Find a Therapist in Glen Allen, VA

I like our sessions to feel more like you are talking to a friend. I do my best to create a safe, comfortable, nonjudgemental environment. I like to approach clients' symptoms with curiosity as we explore and learn more about the client, together.

I find most effective ways to help people feel comfortable with therapy is a welcoming attitude with a curiosity about their experiences that have brought the person into the session. Clients most often stated the experiences was easy to discuss their issues without worry, feel non judged regardless of the situation.

At Laurel Fay and Associates, my colleagues and I are committed to providing you with a safe, caring environment in which we can address your unique situation. By carefully listening, I work to get behind the everyday surface of a situation to the underlying meaning. My systemic approach means I look to the dynamics between people rather than solely focusing on the internal workings of one person. Even in individual work, this approach can be helpful and empowering. I often use humor to gently but skillfully pinpoint specific issues and highlight areas of growth.

Hi, I’m glad you’re here. I’m an EMDR therapist who works with adults navigating anxiety, depression, life transitions, and trauma. Many of the people who come to see me are used to pushing through and handling things on their own, yet still feel stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected inside. You may understand logically that your past is over, but your body and emotions haven’t caught up. Therapy can be a place where that finally starts to shift. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps your brain process experiences that feel “frozen” in the nervous system. Instead of just talking about what happened, we help your mind and body fully digest it so memories become less intense and less intrusive. You won’t be pushed to share everything at once, and you won’t have to relive experiences before you feel ready. We focus first on building coping skills and a sense of safety so you feel grounded and in control throughout the process. I see therapy as collaborative. I won’t sit silently and leave you guessing — I’ll guide you, check in often, and adjust the pace based on what you need. My approach is warm, steady, and practical. Along with EMDR, I help you understand patterns, manage difficult emotions, and develop tools you can use in everyday life, especially during periods of change or uncertainty. People often start therapy during transitions: relationship changes, career shifts, loss, identity development, or simply realizing the ways they’ve been coping are no longer working. You don’t have to be in crisis to begin. If something in your life feels heavy, confusing, or hard to carry alone, that is reason enough. My goal is not to “fix” you. It’s to help you feel safer in your own mind and body, reduce the impact of painful experiences, and create more space for calm, connection, and choice in your life. If you’re considering therapy, I’d be honored to work with you.

I believe that my mission in life is to help others by providing the space in which they can share their struggles and concerns without judgment. Life is difficult, and more than anything else, I think we all crave to be listened to. I enjoy listening, and I like to help others to listen, too. By listening carefully we can create deep connection with others. Strong connection helps make life a bit easier and more enjoyable. Being a therapist has been a dream of mine ever since I was in middle school and my brother brought his introduction to psychology textbook home from college! I love to understand why we all do the things we do, and I enjoy helping others to understand themselves and those around them better, too.

I create a laid-back, relaxed approach so that clients are comfortable and can be themselves in a trusting, confidential, and professional environment.

WE CAN HELP HEAL YOUR RELATIONSHIP. "Why does my partner overreact?" "Why do I get so triggered?" "How come the punishment doesn't fit the crime?" “Why can’t he be more supportive?” “Is anything I do ever enough for her?” While you are feeling hurt, you have an added layer of confusion. You simultaneously love your partner and even hope to stay in this relationship to keep your love, family, and dreams intact. You are torn in a tug-of-war of emotions and desire to feel understood, accepted, and embraced by your partner. HEAL YOUR RELATIONSHIP AT ITS ROOT! Your dynamic is being driven by vulnerable and deep emotions. Those deep emotions are sensitive ‘raw spots' that are easily provoked and can cause you intolerable emotional discomfort- and leads to a “fight-or-flight” (anxious, angry, avoidant) response. This starts a negative cycle that creates more distance between you. CHANGE IS POSSIBLE! In therapy with us, you will learn strategies to respond differently and avoid slipping into old negative cycles of criticism, questioning, defensiveness, shutting down, and avoidance. We’ve helped HUNDREDS of people experience EMOTIONAL INTIMACY by learning how to effectively share and receive each other’s deeper emotions.

Are you feeling worn down by a mind that won’t slow down—racing thoughts, replaying conversations, or emotions that keep pulling you back into anxiety, sadness, or anger? You may function well on the outside, yet inside feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure how to change what keeps repeating. Therapy with me focuses on understanding—not fixing—so real change can begin from the inside out. We slow things down and look at what’s happening beneath the surface: how your thoughts, emotions, and nervous system are responding, and how old patterns may still be shaping your present. From there, we work toward practical shifts—helping you respond differently, feel more grounded, and regain a sense of steadiness in your daily life. I am the founder of Brave Within Counseling, a group practice built on trauma-informed, compassionate care. Our team is made up of clinicians with their own areas of focus, including trauma and EMDR therapy, ADHD, sleep-related concerns, and specific diagnoses and symptom patterns. Most of our counselors are EMDR-trained, allowing us to offer depth-oriented trauma work alongside practical, skills-based support. When you reach out, we take care to match you with a counselor whose specialty best fits what you’re going through. Whether you work directly with me or with one of our clinicians, you can expect care that is thoughtful, collaborative, and paced with respect for your readiness. At Brave Within Counseling, we focus on helping you understand yourself more clearly, reduce internal struggle, and move forward with greater confidence and emotional steadiness. If you’re ready to feel less stuck and more supported, we’d be honored to walk with you.

Wooni Kim is a board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) with over 12 years of experience. She specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive challenges (OCD), posttraumatic stress (PTSD), bipolar condition, and schizophrenia, among others. Wooni has worked in inpatient and outpatient psychiatry, hospice, and home health. She is devoted to evidence-based, holistic care through a compassionate, patient-centered approach.

Lydia Sharp is a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) from Virginia, with five years of experience assisting children, adolescents, and adults with issues such as anxiety, depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), mood-related challenges, anger problems, and other complex psychiatric conditions.

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.

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.