Essie Bent, M.Ed., LPC-R

About Essie: (she/her/hers) 

I am a Resident LPC Counselor in Virginia. I earned my Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from George Mason University, and my Bachelor's degree in Psychology from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

My passion to pursue a career in therapy began through advocacy work for disenfranchised communities such as the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC demographics. Growing up in an impoverished area, I understand the need for mental health advocacy and how the absence can negatively affect an entire community. The acknowledgement of barriers out of our control that lead to a lack of resources such as counseling is important to challenge and change. I am dedicated to working through difficult experiences both past and present with my clients by being there with compassion and listening ears. Therapy can work for anyone who is willing to be open and vulnerable and my goal is to create a setting that will make this easy for my clients to achieve.

There are many obstacles we face and some we try to face alone. The barriers we may combat to self advocate may be cultural, social, economic, or environmental. I want to be a part of dismantling suffering in silence and change the stigma attached to mental health in all communities, especially the BIPOC community. Through my intersectional lens, I highlight the many identities my clients have in a means to advocate for each separately and collaboratively. Every person deserves a space for healing and I would like to be a guide on your therapeutic journey that will be tailored to your specific needs. With a psychoanalytic therapeutic approach, I believe we must understand our past in order to dissect our present. Getting to know where your trauma stems from will allow you to acknowledge mental and emotional obstacles that we all face daily.

I work with individuals, families, and couples who may struggle with anxiety, depression, life transitions, cultural identity, trauma, stress, and relationship issues. My intersectional and advocacy driven therapeutic lens also makes me a good fit for the queer and ethical non monogamous community. Healing is for everyone and I hope to inspire my clients to know that they are worthy of revitalizing through unlearning and relearning as a means to heal.

Virginia Licensed Resident in Counseling: Pending