Theresa Sherman, LGPC
Therapist
Theresan Sherman, LGPCHolistic Perinatal/Postpartum Therapist, Trauma-informed Psychotherapist & Couples Counselor
"The power to name our experiences on our own terms, in our own language, can be an profound for healing."
Book a 30-minute consultation call
Issues Tess helps with
While therapy is primarily in Englich, Tess also speaks Spanish, French and Arabic
Who she works with
Tess works with couples who feel caught in the same arguments or unsure how to rebuild trust after hurt, leaving both partners feeling blamed, misunderstood, and disconnected. She helps couples navigate these ongoing communication issues, difficulty rebuilding trust after a rupture/ infidelity, the strain of major life transitions, or a growing sense of distance in the relationship.
Alongside her couples work, Olesya sees individual adults navigating relationship distress, trauma and attachment wounds, anxiety, depression, grief and loss, addiction, and the aftermath of domestic violence or emotional/ physical abuse. Her academic research examined trauma among survivors of intimate partner violence in Eastern Europe and South Africa, and that work still shapes how she sits with clients.
How she works
Tess describes herself as person-centered, aiming to build a space that clients feel motivated to return to, week after week — one where they feel heard, understood and accepted. She's trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Internal Family Systems Therapy, and she's attentive to when a client needs concrete, practical tools versus a slower, more emotionally responsive kind of support. A lover of language and literature, she's particularly skilled at helping clients put words to what has felt difficult to articulate — the belief, in her words, that naming an experience on your own terms is itself part of healing.
[Needs Tess's own quote — nothing invented here yet.]
Training & Credentials
BA in Arabic and Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame
Master's in Counseling, The College of New Jersey
Graduate coursework in Women's Studies, University of Jordan (thesis on Jordanian midwives and national family health care)
Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor — Washington, DC
Trained in Internal Family Systems Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
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. Olesya 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 Olesya, 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 Tess.
Questions people ask Tess
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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. Tess 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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It depends. If your partner is reluctant about Couples Therapy, you can still book a consultation and meet with Olesya on your own to talk through what is happening if you’re open to Individual therapy for your relationship struggles. Relationship work done in individual therapy is also benefticial and a lot can shift at home 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 is that if Tess 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 Tess, then its better to wait until your partner comes around and start that work together.
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Yes. Tess is in network with CareFirst, BCBS, and Anthem plans. Coverage and copays can vary by plan. We are happy to help you understand your insurance benefits and the next steps when you reach out.
Book a free consultation call
No waitlists and no phone tag. Pick a time that suits you, and Tess will call.
