Robyn Brickel
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
“We are a private practice specializing in the treatment of trauma and complex trauma (CPTSD), addictions, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and women's mental health, including postpartum and menopause.”
About Me
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 25+ years of experience providing psychotherapy, as well as the founder and clinical director of a private practice, Brickel and Associates, LLC in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia. We bring a strengths-based, trauma-informed, systems approach to the treatment of individuals (older adolescents and adults), couples and families. We specialize in providing trauma-informed care and working with those who have experienced trauma (including attachment trauma). We also work with those who use dissociative mechanisms, such as: self-harm, eating disorders and addictions. We also approach the treatment of perinatal mental health and menopause from a trauma-informed lens.
I support clients and clinicians who wish to better understand the impact of trauma on mental health and relationships. I have a wide range of post graduate trauma and addictions education and am trained in numerous relational models of practice, including Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT), the Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT), and Imago therapy. I am a trained Sensorimotor Psychotherapist and am a Certified, Senior Facilitator for Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST), Certified EMDRIA therapist and Approved Consultant. Utilizing all of these tools, along with mindfulness and ego state work to provide the best care to our clients. I pride myself in always learning and expanding my knowledge about the intricacies of treating complex trauma, trauma’s impact on the person and body, including the impact on maternal mental health and perinatal distress, all to aid clients in healing and post traumatic growth.
Approach
When challenges like trauma, addiction, eating disorders or perinatal distress bring you in, therapy moves with careful pacing and clear steps so you can feel steady as we work. In my Alexandria office, in English, sessions balance focused inquiry with practical skill-building — we track patterns, practice grounding or relational tools, and use brief between‑session experiments to test what helps. I invite collaboration: you help set priorities and we adjust pace to your tolerance. This way of working tends to suit people wanting concrete change alongside gentle, safety‑first exploration.
