My Approach to Helping
I provide affirming, nonjudgmental, and person-centered therapy to help you make positive and sustainable change in your life. So often we decide that change is necessary but find ourselves stuck in place, unsure of how to move forward. Being stuck can take many forms, but it's often due to past trauma, difficulties with mood or motivation, anxieties about the self or other people, sudden or unexpected changes, discomfort with authenticity, or challenges with prioritizing long-term gain over short-term comfort. Let's get unstuck & move forward together.
I am a licensed clinical psychologist in Virginia and work from a primarily cognitive-behavioral approach using evidence-based therapies and treat adults with posttraumatic stress disorder, mood and anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and difficulties with sex and relationships. As a gay man, I enjoy working with the LGBTQ+ community and take pride in providing care that affirms both gender and sexuality.
Please reach out if you'd like to learn more about my practice. Starting therapy can be uncomfortable and overwhelming, and I pledge to offer unconditional support to you during each step of your journey. This doesn't mean that we'll avoid difficult topics, but that I will always respect your boundaries and honor your values during our work together.
More Info About My Practice
Treating PTSD among military veterans has been the focus of my clinical work for several years and I specialize in the assessment and treatment of PTSD related to combat or being in war zones, sexual assault and violation, physical assault, violent crime, natural disasters, severe accidents, and trauma based in race, gender, or sexuality. I am able to provide evidence-based therapies for PTSD, including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), and Written Exposure Therapy (WET). Developed and refined over decades, these therapies are highly effective at reducing the burden of PTSD symptoms and significantly improving quality of life for people who have experienced trauma.
In addition to my trauma work, I also have extensive experience using third-wave, cognitive-behavioral therapies like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to build mindfulness skills, improve emotional regulation, increase distress tolerance, and reduce the incidence of unhelpful emotion-driven behaviors. These approaches can often help "build a life worth living" when other therapies haven't helped as much as we might have hoped.
Finally, I offer insight and guidance on issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community. I have helped clients navigate the challenges of coming out, becoming their most authentic selves, and building relationships that reflect their values and prioritize their needs. I have also worked with clients who struggle with sex, compulsive sexual behaviors, intimacy, esteem, and self-worth in a world that so often treats our community like a burden instead of the treasure it is. I also assess and diagnose gender dysphoria and can provide letters of support for gender-affirming medical and surgical care.
My Guiding Ethical Principles
I believe that each and every one of us is special, worthy of love and care and commitment, and an irreplaceable part of the society to which we belong. We each have value and deserve to be the brightest, healthiest, and most authentic versions of ourselves, free from the destructive power of mental illness and emotional distress.
Clinicians who offer sliding scale payment structures may offer lower or reduced fees based on an individual's ability to pay. Please contact this clinician for more details regarding their fees or sliding scale policy.