Dr. Anjeli Desmond

I’m a child psychologist specializing in the challenges children and families face during the early years of life. I completed my postdoctoral fellowship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and my residency at Franciscan Children's/Boston Children’s Hospital, and I hold a PhD in Clinical Psychology and a master’s degree in Pediatric Neuropsychology. In plain terms, I understand not only your child’s behavior, but also the brain development and relational history that may be influencing it.

I work with children from infancy through school age who are navigating anxiety, developmental differences, emotional dysregulation, challenging behaviors, feeding difficulties, sleep problems, and other concerns.

I provide virtual therapy to clients located in Virginia and Florida, bringing a warm, direct, and culturally responsive perspective to every individual and family I work with.

My work is grounded in something I’ve seen repeatedly in both research and clinical practice: lasting change begins when people feel understood, supported, and equipped with practical tools.

With children, I work closely with caregivers and families—not only the child in front of me—because children do best when their caregivers feel confident and supported. Depending on your family’s needs, treatment may include parent coaching, play-based sessions, parent-child interaction work, or a combination of approaches. I draw from Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), attachment-based interventions, Trauma-Focused CBT, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, selecting the methods that best fit your family.

Our first session is a real conversation—not simply an intake checklist. You’ll share what has been going on, what you’ve already tried, what feels most urgent, and what you hope will be different six months from now. I’ll listen carefully and ask thoughtful questions so we can develop a fuller understanding of your or your child’s strengths, experiences, and current challenges.

If you’re seeking parenting therapy for yourself, we’ll begin identifying the patterns that may be keeping you stuck and clarify the meaningful, realistic changes you want to make. If you’re seeking support for your child, we’ll explore their needs within the context of your family, relationships, and daily life.

By the end of our initial work together, you’ll have a clear understanding of what treatment could look like, what we’ll work toward, and why. My goal is for you to leave feeling genuinely heard, hopeful, and confident about our plan moving forward.