About Cheryl Zandt: Online Therapy Rooted in Science, Kindness, and Hope
Clinical expertise. Genuine connection. Right where you are.
My Approach
I am Cheryl Zandt, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), practicing in Virginia and Washington DC, and am the founder of Heart & Mind Insights. I offer Telehealth therapy for individuals and couples, specializing in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness practice, and Brainspotting.
I love helping people address the facets of their experience that are interfering with how they want to feel, including anxiety, burnout and chronic stress, self-esteem and the inner critic, emotional boundaries, life transitions, relationship and communication challenges, parenting issues, and existential concerns. I have extensive training and certification in advanced traumatic stress studies and somatic healing.
My approach to therapy is grounded in respect for our shared humanity. I have a holistic and inclusive view of each person I work with that honors their unique story while also honoring the universal human need for dignity, resilience, and connection.
All are welcome in this practice.
Why I Do This
My career began in a hospital, caring for people who were in medical crisis. I was usually present with them during some of the most stressful and disorienting moments of their lives… and then I never saw them again.
I never knew what happened afterward or how they were doing. How did they handle all of their “now what’s?” I found myself asking that more and more, and wishing I could have offered more continuity of care.
It led me toward pursuing the kind of work where I get to be there with people for their major events as well as their day to day moments of seeking insight, homeostasis, and wellness. I was particularly drawn to the long-term effects of anxiety: how it affects our nervous systems, shapes our relationships, and how it seems to systematically remove a lot of our choices.
I began practicing therapy to help people find the emotional and cognitive insights they need to regain their choices and to make the changes they genuinely want for themselves. Over 20 years later, that still inspires me in each meeting with the people I work with.
What I Bring Into the Session
Growing up surrounded by nature, one of the experiences I’ve treasured the most has been feeding wild birds from my hands. The extraordinary privilege of these interactions have been lessons in the value of trust, patience, and respect, and the silent joy of communicating safety for something that had every reason to stay guarded.
I carry that forward into counseling. It’s a space where you can say what you need to say and know that you will be met with patience, kindness, and respect.
What to Expect in Our Work Together
When we begin working together, I take time to understand your experience fully – what’s brought you here, what you want to be different, and what path forward makes the most sense for you.
Sessions are collaborative. At the end of each one, we check in on what you’re taking away. I’ll often encourage you to set aside a little time afterward to reflect and decompress, and sometimes we’ll agree on homework to help you practice what you’ve learned between sessions.
Big change takes time, but every session holds the possibility of a meaningful shift. I find enormous satisfaction in helping people move from white-knuckling their way through the same old worries and stresses to genuinely thriving. Learning why thoughts and feelings work the way they do. Recognizing the signals your body sends. Noticing the difference. Realizing you have more choices than you knew.
The hard work is so worth it.
A Personal Note
I live in Washington DC with my husband, our teen daughter, our cats, and a wild cardinal who comes to visit when he’s called. In my free time I’m usually reading, catching up with friends, exploring a museum, or working to support our local community. If the weather cooperates, I’m outside in my garden or hiking in the woods. I love to travel and am always planning my next adventure.
Where Healing Begins
You’ve spent a long time telling yourself to “just deal with it,” even while you’ve felt it creeping into more and more parts of your life. Making time for yourself when you already have so much to do can feel like one more impossible ask.
But therapy can be the thing that finally helps you sort through everything you’ve been pushing down. It can mean finding the part of yourself that’s felt just out of reach. It can mean feeling at peace with yourself, even when you’re alone with your own thoughts.
Starting can feel daunting. But you don’t have to keep things the way they’ve been.
Request your free consultation
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