Joy Nguyen, M.A., Resident in Counseling

Practicing Since: 2017

One of Joy’s core values as a counselor is approachability.  She wants clients to feel like they can show up exactly as they are- bringing both their struggles and their strengths into the room. She strives to create a warm, hopeful, and nonjudgmental space where clients feel safe to be authentic and direct about their experiences, needs and goals. Humor is a regular part of her sessions because she believes that even in the hard work of healing, there is always space for lightness and connections.

Joy believes that mental health is an essential part of overall wellbeing, and that every person deserves the opportunity to be seen, heard, and valued.  She views counseling as a collaborative process-one where healing and growth happen in the context of a safe, trusting relationship. She takes a holistic approach to mental health, recognizing that emotional well-being is deeply connected to physical, relational, and spiritual health.  She strives to be mindful of many factors like trauma history, environment, medical concerns, or systemic influences that may be impacting a person’s ability to thrive.  It’s important for Joy to honor the full picture and not overlook what might be happening beneath the surface.

Joy’s Christian faith is the worldview through which she understands people and the counseling process. Although she only provides Christian integration when it is specifically requested, her faith shapes how she sees others – as inherently valuable, worthy of love, and capable of growth and change. She believes that people are doing the best they can with the tools and experiences they’ve been given.  Therapy provides space to slow down, make sense of pain or patterns, and begin to write new stories.  She considers it a privilege to walk alongside clients as they do this courageous work.

Joy is a certified TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) Practitioner and trained facilitator of the Making Sense of Your Worth curriculum, which focuses on identity, self-worth, and healing from trauma.  These trainings have deeply informed Joy’s work with individuals and families, especially those who have experienced early attachment injuries or complex developmental trauma.

Joy is happily married to her college sweetheart with two wonderful children, and they enjoy living in the woods-where they feel most at peace connecting with God and the beauty of nature.  When she’s not chasing after her busy kids or homeschooling them, she loves slowing down with family game nights and baking delicious treats.  These moments of togetherness and creativity keep her heart full and grounded. Joy is licensed in the state of Virginia (Lic# 0704014656) and under the clinical supervision of Stacey Crosson, LMFT (Lic# 0717001506).