Therapy for anxious minds and overloaded hearts.
I help you understand yourself with more accuracy and compassion.
Hi, I'm Cheryl.
Welcome to Heart & Mind Insights Online Therapy for Women
Cheryl Zandt, LPC
Throughout more than 20 years of practice, many of the women I work with are used to managing how they come across to others.
Sometimes, especially for capable and tenacious people, it feels like relief from problems must happen by pushing through and just trying harder. What can be surprising to learn, though, is that a lack of tenacity or intelligence wasn’t ever the problem. The thing I like best about this work is finding those hidden obstacles together.
What clients tell me they like most about working together is feeling genuinely known and cared about while also learning why they feel the way they do and what steps they can take to make things feel different. I’m known for helping people work through complex situations.
I live in Washington DC with my husband, our amazing teenage daughter, our cats, and a wild cardinal who comes when I call him. Outside of the office, you’ll likely find me reading, working in the garden, out hiking in the woods, or wandering through a museum. One of my most treasured pastimes is feeding wild birds from my hand.
There are real reasons
it feels so tough sometimes.
Somewhere along the way, all of your responsibilities have started leaving very little room for you. You’ve had to be so focused on keeping up with what needed to be done that you lost touch with what you needed too.
Many women come to therapy wondering if they’re failing. You believe you’re bad at coping, bad at boundaries, or just bad at keeping up with life. What’s usually true, though, is that there are deeper unseen patterns contributing to your anxiety, overwhelm, and self-criticism, and those patterns have called the shots for a long time.
One of the best parts of therapy is learning that these patterns developed for understandable reasons, and that they often continue behind the scenes long after they stop being helpful. Once we can see them clearly, we have far more freedom to choose what happens next.
You aren't meant to white-knuckle
your way through life.
Growth does not eliminate difficulty, healing does not erase vulnerability, and resilience still requires effort…
But.
When things begin to make more sense and new patterns start to fall into place, you can discover that you have more choices than you ever realized.
Where The Heart & Mind Connect
Your thoughts and emotions. Your nervous system and behaviors. They are constantly interacting, and often on autopilot, so it can be difficult to notice any patterns objectively while you’re actively living within them.
The nagging “shoulds.” The internal rules and self-critical reactions. The way stress moves through your mind, body, relationships, and sense of self. They can all happen so automatically that you may not even notice them happening.
They can feel so familiar and frustrating that it’s easy to assume they’re just part of who you are. But actually, they are patterns, and patterns can change.
My work is grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness practice, and somatic therapy, which can each help you better understand your patterns, build practical and lasting skills for change, and support your nervous system in doing what it was designed to do: heal.
As those patterns become easier to recognize, you have more choice in how you respond. Over time, the skills and perspectives that serve you best can become just as familiar as the patterns that once held you back.
Get started here
Complete the secure inquiry form below and I’ll personally respond within one business day. We’ll schedule a brief consultation call where you can share a general sense of what brings you to therapy, ask questions about my approach, and decide whether working together feels right for you.
Making Room for Something New to Emerge
The insights and skills you build in therapy don’t just stay in the session. They come with you: into your relationships, your work, your decisions, and the life you’re trying to build for yourself.
You may also be interested in learning more about:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a practical approach for understanding how thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and nervous system responses influence one another. Learn how small adjustments can create lasting changes over time.
Mindfulness is the practice of intentionally paying attention. In a world that constantly competes for your focus, learn how mindfulness can help you return to the present moment and the life you’re already living.
Many women spend years prioritizing others’ needs, managing responsibilities, and pushing through stress. Therapy offers space to reconnect with yourself and rediscover the parts of you that deserve attention, too.
Your questions, answered
What issues do you specialize in?
I work with women who are used to being capable, responsible, and relied upon by others, often while privately feeling overwhelmed, emotionally depleted, or hard on themselves in ways few people fully see.
Do you accept insurance?
I work as an out-of-network provider and provide a monthly superbill for insurance reimbursement. Depending on your plan, many clients receive between 40–80% of their session costs back directly from their insurance company.
Do you offer a free consultation?
Yes – I offer a complimentary consultation call so we can briefly connect, answer questions, and see whether working together feels like a good fit. Whoever you ultimately choose to work with, my hope is that you find care that feels supportive, thoughtful, and right for you.