20+ Years of Experience | Individual, Couples, & Divorce Discernment Counseling 

Vice President, Board of Directors – Virginia Mental Health Counselors Association

Why Work With Me?

Sometimes you need more than someone who listens, nods, and tells you your feelings are valid.

You need someone willing to help you see what you may not be able to see for yourself.

By the time many individuals and couples come to counseling, they’ve had it. They’re exhausted by the same arguments, the same disappointments, or the same patterns that seem to keep showing up no matter how hard they try to change them.

My role is not to take sides or simply tell you what you want to hear. It is to listen carefully, ask the right questions, and reflect back the patterns I see, including the ones that may be difficult to hear.

Because good counseling isn’t measured by whether every session feels comfortable. It’s measured by whether the work leads somewhere.

More clarity. Better choices. Healthier patterns. Stronger relationships.

Whether you come to me individually or as a couple, my goal is to help you understand what is keeping you stuck and create meaningful, lasting change where it matters most: in your everyday life and relationships.

Start With a Free 15-Minute Virtual Consultation

This is a relaxed, no-pressure opportunity to:

• Share a little about what brought you here
• Ask questions about my approach and what counseling with me is like
• See whether we’re a good fit before beginning the work together

Ready to see what might change?

Client Feedback

"Dr. Anne McKay is the only therapist I’ve ever worked with, and I thank my lucky stars that I found her, because I had truly lost myself. Together, we found ME again, my true self, my “center.” And for this I shall always be grateful." - Google Review,  2025

"Dr. McKay is amazing. She tells you what you need to hear. She helped me and my partner pull through a really difficult time and gave us tools we still use today." – Facebook, 2024

"As she always says, your life is not a dress rehearsal. Each day matters." – Google Review, 2023

"So glad I found a highly experienced therapist who ‘gets it’ and gets results fast." – Google Review, 2023

"Dr. McKay will tell you what your friends won’t—that’s what makes your time and money well-spent." – Google Review, 2020

Credentials & Leadership Roles

• Vice President, Board of Directors – VAMHCA (State Representative, American Mental Health Counselors Association)
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
• Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC)
• Clinically Certified Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC)
• Board Certified Clinical Supervisor (LPC-S)
• Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP)
• Board Certified Telemental Health Provider (BC-TMH)

Session Options & Fees

Office Hours: Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday | 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Format: In-Person (Reston office across from Reston Hospital) or Virtual

• Individual Session (50 min): $250
• Couples / Couples Discernment / Family Session (50 min): $300

Out-of-Network Provider. Direct payment is accepted by credit card, debit card, or Health Savings Account (HSA). 

Many insurance plans provide partial reimbursement for out-of-network counseling services. I will provide you with a receipt to submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. Coverage and reimbursement amounts vary by plan, so please check your out-of-network mental health benefits directly with your insurance provider.

Please note: I do not participate with Medicare and cannot accept Medicare for counseling services.

Counseling Services

Whether you're navigating something on your own, struggling in your relationship, or facing a major family transition, counseling can help you understand what's happening, identify what needs to change, and move forward with greater clarity and confidence.

Individual Counseling

Personal growth, healing, and greater clarity for every stage of life.

• Anxiety, depression, grief, and life transitions
• Stress, burnout, perfectionism, and feeling overwhelmed
• Self-esteem, confidence, and emotional regulation
• Trauma, loss, and relational wounds
• Identity, purpose, and personal growth
• Career transitions and difficult decisions
• Boundaries, communication, and relationship patterns
• Self-awareness, resilience, and creating a healthier life

Couples Counseling

Helping partners understand what's happening between them and build a healthier, stronger relationship.

• Dating, cohabiting, married, and long-term couples
• Communication problems and recurring conflict
• Infidelity, betrayal, accountability, and rebuilding trust
• Emotional and physical intimacy
• Disconnection, resentment, and feeling more like roommates than partners
• Dual-career relationships and competing priorities
• Parenthood, major life transitions, and relationship stress
• Deciding what needs to change for the relationship to thrive

Divorce Discernment Counseling | “Couples on the Brink”

For couples who aren't sure whether to stay together or separate.

Discernment Counseling is a short-term, structured process for couples when one partner is leaning toward ending the relationship and the other hopes to preserve it.

Over approximately 1–5 sessions, the goal is not to solve all of the relationship's problems. Instead, I help each partner gain greater clarity and confidence about the path forward:

• Continue the relationship as it has been
• Move toward separation or divorce
• Commit to a serious effort to repair and rebuild the relationship

The goal is a thoughtful decision, made with greater clarity and a better understanding of what has happened in the relationship and whether meaningful change is possible.

Collaborative Divorce & Blended Families

Helping individuals, couples, and families navigate major transitions with greater clarity, respect, and care.

• Navigate separation and divorce with dignity and a child-centered focus
• Develop healthier co-parenting relationships
• Reduce guilt, shame, conflict, and manipulation
• Adjust to new family roles, households, and relationships
• Navigate blended-family challenges and differing parenting styles
• Create healthier patterns for the next generation

Family Dynamics & Parenting

Strengthening relationships and communication across generations.

• Stay connected with children and teens as relationships change
• Communicate through conflict without losing connection
• Guide and support children while encouraging healthy independence
• Navigate launching young adults and changing parent-child relationships
• Establish healthier boundaries within the family
• Adjust to the evolving roles of parenting across adulthood

My Approach

Counseling isn't one-size-fits-all. I draw from evidence-based and experiential approaches based on your needs, goals, and the patterns we identify together. My clinical approaches include:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Experiential Therapy
• Gottman Method Couples Therapy
• Discernment Counseling
• Mindfulness-Based Approaches

A free 15-minute virtual consultation gives us an opportunity to talk briefly about what's happening, what you're hoping will change, and whether working together feels like the right next step.