If you’re feeling lost or directionless, or unsettled by something from your past that won’t quite let go, you don’t have to sort through it alone. Maybe you’re standing at the edge of a major life transition and can’t see solid ground. Maybe something in your past changed how you see yourself and the world, and you’re still carrying the weight of it. Or maybe you’ve done everything you were supposed to do and still find yourself wondering why your life doesn’t feel quite right.
Wherever you’re starting from, my hope is that our work together leaves you feeling more grounded in your own principles, more certain of who you are and how you want to be in the world, and more confident in your ability to move forward.
What changes with therapy:
You may come in feeling scattered, disconnected from your own sense of direction, or stuck replaying the same painful loop. Over time, I hope to help you build a clearer sense of what actually matters to you, the ability to name it, and the confidence to act from it, even when life has knocked you off course.
I believe we all have an underlying sense of what matters to us. Sometimes loss, trauma, or major life changes can make it difficult to hear that sense of direction. We may also take on responsibility for things we never had the power to control. Therapy can help us understand what is truly ours to carry—and what was never ours in the first place.
My Therapeutic Approach:
My work is collaborative, reflective, and depth-focused. I won’t hand you a checklist; I’ll sit with you in the harder questions and help you find your own way through them. I want to understand what’s underneath the presenting problem: where a pattern came from, what purpose it once served, and what you actually want for your life now.
My philosophical foundation is existential. I believe that living in alignment with our values, even when circumstances are outside our control, is an important part of creating a meaningful life. From there, I draw on techniques from Internal Family Systems, coherence therapy, and narrative therapy, among others, to help you understand the different parts of yourself, explore the emotional learning behind painful experiences, and reconsider the stories you have built around your life and your past.
I am particularly interested in working with adults navigating major transitions and with those working through trauma, loss, and moral injury. I spent ten years working in the federal government with the U.S. Department of State, including close work with law enforcement and corrections personnel. That experience gave me a firsthand understanding of what it means to carry responsibility in complicated circumstances — and how easily our sense of responsibility can extend far beyond what we were ever able to control. Moral injury isn’t limited to particular professions or extraordinary events; it can show up whenever our experiences conflict with our values or leave us questioning what we should have done differently. If you’ve been searching for a therapist who won’t flinch at the specifics of that experience, that’s part of why I do this work.
My Background:
I am currently pursuing an M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at William & Mary. I also hold an M.A. in International Security Policy from George Washington University and a B.A. in Criminal Justice from the University of Georgia. I offer therapy to adults in person in Northern Virginia and through telehealth.
Let’s talk. If any of this resonates, I’d love to hear from you. Reach out to DC VA Counseling Psychotherapy to get started, or to ask any questions before your first session.
