Teletherapy for Leesburg, VA

I have the pleasure of serving adolescents, adults and couples seeking compassionate and evidence-based clinical care. I have worked with clients facing a wide diversity of challenges including Anxiety, Depression, Mood Lability, Grief, Loss, Stress and more. I enjoy supporting clients through interpersonal milestones such as relationships, intimacy, divorce, re-coupling, reconciliation and other momentous life events.

I have a passion for treating clients motivated in overcoming symptoms related to anxiety, depression, trauma, and eating disorders (utilizing the Health At Every Size and All Foods Fit approach). While therapy isn't always easy, I like to take a friendly and casual, yet professional approach to our therapeutic relationship. I want your experience in therapy to be a positive one. I enjoy working with people of all ages, and do particularly well with adolescents and young adults!

I have been working with children, adolescents and adults for 34 years as a soccer coach, and providing therapeutic services to children, adolescents, and families in Northern Virginia since 2015. I have a deep passion for working with people, and especially children, adolescents, and young adults. I love to combine a person's passion, such as sports/extra-curricular activities with therapeutic modalities to help them navigate the obstacles in their lives. I take a tailored approach to individual needs using cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and person-centered approaches that build valuable skills, and nurture autonomy.

You’re tired of feeling stuck, irritable, and like you’re pulling away to self-preserve. You’re worn down from being bullied by your own inner critic that shames and debilitates you, keeping you stuck in indecision and self-doubt or shut down and indifferent. Externally, you’re dependable and have it together. Inside, you're running on empty from keeping up the act, feeling more alone, invisible, and hopeless. Maybe you’ve prioritized your family, your job, or survival. It’s clear it's time for an oxygen mask. You want to understand yourself, feel more in control, more grounded, and able to handle life in a healthy, authentic way.

When you find yourself overwhelmed, stressed out, and unfulfilled, sometimes it feels easier to stay stuck on the treadmill of life than take the terrifying step of figuring out where it is you really want to go. You’ve taken on the worries and responsibilities of those around you because it’s safer to help them with their problems and push yours off to “deal with later.” Then one morning, you look in the mirror and don’t recognize the person staring back at you. You realize that the life you have feels so different then how you expected it to be, leaving you feeling lost and confused.

I'm passionate about working with children and families in foster care as well as families/children going through the adoption process. I also have experience in supporting adoptee’s who are looking for support or struggling emotionally, post adoption. I bring my experience as a former foster care worker and an adoptee myself to help foster and adoptive families. I utilize trauma-informed framework, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, to help build a better understanding of the impacts of trauma, stress, separation, unknowns and complicated family dynamics. My clients are looking for someone warm and safe to work on these issues.

Do you ever get lost in your thoughts, preventing you from living the life you want? Is your relationship strained and you wonder how, if it's even possible, to make things better? Are you struggling with parenting your child and wish you knew how to get them to listen? I can help you live a peaceful life that allows you to act consistent with your values, whether your concerns are within your relationships or something you hope to tackle yourself. There's insight to gain and skills to learn. Life can get sticky, so let's untangle the confusion and sort out what's relevant to create the changes you desire.

I am accepting new clients for Apr/May ‘23 in person and Zoom. I have been working in the recovery field since 1994. I am a compassionate therapist, but with a bit of no nonsense thrown in. I'm not afraid to address the difficult topics, but also realize this can take time. I want my clients to feel safe and know they can move forward in this journey, staying stuck is not the answer. Recovery can be scary, and the path is unknown, but making these changes is essential to living a better life. I believe humor is important in life, and can be a part of counseling, it doesn't need to be a chore, it's about becoming your best self!

“The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change, but the realist adjusts the sails”. I have made it my mission to help people use the resources they have to reach their destinations. We may not have all of the resources we desire, but using my strengths based approach to counseling, we can realize and maximize the tools, resources, and supports we have available to us. This approach lends itself most beautifully to my work with individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, women’s issues, pre and post partum related challenges, couples counseling and eating disorders.

Are you are struggling with alcohol or substance use, dependency or abuse, or finding yourself anxious, depressed, facing life situations that are overwhelming? Do you want to unburden yourself from past challenges or trauma, or create new pathways to the future? Perhaps you just need to be able to re-calibrate and adjust your lifestyle to achieve your goals? My practice addresses these issues in a compassionate, cutting edge approach, using East-West modalities, and grounded in a spiritual framework.

Our healing team works to be your listening ears. Every session is tailored to help you identify the individual issues we need to help with and design a plan to help you move forward I'm a healthy daily lifestyle. We utilize individual and group depending on your needs and preferences. We utilize meditation, mindfulness if you desire. No medication is prescribed, we have partners to refer if needed.

Now accepting in-person and video clients who are residents of DC or Virginia. Couples Therapy/Marriage Counseling: You can repair your relationship! I work with the most difficult problems that couples can face to help couples repair and find love and safety again. You will learn the tools and techniques to communicate effectively, restore intimacy, and strengthen love. I I use PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy), the Gottman Method, and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy in this important work. I also offer an accelerated approach to help you achieve the results you want faster.

As an adoptee and a parent, I strive to bring to the counseling relationship the same empathy, understanding, and validation I desired as a child and young adult processing my own adoption and parenting experiences. Using a collaborative, client-centered, and trauma-informed approach, my goal is to cultivate a safe and trusting environment for exploration, introspection, empowerment, and autonomy. I believe that change comes when we can honor our past and experiences without judgment, acknowledge thoughts and beliefs that no longer align with our values, and take steps through values-aligned action towards our goals and healing.

I enjoy working with clients where they are and helping them to work through the difficult situations they are experiencing. Each person has their own unique gifts and strengths that they can learn to depend on. The transition through life can be a very difficult time for both the patient and their family. My goals when working with patients are to help them increase their communication, teach them to embrace differences, help them accept themselves and empower them to tell their own story to find out who they want to be. I have worked with a vast variety of patients from residential, acute, crisis, PHP and IOP services.

Finding a therapist you connect with can feel so overwhelming you avoid it. But that is probably why you're here, because there have been things you've been avoiding and you're ready to get some help. Being foster and adoptive parents is way harder than most people understand, especially those who haven't experienced the invasive and arduous process. As a teen or young adult, you might be feeling lost or angry. You might be having a harder time than others figuring out who are you are and where you fit in the world. My style fuses warmth, humor, and directness.

Finding a meaningful relationship can be difficult, and so can maintaining one! Both can lead to anxiety, hopelessness, heartbreak, trust issues, and compromised self-esteem. Relationships and dating can be a messy and hectic process, despite technological advances and seemingly endless advice. We live in a world with so many options, and despite the best intentions, sometimes we need help. Whether it's incompatibility, betrayal, or the numerous other things that could go wrong, just know you're not alone. I'm here to work with you and provide support on your journey of healing, self-discovery, and authentic living.

Life can be daunting and stressful. For every difficulty there is a solution. I believe it is within us all to become energized to lead happy, productive lives. Sometimes we just need some extra support to reach our goals. My favorite part about being a psychotherapist is helping people realize their strengths and become empowered to lead healthy lives. This power is within all of us. We just need to tap into it. I can help you learn how to do that. I have a very broad background in the mental health field for the past 30 years. I enjoy working with adolescents, families, couples, and people who are addicted to anything.

Are you going through a transition in life? Are you struggling with navigating feelings, decisions or conflicts? Well, you have made a courageous first step by seeking help! My goal is to provide a safe space for you to realize your strengths, identify and process your emotions, and work through things in life that are keeping you "stuck." I take a person-centered approach to therapy, using techniques and theories from a number of approaches to help you adjust and grow through your unique experiences. Although I value clinical interventions, creating an environment that feels safe and welcoming is my top priority.

My experience includes working with individuals of various ages to address topics such as addiction, learning about their mental health diagnosis, depression, anxiety, OCD, family conflict, life changes, and history of abuse. Each discussion is specific to your needs and what makes you feel most comfortable. My goal is to work with you and help you identify the goals you want to achieve and the best path to take to get there.