Licensed to practice in Virginia and accepts 9 insurances. Specializes in Anger Management, Anxiety, Coping Skills and 8 more.
New to Grow
Life can feel overwhelming when anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship conflict, or major life changes begin to take over. My goal is to provide a place where you feel heard, respected, and challenged to grow. I believe therapy should be more than simply talking about problems—it should help you develop practical tools that create lasting change. Before becoming a therapist, I had careers in oceanography and motorsports, experiences that taught me resilience, discipline, and the importance of adapting when life takes unexpected turns. For more than a decade, I've had the privilege of working with adolescents, adults, veterans, and families in outpatient, hospital, and residential settings. Whether you're struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, anger, relationship challenges, or simply feeling stuck, we'll work together to understand what's keeping you there and develop realistic strategies for moving forward. My approach is collaborative, compassionate, and solution-focused. I primarily utilize Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and motivational techniques to help clients identify unhealthy thinking patterns, improve emotional regulation, and build healthier relationships. I believe meaningful change happens when clients feel both supported and appropriately challenged.
Your first session is designed to help us get to know one another and begin building a plan that fits your unique needs. We'll discuss what brings you to therapy, your personal history, current stressors, strengths, and the goals you hope to achieve. I'll ask questions to better understand your experiences, but just as importantly, I'll give you the opportunity to ask questions and decide whether I feel like the right fit for you. My style is conversational and collaborative. While I provide a supportive environment, I also believe in helping clients recognize patterns that may be keeping them stuck. Together we'll identify practical, achievable goals and begin developing tools you can start using immediately. My hope is that you leave your first session feeling understood, encouraged, and equipped with a clearer direction for moving forward.
Clients often describe me as approachable, genuine, and direct. I strive to balance empathy with accountability, creating a therapeutic relationship where you feel safe enough to be honest while also being challenged to grow. I don't believe therapy should consist only of listening—I believe it should lead to meaningful action. My professional background spans private practice, children's behavioral health hospitals, residential treatment, and clinical leadership, allowing me to work effectively with a wide variety of concerns and personalities. My previous careers outside of mental health also help me relate to clients navigating career changes, professional stress, leadership challenges, and major life transitions. I focus on teaching practical coping skills rather than simply discussing problems. Clients often leave sessions with concrete strategies they can apply immediately to improve emotional regulation, communication, decision-making, and confidence. I believe lasting change comes from understanding how our thoughts influence our emotions and behaviors, and then intentionally practicing healthier ways of responding to life's challenges.
I enjoy working with adolescents and adults who are motivated to make meaningful changes in their lives. My practice welcomes both men and women who are seeking support for anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship challenges, anger management, ADHD, life transitions, and personal growth. I have extensive experience working with military veterans and individuals recovering from traumatic experiences, helping clients build resilience and regain a sense of purpose. I welcome clients from diverse backgrounds, including individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or LGBTQ+, and I strive to provide a respectful, supportive, and nonjudgmental therapeutic environment where every person is treated with dignity. I also enjoy working with clients whose Christian or Jewish faith is an important part of their identity. When requested, I am comfortable integrating a client's faith and values into the therapeutic process while using evidence-based approaches such as CBT, REBT, DBT, and Trauma-Focused CBT. My practice is generally best suited for clients seeking outpatient therapy for emotional, relational, or behavioral concerns. My clinical focus does not include the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder, active substance use disorders requiring specialized addiction treatment, or polyamorous relationship counseling. When those concerns are the primary reason for seeking therapy, I encourage clients to work with clinicians who specialize in those areas to ensure they receive the most appropriate care.
REBT is one of the primary therapeutic approaches I use because it helps clients understand that while we cannot always control life's events, we can learn to change the beliefs that shape our emotional reactions. Together, we identify irrational or self-defeating beliefs, challenge whether they are accurate or helpful, and replace them with healthier, reality-based perspectives. Clients often find REBT especially helpful for anxiety, depression, anger, perfectionism, guilt, low self-esteem, and relationship conflict because it teaches practical ways to respond rather than simply react.
CBT helps clients recognize the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. I work collaboratively with clients to identify negative thinking patterns that contribute to emotional distress and replace them with more balanced, effective ways of thinking. Sessions often include practical coping strategies, behavioral exercises, and homework designed to help clients apply new skills between sessions. CBT is highly effective for anxiety, depression, stress management, trauma recovery, ADHD, and many everyday life challenges.
Traumatic experiences can significantly affect how we think, feel, behave, and relate to others. In my work with children, adolescents, and adults who have experienced trauma, I utilize Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) to help clients safely process painful experiences while building resilience and restoring a sense of safety. Treatment begins by teaching practical calming, emotional regulation, and coping skills so clients develop confidence in managing distress before processing traumatic memories. As therapy progresses, clients gradually develop a trauma narrative—a structured account of their experiences that allows them to process the trauma in a safe, supportive, and manageable way. When clinically appropriate, clients are encouraged to share their trauma narrative with a trusted and supportive individual, helping reduce shame, strengthen healthy relationships, and promote healing through connection. Throughout treatment, we also identify and challenge unhelpful beliefs that often develop following trauma, replacing them with healthier, more balanced perspectives. My goal is to help clients move beyond surviving traumatic experiences by developing effective coping skills, reducing the emotional impact of trauma, and fostering lasting resilience and hope.
ACT helps clients stop fighting difficult thoughts and emotions and instead learn how to respond to them in healthier ways. Rather than attempting to eliminate uncomfortable feelings, I help clients develop psychological flexibility by accepting experiences they cannot control while committing to actions that align with their personal values. This approach is particularly helpful for anxiety, chronic stress, grief, chronic illness, and life transitions, allowing clients to build a meaningful life even when challenges remain.
I incorporate many practical DBT skills into treatment to help clients improve emotional regulation, tolerate distress, communicate more effectively, and strengthen relationships. Depending on each client's needs, we may focus on mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotion regulation skills. These tools are especially beneficial for individuals experiencing intense emotions, anger, anxiety, relationship difficulties, or impulsive behaviors, helping them respond thoughtfully instead of reacting impulsively.