Therapy for Change
You may believe change is difficult because you don't know how to change or think it's impossible to create the change that will bring you joy.
Some late adolescents and young adults work with me when they use substances to feel better about themselves or to "escape" reality. Some work with me when they feel lonely or hopeless about their future.
You want a therapist that can relate to you on a human level and someone to talk to, and I am here for you.
Perhaps you are tired of your anxiety, or sadness of getting the best of you or using substances to cope; We'll work together to create the changes that will bring you contentment and peace.
What Happens Next?
We'll start with a phone consultation to build rapport. During the phone consultation, we'll discuss where you are in life and where you would like to be.
From there, we'll schedule our first virtual meeting. We'll continue to connect and develop specific goals to work on in our sessions.
What to talk about in therapy?
People come to therapy to learn coping strategies to improve their well-being.
You may want therapy to overcome your addiction to alcohol and other substances. Maybe you want to learn coping skills for anxiety or depression.
Here Is An Example...
Let's say you want to address social anxiety. We'll discuss the most recent social situation that spiked anxiety for you.
I'll empathize, and I'll likely share a time in my life in which I experience social anxiety as well.
We'll look at other emotions you had in the example provided, such as guilt, embarrassment, etc., and examine the thoughts that influenced the anxiety and other negative emotions.
Next, we'll work on feeling comfortable and confident in social settings.
About Your Therapist
Far too often, we tumble down a mental "rabbit hole," asking ourselves, "What if?" We're in a free-fall, imagining one worst-case scenario after another. We know these images in our minds aren't real and are unlikely to happen, yet we believe our worst fears will come true.
Our thoughts have a unique way of "tricking" us into believing our accomplishments don't matter or that we don't measure up to other people. We try our best to cope, with few changes to how we feel and behave. I know these feelings quite well as a father, husband, and friend.
My name is Shariff, owner of Therapy for Change.
During my free time, I'm with my wife and children. However, I love the gym. There aren't many things outside of running, the bench, and the squat rack that I enjoy.Maybe if I thought long and hard about it, I could name a few other things I like doing, such as gaming or rooting for the New York Giants to win a football game. But exercising does it for me.Education & Licenses
George Mason University Master’s of Social Work (2018)
Virginia Commonwealth University B.S. Psychology (2014)
Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Virginia (2020)
Trained in
Collaborative Assessment Management Suicidality
Cognitive Processing Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
American Society of Addiction Medicine
Read Client Reviews
"Shariff was extremely patient, non-judgmental, gave me validation, but made me see myself in such a positive way. Although our time together was short lived - because I moved - he made my first experience into this therapy world a great experience. I never felt ashamed, I felt completely accepted and I learned so much about myself and he gave me tools to use in my personal growth journey. I will forever be appreciative to him for his time, grace and acceptance."
– Chrystal
"In working with Shariff, I learned, it was and is okay to feel negative emotions and that confirmation of knowing it is okay to go through the motions was all I needed to move forward”"
– Katherine
"Shariff is methodical and an intent listener. I would go back to him if needed"
– Michael
“ I had a fantastic experience with Shariff. He was so genuine and helped me have such a positive outlook moving forward. If you’re looking for someone that truly listens to you and relates so much to your problems, I highly recommend! He was truly great!"
– Samantha
"I felt that the therapy I received was more involved and detailed than others I have received in the past. I was taught the practice of questioning my negative thoughts, this led to me becoming more aware of my headspace and allowed me to work on reversing this. I left these session feeling like I had made progress in my mental health rather than just talking it. I also enjoyed the fact that we would go over our time sometimes and would not be cut off when time was immediately up. It felt like I could tell that he cared for me and truly wanted me to make progress in life."
Sincerely,– Javier
