INDIVIDUAL AND COUPLES Therapy in Alexandria, VA & online IN VIRGINIA and DC
Change How You Feel, Not Just How You Cope
Anxiety | Depression | Trauma | Grief | Relationships
On the outside, you’ve built a life that looks successful and in control. But inside, things feel harder than they should.
You’re capable, self-aware, and used to figuring things out. Yet you replay conversations, second-guess yourself, feel emotionally drained, or wonder why things that seem like they should be manageable still feel so hard.
You know something needs to change. You just haven’t figured out what will actually make a difference.
You know what isn’t working. Changing it is another story.
You can usually see it afterward. But in the moment, you still say yes when you want to say no, shut down instead of speaking up, pull away when you want connection, or react in ways you wish you hadn’t.
The frustrating part is that knowing what you want to do differently hasn’t been enough to stop repeating it.
You keep talking yourself out of what you need.
You worry about disappointing people, soften what you really mean, or let a boundary slide to avoid tension. Sometimes it feels easier to adjust to everyone else than to risk asking for what you want.
You want to be able to speak up without feeling guilty or wondering if you asked for too much.
You can handle a lot. You’re tired of having to.
You keep up with work, responsibilities, relationships, and the people who depend on you. You show up, take care of what needs to be done, and keep going.
But constantly being the one who handles everything takes a toll.
You’re tired, stretched thin, and by the end of the day, there isn’t much left for you.
You’ve pushed through, stayed busy, read the self-help books, and maybe even asked ChatGPT what to do. Some of it has probably helped. You understand yourself better, recognize things you didn’t before, and know what you’re “supposed” to do.
You don’t need more advice. You need help turning what you already understand into something you can actually use when it matters.
You’ve tried to figure it out on your own.
Dr. Lisa Kruger, PhD, LPC
I believe what happens in therapy should make a difference in what happens outside of it.
For more than 20 years, I've helped adults navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and relationship challenges. I draw on CBT, attachment-based therapy, and other approaches to look beyond the immediate problem and understand the experiences, beliefs, and reactions that may be contributing to it. That helps us focus on what needs to change, rather than simply finding another way to manage what's happening.
My Specialties
-
Life feels like a constant “what if?”
You imagine worst-case scenarios, second-guess decisions, and have a hard time shutting your mind off. Even when there’s nothing obviously wrong, your brain can always find something to worry about.
Anxiety Therapy can help you spend less time worrying about what might happen and more time enjoying what's happening now.
-
Everything feels heavier than it should.
Things you once enjoyed feel flat. You're going through the motions, finding it harder to get started or follow through, and struggling to remember the last time you genuinely looked forward to something.
We’ll work to help you understand what’s contributing to how you feel and begin making life feel less like something you have to push yourself through.
-
You can know you’re okay now and still find yourself reacting like you’re not.
You stay on alert even when nothing is wrong, shut down when conflict starts, keep your guard up with others, or find yourself bracing for something that isn’t happening.
Trauma therapy can help you understand where those reactions come from and respond to what’s happening now instead of what you learned to expect.
-
When relationships feel harder than they should.
You care about making things work, but the same frustrations keep coming up. Maybe conversations go nowhere, you struggle to feel understood, or you find yourself questioning what you want and need from a relationship.
Whether you're working through challenges individually or with a partner, relationship therapy can help you understand what's getting in the way, communicate more effectively, and make meaningful changes in how you relate to one another.
-
“I don’t know what life is supposed to look like now.”
Loss and major life changes can leave you trying to adjust to a life that suddenly feels unfamiliar. A relationship ends, someone you love is gone, a role that once defined you changes, or you’re facing a transition that has you questioning what comes next.
Therapy can give you space to process what you've lost, work through the emotions that come with change, and begin figuring out what life looks like from here.
HOW CHANGE BEGINS
Start with a conversation.
We’ll connect by phone for a complimentary consultation. You can tell me what’s bringing you to therapy, ask questions, and get a sense of whether working together feels like a good fit.
01
Figure out where to focus.
Therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all. We’ll talk about your goals, what’s been getting in the way, and what you want to be different. You don’t need to come in knowing exactly where to start. We’ll figure that out together.
02
Notice the difference outside of therapy.
You start catching yourself sooner, speaking up instead of staying quiet, responding differently, or recovering more quickly when something throws you off.
03
You don’t have to keep pretending you’re “fine.”
Therapy gives you a place to be honest about what isn’t working and begin doing something about it.