Therapy is powerful, but the work doesn’t stop when your session ends. What you do between sessions can make a big difference in your growth and healing. Whether you’re practicing mindfulness or exploring deeper patterns through psychodynamic therapy, integrating small daily practices can enhance your journey—and help you get more out of every appointment.

In my work as a therapist based in Richmond, Virginia—offering services statewide—I’ve come to deeply appreciate how mental health is about more than just what happens in the therapy room. True emotional well-being often involves nurturing the whole self, which means paying attention to the interconnected pillars of therapy, nutrition, sleep, and movement.

Whether you're in Richmond, Charlottesville, Arlington, or a rural town in Southwest Virginia, online therapy makes access to quality care possible from the comfort of your home. I offer secure, HIPAA-compliant video sessions to anyone residing in Virginia. All you need is a quiet space, a device, and a willingness to explore.

Therapy is an investment in your well-being, and sticking with it through the ups and downs can unlock deep, lasting change. If you’re feeling stuck or unsure, reaching out to talk about your experience can make all the difference.

By incorporating these tools into your routine, you can take proactive steps to manage anxiety and improve your mental well-being. This study highlights how mindfulness-based approaches, such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), can lead to meaningful improvements in anxiety levels. The program focuses on cultivating awareness in the present moment and has been shown to help individuals manage their anxiety in a more balanced way.

By using calming techniques and fostering social connection, we can return to a state of calm and reestablish balance in our nervous system. Polyvagal Theory suggests that these responses are governed by the autonomic nervous system (ANS), specifically the vagus nerve, which regulates physiological states of arousal. The theory posits that our ANS operates on a continuum from safety to danger, and the body shifts between states of calm and activation based on perceived threat