Couples therapists in District of Columbia

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) with years of experience supporting children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. My background includes working in schools, military communities, and private practice settings, which has given me a deep understanding of the unique challenges people face in different life stages and environments. I am passionate about creating a safe, nonjudgmental space where clients feel supported, respected, and empowered to grow.

At MyTherapist DC you will receive a free consultation to provide increased knowledge of therapist, build therapeutic rapport, and enhance a joint understanding of the treatment goals. Together we will explore your strengths to overcome your challenges. Every session begins with a reminder of your treatment goals, weekly update, review of last week's homework, processing current symptoms and learning a new intervention, summary of the session, and new homework. I use current events, research based data, assessments, guided meditation, and etc. to track progress from one week to the next week. My clients have expressed that the most enjoyable aspect of therapy is the connecting of meaningful childhood experience to the current self.

Great to meet you! I am Dr. Shannon Howard, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LCPC, LPC) for the states of DC & MD, a Certified Life Coach, and an Author. I have been helping individuals, children, couples, and families navigate grief and loss, trauma, anxiety, adjustment, depression and more for over 24 years.

My educational background consists of a dual Master's in both Counseling and Clinical Psychology. I received my first master's at Towson University in 2000, a second Masters and Doctorate in 2008 and 2010 from The American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University. I minored in Philosophy as well as Women's Studies.

I possess specialized training in areas of trauma, specifically in the assessment and treatment of sex offenders and survivors of sexual assault. I have worked in an adult inpatient psychiatric hospital, a day program for adults with chronic and acute mental illness, as well as on an outpatient basis as a private practitioner and with a group practice. I worked with Parole and Probation to help clients maintain compliance and management while on the registry. As a Certified Life Coach, I help coaching clients discover what they truly desire. We collaborate to create a roadmap to move you forward and build a future that feels grounded and authentic to you.

At present, I offer a full range of services and am open to accepting new virtual clients.

*PLEASE NOTE YOU MUST BE IN EITHER DC OR MD AT THE TIME OF YOUR SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT!

**I offer a 10-minute grace period to all clients before logging off of the Zoom platform. If you wish to reschedule, please message me here on Headway.""

I am a Clinical Social Worker with a graduate degree from the University of Maryland School of Social Work. For the past two decades, I have been advocating for individuals and families struggling with mental health concerns. My work has primarily focused on trauma, and I have provided therapeutic services to a diverse array of individuals of all ages. I am committed to helping people overcome eating disorders, substance abuse, depression, anxiety, trauma, and other stressors that impact our lives.

As a Trauma Informed Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, I am passionate about helping adolescents and adults fulfill their dreams, goals and highest aspirations. It is my belief that if you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

I am a licensed therapist with over a decade of experience helping individuals, couples, and families navigate life’s challenges and build healthier, more fulfilling relationships. My approach to therapy is warm, collaborative, and grounded in respect for each person’s story and strengths.

I integrate evidence-based practices—such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and Family Systems approaches—with a culturally responsive and trauma-informed lens. My goal is to create a safe and supportive space where you can explore your thoughts and emotions, gain clarity, and move toward lasting change.

I work with clients experiencing a wide range of concerns, including stress, anxiety, depression, relationship or family conflict, grief, identity transitions, and the effects of trauma. I also have extensive experience supporting people from diverse cultural and family backgrounds who are balancing multiple roles, expectations, and life transitions.

Clients often describe me as compassionate, down-to-earth, and empowering. Together, we’ll focus on uncovering your resilience, improving communication and connection, and finding practical strategies for growth and healing—so you can live with greater confidence, balance, and purpose.

Hey! I'm Christina, and I'm a licensed clinical social worker with 7 years experience providing individual, couples, family, and group therapy on an outpatient basis. I am thoroughly trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), two off-shoots of CBT that incorporate acceptance and mindfulness. I currently serve as the chapter president for Mid-Atlantic Chapter of The Association for Contextual Behavioral Sciences, and I am a contributing author to an upcoming manual on a developing integrative therapy, Contextually-focused DBT. Basically, I'm a therapy nerd. I love and believe in my practice, and am always on the hunt to learn more and be the best therapist I can be.

I believe there is no one "right" way for therapy and healing, so I offer multiple pathways—talking, movement, art-making, and body-based practices, like EMDR and somatic therapies. Working together we will find what works for you.

I firmly believe that we hold the tools and answers we need to be our best selves. I will not only be asking how you are from week to week, I will be helping to make connections between seemingly unrelated things, and helping you get closer and closer to your therapy goals.

As an Asian, Christian mom of two from Northern VA, with experiences in both big cities and the suburbs, I’ve navigated the challenging expectations stemming from diverse cultural, generational, and societal influences. I’ve learned that being confined by limiting beliefs and labels can create a narrative that leads to distress and isolation. I believe that openness, discipline, and compassion within a safe space foster both acceptance and meaningful change.

You weren't meant to carry the weight of life alone. Healing begins when you have a safe space to pause, reflect, and be fully seen, heard, and supported without judgment. My goal is to help you reconnect with your strengths, gain clarity, and move forward with intention. Whether you're facing anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, life transitions, grief, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, impulse control challenges, or recovering from domestic violence, we'll work together to understand what's beneath the surface, develop practical tools for lasting change, and create a life rooted in balance, resilience, and hope.