Welcome!

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in private practice in Manassas, Virginia, and a Clinical Member of the Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). I work with individuals, couples, and families struggling with a multitude of problems.

The training I've had in family therapy helps me work with individuals, as I am able to assess a person's needs and behaviors in relation to the entire environment. I also enjoy working with adolescents, as well as those who have experienced some type of trauma (large or small). I enjoy working with couples, whether it's due to a desire to better a relationship (preventative) or due to chronic patterns that have developed causing pain and hurt within the relationship. Families are special in their own right, as I feel I have more people in the room to help solve the problem.

I have worked in diverse situations, giving me a broad background and perspective that can be useful in the struggles of working through various problems. One area I have studied extensively is Somatic Experiencing, an approach that utilizes our natural tendencies and resilience in a way to work through trauma.

How I Do Therapy

I believe that people tend to know what is best for them deep down, and it is my job to assist them in discovering what they feel is the best solution. I am systemically oriented in my therapeutic work, seeing a problem as imbedded in relationships either within the family, or even the larger societal system. For example, if someone is struggling with depression or anxiety, I would asses the symptoms and behaviors within the larger context, so I could consider whether the problem is more than a chemical or thought process type problem. Alternatively, if a teenager is acting out, I would look at the dynamics in the family and school system to find out what all possible causes and solutions might be.