Home

Katherine Thorn, LPC

Everyone's situation is unique. Together we will design the best plan to meet your
needs and goals. You can rely on me to respond to you professionally,
respectfully, and to hold your information in strict confidence.

Initial Assessment
I offer one free initial assessment session. In this first session we meet and have
a chance to get to know each other. You have the opportunity to get a feel for my
style and make sure it is a good fit for you, while I assess your situation and needs.
During the session we will discuss which of the following therapy options will work
best for you. Finding a therapist that you can trust and feel understood by is
crucial. If you don't feel a connection with me or if I determine that I can't meet
your needs, I will be happy to refer you to other providers.

Individual Psychotherapy
Meeting privately with a therapist is a good place to start with most issues,
especially when you feel overwhelmed, are in crisis, or just want to figure out
what's going on. With my help as an experienced, objective ally who can listen
without judging, you can figure out how to work through the issues in your life and
take care of yourself. In individual therapy we usually meet weekly or sometimes
every other week. The number of sessions can vary and depends on your needs.
Most often, clients determine when they are ready to end therapy. Individual
therapy is also an option instead of couples counseling if your partner does not
want to come in for therapy.

Therapy Groups
Most peoples' reaction to group therapy is "No Way!" The thought of meeting with
a group of strangers and pouring out the details of our life is pretty terrifying. But
those who have engaged in group therapy will tell you that it was one of the most
profound, freeing, and empowering experiences of their lives. Under the
direction of a professional group leader, members discover new answers to old
problems, find support to challenge destructive relationships and patterns, and
develop greater self confidence and self esteem. I am nationally recognized as a
Certified Group Psychotherapist and have over ten years of group experience.
Therapy groups meet weekly at a set time and usually have 4-8 members. People
join and leave the group at different times, but the group is on-going.

Support Groups
Support groups are made up of people who share a common issue and allow the
discussion of problems and solutions in a safe environment. A group member
describes it this way: "In support groups, common challenges and life events link
members together (e.g. pet loss, separation and divorce, quarter-life crisis).
Members know what's going on with each other. The main purpose of a support
group is to share that experience and to work through it. Words that capture the
support group experience are empathy, understanding, sharing, encouragement,
and healing."

Couples Counseling
Sometimes couples get stuck in ways of interacting that leave them feeling
disconnected and hurt. Often people need help from a third party to get out of
those negative dynamics. Couples counseling is a place to work on improving the
closeness between you and your partner. We do that by talking about problems
that arise, learning to communicate more effectively, practicing new ways of
interacting, and developing growing intimacy and deeper connection. Both people
attend sessions together. Couples counseling is helpful for working out specific
issues or simply to improve a relationship. Sometimes couples come to
counseling to work through whether or not to end the relationship. In all cases,
we work together to build understanding and respect for the unique perspective
of each partner.

Career Counseling
If you feel unhappy in your job or career it will impact all other parts of your life.
We spend half of our waking hours at work, so it's worth some time and effort to
make sure you are on the right path. In career counseling you learn about your
interests, strengths, and talents - what you want and what you do best. Next we
develop a plan to pursue them, and lastly you get the support you need to achieve
your career goals. I offer two career assessments and evaluations to provide
more information about your professional identity: the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator and the Strong Interest Inventory.

Workshops
Workshops and seminars are offered on a variety of topics and are usually one to
six sessions. Workshops are designed to be educational and can be very helpful
for getting information and ideas. Previous workshops have been provided on
topics such as self-esteem, stress management, pet loss, career goals,
interviewing techniques, resume writing, and Myers-Briggs testing and evaluation.
Click here to see current Workshops.

Providing Psychotherapy for Growth and Change

Katherine Thorn
1350 Beverly Road
Suite 240
McLean, VA 22101
(703) 288-9595
(703) 288-9545 (fax)

Counseling Services

"Everyone's situation is
unique. I tailor treatment
plans to fit the individual's
needs and goals."