Hi, I’m Emily (she/they)! I grew up in the Washington, DC area and spent ten years in New Orleans before moving to central Virginia in 2022. I have a Bachelor's degree in conflict analysis and resolution from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, where I learned about things like interpersonal communication skills, social identity, systemic oppression, and restorative/transformative justice processes including mediation. I earned my Master's of Education in clinical mental health counseling at the University of New Orleans, and gained experience as an intern working with adults coping with problematic substance use as well as with children and families in the juvenile justice system.
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor by the Virginia Department of Health Professions (LPC #0701012868) and the LPC Board of Louisiana (LPC #7395). I am a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) through the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) and a member of the American Counseling Association (ACA). I am certified as a practitioner of the NADA auricular acupuncture protocol, a radical treatment for people coping with stress, anxiety, insomnia, and problematic substance use.
I love being a counselor because I get the opportunity to connect deeply with others while supporting them in their processes of healing and growth. It feels very special to have folks share their thoughts, feelings, and struggles with me, and I feel grateful to be able to offer my loving presence in return. I have a profound appreciation for people and the challenges inherent in being human - thanks to my own struggles in life, I have developed a deep sense of compassion, patience, and understanding - and supporting others in living richer, more satisfying lives gives me a sense of meaning and satisfaction in my own life.
I have experience working with individuals with diverse identities including LGBTQ2S+, BIPOC and ethnic/religious minorities, sex workers, and poly/CNM. I am committed to ongoing education and examination of my unconscious biases and privilege, taking personal responsibility for my words and actions, and engaging with efforts for social justice. I donate several hours of my time each week in the form of pro bono and reduced-fee counseling services for people with marginalized identities who demonstrate financial need.
My own growth and development as a human is important to me, and I am continually investing in myself through spiritual practice, reading and research, meditation, meaningful and authentic relationships, professional development trainings, supervision, consultation, psychotherapy, coaching, bodywork, and other healing modalities.
I work best with people who are curious about themselves and committed to their personal growth, development, and healing. My current areas of study include trauma, attachment, spirituality, antiracism, somatics, queer theory, liberation psychology, existentialist and stoic philosophies, and the enneagram.