Exploring our being and becoming…
Relational Psychodynamic & Attachment Focused Psychotherapy
In-person in Charlottesville | Virtual throughout Virginia | Walk-and-Talk Therapy
You don't need to understand why you're struggling or have the right words to begin.
Whether you're navigating anxiety, grief, trauma, difficult relationships, or a sense that something in your life isn't quite right, therapy offers an opportunity to explore what you're experiencing and discover new possibilities for growth and change.
My Approach to Therapy
We are shaped by our experiences of love, loss, safety, and hurt, often in ways we do not consciously recognize. Over time, we develop patterns of feeling, thinking, and relating that may have once helped us navigate our circumstances but can leave us feeling stuck or disconnected in the present.
My approach is rooted in relational psychodynamic psychotherapy and attachment theory, with attention to the connection between mind and body. Together, we explore not only the difficulties that bring you to therapy, but also the underlying patterns and emotional experiences that may be influencing your life outside your awareness.
Understanding these patterns is only part of the work. We don't experience life solely through our thoughts; our emotional lives are also felt in our bodies and expressed through our relationships. Therapy offers an opportunity to explore and process these experiences, not simply understand them intellectually. Through this work, we can begin to experience ourselves and others differently, discovering new ways of feeling, relating, and being in the world.
I believe therapy should be a place where you feel genuinely known, not reduced to a diagnosis or a collection of symptoms. Through curiosity, compassion, and a trusting therapeutic relationship, we have the opportunity to encounter parts of ourselves that may have been difficult to recognize or express, and to discover new possibilities for connection, growth, and change.
Faith and Healing
As a Christian, I believe our deepest healing is ultimately found in relationship with God. I believe God meets us where we are, and that therapy can be a vessel for His healing work.
For those who wish to explore their faith, I welcome questions of spiritual longing, suffering, hope, and the ways our experiences of human relationships shape our understanding of God's love.
Faith is welcome, but never expected. My commitment is to meet you with respect and care, wherever you find yourself in your beliefs.
Clinical Experience and Training
I work with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship difficulties, and struggles with self-worth.
My training includes psychodynamic psychotherapy, attachment-based approaches, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based practices. I draw from these approaches thoughtfully, recognizing that no single method is right for every person.
Beginning Therapy
Finding a therapist is a personal decision. If you're considering working together, I welcome you to reach out with questions or to schedule an initial consultation.
Licensed Professional Counselor
M.S. Ed University of Pennsylvania 2022
B.A. Religious Studies 2012
Adult Fellow, Washington Baltimore School of Psychoanalysis 2023
Jessica McLaughlin offers relational psychodynamic and attachment-focused psychotherapy in Charlottesville, Virginia, with virtual sessions available throughout Virginia. Her work focuses on trauma, anxiety, grief, attachment and relationship difficulties, and the emotional patterns that shape our lives. She offers individual and couples psychotherapy, with space for exploring faith and spirituality when desired.