Licensed to practice in Virginia and accepts 9 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Depression, Chronic Illness and 8 more.
(she/her)
New to Grow
Are you fighting anxiety, depression, profound life transitions like grief and loss, career shifts, addiction, or a newly diagnosed chronic/autoimmune medical condition? Hi, I'm Raisa, an LCSW and VCU graduate specializing in anxiety, depressive disorders, and the mental impact of medical trauma. Having survived trauma in early life and personally navigating an autoimmune condition requiring chemically and biologically invasive treatments as an adult; I hold a deep, non-judgmental understanding of the profound toll chronic illness takes on your life and identity. I value the power of resilience and adaptation in humans. This lived experience equips me to help you process medical trauma holistically. I provide warm, humanistic, virtual-only therapy tailored entirely to your unique story. As a South Asian person of color, I am verbally fluent in my native language, Bangla/Bengali, as well as Hindi, and some knowledge of Urdu. This background gives me deep insight into the unique cultural intersections that Asians can face in the Western world. Additionally, my professional background includes over 4.5 years of working in a jail, heavily highlighting my crisis intervention and suicidal/homicidal risk assessment skills while working directly with substance use and personality disorders. By combining Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), and Dr. Kabat-Zinn's mindfulness models (MBSR/MBCT), we will unpack your experiences in partnership. My clinical approach prioritizes a strongly holistic treatment plan across all 4 Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual domains of life, adapted to your diagnoses. If desired, this is an opportunity to hone your spiritual practice and discipline—intentionally refining, practicing, and sharpening your daily habits to connect with something larger than yourself. Together, we'll meet your needs, wants, and goals, by building practical tools to reclaim your peace, regain control, and thrive. Through unconditional regard and trust, I’m honored to stand by you and help re-discover the best version of yourself!
I specialize in helping individuals navigate profound life disruptions and emotional overwhelm, specifically focusing on Anxiety & Depression: Moving past chronic worry, low mood, and mental fatigue. Grief and Loss: Navigating the painful, complex aftermath of losing a loved one. Occupational Transitions: Managing workplace burnout, career pivots, and professional stress. Medical Trauma & Adjustments: Processing life, identity, and wellness shifts after significant medical conditions. In your initial session, you can expect a warm, welcoming, and entirely pressure-free virtual space. Our main goal is simply to get comfortable talking with one another and to ensure you feel safely heard without any judgment. We will discuss what brings you to therapy, look at your current challenges, and begin exploring what healing and peace look like for you. By the end of this initial conversation, we will have accomplished a few key outcomes: A Clear Roadmap: A collaborative, initial plan tailored entirely to your natural pace and personal goals. Nervous System Grounding: An introduction to simple, grounding mindfulness tools you can use immediately to manage daily overwhelm. Next Steps: A shared understanding of how we will blend practical strategies like Mindful-based CBT and SFBT to help you move forward. By the end of the 2nd session, you will have a complete treatment plan tailored to your needs, wants and goals, with established tasks/exercises that are measurable and help monitor progress toward achieving the goals successfully.
Healing requires a space where your full, complex story is truly understood. As a therapist, I bring a deeply empathetic, culturally aware, and fully holistic framework to our sessions. I look at your mental health through a complete Biopsychosocial-Spiritual (BPSS) lens. Together, we will look beyond just your symptoms to examine your environment, biology, culture, and especially your spirituality—encouraging you to connect with something larger than yourself to find deep, meaningful purpose in life.My approach stands out because it is rooted in profound personal understanding. As an early childhood trauma survivor, I know firsthand what it takes to navigate and heal from deep-seated wounds. Additionally, as a person of color of South Asian descent, I intimately understand the intersectional challenges that individuals from our community face here in the Western world. I am also verbally fluent in my native language, Bangla/Bengali, and Hindi, with some knowledge of Urdu. You will never have to explain or justify your cultural context to me; I already see you. In sessions, I cherish times to sit quietly with you in silence and hold space, during times of loss and grief, protecting the sacred moment. I actively challenge you, pushing back when necessary to help you break through old patterns, while always keeping your emotional, cultural, spiritual, and overall safety at the forefront.
My ideal clients are often navigating profound life transitions. You may be coping with a newly diagnosed psychiatric or medical condition, a chronic or autoimmune illness (requiring invasive treatments), or the deep loss of a loved one. You might be experiencing major career shifts, school or work-related burnout, stress, anxiety, or depression. I specialize in working with individuals who want a truly holistic approach to their healing—those who believe in the profound power of resilience and want to integrate their spiritual beliefs and a connection to a higher power into their recovery. You may be at the point in your life where you want sobriety, or are adjusting to empty-nesting syndrome. You may be a caretaker of an elderly parent, or a child with a serious disability. I am here and honored to stand by your side and help you through the power of human regard and innate adaptation skills. I am comfortable working with both high-functioning and moderate-lower functioning populations. My client's mindset and goals should be headstrong and highly motivated, in a stage of change where success is the only option.
Other specialties
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I blend CBT with Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness-Based-Stress-Reduction model, creating Mindful-Based CBT. Focusing on the present moment during CBT to ensure we establish anchors for nervous system grounding.
Solution Focused Brief Treatment
I also use Solution-Focused-Brief-Therapy, to accomodate those who are on time restrictions and need a shorter-span timeline to find quicker solutions to time-sensitive issues.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
I blend meditatve breathing exercises, diaphragmatic breathing, and CBT with Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness-Based-Stress-Reduction model, creating Mindful-Based CBT. Focusing on the present moment during CBT to ensure we establish anchors for nervous system grounding.
Motivational Interviewing
I help client, simply via motivational interviewing style, to guide them to answers regarding their own questions, independently.