Identity & Authenticity
Affirming care for LGBTQ+, queer, trans, and gender-expansive people exploring who they are and how they want to move through the world.
Quiet ForestTherapy
Let’s connect Part of Falls Church Wellness Center520 N. Washington St., Suite 100 · Falls Church, VA 22046
Identity-affirming therapy in Virginia
Therapy rootedin who you are.
A grounded, collaborative place to understand your experiences, reconnect with your own wisdom, and grow practical tools for the life you want to live.
In-person in Falls Church, Virginia · Online across Virginia
Resident in Counseling under SupervisionEllen Orsi, M.Ed.
Come as you are.
Grow at your own pace.
The work we can do
Care grounded in identity,
meaning, and practice.
Therapy with Ellen is integrative and collaborative. Your voice and lived experience guide the process; thoughtful reflection is paired with tools you can carry into everyday life.
Anxiety & Transitions
A steady place to work with uncertainty, self-esteem, family conflict, school concerns, chronic stress, and seasons of significant change.
Relationships & Emotions
Support for emotional intensity, relationship patterns, personality-related experiences, and building skills that hold up outside the therapy room.
Meaning & Belonging
Space to explore spirituality, religious trauma, racial identity, neurodivergence, grief, and the stories that shape your sense of belonging.
Narrative & Existential
Make room for complexity, authorship, choice, and the meanings beneath familiar stories.
DBT-informed
Practice concrete skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and relationships.
Intersectional & Affirming
Understand distress within identity, culture, power, systems, and the realities of your lived experience.
Based in Northern VirginiaAbout Ellen
Clinician.
Scholar.
Fellow human.
Hi, I’m Ellen.
I’m so glad you’re here. Seeking therapy can be a powerful step, and I’m honored to hold space for people navigating the complexities of being human—especially LGBTQ+ individuals and young adults exploring who they are, who they want to become, and how they want to move through the world.
I approach therapy collaboratively, with the belief that you are the expert on your own life. There is no one-size-fits-all version of therapy. Your voice, lived experience, identities, and goals guide our work together.
My approach blends deep reflection with practical change. I draw from narrative therapy to explore the stories we carry about ourselves and where those stories came from, while incorporating tools from approaches like DBT to help you navigate emotions, relationships, stress, and everyday life.
Whether you’re working through anxiety, exploring your identity, navigating relationships or life transitions, or simply feeling stuck, therapy can be a place to understand yourself more deeply while creating meaningful change in the present.
You don’t have to leave parts of yourself at the door. You get to bring your whole self here.
Beyond the work: two black cats and an unapologetic love of Taylor Swift.
Outside of counseling, I am working on a second master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, set to be completed in May 2027.
Colleague endorsements
How Ellen’s work is experienced.
Selected phrases from verified Psychology Today endorsements.
“Thoughtful, trauma-informed therapist.”
Kimberly Anderson, LPC
“Affirming and deeply empathetic.”
Grace Bomar, MEd
“Making therapy practical.”
Hana Liu
Practice at a glance
Start where you are.
- Formats
- Individual, Couples, and Group therapy
- Location
- Falls Church, VA · Telehealth across Virginia
- Fees
- $195 individual · $295 couples · Sliding scale available
- First step
- Email Me for a Free 15-minute phone consultation
Get in touch
A quieter path
can start here.
If Ellen’s approach sounds like what you’re looking for, reach out for a free 15-minute consultation or an initial appointment.