Dorothy Burge
I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor in Pennsylvania and Virginia with more than 30 years of experience helping adults navigate anxiety, panic, trauma, grief, relationship stress, and major life transitions. I often work with people who appear to be managing well on the outside but feel overwhelmed, stuck, disconnected, or unsure of themselves inside. My style is warm, active, and structured. I believe therapy should be a place where you can be fully yourself without worrying about saying the “right” thing or having everything figured out. Together, we slow things down, understand what is happening beneath the surface, and work toward feeling calmer, more grounded, confident, and able to trust yourself.
I bring over 30 years of experience and specialized training in EMDR, IFS (Parts Work), CBT, and somatic approaches to support deep, lasting change.
First session
In the first session, we’ll spend time understanding what brings you to therapy, what has been feeling difficult, and what you would like to change. I’ll ask questions about your current concerns, important life experiences, strengths, and supports so I can begin to understand the bigger picture. You can also get a sense of my style and whether you feel comfortable working with me. We may identify a few patterns or themes right away, and I’ll begin helping you think about next steps. My goal is for you to leave the first session feeling heard, clearer about what may be happening, and with a sense of direction for our work together.
Strengths
I bring warmth, experience, curiosity, and practical direction to my sessions. I’m an active therapist, which means I won’t simply sit back and expect you to figure everything out on your own. I listen closely, ask thoughtful questions, and help you make sense of patterns that may be keeping you anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck. I also bring a calm, grounded presence and decades of experience helping people through difficult transitions, relationships, anxiety, and emotional challenges. My approach is flexible and collaborative, so we can draw from different tools and strategies depending on what you need. I want therapy to feel supportive, but also useful—so you leave with greater clarity, insight, and practical ways to move forward.
Ideal clients
My ideal client is someone who may look like they’re managing well on the outside but feels anxious, overwhelmed, stuck, or disconnected inside. They may be dealing with panic, trauma, grief, relationship stress, self-doubt, or patterns that no longer seem to work. I work especially well with thoughtful adults who want to better understand themselves while also making practical changes. They don’t need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. They just need to be willing to be curious, honest, and open to looking at what is happening beneath the surface so we can work toward feeling steadier, more confident, and more comfortable being themselves.
Treatment methods
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
IFS, or Internal Family Systems, is a therapy approach that helps people understand the different “parts” of themselves that show up in different situations. For example, one part of you may be anxious and constantly scanning for danger, another may be highly critical, another may shut down or avoid conflict, and another may work hard to keep everyone happy. IFS doesn’t treat these parts as bad or dysfunctional. It looks at them as protective strategies that developed for a reason, often in response to earlier experiences. The goal is to help you become less overwhelmed by those reactions, understand what each part is trying to protect you from, and respond from a calmer, more grounded place. It can be especially helpful with trauma, anxiety, self-criticism, relationship patterns, and feeling “stuck” in reactions you understand intellectually but still can’t seem to change.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, helps people understand how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors influence one another. For example, anxiety may lead to thoughts like “something is going to go wrong,” which can increase physical tension and lead to avoidance. CBT helps you notice those patterns, question thoughts that may be inaccurate or unhelpful, and practice different ways of responding. It is practical and structured, and it can be especially useful for anxiety, panic, depression, self-doubt, perfectionism, and relationship stress. The goal is not to “think positively,” but to develop more balanced thinking and behaviors that help you feel more capable and less controlled by automatic reactions.
EMDR
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a trauma-focused therapy that can help the brain process painful or overwhelming experiences that still feel emotionally “stuck.” When appropriate, I may use EMDR to help reduce the intensity of distressing memories, triggers, panic responses, or negative beliefs connected to past experiences. It does not require you to describe every detail of what happened. The work is carefully paced, with attention to safety, readiness, and your ability to stay grounded throughout the process.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness-based therapy helps you become more aware of thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations without immediately reacting to them or judging them. I use mindfulness to help clients slow down, notice what is happening in the present moment, and create a little more space between a feeling and a response. This can be especially helpful with anxiety, panic, overwhelm, rumination, and trauma-related reactions. The goal is not to “empty your mind,” but to feel more grounded, less pulled around by automatic thoughts, and more able to respond intentionally.
Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma-informed care means recognizing that past experiences can shape how you feel, respond, relate to others, and experience safety in the present. I approach therapy with attention to safety, choice, pacing, and collaboration. Rather than pushing you to talk about things before you are ready, we work at a pace that feels manageable while building skills to help you feel more grounded and in control. The goal is to understand trauma responses with compassion and help you move forward without feeling overwhelmed by the process.
Location
Virtual sessions
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Licensed in
- PennsylvaniaLicense PC014955
- VirginiaLicense 0701015357