I work to foster an environment of open communication, where clients feel safe to express knowing they won't be judged or their concerns disregarded.

My name is Shaena Wiggins and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Hampton Roads, Virginia and working with clients statewide via telehealth. I work with adults and specialize in anxiety, depression, stress, and weight-related concerns to include bariatric surgery patients, using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help my clients make progress and start feeling better. My approach to therapy varies based on the needs of each client I work with. I most frequently use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, as both modalities help me and the client build a shared understanding of their reality, and allow us to work together to chart a path forward. I have found that my style and approach is a good fit for adults dealing with life transitions, weight-related concerns, and social pressures. This often takes the form of anxiety, depression, stress, and eating disorders. I work to help my clients navigate these transition periods and to build skills to allow them to feel better about themselves and develop a more positive outlook on life. My communication style is calm, accommodating, and personable. I want my clients to feel comfortable talking with me about anything, and I pride myself on my ability to listen without judgment. I decided to become a therapist because I have always wanted to help people. Whether it was as a peer counselor in school, volunteering in my community, or being a trusted and loyal friend, I have always naturally been drawn to helping people through difficult times. I enjoy seeing individuals become the best versions of themselves. My approach to goal setting with clients is all about working together to define what you want to accomplish in our time together. This often starts by building trust between us and getting comfortable with what it means to be in therapy. Over time, we'll work together to set goals and track your progress. What you can expect from our first session together is for us to spend the majority of our time talking about how you've been feeling recently, and me asking questions to better understand some of why you may be feeling that way. The first session is about us building an initial connection and helping me get a sense of where we should go from there. Each individual is different, and I like to listen first before assuming I know what will work best for you moving forward.

Navigating life's challenges can feel like an uphill battle, and I want you to know that you don't have to face it alone. Life can be difficult, and I'm here to offer you the support and guidance you need to overcome those challenges and find your path to success. In the midst of stress and overwhelming situations, it's essential to have a compassionate ally by your side. I understand the complexities of life's struggles, and I'm here to help you navigate through them. Together, through a process of questioning, open discussions, goal setting, and counseling, we will embark on a journey to assess and resolve the issues that may be holding you back. Owning your success is a unique and personal journey that requires dedication, hard work, education, and change. I am committed to assisting you in experiencing success in various aspects of your life, whether it's dealing with personal challenges, professional obstacles, relationship conflicts, trauma, or corporate mishaps. Trauma, in its many forms, can cast a shadow over your life, and I want to help you heal from the pain and sorrow it brings. My comprehensive range of trauma services is tailored to individuals, couples, families, groups, and corporations, providing a confidential and supportive environment to aid in the grieving process. I offer a diverse range of individualized treatment options designed to provide the support and understanding you need. My compassionate approach extends to couples facing roadblocks in their relationships. I specialize in repairing gaps in communication, trust, respect, and acceptance, guiding you towards a stronger, more fulfilling connection. When you're ready to leave stress behind and embark on a journey towards personal growth and fulfillment, I'm here for you. Take the first step by giving me a call today, and let's schedule our first session. Together, we can pave the way to a better and brighter future, starting today.

I love doing therapy, because I believe it works, even when people have experienced long and difficult struggles. I love solving the new "puzzle" that each new person brings, and believe that solving that puzzle together makes us both feel hopeful and energized. People from all generations, personal situations, and walks of life are welcome in my office. I listen a lot, and I'm non-directive, but far from silent. I will provide as much structure as you need to feel comfortable, but try to stay out of your way as you develop your own insights and action plans. Building trust and rapport is important, and I will work hard to understand what you need to do that. We'll work together to stabilize distressing emotions and solve immediate real problems that are creating a crisis, then collaborate on longer-term goals to understand causes and old patterns so that new strengths and strategies can grow.

Hey there! I'm Whitney, a Licensed Professional Counselor with over fifteen years of experience with a variety of populations ranging from young children to adults. My therapeutic approach is grounded in an existential model, but I also draw from various other forms of therapy to best support my clients. You can expect me to incorporate strategies and techniques from behavioral therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), as well as psychodynamic and family systems therapies. As a trauma-informed provider, I have received specialized training in treating trauma, shame, and anxiety. I'm passionate about staying up-to-date with the latest research and evidence-based practices and have specific training in understanding and managing ADHD across different phases of life. My ultimate goal is to provide a safe and empowering space for you to explore, grow, and overcome challenges. Together, we'll work towards helping you make choices that align with your goals and needs, fostering a sense of autonomy and personal fulfillment. I truly believe in creating a judgment-free environment where you can freely express your authentic self, embracing both the highs and lows of your unique path. I am here to support you in developing self-compassion and accepting the person you are today, despite the obstacles you have faced or are still working through. It's all part of your story, and we'll explore ways to love and appreciate yourself on this transformative path. Additionally, I'm committed to helping you explore your desires, find meaning in your life, and discover the direction you want to pursue for a fulfilling future. I am an expert in providing psychotherapy (also called therapy or mental health counseling) to four main groups of people and their loved ones: Child and Adolescent Therapy, Young Adult Therapy, Sports Therapy, and Parenthood.

I believe that people are naturally resilient. Therapy offers an opportunity is to boost resilience by nurturing awareness and finding greater fulfillment and strength. Most of us have found ways to manage stress and conflict, but the things that worked in the past might not work today. We often feel stuck. I seek to provide a space for observation, reflection, and exploration so that new narratives and choice can emerge. Understanding the linkages between early, implicit learning experiences, including attachment patterns, and present modes of thinking and behaving is key to sustainable growth and change. Together we'll work to improve your flexibility, self-regulation, and choices for solving life's problems. I work with adults, children, adolescents, and couples. With couples, I help to identify patterns that promote increased mutual understanding and connection. I offer adolescents joint sessions with parents and other family members to promote more effective ways of communicating. My experience with school-based consultation and assessment offers a solid framework for coordinating with counselors and teachers, when appropriate.

My 25+ years of experience has taught me the importance of making the time to listen and understand before I start making suggestions. This involves understanding each person's life story, administering assessment tools, reviewing relevant records, and interviewing other people that my client and I agree should be involved. I believe strongly in evaluating strengths as well as pain, with my feedback emphasizing the former. I also believe in letting my clients know about what research-based treatments are available to them so that we can collaborate in experiencing transformative change ASAP. I believe in setting life-altering goals before beginning, and checking on progress as we go. My intention is to promote healing, wellness, and happiness as thoroughly and as effectively as possible. With child and teen clients, I use a variety of methods to make each person comfortable (e.g., I use magic to connect with kids and teens, referring to myself as a wizard).

Many people seek guidance from a therapist because they feel overwhelmed by emotional distress, or they believe they have lost an aspect of control within their life. In a safe and non-judgmental space, I work closely with my clients in order to help them rediscover empowerment, meaning, and direction in their lives. I believe a strong relationship with your therapist is essential for successful treatment. By exploring the strength of the relationship we create together, it will help you to evaluate other important relationships in your life. While this work in therapy can be challenging, this work can help elevate your mood, relieve your anxiety, and contribute to a personal sense of fulfillment. While I offer psychotherapy services to people who are experiencing a wide range of issues, I specialize in treating depression, anxiety, ADHD, relationship issues, chronic shame, trauma, and LGBTQ+ concerns. Please feel free to be in touch with me about how I might be of help to you, and so that we can schedule an initial consultation session together. My office is located in Dupont Circle.

I believe in the intrinsic worth of all human beings. I believe that many people do not see their value because it is overshadowed by the shame caused by their perceptions of who they should be and what they should be achieving. There are many reasons why these distortions exist; but one thing is for certain, it creates a feeling of being a fraud and deep shame. A lot of time and energy is used to counteract this secret shame. I feel that it is important to help teens and adults to become authentic and accepting of their strengths and weaknesses instead of putting our emotional and physical energy in denying and being afraid of our humanness. It is exhausting and paralyzing to be so afraid of our imperfections. I believe there is value in accepting our own humanity. We have to climb off our self imposed pedestal which is secretive and isolating and connect with other human beings without the fear of being discovered a fraud. It is so freeing and meaningful.

I help people change through developing a greater awareness for all of themselves, which allows them greater resources to deal with the struggles that they are experiencing. As clients develop greater awareness of themselves, including their wants, needs, emotions, and ways of relating to others, they tend to develop a wider range of choices in their lives. They learn to recognize what they do that keeps them from being their best selves. They also learn to tap into and use their own internal wisdom to help guide their choices, developing a greater authenticity in their lives. In relationships, couples and families develop greater intimacy and ability to use conflict to further their relationship through their greater awareness of themselves and their other family members. People I work with also learn with guidance and coaching to experiment with new ways of being with themselves and others in the world, which furthers their growth and development into more happy, fulfilled human beings. As an experienced psychotherapist and former graduate psychology professor, I have developed a wide range of expertise in helping others. I am honored and humbled by the courage and spirit of the people I work with and the struggles they face. I feel privileged to help people come to terms with pain, face challenges, and change their lives.

I offer compassionate counseling services that help you to access greater wellness and connection in your life. I enjoy supporting my clients in navigating a range of life stages and transitions. I believe deeply in the healing role of an authentic and warm therapeutic relationship. I have a passion for helping my clients to gain new levels of insight, collaborating around creative and compassionate ways to address personal and professional concerns, facilitating a safe space to explore important identities and cultural experiences, as well as supporting my clients' development of healthy relationships with others that can foster long-term growth. If you have any questions about my practice, I am happy to answer! Please don't hesitate to reach out and we can schedule a brief consultation to determine possible fit in working together.

Stressed? Overwhelmed? Struggling with making life decisions? Congratulations! You've taken the first step towards seeking change. Listening to intuition and addressing what distresses you is a sign of strength. Respect, empathy, support, active listening, collaboration and confidentiality are a top priority and values that guide my practice. I welcome the opportunity to work with you to uncover your inner strengths and live your life reaching towards your fullest potential. Self-discovery and awareness occur in the context of a working therapeutic relationship; reasons why I feel the fit between therapist and patient is so important. I encourage you to follow your inner voice about what feels right when searching for a therapist. Each patient and couple is unique and therefore I use an individually tailored eclectic and flexible approach integrating techniques from various modalities depending on patients' needs. I encourage individuals and couples to be active participants in their treatment enabling them to explore previously undiscovered aspects of themselves. Within the context of the therapeutic relationship, patients can explore patterns of behavior related to beliefs, attitudes and past experiences. I would be happy to speak with you during a complimentary phone consultation. I warmly welcome your call or email.