Leg three · The ridge
Now accepting new clients · evening and weekend hours available
A general practice for adults
Dr. Thaxter works with adults across a wide range of concerns: anxiety, depression, trauma, chronic pain, insomnia, the postpartum year, grief, and the ordinary hard stretches of life. She is currently accepting new clients, and everyone is welcome here.
Adults, generally
Most people who come here are not in crisis. They have been managing something on their own for a long time, and it has started to wear on them. That is reason enough to come in.
Parents and new mothers
The transition into parenthood asks more of people than almost anything else, and postpartum is its own territory: anxiety, intrusive thoughts, low mood, and the loneliness of being told you should be happy.
Military, Veteran, first responder, and cleared
Dr. Thaxter spent years in the VA system, so you will not have to explain the basics. Seeking care in these communities is common and generally seen as a sign of good judgment. This is one part of a general practice, not the whole of it.
People living with chronic illness or pain
Long-term pain, migraine and headache, tinnitus, and health conditions that reshape a life. Dr. Thaxter’s doctoral research was in migraine and chronic pain, and there are structured, evidence-based treatments for the distress that comes with them.
People in a hard stretch
Grief, a marriage under strain, a career that stopped fitting, a move, a medical diagnosis. Not everything worth therapy is a disorder.
Areas of focus
What Dr. Thaxter works with
This is a general adult practice. Common reasons people come here include:
- Anxiety and depression, including the kind that has gone on so long it feels normal
- Trauma and PTSD, single-incident and cumulative. More on trauma therapy here →
- Moral injury, where guilt and shame are at the center of it
- Stress, burnout and difficulty coping with what is currently being asked of you
- Chronic pain and health-related distress, an area of Dr. Thaxter’s doctoral research
- Life transitions and identity, including a career change or leaving a role that defined you
- Perinatal and postpartum difficulty, including anxiety, intrusive thoughts and low mood after a birth. Dr. Thaxter trained in the VA’s Women’s Mental Health Clinic, and women’s mental health runs through the practice
- Grief and loss, and relationships that have become hard to be in
- Emotion regulation and patterns that have stopped serving you
If what brings you here is not on this list, it is still worth getting in touch. The list is a guide, not a gate.
Each of these has a well-tested treatment, and Dr. Thaxter is trained to deliver it. You do not have to choose between someone who listens and someone who helps.
Groups
Some of this work is better done in a room with other people.
Seven structured groups run alongside individual therapy, from Cognitive Processing Therapy and DBT skills to a postpartum moms group, CBT for insomnia and chronic pain, and Mindful Self-Compassion. Groups do one thing individual work cannot: they show you that you are not the only one.
One thing worth knowing early
Dr. Thaxter is licensed in Virginia, so you need to be physically in Virginia during each appointment, not just a resident on paper. Working in DC and living in Arlington is fine as long as you join from Virginia. A hotel in another state is not. She will ask where you are at the start of each session. The rule applies to every clinician, and it is easier to plan around when you know it in advance.
Common questions
Things people ask before the first call.
What happens in a consult?
You meet Dr. Thaxter live over telehealth for 15 minutes. You say what is going on, she asks a few questions, and she tells you plainly what she thinks would help. If this looks like the right place, the two of you sketch a plan of care: individual therapy or a group, what the work would focus on, and roughly how many sessions it tends to take. You leave knowing what the next step is. Whether to take it is up to you.
Can I use my insurance?
Sessions are private pay, and a monthly superbill is provided that you can submit to your insurer for out-of-network reimbursement. Many plans in this area reimburse a meaningful share once the out-of-network deductible is met. Dr. Thaxter will help you check your benefits and work out a way to receive care before you commit to anything.
How soon can I start?
Usually within a week or two for the intake appointment. The calendar shows real openings, so you can see what is available rather than guessing.
When are appointments available?
Daytime, weekday evenings until 9 pm Eastern, and Saturday and Sunday. Intakes are usually available within a week or two, and the calendar shows real openings, so you can pick a time that fits around work or family rather than guessing.
Do I have to be in Virginia?
Yes, physically, at the time of each session. Dr. Thaxter holds a Virginia license, and licensing follows where you are sitting rather than where you live on paper. Working in DC and living in Virginia is fine as long as you join from Virginia.
Does telehealth work as well as in person?
For the treatments used here, yes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy by telehealth have been studied extensively, including across the VA system, with outcomes on par with in-person care. You need a private room, a device with a camera, and a reasonable connection. There is nothing to install.
You don’t have to have it figured out to start.
Not sure where to start? Book a free 15-minute consultation with Dr. Thaxter: a short, live call over telehealth about what is going on and whether this is the right place, with no paperwork and no charge. When you are ready, the same button lets you book an intake for individual therapy or enroll in a group. Everything runs through the secure client portal, and the first step takes about two minutes. If you would rather talk first, call (571) 206-0096 or send a message.