Appointment Hours :
- Monday - Friday : 9am-4pm
- Saturday/Sunday: Closed
You Long to Feel Close—but Fear Gets in the Way
You want connection. You want to feel loved without constantly second-guessing yourself. You want to be able to trust that you’re enough without having to work so hard for it.
But instead, you often feel trapped in a painful cycle. One moment you’re craving closeness. The next, you’re shutting down, pushing people away, or bracing for disappointment. Small things—a missed call, a cold look, a minor conflict—can spiral into overwhelming emotions: shame, panic, anger, or numbness.
It’s exhausting to live with the feeling that you’re too much, not enough, or somehow broken.
Inside, a critical voice keeps whispering that if you were just better, more lovable, more together, maybe then things would feel easier. Maybe then you could finally relax.
If this feels familiar, it’s not because you’re broken. It’s because you’ve had to survive relationships that taught you not to feel safe.
Relational Psychodynamic Therapy helps you gently heal those old wounds, so you can feel safe inside your own skin—and build relationships that feel nourishing, not frightening. This is for you if you want to:
Imagine waking up without a knot in your stomach.
Imagine moving through your day without second-guessing every word you say or fearing that you’ve somehow messed everything up.
Imagine trusting yourself to speak up, set boundaries, and believe in your own worth—even when relationships get complicated.
Instead of walking on eggshells around others—or yourself—you feel steady and rooted.
When emotions surge, you don’t get overwhelmed or shut down. You know how to stay with yourself, offering compassion instead of criticism.
In relationships, you find yourself taking up space without apology. You ask for what you need without fear of being too much. You trust your gut. You trust your voice. You trust that love doesn’t have to be earned by being perfect—it can exist simply because you are you.
Healing doesn’t erase the past. But it changes how you carry it. Relational Psychodynamic Therapy can help you stop surviving relationships—and start living them with trust, confidence, and self-respect.
What Is Relational Psychodynamic Therapy?
Relational Psychodynamic Therapy is about healing the parts of you that were shaped by painful early experiences—especially the ones that taught you not to trust yourself, your emotions, or your worth.
It focuses on the deep patterns you developed in relationships:
These patterns were necessary once. They helped you survive. But now, they’re holding you back from the love, belonging, and freedom you deserve.
In therapy, we won’t just talk about your past—we’ll gently notice how these old patterns show up in your present, especially in your relationship with me as your therapist. This gives us a living, breathing chance to create a new, healing experience together—one based on trust, respect, and care.
It’s not about analyzing you. It’s about being with you. Seeing you. Helping you reconnect with your inner worthiness—the part of you that has always deserved love, exactly as you are.
I know what it’s like to live with a critical voice inside, always questioning your worth, your needs, and your right to be loved. For a long time, I tried to “fix” myself by being better, working harder, achieving more.
Healing began when I stopped fighting myself—and started listening with compassion. I learned that the parts of me I once judged were trying to protect me in the best ways they knew how. They didn’t need to be erased. They needed to be understood, cared for, and welcomed home.
Now I help others do the same. You’re not broken. You’re carrying pain that deserves care. Healing is possible—and you don’t have to do it alone.
I’ve devoted my career to helping people heal trauma and dissociation.
Our work together is a relationship—not a performance.
It’s built on safety, trust, and steady growth.
Here’s what you can expect:
Before diving into painful stories or big emotions, we focus on creating a foundation where you feel safe and seen.
You’ll learn to:
We move at your pace. Safety always comes first.
As you feel more grounded, we gently start exploring the patterns that shape your life:
We don’t just “talk about” these patterns—we notice them as they arise between us, giving you a live, supported way to experience something new.
The heart of relational healing is not insight alone—it’s lived experience.
Each healing experience builds a new pathway inside you—one that says:
“I am safe.”
“I am lovable.”
“I am enough.”
Relational Psychodynamic Therapy gently untangles the deep roots of self-criticism, emotional overwhelm, and fear of connection. Here’s how:
Calm Overwhelming Emotions
When emotions feel too big or too fast, it’s easy to shut down—or to react in ways that don’t feel like “you.”
These reactions aren’t flaws. They’re survival strategies.
In therapy, we slow things down. Together, we build your capacity to stay with emotions, to notice them without fear, and to trust that you can handle them. Over time, you’ll feel more in charge of your emotional world—able to move through storms without getting lost in them.
If you grew up doubting your worth, it’s hard to believe that you’re enough. You might:
In therapy, we get curious about the roots of these beliefs—not to blame anyone, but to give you the freedom to see yourself differently. As you experience compassion instead of judgment, inside and out, that inner critic starts to lose its power. You’ll begin to move from “What’s wrong with me?” to “I am worthy exactly as I am.”
When you’ve been hurt before, it’s scary to trust. You might:
Relational Psychodynamic Therapy helps you recognize these protective patterns with compassion. Together, we create new experiences of connection—experiences where it’s safe to be seen, safe to have needs, and safe to trust again.
You don’t have to choose between protecting yourself and connecting with others. You can have both.
Integrating Relational Psychodynamic Therapy with Other Trauma Therapies
Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all. Trauma touches every part of you—mind, body, emotions, and relationships. That’s why I integrate relational psychodynamic work with other approaches that support your full healing:
Some memories or emotional reactions linger, even when you understand them. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing helps your brain reprocess those experiences so they no longer feel like threats. Used with relational therapy, it helps free you from the emotional weight of the past—so you can respond from the present.
Even if your mind knows you’re safe, your body might still be bracing for danger. Somatic Therapy helps release the fear, tension, and shutdown stored in your nervous system so you can feel more grounded and at ease. When your body feels safe, everything else begins to soften—emotions, relationships, and self-trust.
Trauma often leaves you feeling pulled in different directions—one part pushing for connection, another protecting you from getting hurt. IFS helps you understand and care for these inner parts instead of fighting them. As they begin to feel safe, you start to feel more whole, calm, and self-assured.
You’re not a diagnosis—you’re a whole person with a deep need to feel safe, seen, and connected.
That’s why I blend proven trauma therapies with a warm, relational approach that meets all of you—mind, body, and heart.
With the right support, you can feel grounded, connected, and confident in who you are. Healing is possible—and it starts by honoring every part of you.
Try These At-Home Practices to Support Your Healing
Choosing the Right Practice for You:
Anchor Breath Practice (For Emotional Regulation)
Inner Kindness Reflection (For Building Self-Compassion)
Healing Is Possible
You deserve a healing journey that honors every part of you: your mind, your body, your relationships, and your dreams for a different future.
When you’re ready, I’m here to walk that path with you—one steady, compassionate step at a time.
Book a free 30-minute consultation
Begin therapy
Understand you as a whole person and tailor treatment to your needs.
Ongoing support
Work together to build safety and trust as you heal and grow.
Safety
Build a meaningful connection with your therapist. Feeling validated, heard, and respected will improve the therapeutic relationship.
Honesty
Being honest with yourself is not always easy, so it can be hard to share with your therapist too. When trust and comfort exist, honesty can surface.
Connection
Once we are honest with ourselves,
we make room for learning and growth. Growth may look like breaking old patterns, creating new habits, and establishing a plan to meet goals.
Appointment Hours :
Online Therapy in Virginia
For your convenience, my teletherapy services are available across the state of Virginia, including Alexandria, Arlington, Chesapeake, Hampton, Harrisonburg, Leesburg, Lynchburg, Manassas, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Reston, Richmond, Roanoke, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach.
If you need to send me mail, you can do so at this address:
1550 Wilson Blvd Ste. 700 #226, Arlington, VA 22209
Book a complimentary 30-Minute Consult