Become The Person You Want To Be
Mental Health Services: Take the First Step to Help
provides mental health services to clients in Metropolitan Washington DC and Northern Virginia. Michael Payne is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over 2 decades of experience assessing and treating a variety of mental health issues and personal concerns.
specializes in challenges related to depression, anxiety, OCD, grief & loss, relationships, family conflict, addiction recovery, men’s issues, LGBTQIA+ identity and sexual orientation, spirituality, career transitions, and personal development.
Note: To safely deliver services during the COVID-19 pandemic, we primarily offer telehealth psychotherapy sessions through a secure, online client portal. Limited in-person hours are also available by prior arrangement in Alexandria, Virginia.
To learn more or to schedule your first appointment, please call (703) 622-2993.
INDIVIDUALS
In individual therapy, the focus is on you: your personal goals, internal struggles, and challenges with other people. Together, we will identify the changes you want to make and create strategies to manifest and maintain them. Common concerns that bring people to individual therapy include anxiety, depression, stress, loss, challenging transitions, and feeling “stuck”.
COUPLES
Couples psychotherapy typically involves romantic partners and focuses on improving a relationship. Your therapist can offer an objective perspective, a “reality check”, and relational expertise. Couples often seek out therapy together to resolve persistent areas of challenge, address communication breakdowns, or move past hurt or betrayal.
GROUPS
Group therapy offers particular value to clients who are feeling isolated and alone or having difficulty creating lasting and meaningful relationships. Often done in combination with or as a transition from individual work, group therapy is an excellent way to get “real life” feedback from others about ways we are perceived while building on our capacities to have happier and more fulfilling relationships.
FAMILIES
Families often seek professional help to address interpersonal conflict between family members, heal from a trauma or crisis, or find healthier ways to communicate about sensitive topics. It can be a great source of healing, conflict resolution, and transformation.
WORKSHOPS – CONSULTATION
consults with organizations and workplaces on such topics as self-care, wellness, team-building, navigating divorce, conflict resolution, stress management, and diversity awareness & inclusion. Contact us to explore further how we can help your group create lasting change and new possibilities.
Michael Payne, LCSW
Clinical Social Worker, Therapist, Wellness Coach
You don’t have to be “ill” to benefit from counseling services. In fact, most psychotherapy clients are everyday people seeking relief from common problems and life events. If you live in Washington, DC; Northern Virginia; or Florida and are looking to improve your mental health, is here to help.
For more than twenty years, I’ve led individuals, couples, and families through life’s challenges and transitions. I have extensive experience working with such issues as depression, anxiety, grief, OCD, addiction recovery, men’s issues, LGBTQIA+ identity, intimacy & relationships, family conflict, career stalemates, lack of fulfillment, and difficult transitions.
is an insight-oriented, solution-focused approach to mental health. After setting mutually-determined treatment goals, we’ll work steadily toward them, exploring underlying issues, overcoming obstacles and creating action plans for the positive changes you want to make.
is counseling right for me?
When should I see a therapist or counselor?
Disappointments and setbacks are a part of life. How do you know when it’s time to seek help? For some, it’s reaching a breaking point and deciding to make a change; for others, it’s wanting to make peace with a painful past. It may be prompted by a desire to understand self-defeating patterns or to answer a nagging question: “Is this normal?” Some seek counseling to change a bad habit that’s getting in the way of a brighter future; others hope to heal a wounded relationship or move on from a broken one.
Here are some signs that your heart and mind may need healing:
Worrying “something bad” is going to happen
Self-medicating through alcohol or other drugs
Feeling hopeless/helpless
Un-fulfilling or drama-filled relationships
Loneliness
Panic
Difficulty sleeping
Too much sleep/trouble getting out of bed
Low energy
Poor appetite
Over-eating when sad or stressed
Issues with sex or sexuality
Feeling nervous around others
Physical symptoms triggered by anxiety
Obsessive thoughts
Feeling guilty or ashamed
Compulsive behaviors
Flashbacks to traumatic events
Mood swings
“Road rage”
Irritability
Poor concentration
Phobias/Irrational fears
The “blahs”
Parent-child conflict
Only you can decide if therapy is right for you, but most people who have sought counseling at some point agree that it helped them through a difficult time. If you are in emotional pain, you can and deserve to feel better. Reaching out for help is the first step.
Call (703) 622-2993 or e-mail send us your information to schedule a teletherapy appointment.
John Milton
Client Feedback
Names are not disclosed due to client privacy and confidentiality.
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Contact Details
Phone
(703) 622-2993
Address
2202 Mt. Vernon Avenue
Alexandria, VA. 22301
