You are the expert on your life, and it is my job to help you access your internal wisdom.  As a Level 1 trained Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist, I help you as an individual to connect to different parts of yourself, different perspectives inside you that are deeply valuable but not always harmonious.  “A part of me wants to go out, but another part of me wants to stay in.  And another part of me is frustrated about not being able to make up my mind!” We each have a metaphorical family of different parts within us, with which we can cultivate better relationships.  (The “Family” in Internal Family Systems does not refer to your family of origin or any external people in your life, and you would never be pressured to involve family members in therapy or resume contact with family members you are not in touch with.)  Together, as we get to know different sides of you, we can heal trauma wounds and allow more space for inner peace.

 

In this process, I will give you my full attention, respect your values, help you identify your goals, and work to earn your trust over time to do effective work together.  Counseling becomes a journey of self-discovery, growth, and healing. After you reach out, we'll have a free chat on the phone to see if you'd like to move forward.

 

Some other things about my background:

 

I draw on other awarenesses to supplement my IFS work with my clients, including Attachment Theory, Feminist Therapy and intersectional feminism, Solution-Focused Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, and insights and interventions from the growing field of Positive Psychology research.

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A little about my own identity may help you decide whether you would feel comfortable working with me: I am a White, lesbian, transgender woman from an upper-middle-class background.  I was raised religious Catholic/Christian but now identify as spiritual.  I happily welcome more questions about my background if we move forward communicating about the potential of working together.

 

I believe firmly that the public needs access to culturally competent, trauma-informed, and LGBTQ-affirming mental health professionals, and that is what I seek to be.  I draw from an awareness of privilege (including my own), oppression, and intersectionality, especially around race, gender, class, and sexuality, and I understand that many individuals with minority identities have been hurt in the past by micro- or macro-aggressions from health care and mental health care providers.  I am committed to earning my clients’ trust and respecting their boundaries.  In a validating setting, I help my clients understand the tools and strengths they already have and use their autonomy to make well-informed decisions according to their own wisdom.  I occasionally teach about the brain or about a specific strategy in order to help a client reach one of their goals.

 

I earned my Masters of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Loyola University Maryland, where coursework frequently challenged us to consider the spiritual dimensions that can sometimes emerge within counseling.  I am intimately aware of the healthy, grounding role that spirituality plays in many people’s lives, and conversely, the ways that well-intentioned faith practices can sometimes intensify mental health problems.  I know that there are many different ways that people can connect to God, a higher power, or the Divine - and that this relationship can change over time.  I am also intimately aware that many people lead meaningful, fulfilling lives without faith or religion. Discussion of your faith, religion, and/or spirituality is fully welcomed into counseling at your discretion, but not assumed and never forced on you.  

 

My job is to help you anchor into what is meaningful and grounding in your own life.  The decisions and directions that will be healing and empowering for you are likely to be unique to you.  I support you in blazing your own trail, rather than expecting you to follow a roadmap used by myself or anyone else.

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I encourage you to check on my licenses and verifications as you consider potentially working together.  I am a... 

• Licensed Professional Counselor (in Virginia, verify here and DC, verify here) and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (in Maryland, verify here).

• Level 1 trained Internal Family Systems therapist (verify here).

• Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Level 2 (verify here).

• Nationally Certified Counselor as well as Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (verify both here).