Tired of having to work through everything on your own?
As a queer, African American therapist, clients come to my door for a variety of reasons. However, there tends to be a common theme of just wanting someone else to sit in their emotions with them so they are not alone. For those that come with eating concerns/body image issues, I often hear how they have exhausted most other options. Diets don’t work or they are just tired of their eating disorder. For some of my LGBTQ+ individuals, there can be a mix of wanting this to finally be the place they can be vulnerable but also skepticism that I am actually someone who is safe and understanding. As an African American therapist, I also work with many people of color who are sitting across from a black therapist for the first time. Sometimes that shared identity, that shared experience, makes coming to therapy easier. But across the board, the pattern seems to be an underlying craving for safety to just be themselves without judgement.
You Are Not Alone.
Hi! I am Laura Jones, a Licensed Professional Counselor practicing in Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. I specialize in working with individuals who struggle with eating disorders and individuals within the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities.
My work with eating disorders is extensive from residential through partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient. Not only did my experience in treatment centers allow me to gain insight into the disorders, but I feel strongly in being able to assess the appropriate level of care for an individual. I also have worked extensively with treatment teams that include dietitians, psychiatrists, doctors, and family members. One skill I also acquired over the years is the ability to evaluate a student’s readiness to return to school or to discuss a medical leave of absence.
I am openly a member of the LGBTQ+ community and enjoy providing the space for those that need to address mental health concerns and would like to do so with a LGBTQ+ provider. As an African American therapist, I also feel it is equally as important that I am visible to the community for the same reasons. Traditionally, there have been many barriers to addressing mental health among these two communities for a variety of reasons, including access. I believe that there is a component of therapy that is about social justice. Advocacy is important to me. Here are two of my favorite websites that speak to trying to reach these two populations and to connect them to the resources they need.
The Trevor Project: Whether via text, chat, phone, or finding someone in person, The Trevor Project wants to help LGBTQ+ youth access mental health resources 24/7. If you are an educator, they also have quality resources for the classroom or workshops.
Therapy for Black Girls: A space for black women to find a therapist or listen to a great podcast that always seems to have the most relevant topics!
A Little Bit More About Me
When I work with clients, I am definitely pulling from a multitude of theories and practices such as attachment theory, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), expressive arts, and internal family systems (IFS) to name a few. But the way I really see us as humans is that we are who we are because of what did or did not happen to us growing up and that is critical to explore. My time with clients is spent partially exploring the past and partially figuring how that past is impacting what is bringing them in to see me now. I work with clients to develop skills they can use in their lives week to week. And I also work with clients to uncover the source or where this all began.
When I am not at work, my life is consumed by a four legged friend named Hermione, seen here!
Ready to take the next step?
Call me at 571-317-1597 for free 15-minute consultation or email me at laura@wildfeathercounseling.com.