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Welcome! Thank you for taking the time to visit this space...
I'm happy you are here. For 25+ years, it's been a pleasure to meet with people just like yourself, well, frankly, people like all of us: Those of us who may have felt lost, stuck, or hopeless, and who were seeking healing, compassionate support, and solutions toward achieving personal growth and peace. While I've had decades of experience in various settings, my specialty is working with adults of any age who've tried therapy in the past, but for whatever reason did not encounter the depth, meaning, or change they were hoping to find. I also specialize in the treatment of anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, and trauma (whether from childhood or adulthood). While that seems like a broad range of concerns, I've just been blessed to work with a variety of individuals and feel comfortable in particular with these topics or clients. I have worked in college counseling centers, hospital settings, the court system, in-home settings, community behavioral health centers, and in crisis units. I trained in graduate studies at Virginia Tech and have my undergraduate degree from the University of Mary Washington. Counseling is my third career path and it's a passion of mine.
Like many, I have also had a few twists and turns in my life, devastating losses and setbacks, and I believe these experiences help me to understand the depth of other's struggles and suffering. I also know that these roadblocks or obstacles can be overcome.
Let's find out how YOU can feel empowered again or ........for the very first time. You deserve it.
Mary Gaskill
What would you do if you knew you were 100 percent worthy of what you want in life? You do deserve to dream again and to imagine a life that is better for you.
What would you do if you knew you were 100 percent worthy of what you want in life? You do deserve to dream again and to imagine a life that is better for you.
Your potential is so much greater than your problem. Let me show you how you can trust life and trust yourself again. I humbly see my role as a facilitator to whom you can empty your heart and with whom you can suffer less. We will also work collaboratively to teach you ways to live a more open, fulfilling, & transformed life.
You are allowed to ask very important questions about your life. You're allowed to ask what serves YOU sometimes. And guess what?! The process of answering those questions can be relaxing and enjoyable!
New! Monthly Blog Post...When Spring Feels Like Too Much: Understanding “Spring Anxiety" Click here....
New! Monthly Blog Post...When Spring Feels Like Too Much: Understanding “Spring Anxiety" Click here....
There’s an assumption woven into April: that as the light returns, so should we. Energy, motivation, social ease—everything is supposed to bloom in sync with the season. And yet, for many people, spring doesn’t feel like renewal. It feels like… a lot.
If you’ve noticed a rise in restlessness, irritability, trouble sleeping, or a vague sense of emotional overwhelm as the days get longer, you’re not alone—and you’re not doing anything wrong.
From a nervous system perspective, spring is not just a gentle awakening. It’s a rapid shift. More daylight, warmer temperatures, fuller calendars, louder environments. Your body, which may have settled into the slower, dimmer rhythms of winter, is suddenly asked to recalibrate. Circadian rhythms adjust. Hormones like cortisol and melatonin shift. Energy increases—but not always smoothly.
For some, this creates a kind of internal overstimulation. The system is “on” more often, but not necessarily grounded. The result can feel like anxiety, even if nothing is “wrong.”
From a Jungian lens, we might understand this as a seasonal encounter with activation. Spring symbolizes emergence, growth, outward movement—but psychologically, any movement toward the light also stirs what has been resting beneath the surface. What was quiet in winter doesn’t disappear; it comes with you into the brightness. Sometimes amplified.
So the tension many people feel this time of year isn’t failure to thrive—it’s the psyche adjusting to expansion.
There’s also a cultural layer. Spring carries expectations: be happy, be social, be productive, start fresh. When your inner experience doesn’t match that narrative, it can create a subtle but painful dissonance. A thought like, “Why am I struggling when everything is supposed to feel better?”
But emotional timing is not seasonal. It’s personal.
If your system is feeling overstimulated this spring, a gentler approach tends to work better than pushing through. Think less about “keeping up” with the season, and more about pacing your entry into it.
A few small shifts can help:
Soften the transition: Gradually increase activity rather than overloading your schedule all at once.
Protect your sensory space: Light, noise, and social input all count as stimulation. It’s okay to take breaks from them.
Anchor your body: Simple routines—walking, stretching, consistent sleep/wake times—help your system recalibrate.
Name what’s happening: Sometimes just recognizing, “This is my nervous system adjusting,” can reduce the self-judgment.
Perhaps most importantly, allow for a more nuanced version of spring. One where growth and discomfort can coexist. Where light doesn’t erase complexity—it reveals it.
If you'd like to explore this idea further, and not alone, please consider reaching out for an appointment.
Best,
Mary
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