Hi. I’m Dr. Victoria

I like to tell people that I have the best job in the world: I get to spend time with you talking about life and sitting in complete awe and admiration of who you are. My job is to see the best in you, especially when it feels hard to see it yourself, because something shifts when you're seen through eyes of genuine unconditional positive regard. You begin to soften. You begin to know yourself in a beautifully kind way. And little by little, you start seeing the best in yourself too.

This is where real change and transformation begin.

I am a Johns Hopkins-trained, board certified licensed clinical psychologist with expertise in providing evidence-based treatment of depression, anxiety, mood, life adjustment & stress in kids, teens, and adults of the highest quality. Many clients come to see me when they are struggling with life, self-worth, identity, relationships, and finding a sense of meaning and purpose through it all.

My deepest passion is to help people going through difficult times and life transitions where you feel hopeless, confused — lost. It is important to have a clinician by your side who can help you make sense of such a time, in a way that moves you toward positive healing and growth. I am deeply committed to being that person, that clinician, that support for you. You are not alone. I’m here to help you find your path to life again, to walk with you along your journey toward living a life that is filled with joy and meaning — one that is aligned with your deepest values and personal truths.

I believe that everyone has an inner light within them — and that my role as a psychologist is to hold a sacred space where you are safe to be genuinely and authentically yourself — so that you can connect to this light for strength, comfort, and resilience. So often depression and mood concerns can feel insurmountable and make us feel disconnected from life. I love helping people discover their deepest, innermost authentic selves and to connect with it again, to move toward greater healing and wholeness.

As a clinical psychologist, I believe that it is important to passionately and intuitively tailor treatment specifically for you based on your unique, individual needs. I would describe myself as a clinical psychologist who likes to take my time with each client, who genuinely cares. I bring a strong dedication and feel that trust, respect, and care for each client is the highest honor and great calling.

Across all of my work, I believe that within each person is a place of wisdom deep within each person. I help people tune into this voice of inner truth within them to find grounding amidst the chaos and stressors of life to find peace, joy, and healing. Within you is a source of incredible beauty, more vast and powerful than you can imagine. This place is peaceful, kind, and deeply compassionate. I help people connect deeply with this inner place within them. It’s a place where you are already whole.

Click here to read my CV.

Philosophy

Being yourself — your true self — is not the problem. It is the very path.

My therapeutic style is warm, down to earth, relatable, and genuine — a partnership where we creatively and collaboratively explore ways for you to connect to yourself and life again, in a way that feels comfortable, intuitive, and authentic to you. I work to create a safe and supportive, nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship where together, we will navigate what is often an uncertain and challenging time. You will always be challenged and supported toward positive growth in a way where you feel safe, understood, and accepted for who you are. I am passionate about helping you live a life of greater authenticity, hope, and meaning by building upon your natural strengths, gifts, and abilities to overcome challenges you may be facing.

My treatment approach is integrative and grounded in top, innovative evidence-based treatments — drawing from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfulness, and acceptance-based approaches to promote healing, growth, and wellness. I work with each client to highly personalize treatment to your specific concerns, interests, life experiences, and goals. I offer a holistic perspective—one that embraces your whole being, where you are welcomed exactly as you are and supported in exploring your mental, emotional, and existential needs, as well as how they intertwine with your physical health.

I believe that the work of a therapist is to help you connect to the natural strengths already within you. I believe this is one of the true purposes of going through difficult times — to help you make contact with these parts of yourself, as fuel for positive growth, transforming pain into the deep joy of knowing who you truly are.

I believe that relationships are what bring healing — relationships where you feel safe to be yourself, where your life’s pain is met with kindness and compassion — helping you gain a deeper understanding and connection to yourself, where your inner beauty and truth is mirrored back to you. One of my deepest intentions in your therapeutic work with me, is for you to feel a strong sense of unconditional positive regard for who you are, where you’ve been, and what you’ve been through. It is with this foundation of trust, unconditional positive regard, that you will feel safe for healing, growth, and transformation to happen.

The best within you arises from this kind of energy and therapeutic relationship, and it’s the kind of experience I seek to provide for each of my clients, as well as each client who is seen here at Hope+Wellness.

My Story

My own family life was significantly affected by bipolar (manic depression), an illness with multiple members affected.  I understand firsthand the pain and devastation that depression, mood disorders, stress, and anxiety can bring — how difficult it can be to work through periods of suffering and hopelessness, and the critical difference that therapy and support can make in healing.

Given how stigmatized mental health can be in our society, I know how important it is to openly share my story. These life experiences motivate me. They deeply inform my clinical work with clients, and inspired me to establish this practice to help others struggling with depression, mood, stress, and anxiety know that hope and wellness are possible — that through darkness can come greater light, wisdom, and wholeness.

Education and Training

Over the course of my career, I obtained advanced training and expertise in a wide variety of evidence-based therapies at leading institutions, including the University of Maryland College Park, Children’s National Health Systems, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Kennedy Krieger Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Harvard Business School. In my training, I am grateful for the opportunity of training with outstanding mentors and organizations who were dedicated to providing therapy of the highest quality. I am honored to walk alongside and support all my patients over the years through difficult journeys and events in their lives.

clinical psychologist training and education

I earned my master’s and doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, which is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). where I trained in pediatric psychology and behavioral medicine at Children's National Health Systems and in general child and adult psychology at the University of Maryland Psychology Clinic.

For my clinical residency, I completed a predoctoral internship at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where I worked as a clinician at Johns Hopkins Hospital and received training in the LEND (Maternal and Child Health Leadership in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities) fellowship program. I then completed a postdoctoral fellowship training at the National Institutes of Health, where I pursued my interests in advancing clinical health and science at the federal level.

board certification in behavioral and cognitive psychology

I am board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in the specialty of Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology (i.e., CBT and its modern approaches including DBT, ACT). Very few psychologists achieve board certification which is why you so rarely see it; it is a rigorous process with extensive review of your credentials and clinical work with patients. Obtaining board certification represents the highest standard and level of commitment to providing quality, evidence-based care.

business and leadership education

I am currently attending Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development. I am passionate about business, leadership, and entrepreneurialism and also hold an MBA in Healthcare Management and Leadership from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. I believe that businesses can serve to elevate society, and am dedicated to this mission as Founder + President of Hope+Wellness.

Clinical Research + Expertise

Clinical research plays a critical role in improving and accelerating therapies for those living with depression and anxiety today. Research — knowing how to advance it, incorporate it, contribute to it, interpret it to best help patients — is a critical aspect of providing mental health care that is effective, innovative, and evidence-based.

I have published 18 peer reviewed articles across leading, high impact scientific journals and 40+ national, peer-reviewed conference presentations on topics that range from depression in children, maternal depression, mood disorders, anxiety, parenting, life stress.

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology

Psychological Medicine

Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine

Sleep Medicine

Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology

Child Development Perspectives

Developmental Psychobiology

My expertise has also been relied upon in various media outlets including:

Oprah Daily

Psychology Today

Bustle

Medium

Thrive Global

I am also deeply interested in innovative treatments for depression and mental health, including the growing body of research on psychedelic plant medicine as treatments for depression, end of life grief, existential suffering, trauma, PTSD, and mental health. I received training and certification from Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Science (MAPS), and the California Institute of Integrative Science (CIIS), to help patients safely, effectively navigate this growing field of psychedelic medicine to help bring a wide breath of life changing benefits.

Certifications & Professional Distinctions

• Board Certified, Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology, American Board of Professional Psychology

  • A rigorous, peer-reviewed distinction held by fewer than 4% of licensed psychologists nationwide, representing the highest standard of evidence-based care.

• National Register of Health Service Psychologists

  • Recognized for meeting comprehensive national credentialing standards for healthcare delivery.

• Psychedelic Therapy and Research Certification, California Institute of Integrative Studies

  • Fully certified through the California Institute of Integrative Studies to provide high-quality, ethical, and evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapy and integration services. I know how difficult it can be to find treatments for yourself or loved ones that are effective and actually work. That’s why I care very deeply about studying the latest treatments for depression, and to do so in a safe and ethical manner.

Service

I am passionate about serving the community, supporting various health-related causes and initiatives throughout my training and career at the university, local, national, and federal levels. Previously, I served as the Executive Board Secretary and Governance Chair for the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), Northern Virginia to advance mental health awareness and support for individuals in Northern Virginia. I have also served on executive board for the Northern Virginia Clinical Psychologists (NVCP), a non-profit association of local psychologists in Northern Virginia.

My interests in service are strongly tied to my passion for entrepreneurship. Specifically, I believe that people, purpose, passion and values are the core of a business, and that the role of a business is to serve the greater community and to foster a greater sense of connection. As a woman of color, I opened Hope+Wellness to give a different face to mental health care — one in which diversity is naturally celebrated and interwoven throughout, where people of all types feel truly at home and welcome.

Clinical Specialties and Passions

depression, anxiety, mood & existential concerns

Many of the people I see are going through difficult seasons in their life and are seeking help and support to adjust and to make sense of it all. Life can be very difficult and bring with it unimaginable suffering. I feel a deep connection to people going through times like this and am passionate about supporting people to find meaning and hope again. I believe one of the central questions of life is how to not only cope with pain, but to find ways to transcend it toward a greater sense of wholeness and fulfillment.

Many people who struggle with depression are also privately wrestling with life's most fundamental questions: Does my life have meaning? What is my life’s purpose? Does my life really matter? I support people in exploring these existential concerns with honesty and courage, creating space to examine these questions deeply to help inform how you want to live.

Life stressors & transitions, adjustment concerns

Whether you're starting college, entering a new relationship, becoming a parent, changing careers, grieving a loss, or adjusting to a new chapter of life, transitions can bring a profound sense of loss, grief and confusion, as well as anxiety of the unknown. They also often involve layers of depression, anxiety, and deep questioning. I am here to be with you by your side through it all. I’ve helped many people transition from one complex life phase to another. We work to make sense of what often feels overwhelming so that you can transition in a healthy, positive and meaningful way.

teens with depression & anxiety: Identity development, Self-Esteem, confidence & emotional resilience

I love working with teens and young adults struggling with depression and anxiety. It is one of my greatest passions. The reason for this is because I was once that teen. I understand firsthand how difficult it can be to overcome your own thoughts and moods. I also know how life-changing it can be to discover an inner source of strength and resilience that stays with you long after therapy has ended — for life.

Many of the teens and young adults I work with are bright and high-achieving. From the outside, they often appear to be doing well, yet internally they may be struggling with anxiety, depression, perfectionism, and self-doubt as they face academic and life pressures.

I'm here not only to help your teen manage symptoms of depression and anxiety, but also to help them discover who they are and connect with a deep well of resilience already within them. Together, we'll explore their strengths, values, passions, and unique place in the world so they can begin making choices that feel authentic and true to themselves.

I believe that developing a strong internal compass is one of the greatest gifts we can help a young person cultivate. It becomes a source of stability that guides them through life's inevitable challenges with greater confidence, resilience, and self-trust. My hope is to help each teen find their own authentic inner voice—one they can return to throughout their life as they navigate difficult decisions, relationships, and times of uncertainty.

As every child is unique, I work collaboratively with parents and families to tailor treatment for your teen’s unique interests, personality, gifts, strengths, and needs. Parents frequently bring their teens to me after searching extensively for the right therapeutic fit for their teen. Research shows that above all, it is this connection that is the most therapeutic. That is why I work to establish a deeply relatable, genuine connection grounded in unconditional positive regard and trust with each teen I work with, where they feel genuinely seen.

In addition to working directly with teens, I serve as a trusted resource for parents, helping them better understand their child's emotional world and offering practical guidance as they navigate challenges together. I serve as a trusted advisor to pediatricians and schools throughout the Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia region and collaborate when needed, so that your teen is fully supported.

attorneys & high achieving professionals

For some reason, I work very well with attorneys and, over the years, have developed a specialty in supporting the mental health needs of legal professionals. All I can say is that I get it. I understand the relentless intensity it takes to succeed professionally. There is no judgment here. I’m here to provide a safe, confidential space to process what you have been carrying and to reconnect with yourself.

I support attorneys who are struggling privately with depression, anxiety, childhood trauma, chronic stress, and burnout. Together, we'll explore not only how to reduce stress and improve well-being, but how to build a life that feels fulfilling—one where your relationships, values, and sense of purpose are able to flourish alongside your career.

mental health for men & fathers

I was raised by a single father and have a deep, lifelong respect for fathers and the profound influence they have on their families. Many of the men I work with are carrying far more than those around them realize. They often feel pressure to stay strong, provide for others, and keep moving forward while privately carrying stress, grief, depression, self-doubt, or significant emotional pain.

I provide a confidential space where you can process what you're carrying and reconnect with yourself. I’m here to help you navigate life's challenges with greater clarity, resilience, and kindness so that you can feel like yourself again and create a life that feels meaningful, connected, and deeply your own.

Areas of Expertise

depression, Anxiety, mood & Health

• Depression & Mood Disorders

• Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD)

• Bipolar Disorder & Cyclothymia

• Seasonal Affective Disorders

• Generalized & Social Anxiety

• Chronic Stress & Panic

• Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

• Adjustment to Chronic Illness

teens & Young Adults

• Academic Stress

• Perfectionism

• High-Achieving Giftedness

• Adolescent Identity & Self-Esteem

• High Sensitivity, Creativity, & Finding Your True Voice

• Struggling to Launch (Young Adults)

• Quarter-Life Crisis

• Child Anxiety, Depression & ADHD

• Neurodivergence

High-achieving professionals

• Big Law Partner Stress & Burnout

• Corporate & Litigation Mental Health

• Tech Executive & Founder Depression and Anxiety

• High-Stakes Performance

• Identity Crises in Complex Transitions

• Existential Depression

• Mental Health and Leadership

• Creatives & Artists

Existential Concerns; spiritually integrated therapy

• Existential Depression & Identity Crisis

• Finding Life Meaning, Purpose, & Values

• Spiritually Integrated Therapy

• Grief, Loss, & Complex Life Transitions

more ABOUT ME

What I Like to do for Fun

In my free time, I enjoy hiking and spending time in nature. As anyone who has visited our offices knows, I LOVE interior decorating and have a passion for interior design. I enjoy creating spaces that promote a feeling of serenity, peace and wellness that is deeply felt, the moment you step in through the doors.

I believe…

light can be found in darkness. that there is a purpose to darkness and it is to help you connect to your inner light. I believe pain can be made sense of, that something meaningful can come from it. I believe there is something beautiful within you and the work of therapy is to help you connect to it. I believe in the power of creativity and voice in healing and transcendence.

What I love about working at Hope+Wellness

the sense of authenticity that everyone brings. The sincere care each person has for clients and the deep relationships that result. The sense of service to something greater. Unconditional positive regard, support provided not only to clients but with people on our team.

thoughts on psychotherapy

we look like humans but inside each of us is an entire universe. As a therapist, I see each client like an unfolding sunset, I can’t help but be in awe. It is with this energy that you will be met, with genuine support and unconditional positive regard. I think when therapists bring these qualities to the therapeutic relationships, as clients, it is like uncovering a dream long forgotten — we remember that place inside ourselves which is a place of security, safety, authenticity, love.

I love working with teens because…

I was once that same teen. I understand and remember what it was like, and yet survived and made it through. It is meaningful to me to now be able to work with teens to help them through the same things I once struggled with. It is like reaching across time. The moment I meet each person I work with, this connection is deeply felt.

Professional Associations and Memberships

American Psychedelic Practioners Association (APPA)
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)
Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)
American Psychological Association (APA)
DC Psychological Association (DCPA)
Maryland Psychological Association (MPA)
National Register of Health Service Psychologists
Northern Virginia Clinical Psychologists (NVCP)
Psychedelic Assisted Therapy and Healing (PATH)
Society for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (APA, Division 53)
Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology (SSCP, APA Division 12, Section III)
Washington Independent Services for Educational Resources

Licensure

Virginia (0810005946)
Maryland (06230)
District of Columbia (PSY1001633)
California (PSY35157)
New York
Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT). Telehealth is typically limited to the state in which a clinician is licensed. However, I hold a special type of authorization to provide telehealth across 30+ states.

favorite QUOTES

Get ready, because everyone knows I am obsessed with quotes: