Licensed to practice in Virginia and accepts 9 insurances. Specializes in Trauma and PTSD, ADHD, Anxiety and 10 more.
(she/her)
New to Grow
I’m a licensed clinical social worker, Veteran, and the founder of Beacon Behavioral Therapy, PLLC, where I provide therapy for adults and students navigating life transitions, work-related or academic stress, burnout, anxiety, ADHD, and trauma. I also specialize in supporting individuals in high-stress roles such as military, law enforcement, first responders, caregivers, and healthcare and helping professionals. As a Veteran myself, I understand what it is like to work in mission focused environments My approach is collaborative and practical, drawing from CBT, EMDR, and trauma-informed care to help clients better understand what they’re experiencing, build effective coping skills, and make meaningful, sustainable changes in their daily lives. I focus on creating a supportive space where clients can slow down, gain clarity, and work at a pace that feels safe and manageable. Before becoming a therapist, I spent many years working in military and government environments, which informs my understanding of high-pressure systems and the challenges faced by professionals in demanding roles I understand what it’s like to work in mission-focused environments where you’re expected to keep going and perform under pressure, even when things are difficult. That perspective informs my work with clients who are used to carrying a lot, pushing through stress, and not always having space to process their own experiences while continuing to show up for others.
In our first session, we’ll spend time getting to know what brought you to therapy and what you’re hoping will be different. I’ll ask questions to better understand your current concerns, your history, and what’s been most challenging for you lately, but you don’t have to share anything before you’re ready. We’ll also talk about how therapy works with me, including my approach and what sessions tend to look like, so you know what to expect moving forward. I’ll help you begin identifying goals and we may start exploring early coping strategies or grounding tools if that feels helpful. My priority in the first session is to create a space that feels safe, collaborative, and paced in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming. You don’t need to have everything figured out—we’ll take it one step at a time and focus on what feels most important to you right now.
I help people make sense of the patterns between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and I’m good at recognizing the coping strategies they’ve developed along the way in a nonjudgmental way. My goal is to help clients feel understood, not overwhelmed. I use a structured but flexible approach that draws from CBT, EMDR, and psycho-education, while always paying attention to pacing and emotional safety. I focus on helping clients build practical, usable coping skills that they can apply in their daily lives. As a Veteran, I also understand what it’s like to work in high-pressure, mission-driven environments where you’re expected to keep going even when things are difficult. That perspective helps me connect with people who are carrying a lot and still trying to function at a high level.
I work with adults who are going through life transitions and experiencing stress related to work, relationships, or major life changes. A lot of the people I see are dealing with burnout, anxiety, ADHD, or the emotional impact of trauma, especially when those things show up in the context of high-pressure careers or demanding life roles. I have experience supporting individuals in high-stress professions such as military, law enforcement, first responders, healthcare workers, caregivers, and other helping professionals. These are people who are often used to being the ones holding everything together for others, but may not always have space to process their own stress, trauma exposure, or emotional exhaustion. I also work with students who are navigating academic pressures, transitions into college or graduate school, and the stress that can come with figuring out identity, direction, and independence during those stages of life. My focus is on helping clients better understand what they’re experiencing, build practical coping skills, and develop healthier ways of managing stress and emotions. I also work with clients who want to process past experiences that are still affecting their current functioning, while making sure we move at a pace that feels safe and manageable. Overall, I tend to work best with people who are motivated to make changes, even if they feel overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure where to start.
Other specialties
I identify as
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use CBT to help clients identify unhelpful thought patterns, develop practical coping skills, and create meaningful changes in their emotions, behaviors, and daily lives.
EMDR
I use EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to help clients process distressing or traumatic experiences by supporting the brain’s natural ability to reprocess memories so they are less emotionally overwhelming and more adaptive.
Trauma Informed Care
I use a trauma-informed approach that recognizes how past experiences can shape thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and relationships in the present. I prioritize safety, collaboration, and pacing, ensuring that therapy moves at a rate that feels manageable and grounded for each client. My focus is on helping clients build emotional regulation skills, increase awareness of trauma responses, and develop a stronger sense of control and stability while working through difficult experiences.
Psychoeducation
I use psycho-education to help clients better understand what they are experiencing and why it happens. This includes teaching about topics such as stress responses, anxiety patterns, trauma reactions, and the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. By increasing insight and normalizing symptoms, psychoeducation supports clients in feeling less overwhelmed and more equipped to use effective coping strategies in daily life.