, depression, emotion regulation, behavioral concerns, academics, trauma, life transitions, somatic issues, identity, self-worth, trauma, adoption, and loss. As each family is different, we utilize evidence-based models to help you find real-world solutions that fit you and your unique family needs. A full description of our treatment philosophy and the areas we work with can be found at www.thecenterforconnection.com

I opened In Step, a private mental health practice, 25 years ago in the hope that children, teens, parents, and adults would see us as a safe place where they can learn and grow. I specialize in working with folks who struggle with anxiety, depression, ADHD, parenting struggles, and relationship problems. Using various approaches – Relational Psychotherapy, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, CBT (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy), and Parent Coaching, I see clients alone, as part of a couple, and as part of the family.

As a Certified Imago Relationship Therapist(CIRT), and a Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP), I have experience in helping individual, marital, premarital and family discord, cultural issues with interracial couples, children, parenting, interpersonal issues, depression, anxiety disorders, self-esteem issues and others. The pain that humans experience is diverse, deep, and wide. But there is also healing power within everyone to overcome pain. I believe that there is healing power within every person and that each person has good qualities that are unique to them.

It is not easy to ask for help, but in working with me you will find a safe, compassionate, and accepting space that fosters growth and personal development. My strengths-focused approach relies on mindfulness, insight and working to help get you unstuck. I take a holistic approach in working with issues of anxiety and depression, postpartum depression and anxiety, infertility, life transitions, parent coaching, and persistent relationship or family difficulties. I am a safe place where you can explore the past and we will work to build the future you choose from a place of love and compassion.

Is your child struggling with behavior or have anxiety that is more than normal? A teenager who is moody and withdrawn? Or are you struggling as a parent on how to help your child? At Crossroads Family Counseling Center we have successfully worked with children and families over 30 years to improve relationships, manage intense behaviors and feelings and help create peace and stability among all family members.

What do YOU need? This is the deceptively simple question which I ask my clients almost every session. What would change if you asked yourself that simple question more often? This is an example of some of the foundational work which I'll infuse into our sessions. I LOVE what I do and am so honored to be a part of your life! My goal as your therapist is to encourage, support, empower, and listen. I view therapy as a true partnership where you're not alone while you navigate the 'messy middle' of life in these uncertain times. I work solely virtually after getting positive feedback from busy clients who appreciate this convenience.

Living a life with more joy and fulfillment is truly possible for you. With a full heart, I will walk with you to develop a healthier sense of self, nurture positive behavioral and thought patterns that leads to personal growth and healing. My personal model of therapy integrates your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors while providing a way for you to drive your therapy sessions to a place where you feel acknowledged and empowered. As a licensed professional counselor (LPC-S) in Virginia, my core competencies center around my work with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families.

I am here to help children, teens and their parents develop well-being during these very stressful times. Raising children is hard; raising children who have ADHD, relationship difficulties, anxiety, learning issues, and/or depression is even harder. Parents need help and so do their kids. Therapy and coaching offer a venue to express feelings, practice new skills, and establish new ways of connecting with one another. I have also traveled extensively and completed my doctoral research on acculturation, academic stress, and burnout and have a unique interest and skill set in serving families returning to the US from abroad.

I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor & a certified PCIT therapist/trainer. I have been working with children, youth, families, & adults for the past 10 years who have experienced a variety of different stressors, traumatic situations, & transitions/adjustments. My approach is therapy is to create a safe & accepting environment, help you develop insight into your thoughts, feelings & actions as well as develop effective coping strategies to manage stressors. Therapy will help you feel more confident & supported while also helping you/or your child learn to manage your emotions, needs & be able to communicate those with others.

Being a child is a special time full of curiosity, exploration, and learning. It is also a time when your body is growing, language is developing, social skills are evolving, and your capacity to cope is a work in progress. It doesn’t take much to feel unsure, overwhelmed, stressed, or unseen. Struggles are expressed through emotional and behavioral distress - tantrums, defiance, dysregulation, difficulty with focus, transitions, separation, or withdrawal from others/school/activities. It can also show up as jealousy, attention-seeking, aggression, anxiety, depression, or hyperactivity. PCIT is specifically designed for this stage.

I believe the stories we tell about ourselves are powerful. My job is to support persons in the amazing process of authoring themselves. I use strengths-based approaches to individual, couples, family, and group therapy. Relationships are a focus of my work, especially romantic relationships, parent-child and sibling relationships. I am always excited to meet a new person to walk alongside for a while in their unique journey of growth and exploration.

I work with adult individuals and children aged 2-18 and their families/caregivers. I focus on supporting clients to creatively turn their pain into coping skills, missed connections into secure relationships, and problematic behaviors into strengths and resiliency. I focus on practical, real-world strategies that build security and connection through a balance of nurture, engagement, structure, and challenge. These strategies are a resource that can then be utilized through different life experiences, stages, and adversity. I support children and caregivers alike to learn new ways of responding, guiding, and supporting one another.

For the past 15 years, I have been committed to working with preschool and school-aged children and their families who are struggling with anxiety and other emotional and behavioral regulation difficulties. I also support children and families through the complicated emotions of divorce, adoption, and other losses as well as the stress and threats to self-esteem that can accompany learning challenges, ADHD and social difficulties. I partner comprehensively with children, parents, schools, and other involved professionals with the aim of building the strongest possible foundation from which children can grow and thrive.

I currently specialize in helping children and families address and resolve the various issues which interfere with a satisfying personal and family life. I welcome adults who are struggling with the challenges of parenting and have developed innovative and effective methods to assist in the ongoing self development of the parent. My practice includes an explicit commitment to under served populations especially BIPOC youth and families. Sliding scale fees are available and extensive specialized trainings in anti-racism, diversity, equity and cultural sensitivity reflect my commitment to conscious, competent and welcoming services.

I work as a clinical and forensic psychologist in Virginia. As founding director of Child Custody Clinic, PLLC, I provide services to families facing custody litigation. It is my privilege to manage a team of clinicians who provide individual and family therapy, parent coordination, and trauma-informed interventions. As a mid-career psychologist, I also welcome the chance to provide psychotherapy to human service professionals struggling with compassion fatigue.

Change can be hard, exhilarating, or downright paralyzing, but you don't have to do it alone. I will join you where you are and help you get to where you want to be. Every session will be one where you can breathe deeper and feel comfortable enough to release anything that may be weighing you down in a safe, open space. Whether it is coping with life transitions, bumps in the parenting road, experiencing depression, or the anxious brain keeping you up at night, let me help you navigate these challenges so that you can embrace the amazing person that is you.

I offer concrete, effective strategies to parents, children, & adolescents to address a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and developmental concerns. My clients leave every session with a specific plan for exactly what to do to build skills or reduce problem behaviors, and improvement is usually quick to see. Children who benefit from my services exhibit a very broad range of challenges, including ADHD-related impulsivity and hyperactivity, aggression, oppositionality, "attitude", anxiety, ASD-related social skills deficits and challenges, enuresis, encopresis, and sleeping issues - just to name a few.