Addiction therapists & psychiatrists in Charlottesville, VA

I’m a bilingual therapist working with adults navigating anxiety, trauma, grief, and major life transitions. Many of the people I support feel overwhelmed by overthinking, internal pressure, difficulty managing stress, and the uncertainty of what comes next.

In our work together, I focus on helping you make sense of what’s happening internally and develop practical ways to respond to stress and emotions. I integrate cognitive, somatic, and neuroscience-informed approaches to support both emotional and nervous system regulation.

I believe therapy should feel human. It can be structured but still fit your individual needs. I offer a space where you can show up as you are, while also doing meaningful work that leads to real shifts in how you experience and respond to life.

Partner 1: “I reach for you, but it feels like you’re already gone.” I’m left wondering if I matter to you at all.” Partner 2: “When you come close, I feel the pressure to be perfect, so I pull back to protect us both.” These unspoken messages leave couples lonely and stuck. I help break this anxious–avoidant cycle so partners feel safe, seen, and deeply connected again.

“I don’t understand why I want closeness so badly, yet feel disappointed when I have it. Why do I feel lonelier than others, even when I’m not alone?” Or: “I care deeply, but people say I’m distant or hard to read. When emotions get intense, I shut down—not because I don’t feel, but because it feels like too much.”

These quiet tensions live beneath awareness for many people. Longing and self-protection pull in opposite directions. Needs feel confusing, emotions feel overwhelming or unsafe, and core beliefs quietly form—I’m too much, I’m not enough, connection costs me something.

I help people loosen these patterns, reconcile the Self with more truthful and adaptive beliefs, and move toward self-acceptance and interdependence—where connection no longer threatens safety, but deepens it.

After nine years serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, I realized my deepest fulfillment came not from fixing systems, but from walking with people. Leaving the military was not a departure from service—it was a continuation of it. I pursued social work and theological training to better support people in their most important relationships. Today, my practice is devoted to couples counseling and trauma-informed care. Drawing primarily from Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and EMDR, I help couples slow conflict, understand what drives disconnection, and emotional safety. As a veteran and seminary-trained therapist, I bring structure, compassion, and steady hope—meeting clients with respect, grace, and a belief in lasting change.

I am a Deaf LCSW and Neuropsychotherapist (NPT-C) with nearly 20 years of experience dedicated to high-achieving individuals facing systemic pressure. My clinical work integrates Neuropsychotherapy and Executive Management principles to cultivate cognitive resilience and self-mastery. My foundation includes four advanced degrees, culminating in my doctoral research which focused on systemic complexity and inclusive leadership. I bring extensive experience as a former leader in state government, non-profit, and private sectors. This background allows me to treat vocational stress, anxiety, and burnout with humble competence and real-world relevance. I communicate effectively via voice, video, and American Sign Language (ASL). I am committed to creating affirming, psychologically safe, and accessible spaces for all individuals to thrive.

I have 15+ years in a variety of practice settings serving communities across Virginia and enjoy working with adults, teens, and children struggling with a variety of mental health and trauma related difficulties!

I specialize in Anxiety, ADHD, Depression, PTSD, Panic disorder and mood disorders. I also offer ADHD testing for children and adults online and in-person. I offer both medication management and therapy.

Making the decision to start therapy is a profound investment of your time, energy, and vulnerability. If you are looking for a blank-slate clinician who simply nods and listens, we might not be the best fit. I offer a highly engaged, malleable, and unflinching partnership.

My approach is rooted in the belief that while the work of untangling our lives is deeply structural, the room itself doesn't always have to feel heavy. I bring a grounded warmth to my practice—which means knowing how to sit quietly in the gravity of a difficult truth, but also knowing when to break the tension, exhale, and find the light in the sheer complexity of being human. I won’t just sit in silence while you do all the heavy lifting; I am an active collaborator who adapts to exactly where you are.

I’m a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Emory University. I bring over 8 years of clinical experience, including 4 years in medical nursing and 4 years in mental health care across inpatient, emergency, and outpatient settings.I also served as a nurse in the U.S. military, where I cared for active-duty service members, veterans, and their families. This experience shaped a steady, grounded approach to care, especially in moments of stress, transition, or uncertainty.

I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor with experience in crisis services, complex systems, and high-acuity clinical settings. I also teach at the university level. I work primarily with adults navigating stress, life transitions, relationship concerns, substance use and recovery, and the weight of high-responsibility roles. My approach is collaborative, humanistic, and practical.

Sirena is an EMDR trauma therapist in Henrico, VA, who strives to support client’s ability to not only survive, but thrive. Her specialty areas include complex trauma, intergenerational trauma, substance use disorders, eating disorders, adult attachment disorders, and neurodivergence.

She values the role that attachment needs play within the clinical relationship, and utilizes "here-and-now" approaches to help individuals gain insight into how these dynamics impact their life relationships. Sirena believes that mental health symptoms are just the tip of the iceberg, and while she supports individuals in acquiring new skills to face life's challenges, she is also eager to address the core concerns that stand in the way of a sustainable and enduring recovery.

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Whether you are struggling with the far-reaching impact of past trauma, relationship challenges, anxiety, depression, PTSD, or other ongoing health issue or simply wanting to invest in a bit of self-exploration and growth, I am so glad that you have begun your search for the best facilitator in that journey. I believe in meeting people where they are and allowing you to set your own pace for healing. I look forward to assisting on your healing journey in any way that I can.