Therapy in Alexandria, VA & online across VIRGINIA and DC
MOVE BEYOND JUST GETTING BY AND TOWARD A LIFE THAT actually feels good.
Anxiety | Depression | Trauma | Grief | Relationship Challenges
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.
Some of it has probably helped. You understand yourself better, recognize things you didn’t before, and know what you’re “supposed” to do. But knowing and actually being able to do something differently aren’t the same thing.
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 pushing through, staying busy, reading the self-help books, and telling yourself you’ll figure it out on your own.
Hi, I’m Lisa.
I believe what happens in therapy should make a difference in what happens outside of it.
There’s value in having a place to talk and feel heard. But therapy should also help you look at things differently, ask questions you haven’t considered, and recognize things that are difficult to see when you’re in the middle of them.
We’ll pay attention to what happens between sessions, not just what we talk about during them. What did you do differently? What was harder than you expected? Where did you fall back into an old response?
That’s how the work we do together carries beyond the therapy room and into your life.
My Specialties
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Life feels like a constant “what if?”
You replay conversations, 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.
Therapy can help you spend less time anticipating what could go wrong and more time actually being present for what’s happening now.
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Everything feels heavier than it used to.
Getting through the day takes more effort than it should. You’re going through the motions, struggling to care about things you know matter, and finding it harder to get started, follow through, or look forward to anything.
Therapy can help you understand what’s contributing to how you feel and begin making life feel less like something you have to push yourself through.
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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.
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The relationships you want never seem to match the ones you end up in.
You give more than you get, stay longer than you want to, have a hard time saying what you need, or keep getting involved with people who can’t give you what you’re looking for.
Therapy can help you understand what keeps pulling you into the same relationship dynamics and start making different choices about who you let in, what you accept, and when you walk away.
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“I don’t know how to move on.”
“I never expected my life to look this way.”
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 help you make sense of what’s changed, grieve what you’ve lost, and adjust to the life you’re living now.
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.
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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.
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Notice the difference outside of therapy.
Over time, you’ll begin noticing shifts in how you think, feel, relate to others, and respond to life’s challenges. This isn’t about quick fixes—it's about the moments when therapy starts becoming more than something we talk about once a week.
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You don’t have to keep pretending you’re “fine.”
You can be capable and still be struggling. You can have a lot going right in your life and still want something to feel different.
Therapy gives you a place to be honest about what isn’t working and begin doing something about it.