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, and helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship and intimacy concerns, and parenting challenges. Joelle offers a warm, interactive style that emphasizes listening and building trust from the first session.

Joelle uses practical, goal-focused methods to help people make sense of difficult emotions. She blends client-centered conversation with cognitive behavioral ideas and mindfulness skills to help people notice patterns and try new responses. Motivational interviewing and solution-focused techniques are used to clarify goals and identify small steps forward.

Her work often centers on grief related to death and anticipatory loss, but she also addresses career questions, self-esteem, compassion fatigue, and life purpose. She helps clients honor what was lost while finding ways to move toward a more balanced daily life. Joelle adjusts conversations to each person’s goals and needs rather than applying a single fixed method.

Joelle aims to create a respectful, compassionate environment where people can explore tough feelings without judgment. Sessions focus on practical tools, clearer thinking, and small actions that fit into real life. Her approach is collaborative, with the client guiding the priorities and pace.

To begin, Joelle asks about what matters most to the person seeking help and tailors strategies accordingly. Over time she supports people in building skills for managing stress, navigating relationships, and coping with major life transitions.

How Joelle’s approaches work for online therapy

Joelle combines client-centered work with cognitive behavioral and mindfulness-based ideas to help people navigate grief and life transitions. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening closely and following what matters to the person. It helps people name feelings and set the agenda for sessions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts and behaviors and helps people test small changes to reduce worry or low mood. Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention practices to calm the mind and manage stress in everyday moments.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Joelle checks in about goals and preferences, and together the therapist and client choose methods that feel useful. She tailors interventions over time based on what the client notices is helping and what gets in the way of progress.

If you are considering online work, confirm current session formats before booking since options are not listed here. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, allow for shorter check-ins when that suits a schedule, and remove travel time. Many people find video or phone sessions helpful for practicing skills between appointments and for keeping continuity while managing life’s demands.