I aim to provide a warm, laidback, nonjudgmental, safe space for clients to explore and process mental health issues.

I like to create a calm, accepting environment where clients feel free to express their true feelings without fear of judgment. My hope is for clients to look forward to every session.

In my practice, I work with adults, defined as approximately age 20 and older. I work with individual clients, with couples, and with groups. In group therapy, the clients are almost always in individual therapy as well, with me, with my co-therapist, or with another therapist who has referred the client to the group. I work with clients presenting a variety of issues, including: *Depression Relationship Issues *Life Transitions *Anxiety *Addictive Behaviors *GLBT Issues *Anger *Grief and Loss *Sense of Self/Self-Esteem *Men's Issues *Trauma and PTSD *Partners of Abuse Survivors *Adult Children of Alcoholic/Dysfunctional/Abuse Families *Couples Issues, including Re-Marriage, Extramarital Relationships, and Step-Families I have had experience working with diverse groups of people. I have been a consulting psychologist to an orthodox yeshiva, I have worked with Catholic seminarians, I have taught and supervised trainees in a largely Catholic Pastoral Counseling program, and I have taken numerous workshops in working with Gay, Bi, and Lesbian, and Questioning clients. In addition, I have been involved in Multicultural work since 2001, and seek to keep an open mind and continuously question my assumptions about people whose lives are different from mine. I believe that psychotherapy is an interactive process that calls for both the client and the therapist to be as fully involved as possible. Therefore, I participate actively with my patients, sharing my thoughts, impressions, and reactions to what we are talking about. I believe that people can change even long-standing patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior if THEY participate actively. My job is to create a space where clients can be curious and learn about the ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that they bring to their lives, and about how these ways work for them and against them. I create this space by bringing both my professional training and understanding and my human compassion, empathy, and respect. In my practice, I typically meet with people once a week; if there is a need for additional support, or if we decide together that more intense work is called for, meeting twice a week can be very useful. Even meeting once a week allows clients to develop enough comfort with me and with therapy for our work to be effective and helpful. Regarding my theoretical grounding, I have intensive training in Psychodynamic, Cognitive-Behavioral, Gestalt, and Existential therapeutic approaches, and I draw from each of these as the client's situation, needs, and goals call for. Some therapists subscribe to and identify with one school of thought and apply that way of thinking and working to every client. I first work to understand each client's particular issues, needs, and style of thinking and feeling. THEN, I use the approach and methods that I believe would be most useful to that patient, and remain open to using whatever else might work based on what develops. Therefore, my orientation is eclectic, and my methods are determined by the client's personality and needs.

If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with one of our therapists, please use the contact form on our WEBSITE www.imaracounseling.com and a member of our intake team will be in touch with you within 24 business hours. Unlike many other practices you reach out to, we will respond and do our best to schedule you with someone who can assist you.

Do you have ruminations that are self-critical? Do you avoid going out or joining social activities? Or maybe you become overwhelmed by anger, fear, shame, dread? Life doesn't have to be that hard. I believe that our behavior patterns are old ways of surviving difficult situations. I bring years of personal and professional experiences and training to foster a safe and collaborative relationship to be curious about your responses, update your system, so to speak, and learn and practice new skills.

At Power Counseling PLLC, we are five different clinicians. However, we have one thing in common. We are all committed to satisfactorily resolve the issues that the client brings to the therapy room. We work with individuals, couples, families and groups, offering individual, couple, family and group therapy. Our primary therapy modality is cognitive-behavioral therapy, but we also use solution focused therapy a lot. We are located in Washington DC, but we are licensed to practice in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. Our director also offers clinical supervision for those who need it. Now, we offer only teletherapy. We believe that people can change, and that therapy is about assisting clients with what they need to change so that they can lead a healthy life and achieve their life’s goals. We assist our clients to attain self-exploration, resilience, empathy, and emotional empowerment. We firmly believe in the inherent inner powers of each individual to heal. We believe that everyone possesses the necessary internal resources to overcome emotional difficulty and flourish in life. This belief guides our approach to therapy. We strive to empower our clients, in a collaborative manner. Our goal is to provide a holistic, solution-focused, empathy-driven, and emotionally empowering therapy approach. That way, we support my clients to achieve the goals for which they seek therapy. We adopt an inherently collaborative approach. It’s like a partnership in which the client has a voice and can set the agenda for the sessions and take ownership of the outcome of our work together. We empower clients to make decisions about their care, with our guidance. The goal here is to work with the client to identify and implement effective solutions to the issues that they bring to the therapy room. As necessary, we educate and guide our clients to use internal and external resources available to them to heal. We work to empower clients to make decisions and take actions that align with their values and aspirations.

You are not alone. Life can seem pretty unmanageable without added difficulties such as anxiety, depression, and addiction. However, you are not alone. How do you deal with racing thoughts? Do you find yourself often ignoring thoughts only to be kept up by them when you're trying to go to bed? I have helped several clients seeking assistance for mental health or behavioral issues, but I consider myself to be first and foremost a person who wants to help you deal with life's challenges. Together we can work to help provide clarity and balance in your life. I understand how certain issues such as addiction plague your daily life and those you care about. I provide strategies and techniques in a safe, judgment-free atmosphere where together we discuss your challenges and how to overcome them. Some people are frightened to go to therapy because of financial costs, anxiety about what to expect with therapy, andor not used to discussing their feelings. Talking to the people in your support system is encouraged but sometimes external assistance is necessary and that's ok too. I am here to help and support you in dealing with problems that may be holding you back. Some individuals are not ready to discuss their issues and that is okay. Since therapy is a mutual relationship, we are working together to help you grow mentally and emotionally stronger. You are not alone.

Accepting new clients for in-person and virtual sessions. Are you stuck in unhealthy relationship patterns with yourself, your family, and maybe even your friends? Do you have difficulty saying “no?” Are you having difficulty with setting and maintaining boundaries that keep you emotionally safe? Unhealthy relationships can leave us heartbroken, unfulfilled, and feeling invisible. We begin to question our own enoughness! We become numb, sad, and disconnected. Sometimes we give up on relationships altogether while longing to be loved and validated. We get stuck between hurting and healing. If you are stuck, we can help. Unstuck Counseling is a therapy practice located in Laurel, MD. Our mission is to heal and eradicate the reverberating effects of trauma in the African American community. We partner with our clients to help them get unstuck! We do this by using culturally sensitive and evidence-based practices to help our clients overcome hurts and create new experiences in the context of a safe, accepting, and nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship. Email us today to schedule an appointment. We are waiting to hear from you.

Working with you, alongside you, and for YOU, to take care of the emotional wellbeing that defines YOU. Life can present some difficult challenges. With the right support, these can be an incredible opportunity to grow. I offer deep empathy and active listening skills. I meet you where you are, and assist you in developing strength based techniques that you can use in reaching your goals in a non judgmental environment. I am also offering group counseling and workshops online that will assist you in taking care of your mental health.

Have you hit a wall with therapy? Are you struggling to find hope? My name is Mikayla, and I've lived in and around DC for over 22 years. I provide holistic therapy for individuals with and without ketamine. My clients struggle with PTSD, suicidality, depression, anxiety, substance use, and co-occurring conditions. I also work with couples struggling to resolve and repair conflict. All are welcome here! I have experience working with people who struggle to fit in, people who use drugs, and people in non-monogamous relationships. My perspective is relational and systems-based. No part of us is separate from the rest; we are inseparable from our environments and each other. If you decide to work with me, we'll start by exploring the dynamics of your relationships and the relationship you have with yourself. We can identify and build on your strengths, manage and release the manifestations of toxic stress through the body, improve your emotional capacities, and build stronger authentic relationships. My approach weaves embodied mindfulness, liberation psychology, somatics, trauma-informed care, polyvagal theory, education, sound, and, for those who choose this route, ketamine. There is no "typical" session with me. Each person is approached as a unique being with a unique story. I have real-world experience and extensive training in multiple compatible approaches, which allows me to pull out the right tool for the right person at the right time. I maintain a laser focus on your obstacles and protective barriers while holding a lighthearted space where we are free to laugh about the absurdity of life. I reject hierarchy in therapeutic spaces and hold us as equals sharing the beauty and pain of healing in the human experience. How we work together is guided by your understanding of what you need. I believe you have the capacity to heal yourself. My role is to approach you with a delicate balance of compassion and honesty, maintain a safe and comfortable environment, witness your process, and ask the right questions.

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).

We all have challenges that hold us back and keep us from living our best life. Maybe you have been disappointed, experienced loss, trauma, or rejection. Perhaps you have struggled with divorce, anxiety, isolation, or low self-esteem. You may be going through a difficult transition. I offer a blend of tools to help you begin to feel better. I bring solid experience and research-based strategies to my work. I believe in working with each person in a way that is individualized for them and honors the way they think and feel. I strive to make everyone feel comfortable, safe and supported during our sessions. I am a cognitive behavioral therapist, but also draw from many other techniques.