LGBT therapists in Alexandria, VA

Hi, I’m Michelle Gorden, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Virginia and a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC). I’m passionate about helping individuals, couples, and families heal, grow, and reconnect with the best version of themselves.

My clinical approach is grounded in evidence-based practices, and I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). I specialize in working with clients experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, mood disorders, relationship challenges, life transitions, and emotional regulation difficulties.

In addition to my clinical work, my diverse professional and personal background allows me to connect with clients from many walks of life. I believe therapy should feel supportive, empowering, and collaborative — a place where you can feel truly seen, heard, and understood without judgment.

I help people heal from trauma, with a special focus on sexual trauma, and I’ve been honored to support a wide range of individuals — including women, men, military veterans, and LGBTQIA clients — as they work through their experiences and take meaningful steps toward healing. I also enjoy helping people work through challenging life transitions (e.g., parenthood, divorce, etc.) and identity-specific concerns (e.g., men's issues, women's issues, gender identity exploration). In addition to individual therapy, I also provide relationship therapy for monogamous, non-monogamous, and open relationships as well as psychological assessment (e.g., ADHD, dementia, learning disorder, mental health) for adults.

With 26 years of clinical experience as a licensed therapist in DC and Virginia, I support individuals navigating life’s complexities—from stress, trauma, and grief to fertility concerns, family dynamics, LGBTQIA+ experiences, anxiety, depression, and moments of transition.

As a proud Howard University graduate, my work is grounded in cultural humility, social justice, and a belief that mental health is inseparable from history, community, and lived experience. Howard taught me to see clients not just through symptoms, but as whole people shaped by family, identity, policy, and perseverance.

This perspective fuels my commitment to therapy as both a healing space and a form of liberation. My practice is anchored in integrity, guided by compassion, and centered on the dignity and humanity of every person I serve.

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over six years of experience in behavioral health and more than three years in clinical practice. I specialize in treating trauma, eating disorders, and identity-related stress through a culturally responsive and trauma-informed lens. As a Black woman therapist, I value holding space that honors the fullness of who you are—including your cultural identity, generational experiences, and lived realities. I bring a steady, compassionate presence and a deep respect for your autonomy and truth.

With 8 years of experience in the mental health field, I firmly believe in the parity of mental and physical health. Life often leads us into dark tunnels, and my role in therapy is to guide individuals toward the light at the end of those tunnels.

I am a Licensed Clinical social worker in Virginia & DC. I possess over 5 years of mental health experience working with adults, adolescents, and children. I have worked in a variety of settings such as: schools, inpatient hospitals, partial hospitalization programs, and residential facilities.

I’m Dr. Gina Sissoko, a licensed clinical psychologist passionate about helping women—especially Black women, immigrant women, and high-achieving professionals—heal from trauma, manage stress, and create lives that feel balanced and authentic.

My style is warm, collaborative, and grounded in both science and cultural awareness. I specialize in supporting women navigating burnout, relationship challenges, and the effects of racism or gender bias at work. In our sessions, I create a space where you can slow down, feel seen, and rebuild confidence from the inside out.

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.