Therapy for moms and parents in Washington, DC
Becoming a parent reactivates old wounds
Your old, painful attachment injuries tend to resurface when you have children.
I help you resolve these core wounds so you become the version of yourself you want to be, and feel better as you navigate parenthood.
I offer in-person therapy in Dupont Circle, Washington, DC, and online therapy for residents of DC, Maryland and Virginia.
What might be bringing you into therapy…
“I feel emotionally dysregulated, and it makes it hard to connect with my child.”
“My kid is going through something, and I need help dealing with it.”
“The division of labor makes parenting feel so hard.”
“I feel a constant anxiety about my kids and their safety.”
“I think I might have postpartum depression.”
“I explode at my kids and have no patience, even though I don’t want to be this way.”
… probably started long ago…
Having a parent who was emotionally dysregulated or volatile
Never being allowed to fully express your feelings or needs as a kid
Feeling like you weren’t loved/accepted if you didn’t achieve
A childhood spent walking on eggshells around your parent’s moods
Instability in your home, anything from poverty to abuse to divorce
Being the “responsible one” in your family, even as a kid
I help you feel better as a parent by finally resolving your past.
Often my clients report…
✔ Feeling calmer and more regulated around your kids, which your kids respond to with more calm
✔ Being able to choose what you do during tense moments instead of reacting on autopilot
✔ More self-compassion about your parenting, less anxiety or inner criticism
✔ Feeling more attuned to your kids and present in the moment
✔ Breaking the patterns you learned from your parents – once and for all
✔ You and your partner functioning like equal teammates in parenting
“Claire's ability to connect with people affords her the ability to offer thoughtful, compassionate guidance. Her warmth will create an inviting space for you to both share openly and feel truly understood.”
Zack Goldman, lcsw
You can break the cycle.
Parenthood can feel easier.
Doing this valuable inner work can help you feel more ease, joy, self acceptance, and peace in parenting.
I’m here to help you do this work!
Questions about seeking therapy as a parent?
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You can't pour from an empty cup, and so much of what I see in my work with parents is that when they finally deal with their mental and emotional health, it changes how stressed they feel on a day-to-day basis.
To make it easier, I offer virtual sessions across DC, Maryland, and Virginia, so you don't have to factor in a commute. I also have an office in Dupont Circle if in-person works better for you. We can find something that fits into your week.
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Yes, this is a significant part of my practice. I've spent years working with people in high-stakes, high-visibility roles. I understand the particular pressure of holding a demanding public or high-security role — or witnessing and supporting your partner doing so — while also trying to be present as a parent and partner.
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Yes, I offer counseling for new moms moving through the transition into motherhood, including pregnancy and postpartum.
So much of what looks like "just anxiety or depression" on the surface is actually tied to something deeper, like unmet needs from your own upbringing, fears about repeating patterns, and the disorientation of suddenly being responsible for another whole person.
We'd work on calming what's happening in the present, but I also find it's important to understand where those fears are really coming from, so they don't keep resurfacing.
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Mom rage might be where you find yourself reacting with an emotion that feels to you like it doesn’t match the circumstance. For example, snapping at your kid over something small or feeling a hot flash of fury that scares you a little because it doesn't feel like "you."
I help you understand what’s really going on for you, so we can resolve it together.
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I do. Fathers carry their own version of parenthood anxiety, depression, perfectionism, and grief…. often with even less permission to talk about it out loud.
Whatever brought you in, whether it's the marriage, the exhaustion, the patterns from your own childhood you're trying not to repeat with your kids, I want to understand you fully, not just slot you into a stereotype of what a dad "should" need.
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I absolutely do.