Joelle Purdy, LICSW

Joelle Purdy is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) based in the District of Columbia who uses practical, evidence-informed methods to help people manage stress, grief, anxiety, and life transitions. She focuses on clear goals and concrete steps people can take between sessions. Her style is warm and interactive, aimed at helping people feel understood while they work through difficult emotions.

She often draws on cognitive behavioral therapy to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and try new ways of responding. She also uses client-centered conversation to follow what matters most to each person. Mindfulness and motivational interviewing are added when they fit a client’s goals and readiness.

Joelle has four years of experience in social work and brings particular attention to grief and loss, caregiving stress, aging and geriatric issues, and hospice and end-of-life concerns. She also helps people facing relationship or intimacy-related issues, blended family challenges, career stress, and questions about life purpose. Her work includes attention to multicultural concerns, guilt and shame, and compassion fatigue.

Sessions are offered in English and delivered by video call, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. She explains options clearly and helps people choose formats that fit their schedules and daily routines.

Joelle aims to create a respectful and compassionate space where people can explore what matters most, set manageable goals, and practice new skills. She supports parents, caregivers, and adults navigating big changes and healing from loss.

Therapeutic approaches and online care that fit your life

Joelle commonly uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people notice patterns of thinking that keep stress or sadness stuck and to try practical steps that change how they feel. She also uses client-centered therapy, which means conversations follow what matters most to the person and the pace they prefer. Mindfulness therapy is used at times to build calm attention and reduce reactivity when emotions feel overwhelming.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Joelle will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before, then adjust methods as needed. The plan evolves over time so techniques match the client’s needs and readiness.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy easier to fit into daily life. Video works well for full conversations and visual connection, phone can be a good option when bandwidth is limited, chat and text are useful for brief check-ins or when writing helps process thoughts. These options provide flexibility for people juggling work, caregiving, or health appointments.