Joelle Purdy

Compassionate strategies for grief and life changes

LICSW District of Columbia

Experience: 4 years in practice
Focus areas: Grief, Stress, Anxiety, Relationship
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
Languages: English

About Joelle

Joelle Purdy is a licensed independent social worker (LICSW) practicing in the District of Columbia who centers her work on practical, collaborative strategies. She blends cognitive behavioral ideas with mindfulness and motivational interviewing to help clients identify unhelpful thoughts, build coping skills, and bring attention to present-moment experience.

Background and approach

With a warm, interactive style she aims to adapt sessions to each person’s goals while maintaining a respectful and compassionate stance. Her practice emphasizes support for people navigating grief and loss, including anticipatory grief and end-of-life concerns, as well as stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family challenges, intimacy issues, parenting concerns, self-esteem, career transitions, and broader life changes.

Additional focuses include caregiver stress, blended family dynamics, aging and geriatric matters, forgiveness and guilt, multicultural concerns, women’s issues, and cultivating self-love and life purpose. Clients can expect a strengths-oriented approach that values listening and rapport-building while offering practical tools and reflective exploration.

Joelle frames therapy as a partnership that supports clients as they work toward balance, meaning, and clearer direction in their lives.

Integrating practical therapy approaches for online care

Joelle frequently draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to help clients identify and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviour patterns, a method useful for anxiety, stress, depression, and many forms of grief. She also incorporates client-centered principles that prioritize empathic listening and collaboration, creating space for clients to reflect and set personal goals. Mindfulness practices are used to strengthen present-moment awareness and coping skills for emotional regulation and stress management.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Joelle frames this as a collaborative exploration. She works with each person to tailor methods to their values, needs, and goals, adjusting the mix of strategies over time so the work stays practical and relevant.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, which supports flexibility for varied schedules and comfort levels. These formats can make it easier to access consistent care, try different communication styles, and integrate therapeutic work into daily life while still working from the therapeutic approaches described above.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Joelle address?

Joelle works with individuals facing grief and loss, stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family difficulties, intimacy and parenting concerns, self-esteem, career shifts, compassion fatigue, and coping with life changes.

How would you describe her therapy style?

Her approach is warm and interactive, combining client-centered listening with practical techniques drawn from cognitive behavioral, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused methods.

What is her professional background?

She has four years of documented experience delivering therapeutic services and has focused extensively on grief, loss, and end-of-life related issues in her work.

What credentials and location should I know about?

Joelle holds an LICSW credential with licence details DC LICSW LC50082070 and practices in the District of Columbia.

Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?

She is not currently accepting international clients and thus works with clients located where her practice permits within the stated region.

Which session formats are available?

Sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and schedules.

How are fees and payment handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions operate through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What are the first steps to schedule an appointment?

Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to the therapist’s availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Grief

Also works with

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesFamily conflictsIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesSelf esteemCareer difficultiesDepression Coping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

Aging and geriatric issuesBlended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressFamily problemsForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingLife purposeMulticultural concernsSelf-loveWomen's issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingSolution-Focused Therapy

Experience

4+ years

Licensed

District of Columbia

Languages

English