Isabella Calingaert, LPGC
Therapist
Isabella Calingaert, LGPCLGBTQIA+ Affirming Psychotherapist, Holistic Trauma Therapist & Couples Counselor
"The relationship between therapist and client is the most important part of therapy." Isabella brings humor and directness to that relationship.
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Issues Isabella helps with
Virginia
Maryland
Who she works with
Isabella specializes in working with LGBTQIA+ and polyamorous individuals and couples — people who want to make their own rules and work outside traditional systems, who are navigating multiple cultures, or who are exploring identity and self-esteem. She supports clients working through trauma and grief in all the different ways they show up, and helps couples improve communication, break distressing conflict cycles, and navigate complex life transitions.
How she works
Isabella believes in building a foundation of healthier self-talk and self-worth to get at the root of what's underneath the surface issue, and she's attentive to how trauma affects a person's sense of self. She works from an integrative base — CBT, DBT, psychodynamic, family systems, strengths-based, mindfulness, relational-cultural and existential therapy — and has specialized training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy. In her words, the relationship between therapist and client matters more than any particular technique, and she brings humor and directness into the room rather than a purely neutral stance.
I offer affirming, anti-oppressive, and HAES-aligned care, creating a space where your full identity and lived experience are respected and supported.
Training & Credentials
Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, The Chicago School
Bachelor's in Psychology and Humanitarian Affairs, Fordham University
Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor — Washington, DC
Resident in Counseling — Virginia
Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor — Maryland
Specialized training in Gottman Method Level 1 - Couples Therapy
Postgraduate training in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy — ICEEFT
What a first session is like
After your free 30-minute consultation, if it feels like the right fit, you will schedule your first full 50–55-minute session.
For individual therapy, the first few sessions are a chance to begin developing a fuller, more holistic understanding of what you are facing now. Isabella will learn about your history, when the current concerns began or became more difficult, what has shaped them, and what you have already tried. Together, you will start to make sense of the larger context around your experiences and identify where the work can begin.
For couples, the first full session focuses on understanding your relationship, the concerns that brought you in, and the pattern that may be keeping you stuck. Each partner then has an individual intake session with Isabella, giving her the opportunity to understand each person's history and perspective. Ongoing sessions are generally held together as a couple.
If that sounds like what you are looking for, book a 30-minute consultation call with Isabella.
Questions people ask Isabella
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Couples often arrive having spent months explaining themselves to someone who stayed neutral but was wrapped up in the content of your argument. EFT works differently: the focus is on the cycle the two of you fall into in these difficult moments and arguments. Isabella helps you slow down and understand that pattern, explore what’s underneath it and learn to respond differently in difficult moments.
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Yes. Isabella works with people at any stage of exploring what kind of relationship structure is right for them, as well as people already in established polyamorous relationships or any form of ethical non-monogamy.
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Isabella’s approach to relationship therapy is built to work with all traditional and non-traditional structures rather than assuming a conventional two-person model. Depending on the issues you are facing, Isabella will recommend whether it’s beneficial to meet with two partners at a time or everyone together—as may be the case for a triad wanting to work on an issue together.
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Olesya is a self-pay therapist. We provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance plan for possible out-of-network reimbursement and have also partnered with Reimbusify to make this process seamless. You can check your out-of-network benefits here. This can tell you whether couples or individual therapy is covered and what reimbursement may be available.
We understand therapy can be a investment in yourself and your relationship and do not take that lightly, which is why our therapists are specialized and will make sure they have the tools to help you meet your goals.
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Isabella's practice affirms all parts of your identity, including where you're still exploring rather than settled. That exploration is welcome as part of the work, not something to resolve before you start.
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It depends. If your partner is reluctant about Couples Therapy, you can still book a consultation and meet with Isabella on your own to talk through what is happening if you’re open to Individual therapy to work on your relationship struggles. Relationship work done in individual therapy is also benefticial and a lot can shift in a relationship when one person changes how they handle the pattern. So if you are open to individual therapy, the consultation is still worth having.
However, if you’re just interested in Couples Therapy, then one thing to know before you decide to start therapy with Isabella is that if she becomes your individual therapist, she cannot later be your couples therapist. Couples work depends on both partners believing the therapist is genuinely even-handed, and a partner who arrives knowing you already have a therapy relationship with that therapist rarely feels that way — however fair the therapist actually is. So if what you are really hoping for is couples therapy with Isabella, then its better to wait until your partner comes around and start that work together.
Book a free consultation call
No waitlists and no phone tag. Pick a time that suits you to speak to Isabella.
