Daniela Stapor

I'm a bilingual therapist (English and Spanish) who came to Virginia from Bolivia in 2003. Before entering private practice, I spent years working in Child Protective Services and maternal health — systems that gave me an honest, on-the-ground understanding of what families face when life gets complicated. That experience still shapes how I show up for clients today: I'm not here to give you textbook answers. I'm here to sit with the real thing. I specialize in trauma, PTSD, anxiety, BPD, maternal mental health, and the kind of grief that doesn't fit on a sympathy card. I'm especially attuned to the unique pressures of immigration, cultural identity, and what it means to build a life in a country that wasn't your starting point. If you've ever felt like no one really gets the full picture of who you are, that's exactly the kind of space I try to create.

My approach isn't one-size-fits-all — it never has been. I draw from Internal Family Systems (IFS), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Trauma-Focused CBT, Emotion-Focused Therapy, and art therapy. What that means in practice is that I pay attention to what you actually need, not just what a particular model says we should be doing. If you're working through trauma, we might use parts-based IFS work to explore the protective layers you've built over time. If anxiety is running your life, we might work with ACT to loosen its grip without forcing you to fight your own brain. If words feel limited, art can become part of the language. The common thread in everything I do: I follow your lead, and I don't rush healing.

The first session is a real conversation — not an intake form read back to you. I'll ask about what's been happening, what's brought you to therapy right now, and what you're hoping life could look like. You don't need a polished story or a clear diagnosis. You can come in exactly as you are. We'll talk about what works for you — your schedule, your language preference (English or Spanish, whichever lets you speak most freely), and what kind of support you're looking for. By the end, you'll have a sense of how we might work together and whether it feels right. There's no pressure — just honesty, and a genuine effort to understand what you need.