My Specialties

Who I Serve

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I am licensed in Maryland and Virginia. I serve high-functioning, intelligent adult women 35 and up who are managing caregiving responsibilities along with work and are overwhelmed.

You know you are a strong person. You have always been curious about life, the world, certain subjects. You may even have been the first in your family to do certain things, like away to college or do a career that was different from what others you knew did. You took pride in this, and still do. You value strength and know you are worth something. But how does that fit in with your responsibities? Even if you don’t have kids, you may be a mentor or helper to others along with work, and you are still overwhelmed. You also want to be present for your partner, but that can feel like just one more demand in your life. You may sometimes wish they would all go away so you be done with this and just have some fun or rest. “I’m sick of worrying about other people!” Is a common phrase that runs through your head. But you then feel guilty. You love your family, but you miss doing the things that used to bring you joy and you want your energy back and a bit of the person you used to be. You want to feel good about the future, too.

How I Help

I help women navigate their overwhelm, guilt, and “Imposter Syndrome”. We work to clarify your frustrations, set boundaries, and get back in touch with your body, mind, and emotions so that you can regain a self, hope, and have energy to live your life as fully and in the present as you are able.

I work in a person-centered way. I am not here to judge or to tell you what to do; you get enough of that in the world! The sessions center around the Applied Metapsychology (AMP) protocol. They are a bit more structured than a typical talk therapy session. But we still focus on you. With that structure, you are free to tell me whatever is on your mind, without having to worry about my reaction or opinion. Most people have particular areas of life that are causing them frustration, worry or pain. Often, these areas overlap, especially when we start work. That is ok! As we work, you will begin to disentangle your problems so they become clearer and easier to manage.

We will also develop a “Case Plan” and assess how you are doing periodically. This is NOT a test. It is simply a guidepost to help you with a sense of direction for our work together.

If you have a particularly painful incident or experience that is affecting you, we will also work through that using Traumatic Incident Reduction, Somatic Experiencing, or IFS Therapy. I will integrate these methods into our work as called for and as you are willing and able.

As needed, I will provide you with resources in the way of practical tools, organizations, support groups, or webinars that will help you with your particular life issues. I have personal and professional experience in navigating the overwhelm that accompanies multiple roles and responsibilities.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Work (LCSW) in Maryland and Virginia.

I see clients via teleheath statewide in Maryland and Virginia, on an outpatient, weekly or biweekly basis.

I see clients in-person on an outpatient basis in my office in Fairfax, Virginia.

Who I do not serve

It is important that you get the help you need from the appropriate resource.

I do not serve children or adolescents.

I do not serve people who are in crisis. If you are finding it difficult to cope with your emotions to the point that you think you might harm yourself or someone else, and you do not feel you can wait safely until our next session, you will need a higher level of care than me.

I do not serve people who are actively suicidal or have a history of untreated suicidality. Again, you will need a different focus and level of care if this is your situation.

I do not serve people who are experiencing active intimate partner violence. This is not my focus of treatment. If this is your situation, I will refer you to the appropriate resources before continuing our work.

I do not serve people whose have difficulty managing their behavior when they are angry or have a history of violent behavior. If this is your situation, you will need a different type and focus of care. We both need to be and feel safe for our work to be effective.

I do not serve people who have an active substance addiction. Substance abuse is not my specialty.

I do not serve people who cannot commit to a regular weekly schedule. It is important that we meet consistently and regularly. I understand that sometimes you may have other commitments, such as appointments or travel. Please see my “Fees, Payment and Policies” Page to learn how I address this.

My Modalities

I use the Life Stress Reduction (LSR) to help people look at what is causing them stress and reduce that distress and overwhelm.

As needed, I use Mindfulness Techniques in our work.

I also use Somatic Experiencing and Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy to reduce distress in the people I work with.

Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR)

I am a Certified TIR Facilitator.

TIR is a SAHMSA-approved, evidence-based treatment for PTSD. See this page for more information on the importance of evidence-based treatment.

This is a structured method for treating the symptoms of PTSD. I will guide you to safely revisit the incident (or series of incidents) that are troubling you, in structured way, being present with you every step of the way. The goal is to reprocess how you experience the incident(s), so that you feel lighter and less affected by it.

A TIR session has no set end time. Rather, when you are stabilized and reach an “end point”, that is when we are done. Most TIR sessions can be done in 90 minutes, but this can vary. We will usually plan a TIR session ahead of time. The number of PTSD treatment sessions is determined by your level of relief from PTSD symptoms, as well as what might be attached to it. For example, a single car accident may take 2 to 4 sessions, while years of bullying or witnessing traumatic events repeatedly may have more issues or “charge” attached, so more work might be needed. That’s ok. There is no “right” number of sessions that it takes; the goal is to relieve your symptoms.

Somatic Experiencing

I incorporate Somatic Experiencing as needed into trauma treatment. Somatic Experiencing (SE) incorporating somatic, or body awareness, as we move through a memory of an event or experience that was particularly distressing. Together we track the body’s response with compassion and acceptance and modify this response; this can help bring relief and clarity and help relieve unwanted symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

LSR (Life Stress Reduction)

I use LSR (Life Stress Reduction), a related but slightly less structured technique, to address the issues of life stress, anxiety, relationship issues, and overwhelm that are bringing you to therapy. LSR allows you to view the issues that are causing you distress. We create a space for you to unlayer the parts of your issue until you get relief and resolution from that issue.

The more you are able to view the issues that are charged, the more you will unlayer and reduce that charge. Think of your emotional and mental “charge” like a lava flow: If you try to push it down, it builds pressure. You spend mental, emotional, and physical energy trying to keep it “pushed down”. Over time, this saps your ability to live in the present.

But if you open up the lava flow in a structured, guided way, you can release the pressure, and “see” the different parts of the lava. Just as a lava flow cools when released, your mental and emotional charge get released and reduced. The result is more calm and clarity about the issues that have been so distressing.

Somatic Experiencing

Trauma is not just an upsetting memory, but an experience in your body. With Somatic Experiencing, we track the sensations in your body as you recount an experiencing that was upsetting to you. You develop deeper awareness of your body, becoming able to identify areas where tension clusters, and increase your skill in regulating your body responses to trauma and distress.

Other Approaches

Occasionally I will give consultation and resources to supplement our work, as stated above.