Adoption Therapists in Dumfries, VA

Are you pregnant and experiencing some anxiety related to being a Mom? Do you find yourself crying, feeling overwhelmed or wanting to be alone? Are you in a stage of life transition? Being a licensed mental health professional for 21 years, I specialize in helping women manage life transitions, postpartum depression, trauma, anxiety and grief. I also have extensive experience and training working with foster care and adoption issues. As a certified Prepare Enrich facilitator, I also assist premarital and married couples with assessing their strengths, opportunities for growth, and learning skills to strengthen their relationship.

Doreen earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Cornell University and her Masters of Science degree in Mental Health Counseling from Divine Mercy University. She is a National Certified counselor and a member of American Counseling Association (ACA) as a pre-licensed professional counselor. Doreen has a broad experience handling a wide spectrum of neurological and psychological conditions. She treats children, teens, adults, and couples presenting with anxiety, depression, adoption, ADHD, trauma, and behavioral and relationship issues. Additionally, she works with adults with memory/dementia challenges and their families.

Are you searching for a psychotherapist who can provide the guidance and support you need to overcome difficult issues? I am here to help you navigate through the challenges that have left you feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, and defeated. I believe in taking a holistic approach, addressing not just your thoughts and emotions, but also the connection between your mind and body. Together, we will explore your feelings, delve into your subconscious, and discover coping mechanisms that will empower you to take control of your life. Let's embark on this therapeutic journey together and unlock your true potential!

After serving the Northern Virginia area for the last 23 years in prominent agency and home based counseling settings, I have established myself as a successful psychotherapist. While using a Cognitive Behavioral and Brief Therapy Approach, I am able to help individuals experiencing depressed moods, anxiety issues, anger management issues, loss/ grief, PTSD, abuse and relationship issues.

The Apostle Paul said “each of us has one body with many members” (Romans 12:4-5). In a similar fashion, Willi Dalaba, LCSW, sees people composed of different parts that make up the whole. Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual all combine to make up an individual. A good counselor, she believes, may need to help a client bring into a better balance these different aspects of their personality. This is part of the theoretical grounding and expertise that Willi Dalaba brings to her years of counseling experience.

Thank you for looking at my profile. I am an LCSW, licensed in the state of VA, with many years of experience treating children, teens, adults, couples and families. I enjoy working with clients from a wide array of backgrounds and across the lifespan.

The philosophy that guides me in my work with clients is a strong core belief in respect for each person's unique culture and heritage. There are no cookie cutter therapeutic interventions that work universally on all clients with the exception of the development of strong therapeutic relationship between client and therapist. I believe therapy needs to be meaningful, personal and tailored for each person or couple. A distinctive of my practice is to provide an integrated approach that treats the whole person. I am trained in Gottman Level 1 & 2, Prepare/Enrich certified, and use the skills learned when working with couples.

I am privileged to be a participant in the journey. I am an honest, genuine, compassionate advocate for my clients of all ages, races, ethinicities, backgrounds, orientations, and walks of life. I tell people all the time that if I had wanted to judge people, I would go to law school and get paid much more money! That's a joke! Survivors: let’s come together and agree that you’re never, ever going to back down! My interactive approach can yield results because I seek to learn constantly! I am also passionate about accessibility of mental health services- I supervise newer therapists and keep my rates affordable. That’s me!

I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist providing out-patient mental health services in Northern Virginia since 2007. I diagnose and treat a wide range of disorders in adolescents and adults. During therapy, I create an environment where people feel safe and comfortable while managing difficult situations. I assist them with developing ways to learn and recognize beneficial patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviors. therapy from the following perspectives to help individuals use their inherent strengths to improve their quality of life: CBT, Eye Movement Desensitization and Repossessing (EMDR). I am a EMDRIA Approved Consultant.

Being a child is a special time full of curiosity, exploration, and learning. It is also a time when your body is growing, language is developing, social skills are evolving, and your capacity to cope is a work in progress. It doesn’t take much to feel unsure, overwhelmed, stressed, or unseen. Struggles are expressed through emotional and behavioral distress - tantrums, defiance, dysregulation, difficulty with focus, transitions, separation, or withdrawal from others/school/activities. It can also show up as jealousy, attention-seeking, aggression, anxiety, depression, or hyperactivity. PCIT is specifically designed for this stage.

My orientation to psychotherapy is integrative; I recognize the value of psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral and family approaches. I have come to believe that no one approach is necessarily the best. Each individual is unique, so the therapeutic approach that is used should reflect the needs of the client. By tailoring therapy to fit the needs of each individual, an atmosphere is created in which the client feels secure to explore his or her feelings. I have worked in many different treatment settings, and with diverse population of adults and adolescents. I have experience treating individuals, couples, and families.

In an ideal world, our relationship experiences are secure, safe, accessible, and responsive and we learn we can trust and are loveable, worthy, and deserving of our needs being met. When this is not our experience, we find ways to adapt and survive moments of disconnection, invalidation, hurt, or overwhelm. This plays out as self-limiting beliefs, hiding parts of who we are, denying or being flooded with emotions, shutting down, people pleasing, perfectionism, hustling for our worth, and/or building up our protections. I work with adults, children (2-18), parents, and families to connect, heal, and be each other's greatest resource

The philosophy of the practice is to empower individuals to cope with, and solve, their problems, accentuating their strengths and unique capabilities. Systems, cognitive-behavioral, relapse prevention and solution focused techniques are used to help people move on with their lives as quickly as possible. CFS treats all types of problems including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, major mental health disorders, issues related to development, including divorce, empty nest syndrome, family reunification, aging, and young families with children and adolescents.