Chronic Illness & LGBTQ-Affirming

Therapist in Washington, DC & the DMV

Hi, I’m Julie.

I’m a licensed psychologist and health psychologist based in Washington, DC, serving adults across the DMV area, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. My work focuses on chronic illness, anxiety, identity, and the complicated relationship between the body and the nervous system.

I practice evidence-based therapy that respects both science and lived experience, because you deserve care that is rigorous, affirming, and actually useful in real life.

Curious how this translates into the therapy room?
See How I Work

Why I Do This Work

Health and identity are never just medical issues. They’re relational, political, and deeply personal.

I specialize in working with adults navigating chronic illness, medical uncertainty, health anxiety, and life transitions that don’t fit neatly into cultural timelines. Many of my clients are high-achieving, thoughtful, and exhausted from trying to hold everything together.

As a recovering perfectionist, I understand the pressure to equate achievement with worth. Therapy with me is not about lowering your standards; it’s about building a life that feels sustainable and aligned instead of punishing and brittle.

My Clinical Background

I completed my PhD in Clinical School Psychology at The University of Texas at Austin, followed by an APA-accredited predoctoral internship in pediatric health psychology at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

My postdoctoral training focused on integrated primary care and hospital-based behavioral health at Geisinger Medical Center and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

I currently serve as an attending psychologist at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC, and as an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences at the George Washington University School of Medicine.

I’ve trained and practiced in top medical settings across the country. That training shapes how I think: structured, data-informed, and collaborative.

Green tropical monstera leaves against a plain off-white background.
Indoor scene with a white round side table holding two potted plants, one large in a concrete planter and one small in a white ceramic pot, next to a black upholstered chair with vertical stitching, near a window with a view of a backyard.

How I Show Up in the Room

Working with me includes structure, directness, and depth.

I am not a blank slate. I offer feedback. I ask hard questions. I help you track patterns and test new behaviors. I also believe healing begins in a strong therapeutic relationship, one where you feel safe, respected, and seen in your full identity.

My practice is queer-affirming, anti-racist, anti-ableist, and grounded in the understanding that systemic injustice impacts mental and physical health. We don’t pretend context doesn’t matter here.

Therapy should build skills, insight, and agency, not dependency.

If this approach feels aligned,
Start Here

Outside of Session

Outside of work, you’ll find me taking long walks in comfortable sneakers, engaging in activism, eating oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies, and stopping to pet every dog I meet.

I believe serious work can coexist with humor. Both are welcome here.

A person holding a rainbow pride flag during a parade or protest on a city street.

Education & Licensure

Education

  • BS, Cornell University

  • MA & PhD, The University of Texas at Austin

  • APA-Accredited Internship, University of Louisville School of Medicine

Licensure

  • Licensed Psychologist — District of Columbia

  • Licensed Psychologist — Maryland

  • Licensed Psychologist — Pennsylvania

  • National Register of Health Service Psychologists

(Full CV available upon request.)

Providing in-person therapy in Washington, DC and telehealth services in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Maine.

Therapy works best when it’s a strong fit. Let’s start with a consultation.