While providing honest, transparent, empathetic, and collaborative communication. I provide a safe, non-judgmental, and supportive space for you to share openly.

My name is Matt Sandford and I have been practicing as a Licensed Professional Counselor for 14 years now, with 16 years of total experience. I believe that creating a safe space enables people to explore and process the stuff on their minds and in their hearts, which can lead to healthiness, strength, and growth. I have a variety of experiences, but I specialize in stress and anxiety, relationship challenges, marriage, self-worth challenges, and spiritual challenges. In therapy, my approach is to find an approach that meets the client where they are at. I am familiar with CBT, Rogerian, Adlerian, Psychodynamic, and Gestalt theories. I have worked with a wide range of people in terms of age, presenting challenge(s), cultural background, and beliefs. I have particularly strong experience with folks struggling with anxiety and stress, depression, shame, self-esteem or self-worth, relationship difficulties, marital concerns, and spiritual concerns. Also, I have strong experience working with grief issues, parenting challenges, coaching, and life transitions. My style is to listen, empathize, and seek to understand, with pursuing questions to gain clarity about the concerns you bring and get to the heart of the matter. For me, the heart of the matter is not just circumstances or feelings, but how you are affected on the inside - what does it mean to you and in you. Out of my own personal struggles with shame and anxiety, I finally found myself in therapy. I discovered that it was life-changing for me, and I wanted to be involved in helping others in the same way. I have a firm belief that we all need to grow through our lives and that, for the larger things, we cannot just grow ourselves on our own. Help from others is how we all grow. I believe goal setting is worked out through collaboration, together, with you the client, and I understand that goals may be evolving as we go along. During a first session, we will go over some background information and then have time for you to share about what brought you to therapy. We can talk about expectations you may have or questions you have for me. And I will ask more about your experience to help me to develop a conceptualization of your concerns and the direction for us to go. But, I believe that we can begin working on things in the first session, so my intention is that we can begin to explore your concern and discuss some ideas on how to approach it.

There are times in all of our lives where we find ourselves at a crossroads. Do I continue on the path I am on, or is it time to pause, dig in, and face my fear, addiction, compulsion, hesitancy, anger, patterns, issues, struggles, etc.? This can be a very frightening crossroads, and having the courage to face ourselves, our past and what may be before us can be very fleeting. I meet people at this crossroads, and together we "dig in", and begin to explore what needs exploring, mend what needs mending, fight what needs fighting and forgive what needs forgiving. As they say in AA, I believe we are spiritual beings in physical world and as a Pastoral Counselor I am able and willing to explore how these two realities are integrated in our lives. Please feel free to give me a call with any of your questions or concerns.

I have several years of experience working with children, adolescents, adults and families struggling with depression, anxiety, grief, self-confidence, trauma and addictions in a variety of settings. I have an eclectic approach to counseling, I draw from various modalities and techniques in order to provide the best support for my client. My goal is to provide a safe, supportive and accepting environment in which we can explore challenges, gain insight and facilitate positive personal change and growth.

I help adults heal from complex trauma, PTSD, dissociation, anxiety, and the lasting effects of childhood trauma and adversity. Many of my clients feel overwhelmed by emotional reactivity, relationship difficulties, chronic shame, or a sense of being disconnected from themselves and others. Although they often appear to be coping on the outside, they feel stuck in survival mode internally. My approach is collaborative, trauma-informed, and paced to your individual needs. I believe healing happens in the context of safety, understanding, and self-compassion, not through forcing change before you are ready. Drawing from EMDR, Somatic Experiencing®, parts work, DBT skills, and mindfulness-based approaches, I help clients regulate their nervous system, develop greater emotional stability, deepen self-understanding, and move beyond survival toward a more connected and meaningful life.

Kristi Gannon is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who currently offers telehealth sessions in Virginia, specializing in offering treatment to adults and seniors who are faced with the negative effects of anxiety, depression, anger, relationship issues, attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), poor coping skills, gender identity issues, stress, trauma, posttraumatic stress (PTSD), women's issues, and more.

I believe that therapy is most helpful when it is an experience and not just talking about thoughts. As a relational psychodynamic therapist, I think there is a lot to be gained from having more insight and clarity into ourselves and the ways we function in the world and our relationships. As a somatically informed therapist, I think building awareness of our bodies and what they are telling us opens up even more avenues for healing, especially when insight doesn't feel like it is enough. I work holistically and from a trauma-informed lens to combine the two in a way that is uniquely right for you and your needs. To this end, I have completed foundational training in Sensorimotor Therapy for trauma, a somatic psychotherapy, as well as a three-year training in Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy, a modality which combines psychoanalytic insight and depth with a focus on our bodies and emotions. The style of therapy I practice is active and collaborative, focusing not only on intellectual insight but also on helping you to have a new, meaningful experience. I believe a good therapy relationship, like any good relationship, allows us to feel seen, heard, and compassionately challenged to grow and create the change we want in our lives.

Ann “Lisa” Peralta is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Virginia with over 34 years of experience providing clinical assessment and therapeutic care to adults seeking help with a variety of issues. These issues include substance use challenges, stress, depression, and anxiety, to name a few.

Welcome to my practice! Therapy can be a powerful tool in relieving distress, learning about oneself, and living a more fulfilled life. I believe that at the heart of successful therapy is a collaborative, open, and warm relationship. Through curiosity and acceptance, I help my clients gain more appreciation for their emotions, assist them in recognizing their strengths, and aid them in identifying opportunities for growth. I strive to help my clients obtain the tools necessary to overcome roadblocks, which often keep them from reaching their full potential. I work with clients from diverse backgrounds and life stages and welcome the opportunity to treat individuals facing a wide range of concerns. Given my training and experience working with adolescents, college/graduate students, and young professionals, I have a deep understanding of the challenges these individuals face as they navigate life transitions. In particular, I specialize in helping individuals with self-esteem concerns, relationship difficulties, depression, anxiety, trauma/loss, and disordered eating. Taking the step to begin therapy can be difficult. With the right therapist, however, therapy can be an important and rewarding tool to living a more satisfying, authentic, and fulfilled life. I invite you to contact me to see if I may be a good fit for you. My office is metro-accessible, conveniently located in the Dupont Circle area of Washington, D.C. I have daytime and evening hours available.

My practice is focused on experiencing power through change. I curate wellness and healing, centered on building your belief in hope, and implementing functional steps toward change. Life's journey can be intricate, layered, and unpredictable, often leaving us overwhelmed with anxiety and depression. As a Psychotherapist with a PhD in Clinical Sexology, I specialize in helping individuals and couples regain control and find fulfillment through psychotherapy and sex therapy (polykink positive). With a trauma-informed and integrative approach, including EMDR and cognitive-based therapy, I empower clients to transform their lives. Let's embark on a journey of healing and self-discovery together.

I have been working in the helping field related to counseling for almost 20 years. In that time I have learned that the best way to help others is to be an excellent listener, to be compassionate, empathetic, and to collaborate with individuals to assist them in gaining the tools that they need to make positive change in their lives. I work hard to encourage clients that the strength for change lies within them and my job is to help them find it. I utilize a great deal of mindfulness based techniques and believe that learning the process of becoming more mindful in life can be extremely beneficial to problem solving and learning to sit with discomfort. As a counselor I do not believe that I have all of the answers or can fix anyone, however, I do believe that if the client is willing to do the work to create change in their life that I can assist them in doing so successfully. Ultimately, my goal for the counseling relationship is to assist clients in managing stress more effectively and learning skills that can be used well after the counseling relationship has terminated, in a straightforward and honest approach.

I believe therapy works best when it feels like a safe and genuine conversation. My role is to listen closely, help you feel understood, and work with you to uncover patterns that may be holding you back. I draw on both psychotherapy and psychiatry, so we can address the whole picture—your thoughts, emotions, relationships, and, when helpful, medication support. I value collaboration and tailor treatment to each person’s unique story and goals. My hope is that our work together not only eases current struggles but also helps you grow in ways that feel meaningful and lasting.