When most people hear “EMDR,” they think of trauma therapy—and they’re not wrong. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) was originally developed to help people heal from painful or overwhelming life events. But what many don’t realize is that EMDR can also be a deeply powerful tool for people living with ADHD—especially when it’s tangled with shame, perfectionism, and emotional intensity.

ADHD isn’t just about distraction or forgetting your keys. For many adults, especially those who weren’t diagnosed until later in life, ADHD can quietly chip away at your time, your money, your self-esteem, and your sense of peace.

It’s not just the missed appointments or the half-finished projects—it’s the emotional toll of constantly wondering if you’re falling behind, disappointing others, or “just not getting it together.”

And here’s the hard part: sometimes, traditional therapy doesn’t move quickly enough to catch up to the urgency you feel inside.

That’s why therapy intensives can be such a powerful option for people with ADHD. They allow you to dive in, create momentum, and actually feel a shift—in a fraction of the time.

Mental health days have become a popular idea—and for good reason. We all need time to pause, recharge, and step away from the demands of work, family, and daily stress. But somewhere along the way, the idea of a mental health day got tangled up with a simple notion: rest means doing nothing. Sleep in. Watch TV. Scroll on your phone. Cancel all plans.

Sometimes, that’s exactly what we need. But here’s the thing: rest doesn’t always restore you. And restoration doesn’t always mean rest.

Let’s unpack that, because it’s a distinction that can transform how you approach your mental health days—and your relationship to self-care in general.

When you’re living with ADHD, you’re often moving through life with a complicated relationship to time, focus, and follow-through. You might feel like you’re constantly catching up, starting over, or spinning your wheels on things that should feel manageable.

And while therapy can be life-changing, traditional weekly sessions don’t always feel like the best fit—especially for ADHD brains that crave momentum, depth, and flexibility.

This is where therapy intensives can be a powerful, neurodivergent-friendly option. Let’s talk about why.

For many of my clients, self-doubt doesn’t always come through dramatic breakdowns or obvious anxiety. It shows up more quietly—in the form of constant reassurance-seeking, mental spiraling after conversations, or needing someone else to validate every decision before it feels real.

They don’t say “I don’t trust myself” in so many words.
But their nervous systems are carrying that message loud and clear.

And here’s what I want you to know: this kind of self-questioning isn’t a personal failure. It’s often a natural, protective adaptation to earlier environments where your inner signals were ignored, minimized, or punished.

Do you ever feel like you’re too sensitive, too intense, too emotional—like your presence somehow takes up more space than it should? Or maybe, on the flip side, you constantly feel not enough—not accomplished enough, not confident enough, not lovable enough.

If you find yourself bouncing between these two extremes, you're not alone. Many of my therapy clients—especially those with a history of relational trauma, perfectionism, or feeling misunderstood in childhood—describe living in this painful tug-of-war.

There’s a common myth that therapy is only for people in deep crisis. That you have to be actively unraveling, unable to cope, or recovering from an acute event before seeking help.

But therapy isn’t just about surviving—it’s about expanding what’s possible for your life and your relationships.

In the same way you don’t wait until your teeth are falling out to visit a dentist, you don’t have to wait for total burnout or breakdown to begin caring for your emotional well-being.

Many of my clients come to trauma therapy wondering if something is "wrong" with them because they struggle to stay emotionally present—especially in close relationships. But emotional withdrawal isn't a flaw. It’s a learned survival response, often shaped by early relationships and nervous system adaptations that made emotional distance feel safer than vulnerability.

If you’re wondering whether you’re emotionally avoidant—or simply carrying old protective strategies that no longer serve you—this post is for you.

The internet loves a tidy mantra. Enter: Mel Robbins' "Let Them" theory. It's gone viral for a reason. The concept is simple and empowering: if someone wants to leave, disappoint you, or act in a way you can't control? Let them. Release the grip. Stay in your own lane. Focus on your own peace.

Sounds good, right? And for many, it is a powerful mindset shift. But if you live with anxiety—especially the kind rooted in relational wounds or trauma—"letting them" isn't just hard. It can feel downright impossible.

When people think of anxiety, they often think of racing thoughts, excessive worrying, or mental spirals. But for many, anxiety starts in the body: a racing heart, shallow breath, tense muscles, or a gut that just won't settle. And when those sensations show up without a clear trigger, it can feel disorienting—or even shameful.

But here's what you need to know: your nervous system is not always working with the most current information.

In a culture that glorifies nonstop achievement, slowing down is often mistaken for falling behind. If you’re not constantly doing, producing, achieving—you may feel like something’s wrong with you. But from a trauma therapy lens, what looks like “laziness” is often a protective adaptation—especially if you’ve experienced chronic stress, relational trauma, or high-pressure environments growing up.

Avoidance and paralysis are not signs of weakness. They are signs that your nervous system is overwhelmed—and doing exactly what it learned to do to stay safe.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in therapy—like you’re talking about the same patterns week after week without much movement—you’re not alone. For many people navigating trauma, anxiety, or life transitions, weekly sessions can start to feel like a slow crawl toward relief. And if you’re someone juggling a demanding job, a busy family life, or simply a full plate (hello, lawyers, doctors, creatives, entrepreneurs, and caregivers), carving out time for therapy every week might feel more stressful than supportive. Let’s explore both the financial and emotional value of therapy intensives, and why they might just be the best mental health investment you’ll ever make.

Change can feel both exciting and terrifying. Whether you’re starting a new job, ending a relationship, moving to a new city, or simply questioning what comes next—life transitions have a way of stirring up anxiety, self-doubt, and overwhelm.

But here’s the truth: change doesn’t have to break you. With the right support, it can grow you.

If you’re feeling burned out, stuck, or like talk therapy just isn’t cutting it anymore, you’re not alone—and you’re not doing anything wrong. For so many of the young professionals and creatives I work with in my psychotherapy practice in Washington, DC and Virginia, the surface-level strategies of "coping" no longer feel like enough. And that’s where therapy intensives can offer something different. Something deeper.

Struggling with chronic burnout, disconnection, or feeling like you're living on autopilot? You’re not alone—and you’re not broken. Learn how dissociation is a common trauma response that exists on a spectrum, especially among high-achieving professionals and creatives with perfectionist or people-pleasing tendencies. This blog explores how mental health counseling and psychotherapy can help, particularly when talk therapy alone hasn’t been enough.

As the days get longer and the air feels lighter, many of us get the urge to refresh our space—cleaning out closets, scrubbing neglected corners, and letting go of what no longer serves us. But what about the clutter in your mind? The anxious thoughts that loop endlessly, the self-doubt that keeps you stuck, the emotional baggage you’ve been carrying for years?

Just like your home, your mind can become overcrowded with outdated beliefs, self-criticism, and unprocessed emotions that make it hard to move forward. If you’re feeling drained, overwhelmed, or disconnected from yourself, it might be time for some mental and emotional spring cleaning.

As a trauma therapist serving Washington, DC, Alexandria, VA, and Arlington, VA and surrounding areas, I specialize in helping adult professionals, creatives, and neurodivergent individuals clear out mental clutter and reclaim their energy. Using EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP)—especially through therapy intensives—I help clients not only recognize their mental load but also release it in a deep, lasting way.

Let’s explore why emotional decluttering is essential for mental wellness, how to start clearing out negative thought patterns, and how therapy can help you create lasting change.

If you’ve ever said “yes” when you wanted to say “no,” apologized when you weren’t at fault, or felt like your worth depended on making others happy—you might be caught in the cycle of people-pleasing. At first glance, being accommodating and easygoing seems like a good thing. After all, who doesn’t want to be liked? But when you’re constantly prioritizing others at the expense of your own needs, people-pleasing can lead to burnout, resentment, and a deep sense of disconnection from yourself.

As a therapist specializing in trauma recovery, I meet in-person and virtually with many young professionals, creatives, and those with ADHD characteristics throughout Washington, DC, Alexandria, VA, and Arlington, VA who struggle with these patterns. They’re hardworking, successful, and deeply caring—but they also feel stuck, drained, and unsure of how to stop seeking validation from others.

Let’s break down why people-pleasing happens, how it’s actually a trauma response, and how therapy—especially intensives using EMDR, IFS, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy—can help you finally reclaim your voice.

Traditional therapy, while incredibly valuable, often follows a weekly or biweekly model that might not be ideal for people who:

• Have unpredictable work schedules or travel frequently.

• Find it difficult to open up in just 50 minutes and feel like they’re “starting over” each week.

• Feel an urgent need for relief from burnout, anxiety, or a creative block.

• Want to make significant progress but struggle with the slow, drawn-out process of traditional therapy.

If you’re someone who needs efficiency without sacrificing depth, therapy intensives offer an alternative that provides meaningful, focused healing in a condensed timeframe.

Shame is an incredibly powerful and persistent emotion. It often feels like something deep inside us that we can’t shake off—like a heavy weight we carry around, even if no one else sees it. As a therapist specializing in trauma recovery, every one of my clients experiences some degree of shame, and I’ve seen how it can distort how we see ourselves and our place in the world. What makes shame so insidious is that it doesn’t just show up as an isolated feeling—it often becomes a lens through which we interpret everything in our lives.

When trauma enters the picture, whether in the form of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) or C-PTSD (Complex PTSD), shame can often take center stage. Trauma doesn’t just impact the body or mind; it can shape your self-worth and sense of identity in profound ways. And unfortunately, it often locks people into a cycle of negative self-talk and self-blame that keeps them stuck.

Understanding how shame shows up in trauma and how to heal from it is a crucial part of the recovery process. If you’ve ever felt like you’re carrying an invisible burden of shame, or if you’ve struggled with feeling "not enough" or unworthy, know that you’re not alone—and there is hope for healing.

If you’re someone who thrives on productivity and ambition, it might feel counterintuitive to question whether those qualities could actually be a form of high-functioning anxiety. After all, you’re managing your responsibilities, achieving goals, and even excelling in some areas. But beneath the surface, does it feel sustainable—or is it starting to take a toll?

As a therapist specializing in trauma recovery, I work with many clients who identify with these patterns, and one thing I admire about them is their innate drive to figure themselves out. There’s often a deep curiosity that draws them into therapy—a desire to make sense of the cycles they’re stuck in and learn how to live in a way that feels more fulfilling. And what I’ve found over time is that when these clients soften and begin to show themselves compassion, incredible growth and healing unfold.