MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN
Claire Smith
Whether you are experiencing a difficult season of life or are at a stalemate in your life’s journey, I seek to offer hope, empathy, and guidance as you walk through the uncertainties of your life. Through compassion and understanding, I hope to create an atmosphere of acceptance, warmth, and mutual trust to work together on issues and create goals—all in the hope to restore your mental wellness. Through my personal and academic experiences, I am able to listen to one’s story with empathy and can provide a unique perspective on various mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, social anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Working through a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy lens, I will help you reconstruct your thought patterns and behaviors to learn how to handle and cope with life’s hardships. I also offer Christian counseling for those who desire to incorporate their faith into the counseling session to assist in the healing process, but I respect and honor those who come from a different faith and background than my own. Additionally, I view each person holistically, focusing on both their mental and physical well-being and understanding that our physical health can impact our mental health and vice versa. For those diagnosed with POTS, EDS, and IBS, I want to work with you to help you find ways to combat the mental health issues that may be interconnected to your physical health issues. Further, I specialize in counseling adolescents, young professionals, and adults struggling with depression, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and pivotal life transitions.
I would be honored to guide you on your path to a more hopeful, purposeful, and meaningful life. Please feel free to contact me at 703-239-3644 or at clair.fcwc@cherylzandtcounseling.com with any questions or concerns.
I am a graduate counselor at Falls Church Wellness Center, and I am currently acquiring my Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Marymount University in Arlington, VA. I am supervised by Betsy Christian Hicks, LPC.