Grief counselors and therapists in Sterling, VA

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, past experiences, or your relationship with food, you’re not alone—I am here to help when you are ready to connect.

I’m a dual-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with over 25 years of healthcare experience. I specialize in working with adults experiencing anxiety, trauma, and eating-related patterns such as emotional eating, restriction, or feeling out of control around food.

I also bring personal insight to this work, which allows me to approach care with deeper understanding and compassion while maintaining a thoughtful, clinical approach to treatment.

I work with individuals who are dealing with ongoing anxiety, stress, or challenges with mood or eating patterns that are starting to impact their daily life.

My goal is to provide individualized psychiatric care where you feel supported and understood and have a clear, and we create a realistic plan to move forward.

I have been a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) since 2016 and have worked in both primary care and mental health since that time. In 2024, I graduated with my Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) certification and have been working strictly in mental health since that time.

Welcome. I’m Dr. Tawnya H. Brown, a clinically licensed social worker based in Maryland and licensed to practice in MD, DC, and VA. For over 28 years, I have supported individuals and families through life’s most difficult and meaningful transitions, with a special focus on working with families, youth, and young adults.

Reaching out for support is one of the most important steps you can take as you begin a new chapter in your life. Whether you are dealing with depression, trauma, major life changes, difficult transitions, challenging relationship decisions, self-esteem or self-worth concerns, or simply feeling that the way you are managing life is not helping you move toward a better place, you do not have to walk through it alone.

I am here to walk alongside you with compassion, understanding, and hope. Together, we can work toward healing, clarity, and growth—and get to the other side of this stronger, healthier, and with renewed hope.

Sometimes life can leave us feeling out of balance & we can benefit from support. Times in life may be difficult, but during stressful times our strengths surface with effective guidance. As a mentor & guide, supporting you where you are, is how I show up. Whether you're going through tough times or just need a safe place to land. Let’s tap into your Inner guiding Wisdom- to synchronize strengths, purpose & knowing. An integrative approach fosters balance in life & confidence naturally increases through accessing your inner wisdom.

As a therapist, I believe in your story and your individual experience. A space that is safe, comfortable, & free of judgement is essential for your success. It is important that you are in control of your own therapeutic experience, and I believe my role as a therapist is to serve as a guide & emotional support for you through your own journey. To provide a more authentic process and promote psycho-education, I aim to actively engage with you through discussions and person-centered support. “Pain is real, but so is hope”, and that is the main goal of my therapeutic approach: instill hope.

You’re the one who holds it all together. On paper it’s working — the career, the relationships, the discipline. Underneath, you’re anxious, tired, and disconnected. Intellect, stamina, perfectionism and people-pleasing may have gotten you far — but now its part of a pattern that keeps you stuck.

I see driven, self-aware adults who are often the most capable person in the room despite (and because of) their bodies holding patterns of high-functioning anxiety, trauma, and depression.

The pattern lives within your nervous system — so this work includes the mind, body, and environment. Yes, we will explore your patterns & why they exist, AND we’ll notice them in your body, in real time. Coherence, parts work, Brainspotting, ART, EFT- different tools, one principle: change consolidates through experience, not just explanation.

.

I have over 10 years of experience in a wide variety of clinical settings since obtaining my Master's degree and becoming a licensed clinician. I use a client centered approach that draws from my training in cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, dialectical behavioral therapy, exposure and response prevention, and a trauma-informed approach. I have worked with people struggling with addictions, a wide variety of anxiety related difficulties, ADHD, depression, and some bodily focused repetitive behaviors. I also have experience working with couples to address relationship needs.

Hi, and welcome. My name is LoriAnn and I go by L.A. I am an Licensed Professional Counselor (VA), National Certified Counselor, Approved Clinical Supervisor, and Board Certified Telemental Health Provider with over 25 years experience. I earned a PhD in Counselor Education from NC State University. I am currently completing certification with AASECT as a Certified Sex Therapist. I currently provide individual, couples, family, and group therapy.

I believe that therapy can have a great impact on one's life. If one is motivated, one can resolve problems, feel better, and address past hardships. I have over thirty years of experience helping clients achieve their goals in a supportive and safe environment. I am fluent in both English and Spanish. I received my undergraduate degree from Stanford University and my Masters of Social Work from Columbia University. I have resided in both the United States and Latin America. I look forward to working with each and every client, in order that they may reach their happiest self possible.

I have been a therapist for over 50 years. I have a great deal of experience and have been in my own therapy so I know both sides of therapy. I am a Masters Level Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Four years ago I was exposed to Richard Schwartz and fell in love with his Internal Family Systems Model. I felt this is the model I’ve been looking for all my life. That’s the model I use in working with clients.

I am a board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) dedicated to providing compassionate, evidence-based mental healthcare. With a strong background in both nursing and psychiatric care, I am passionate about reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and empowering individuals to reclaim their quality of life. I specialize in treating depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders, sleep disorder, cognitive disorder, and trauma across the lifespan. I have experience working in both inpatient and outpatient settings and have a strong understanding of evidence-based practices for treating mental illness in adults.

Assisting all people to discover their maximum potential and overcome barriers to their emotional, psychological and spiritual well being is my life's work. My approach is informed by a non-judgmental challenge to self and the environment that in unlocking potential no matter your age, gender, ethnicity, or economic background.