You are welcome here.

Healing the Whole Person

A shame-free approach to health using science and compassion.

Our Organization

We are a multidisciplinary therapy practice specializing in Wellness, Health Psychology, and Behavior Change. Counselors, Health Coaches, Physical Activity Specialists and Mind Body Specialists work as a team to develop a plan unique to each client and provide the best possible care. We look at the different areas of your life and explore how the systems you have established work for you as well as how they may be blocking you.

Our Approach

We look at the link between your mind and your physical body. We’ll help you heal that connection and re-learn your body's messaging. We believe that once you learn to recognize your body’s needs, you’ll be better equipped to meet those needs in a healthy, functional way. This is a safe space.

Our Collaboration

We work with your doctor, massage therapist, physical therapist, chiropractor or others on your healthcare/selfcare team.

  • Relationships

    Do your friendships feel one sided? Frustrated by dating apps? We can help you recognize and change unhelpful emotional habits and thinking styles. Forming and maintaining boundaries is a truly life changing skill.

  • Anxiety

    Anxiety can make it difficult to get through the day and impossible to sleep at night. Learn to understand and manage anxiety in order to free yourself from the hold it has on you.

  • Health & Wellness

    Do you dread exercise? Wish you could change your eating habits? Do you stay up too late and always feel tired? We teach you how to make changes, how to stick with those changes and how to recognize when it is time to switch things up.

  • Motivation & Decision Making

    The secret to motivation can be found in understanding your true needs and embracing your strengths as well as your weaknesses. Stop working against yourself! Motivation flows when you discover the keys to your own value system.

  • Confidence & Self Image

    When was the last time you felt comfortable in your own skin? Body image concerns and low self-esteem may be addressed by exploring and healing your attachment style. Assertiveness is a skill that can be learned and strengthened. We will help you identify and remove the obstacles blocking you from healing and growth.

  • Disordered Eating

    We specialize in treating disordered eating. If you suffer from Emotional Eating, Binge Eating, Overeating or Diet Fatigue, we invite you to stop the cycle of trying and failing. We offer psycho-education and guidance using modern treatments and the latest research.

  • Anger Management

    Pissed off? We get it. Anger can be a taboo feeling. Anger is not only healthy but can reveal important needs that are going unmet. Learn how to identify anger, roll with it rather than exploding at those around you or stuffing it away while you put on a happy face.

  • Chronic Pain & Illness

    It’s not in your head. Your pain is real. It’s natural to wish it would just go away and when it
    doesn’t, it can feel hopeless. Learn to explore, manage, and find resiliency in pain.

Our Team

  • Licensed Professional Counselor

  • Resident in Counseling

  • Resident in Counseling

  • Trauma-Informed Movement Specialist

  • Physical Activity Specialist

  • Psychology Intern

  • Psychology Intern


  • Founder, Counselor, Coach

    & Clinical Supervisor

Our Health Philosophy

Your mental & physical health are linked.

"Just try harder" is not a sustainable, long-term strategy. "Exercise more and eat less" does not work on a practical level. Focusing only on diet and exercise leads to frustration. Most of us have experienced years of evidence supporting this.

"Willpower" eventually fails us all. Self-criticism and shame are not great motivators. Instead of recycled, outdated approaches to health & behavior change, you will find a different philosophy here. Self-compassion can cultivate the curiosity that will allow you to find your own path to wellness and a positive body image -- for good.

What you eat & how you exercise is unique to you & varies over time. You do not need to feel bad because you’re not doing what someone else is doing. Instead of feeling guilty, we can help you learn to use that energy to identify your own needs and truly take care of yourself. We look at each individual from a holistic perspective that includes physical, social, and psychological needs.

FAQ

Can you see clients virtually?

Yes! We are primarily virtual. Our providers have limited availability in person in Richmond and in Charlottesville.

Do I need a referral from my doctor?   

You are welcome to contact us directly, using the method you prefer:

What is the average wait time for a new client consultation?

Usually, just a few days. If a patient is requesting a certain clinician, it may be longer.

Do you offer support groups?

Yes! We love groups. We take a holistic approach to health so the group themes focus on the treatment issues that we see most often (e.g. behavior change, self-image, trauma, mind/body anxiety management, relationships), not the “problem” (e.g. weight). We keep groups small so we can keep you feeling safe and we meet for 10-12 consecutive weeks (as opposed to monthly) to encourage members to open up. We also offer periodic one-off workshops.

Do you take insurance, Medicaid and Medicare? 

We do not insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare but for this reason we do offer some sliding scale and pro bono spots. We do this by utilizing counselors in training and counseling residents. We carefully choose and train our clinicians. We only take on one new clinician at a time and focus on a quality curriculum. Our areas of focus are specialty areas. We believe a general mental health background is insufficient for this specialized work, so we supplement their education with 1-3 years of training & supervised experience.

You may have seen us:

Head Hunger: What Our Patients Want Us to Know, Michelle O’Brien

Discussing Weight in a Therapeutic Setting, Michelle O’Brien

Weight Bias AsA Social Justice Issue, Michelle O’Brien

Connect with us on social media!

Memberships and associations:

Please do not use email, text, or voice mail to discuss therapeutic content and/or request assistance for emergencies. If you have a true emergency situation, please call 911 or go to local emergency room. You may also call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.