Whether you’re looking to relieve mental health symptoms, stressed from marital discord, or worried about a child or adolescent, I am here to support you on your healing journey!
Depression & Anxiety
When depressive/anxious feelings persist and begin to affect everyday life and normal functioning, an individual may be suffering from depression or anxiety. Treatment of symptoms varies based on the intensity and the severity of symptoms. Initial stages of therapy will focus on safety planning, identifying symptoms/triggers, and incorporating tools to relieve symptoms. Long term work will involve psychodynamic therapy to explore early childhood relationship patterns and how these may be impacting the way in which an individual views the world.
I utilize Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) a form of psychotherapy that treats problems and boosts happiness and feelings of peace by modifying and challenging dysfunctional thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. CBT can work as well or better than medication to treat mental health disorders and can be effective if your depression or anxiety is mild or moderate. It also can help with more severe cases if combined (per recommendation of a skilled psychiatrist) with other treatments, such as antidepressants.
Stress & Life Transitions
In the NOVA area, pressure to perform and achieve our goals/accomplishments is intense for all ages. Adjusting to change can be difficult, as even positive life transitions tend to cause some levels of stress. Over the course of a lifetime, a person can expect to experience a significant amount of change. Some of these changes such as marriage, births, or new jobs are positive, however, other major life transitions, such as moving, grief, divorce, postpartum, retirement, or entering the “empty nest” phase of life may cause a significant amount of stress.
Parenting, school/athletic/music pressures for children and teens, honors and AP courses, as well as the strains of daily social pressures. Those who find themselves experiencing difficulty coping with life transitions may find it helpful to seek treatment with talk therapy to be able to better adjust to changes they cannot control.
Children & Adolescents
Your child is suffering and you may be confused and not know how to move forward. Perhaps your child is struggling in school, being bullied, suffering from anxiety and/or depression, experiencing difficulty within social situations, struggling with grades/athletics/extracurriculars, has been recently diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, or is experiencing stress due to a recent divorce. I understand that you, as the parent, must be able to trust your child’s therapist and the great responsibility we have as caretakers is to help move them forward towards a healthier life.
It’s common for teens to feel shy about going to a therapist and there may be worry about being judged or concern others’ will think he or she has a mental illness. However, most teens find that spending time with an adult outside of their family and who is giving them one-on-one attention enjoy the experience very much.
There are many reasons why a teen may need therapy: low self-esteem, anxiety/depression, being bullied, transitioning to college, developing healthy boundaries, social media/technology concerns, navigating peer/family relationships, life changes, normal stress/grades, and much much more! I hope I will be able to meet your teen soon so that I can support them on their journey of healing!
Grief & Loss
Grief and loss counseling helps individuals work through negative thoughts, feelings, and memories associated with the loss of a loved one. Although grieving can occur for other types of losses as well (loss of goals, finances, career/pets, miscarriage, relationships); grief counseling is generally directed toward positive adjustment following the loss after the death of a close loved one.
Grief counseling helps the individual recognize normal aspects of the grieving process, cope with the pain associated with the loss, feel supported through the anxiety surrounding life changes that may follow the loss, and develop strategies for seeking support and self-care. I will compassionately walk alongside you as you bravely and courageously process your grief and stay resilient along your journey.