Services
Online Therapy in VA & MD
Clients come to see me when they are overcome by worry, and after our work together, they feel able to enjoy their daily lives and time with their families.
What to Expect While We’re Getting Started
Think about the way you have seen therapy in the movies or tv shows? Now, throw that idea completely out of the window! You will not be laying on a couch while I scribble notes on a pad behind your head. Well, you can lay on a couch if you want to, but it will be your own couch, since our sessions will be virtual. You will have a regular appointment time (usually weekly, at least to start off) that will be our appointment time. You can come to expect that same time, every week. And I will be in my same spot. You can change spots at your home until you find one that is comfortable, but you can trust that I will be consistent. My space is confidential and I ensure there are no ears listening in, using a HIPAA compliant platform, ear buds, and a locked office door. The only ones who might have infiltrated my room are my cats (I have been told they are comforting to see in sessions). But if that would be upsetting or distracting to you, I will make sure they are outside of the locked door, as well. My golden retriever is not yet trained to be a good therapy dog, but one day, he might be allowed in (again, only if you are good with that). I do ask that you keep your space confidential as well, so that you can feel comfortable and safe. Your pets are welcome to join as well!
Clients can feel discouraged, fearing it will always feel this way, but leave with a renewed hope for the future and contentment in the present.
Our first session will be a full 60 minutes and I will begin to gather information about why you are coming to therapy, what has gone on in your life thus far, patterns, family history, and other experiences of note. You will get to decide what your goals are based on how you envision your life to be different, and we will make a plan to achieve it. Maybe you are not sure about your goals yet. Maybe it is even too scary or hard to talk about the problems. That is okay too. We will work together to explore those difficulties or worries and determine how you want to move forward.
Our sessions after that will be 50 minutes in length, and after a “get-to-know-you” period, I use a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), play therapy techniques, and Mindfulness techniques to work through the pressing concerns, the past hurts, the unhealthy patterns, and the barriers to reaching the goals you have. You probably saw that I said “play therapy techniques.” Don’t be scared off by the word “play!” I think of it more as using ways aside from words to explore feelings, process trauma, manage anxiety, and so forth. This often looks like using art or writing or a sandtray to look at what we are experiencing and how we can make changes that we need. Because sometimes words are hard to find, and sometimes it hurts too much or is too frightening to identify.
Clients come to me grieving the life they thought they would have right now, and finish in a place of acceptance of what has occurred and peace with what is to come.
If you are a Christian, we can incorporate scripture and prayer into your sessions, and we will utilize a Biblical worldview in exploring your experiences and making changes as we move forward.
I am friendly, empathetic, and calm, and that will be evident in our time together. And you better believe, I will cheer you on as you make progress toward the life you want to live!
