LPC, 4 years of experience
Hi there! My name is Madeleine, and I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Art Therapist (ATR-P) based in Washington, DC. I received my Masters in Art Therapy from George Washington University, and I've worked in the field for five years. I use art and talk therapy techniques catered to each client in improving their mental and spiritual wellbeing. I’m part of the LGBTQIA+ community and feel my best when I'm helping people gain insight into themselves, heal, and grow from past experiences.
During our first session, I like to keep it a little more casual. I'll ask you about relevant personal history that's influencing your current emotions, thoughts, and feelings, and then we'll work together to develop some goals for therapy.
Having worked in inpatient psychiatric care facilities, children's hospitals, elementary, middle, and high schools, I've always shown up authentically as myself. I also genuinely care about my client's wellbeing, and love getting to use my creativity and empathy to help others on their journey.
I love working with adults who feel like they are missing something or feeling uncertain about themselves and the next steps on their journey.
In my practice, I like to use CBT to increase recognition and awareness of negative thought patterns and work on adding alternative statements. An example of a negative thought pattern is someone thinking "I always do things the wrong way" or "no one likes me." These thought patterns usually develop when we are younger, and can feel like a core part of ourselves. CBT is a useful tool for helping us extend compassion and recognition towards our thoughts.
In our therapy sessions, I believe that the client is the expert in their life and my role is to guide or assist where needed. We all have different needs for the pacing and set-up of our therapy sessions, and my job is to listen to you and encourage you when therapy gets difficult or challenging.
I believe everyone has the right to be respected and affirmed for their chosen identities and romantic relationships. I've helped multiple clients during their transitions, and remain committed to helping you feel validated and affirmed in our time together.