(she/her)
Hi, I'm a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) based in Virginia and Pennsylvania. I received my Doctorate degree in Couple & Family Therapy from the University of Minnesota and have been practicing for 8 years. I have experience working with individuals, couples, and families who struggle with anxiety, chronic health conditions, depression, loss and grief, stress, trauma, and relationship issues such as boundaries, parenting, intimacy, infidelity, trust, and more. I work with clients to process and heal psychological and relational pain. I believe that therapy is both science and art. The art of therapy can be seen as a joint venture between clients and therapists, and the science reflects in providing assessments, treatment plans, and evidence-based interventions. I believe in the collaboration between clients as experts in their lives and myself as a therapist who is trained in providing therapy services.
In the first session, I will get to know you through various questions about biological, social, psychological, and spiritual backgrounds. I will ask you about current issues, and we will discuss therapy goals together.
Behind each wound is a story. People walk through life with powerful, solid, and heavily built stories. Some stories are sensitive and secretive, making them even more challenging to carry because there is not only the wound of having endured them but the secret they have become. I hold a safe “enough” space for clients to share, explore, change, and grow.
I enjoy working with adult individuals and couples, who desire to make changes in their lives and/or would like to process and reflect on their experiences
Other specialties
I identify as
Couples Counseling
As a systemically oriented therapist, I acknowledge the importance of broadening the view of clients’ systems by searching for strengths, resources, and constraints. I provide personalized treatment plans for each couple and consider their unique context. The road to change requires curiosity, empathy, encouragement, and persistence. I honor that clients allow me to witness their journey and walk the road with them to help achieve their therapy goals. I utilize the Biopsychosocial approach to help couples adopt the solution sequence instead of the problem sequence and help them maintain the progress they make in therapy.
Integrative
The human experience is so complicated that any single treatment model is limited to thoroughly attending to every level of clients’ experiences. So, I utilize the Integrative Systemic Therapy approach in my work with clients. I believe that the integrative approach bridges the gaps between different models and enables me to develop personalized and more comprehensive treatment plans. I have special training in Integrative Systemic Therapy, Medical Family Therapy, Pre-Marital Counseling, and The Neurobiology of feeling safe: Working with Boundaries Inside and out.
8 ratings with written reviews
March 3, 2026
I really liked that in Dr Aalaa’s bio she stated that she is a couples counselor and specializes in women’s issues. It was also nice to see that she has a great rating from previous clients. First impressions are good and I look forward to more sessions and work with her!
January 27, 2026
What drew me to this provider was her expertise in understanding the mind of a medical provider. Upon our first session, she made sure to continuously check in on me throughout her line of questioning about how I was doing and what I felt comfortable with. she is flexible and kind. she allows me to talk, and provides multiple opportunities for dialog during our sessions. she is extremely knowledgable, which also allows me to feel very comfortable with being vulnerable.
October 16, 2025
Aalaa was my therapist at another practice. I tried a therapist in the same practice after Aalaa moved, and after 6 months I didn't feel like the new therapist was a good fit. I got on Dr Alshareef 's waiting list and a spot opened with 2 weeks. We started right where we left off, she remembered details of my life and counseling goals, which impressed me. In the first session I set goals for therapy and learned new techniques to use in my daily life to be the best version of myself.