Giovonni Hinton
Hi, I'm Giovonni. I'm a poet, a writer, and a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in OCD treatment using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). As an Afrolatina, multicultural lesbian, I know how anxiety can live in the body, the mind, the spirit, and our relationships. My approach is personable, antiracist, and liberatory, and I work to create a collaborative, authentic space where healing can be whole and holistic. With intention, dignity, and humor when it fits, I walk alongside you as you reclaim your voice, embrace who you truly are, and grow a deeper compassion for yourself. Together, we can find the way back home to you.
First session
One request before we begin: get a journal. Write everything down. Give your emotions somewhere safe and sacred to land. You don't need to just talk about it. Here, you get to move through it. As it relates to OCD, this is not talk therapy. We will do an assessment using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. Then we will move from that to learning what your compulsions are to help us build hierachies that you will have to work on every.single.day. It will be work that feels difficult but it's not impossible if you stick with it. Our first session is an intake, which means it is really about me getting to know you. We will explore who you are, what is bringing you in, how long you have been carrying it, and what you are hoping to find on the other side of it. Think of it as the beginning of a map we are drawing together. I will ask questions, and I want you to answer them as honestly as you can, knowing that nothing you say will be met with judgment. This is a space where you are allowed to be exactly where you are. You do not have to have it figured out. You do not have to perform okayness. You just have to show up. I also want you to know that while this work is deep, it does not have to be heavy every single moment. Humor lives in this room too, when it is real and when it fits. Sometimes laughter is its own kind of release, and I will never be too clinical to recognize that. By the end of our first session, my goal is for you to leave feeling seen, heard, and like you can breathe a little easier than when you walked in.
Strengths
I bring both structure and soul to our work together. As an OCD specialist, I use Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), one of the most effective, research supported treatments available. But I never lose sight of the whole person in front of me. You are more than your symptoms, and our sessions will honor your culture, your identity, your story, and your spirit. My background in healthcare taught me how deeply the mind and body are connected. I'll help you build real tools to regulate, ground, and feel safe in your own skin. As a poet and writer, I believe in the healing power of words. I host journaling and poetry workshops, and journaling is a meaningful part of how I work in session. Writing gives your thoughts somewhere to land, helps you notice patterns, and lets you witness your own growth over time. I also ask thoughtful, soul searching questions that invite you to slow down and hear your inner voice more clearly. So please, bring a notebook to our first session. It will become a companion on your journey back to yourself. My presence is soft and steady, and my outlook is hopeful. I bring warmth and humor when it fits, because laughter can be medicine too. Above all, I see you as the expert on your own life. Together, we'll work toward you trusting yourself again: making your own decisions, feeling your feelings, setting boundaries, grieving what needs grieving, and asking for help when you need it.
Ideal clients
I specialize in OCD. If that's not what you're navigating, I am not the right clinician for you. If you do not complete your intake paperwork before your scheduled session, your session will be canceled and you will be sent back through the Grow Therapy portal to be connected to another clinician. My ideal client: You’re someone who’s tired of letting fear make your decisions, and you’re ready to come home to yourself. You know this isn’t the kind of space where we only talk. It’s a space where we practice. ERP asks you to gently lean into the very things anxiety tells you to run from, and you’re willing to try, even when it feels uncomfortable. You don’t have to be fearless. You just have to be willing. Willing to sit with the discomfort without rushing to fix it, willing to show up between sessions and do the work, and willing to meet yourself with compassion when it gets hard. Because it will get hard sometimes, and that’s part of healing too. You’re ready to lock in, ask for support when you need it, and trust that you can feel your feelings and still be okay.
Origin story
Honestly? Social work found me. I never set out to become a therapist, and for a long time I didn't even know what a social worker was. I started my journey as a nursing assistant with plans to go into nursing. But something shifted while I was working on a mother and infant unit. Sitting with families in some of their most tender and vulnerable moments, I felt a quiet pull toward a different kind of care, one that tended to the heart and spirit as much as the body. One night, in the middle of a twelve hour overnight shift, I started asking myself some deep questions. What comes naturally to me? What do people already seek me out for? What am I good at when no one is asking me to be? I began researching my own gifts and qualities, and there it was: social work. The more I learned, the more it felt like recognition rather than discovery. It aligned with who I already was, someone who listens deeply, holds space, and believes in people's power to heal. Choosing this path was the easiest and most obvious decision I've ever made, and I've never looked back. I share this because I know what it's like to listen for your own inner voice and trust where it leads. That is the same journey I hope to support you in: returning home to yourself, one honest question at a time.
Treatment methods
Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is considered one of the most effective treatments for OCD and many forms of anxiety. At its heart, ERP is about slowly and gently facing the things that scare you, while learning not to give in to the compulsions, rituals, or avoidance that keep fear in charge. I know that can sound intimidating. Please know that we will never rush, and you will never be forced. ERP in my practice is collaborative and paced with care. Together, we'll build a map of your fears, starting with what feels manageable and moving forward only when you're ready. You are always part of the decision. Along the way, you'll discover something powerful: that you can sit with discomfort and uncertainty, and still be okay. Over time, your brain learns that the danger it has been warning you about is not the truth of who you are. The grip of anxiety begins to loosen, and there is more room for you to breathe, choose, and live. I also bring a whole person lens to this work. Before and after exposures, we'll practice grounding and nervous system regulation so your body feels supported, not overwhelmed. Journaling plays a role too, helping you track your progress, name what you're noticing, and celebrate every brave step. And because OCD can be shaped by culture, faith, family, and identity, I make sure our work honors all of who you are. ERP asks for courage, and I believe you already have it within you. My role is to walk beside you, steady and hopeful, as you reclaim your life from fear, one small step at a time.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
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Licensed in
- District of ColumbiaLicense LC200004344
- VirginiaLicense 0904018970