Joelle Purdy

Joelle Purdy is a licensed independent social worker (LICSW) practicing in the District of Columbia. She focuses on grief, loss, and life changes while also supporting people facing stress, anxiety, relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting strain, self-esteem, and career questions. Joelle offers a warm, interactive style that centers on listening and building rapport from the start.

Joelle describes grief as a process people learn to live with rather than something to be quickly fixed. She helps people name and sit with the complex feelings that come with losing a loved one, a job, or a dream. Her work combines practical tools with attention to personal meaning so people can find ways to remember and honor what mattered.

Her approach draws from client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused techniques. Conversations are adjusted to match each person’s goals and needs, with an emphasis on collaboration and realistic steps forward.

Joelle has four years of documented experience as a practicing clinician and holds a DC LICSW credential. She also brings focus to caregiver stress, hospice and end-of-life concerns, blended family issues, multicultural matters, and women’s issues. Those topics often come up alongside grief and life transitions.

People who meet with Joelle can expect straightforward conversation, gentle reflection, and practical ideas to try between sessions. She aims to support, empower, and accompany people as they work toward balance and a clearer sense of purpose.

How Joelle’s approaches translate to online work

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and following a person’s lead. The therapist reflects what matters to the client, helps clarify goals, and makes space for personal values and meaning. This approach is useful when someone wants a supportive, collaborative conversation about a life change.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, uses practical steps to change unhelpful thinking and behaviors. Sessions often include simple experiments, short exercises, and homework to test new ways of coping with anxiety, grief, or stress.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Joelle will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has helped or not helped in the past. Together they can choose whether to focus on mindfulness practices, CBT tasks, motivational interviewing to clarify values, or brief solution-focused steps.

Please confirm current session options before booking, as formats were not specified in the biography. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life by removing travel time, allowing a shorter check-in during a break, or offering a quieter space at home. Talk with Joelle about which arrangement will work best for scheduling, focus, and comfort.