Counseling for adults in Virginia
You learned to be one person at home and another everywhere else.
You do not have to keep that up. I help adults make sense of where it started and find a steadier way to live: in the office, online, or out in the field with the horses.
Maybe this sounds familiar
"I replay every conversation, looking for what I got wrong."
"I keep it all to myself. It is easier than explaining."
"From the outside I look fine. Inside I am worn out."
"I thought I had dealt with this years ago."
If any of that is close, you are not broken and you are not the only one. At some point you found a way to get through. It worked then. It is costing you now, in your relationships, your work, and how you feel about yourself.
That can change. Not overnight, and not by being told to get over it.
Three ways we can work together
Talk it through
One-to-one therapy, 50 minutes, in my Crozier office or online anywhere in Virginia. We look at what is happening now, where it came from, and what you want instead.
Work it out with a horse
Some things are easier to do than to say. At the farm you work alongside a horse, on the ground, with me there. No riding and no horse experience needed.
Go deeper, sooner
EMDR intensives give the work a clear run: three-hour sessions over one to three focused days. Useful when you are stuck, short on time, or want to add to the therapy you already have.
I also run small groups, work with riders on fear and show nerves, and supervise other therapists.
Hi, I'm Courtenay
I have been a licensed counselor since 2005, and I have been around horses a good deal longer than that. When I was about six months old my mother found me sitting in our pony's stall, holding her halter, the two of us just looking at each other. I have been paying attention to what horses can teach us ever since.
I became a therapist because I wanted to understand why people do what they do, and because I have seen how much can change when someone is finally heard. I use humor. I am curious. I will ask you to step outside what is comfortable, and I will respect what you know about your own life.
I will not do the work for you. I will walk with you while you do it.
Licensed Professional Counselor. EMDR trained, Levels I and II. EAGALA Certified.
Why horses?
A horse does not care what you do for a living or how well you hide things. It responds to what you are actually feeling, right now, and it tells you the truth about it. That is hard to get from people, and it is very hard to argue with.
You do not have to talk much. You do not have to know anything about horses. Sometimes the most useful part is standing in a field with an animal that is perfectly content to have you there.
Getting started is simple
- A free 15-minute callWe talk about what is going on and whether I am the right fit. If I am not, I will try to point you to someone who is.
- Your first sessionThere is a short intake form for the basics. The rest of the time is for getting to know each other and talking about what matters to you.
- A plan that suits youWeekly sessions, an intensive, time with the horses, or a mix.
The practical details
- Who I see
- Adults.
- Where
- Crozier office, online across Virginia, and the farm in Powhatan.
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 11 am to 5 pm.
- Fees
- $200 per session. EMDR intensives are priced separately.
- Insurance
- I am private pay and out of network. I can give you a superbill to send to your insurer.
Featured in
Authority Magazine Psych Central
Find me on
Psychology Today ZenCare TherapyDen Therapist.com Trauma Therapist Network
From the blog
From the barn to the therapy room
How horses found me first, and what a Shetland pony called Top Hat taught me about peace.
What a bad ride can teach you
The lesson where nothing goes right might be the more valuable one, if you let it.
Growing up with a narcissistic parent
How it shows up in adulthood, often in places you would not expect.
Today is a new day
You have carried this for long enough, and you do not have to keep carrying it by yourself. Start with a 15-minute call. No pressure and no commitment.