Therapy for Children, Teens, Adults and Families

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Therapy for Children, Teens, Adults and Families 〰️

Sometimes we wander. Sometimes we feel stuck.
And sometimes, the smallest steps can lead to meaningful change.

Maybe you’re trying to understand patterns that keep showing up in your own life , make sense of experiences that still affect you, or simply get to know yourself on a deeper level. Or maybe you’re a parent trying to understand what’s underneath your child’s big emotions, behaviors, or struggles, and wondering how to best support them. Therapy is a place to slow down, get curious, make sense of what feels hard, and discover new ways of moving through it. There’s no perfect path and no expectation that progress happens in a straight line. You don’t have to know exactly where you’re going to begin. We’ll start where you are and find the next step together.

Hi, I’m Marli

I believe therapy is about more than learning the “right” tools or techniques. Those things can absolutely be helpful, but feeling safe, understood, and genuinely connected to the person sitting across from you matters just as much. Meaningful change often grows from that connection, and my goal is to create a space where you, or your child, can show up as you are.

I’m not a distant or “blank slate” therapist. I’m right there with you in the process, asking questions, offering perspective, providing guidance, getting curious, and helping you make sense of what’s coming up. And while we’ll do meaningful work together, therapy doesn’t have to feel serious all the time. We can laugh, celebrate wins, get creative, sit with the hard stuff, and have moments that simply feel human. Some of the best work happens when you feel comfortable enough to be fully yourself, and maybe even enjoy being here.

Whether I’m working with a child, a parent, or an adult, I don’t believe growth requires having everything figured out. There’s room to wander a little, to get curious, understand yourself or your child more deeply, try something new, and adjust along the way. Progress isn’t always a straight line, and it doesn’t need to be.

Sometimes meaningful change happens gradually, in the moments when something finally clicks, feels a little lighter, or you begin responding differently without even realizing it at first. Wherever you’re starting from, I’ll meet you there.

Marli Criniti, MS, LPC

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Marli Criniti, MS, LPC 〰️

  • Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology

  • Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Virginia

  • 9 Years of Experience Supporting Children, Teens, Adults, Parents & Families

  • Extensive experience working with ADHD and holds an ADHD-CCSP certification

  • Completed advanced training in play therapy methodologies & working towards Registered Play Therapist (RPT) designation

  • Provides gender affirming care and LGBTQ+ centered care, including advocacy when needed

  • Board Approved Supervisor for Residents in Counseling

  • Trauma isn’t always one major, life-changing event. Sometimes it’s the accumulation of experiences you may not have even recognized as trauma. Growing up around unpredictability, walking on eggshells, having your needs dismissed, or learning to keep the peace and take care of everyone else.

    With C-PTSD, these experiences can shape the way you see yourself, relationships, and the world around you. Together, we’ll get curious about the patterns you developed, where they came from, and how they may have once helped you survive.

    We’ll also explore how trauma can keep your nervous system in survival mode long after the danger has passed. Our work can help you build a greater sense of safety in your mind and body, strengthen regulation and self-trust, and begin letting go of patterns you no longer need to carry.

  • Maybe you’ve spent years being the one who holds it together. You read the room, anticipate what other people need, overthink your choices, and work hard to avoid disappointing anyone. From the outside, you might seem capable and put together. Inside, you’re exhausted.

    You may struggle with boundaries, people-pleasing, perfectionism, shame, or feeling responsible for other people’s emotions. You might know where some of these patterns come from and still find yourself repeating them. Or maybe you’ve spent so long adapting to what was expected of you that you’re not quite sure what you want anymore.

    Therapy can be a place to understand the patterns that once helped you survive without judging yourself for still having them. Together, we can make space for the parts of you that learned to stay small, stay alert, or keep everyone else okay, and begin finding ways of living that feel safer, more connected, and more like your own.

  • Young adulthood can come with a lot of pressure to have things figured out when, realistically, you’re still learning who you are. College, relationships, independence, career decisions, changing family dynamics, or simply trying to figure out what you want your life to look like can feel overwhelming, especially when you don’t have the support you need along the way.

    Therapy can be a place to figure some of that out. We can explore identity, relationships, boundaries, confidence, family expectations, sexuality, gender, or whatever else comes with becoming more you.

    I provide an LGBTQIA+ and gender-affirming space where you don’t have to explain, defend, or minimize who you are. You don’t need to know exactly where you’re going, we can start with where you are.

  • Parenting can feel like a constant guessing game. One day, something works. The next day, it doesn’t. You’re trying to hold boundaries without turning every moment into a battle, make space for big feelings without giving in, and figure out when your child needs comfort, when they need a limit, and when they might just need you close.

    Somewhere between the outbursts, worries, school concerns, sibling conflict, and endless negotiations, it’s easy to start questioning yourself, too. Am I being too strict? Too lenient? Am I making this worse? What am I missing?

    You don’t need someone handing you another list of parenting rules or telling you what you “should” be doing. You need support understanding your child, their emotions, their behavior, and what might be happening underneath it all.

    Together, we can make sense of those patterns and find ways of responding that feel right for your family, so you can hold the boundaries your child needs while creating more room for connection, understanding, and growth along the way.

  • The meltdowns seem to come out of nowhere. A simple request turns into a battle. Your child may worry about things other kids seem to brush off, struggle with transitions, get frustrated quickly, or hold it together all day at school, only to fall apart the moment they get home.

    You’ve tried talking it through. You’ve tried routines, reassurance, consequences, rewards, and sometimes, nothing seems to stick. You’re left wondering what your child needs and whether you’re handling it the “right” way.

    It doesn’t have to be about fixing every behavior or getting everything right. Together, we can slow things down, get curious about what’s happening underneath the behavior, and help you better understand what your child is trying to communicate.

    With the right support, your child can build skills to navigate big feelings, and you can feel more confident supporting them through the hard moments. Progress won’t always look like fewer meltdowns or perfect days. Sometimes, it looks like understanding each other a little better, recovering a little faster, and finding your way forward together.

  • ADHD is about so much more than being distracted or having trouble sitting still. It can show up in ways that are easy to miss. Big emotions, difficulty getting started, losing track of time, impulsivity, rejection sensitivity, trouble transitioning between tasks, becoming completely absorbed in something interesting, or knowing exactly what you need to do but still struggling to do it.

    A big part of my work with ADHD is helping you understand the why behind what’s happening. We’ll explore how the ADHD brain works, what ADHD is (and what it isn’t), and how it may be showing up in everyday life. For parents, that can mean learning to recognize when something that looks like defiance, laziness, or “not listening” may actually be connected to executive functioning, regulation, or a need for a different kind of support.

    From there, we find tools that work with the brain in front of us, not the one we think should be there. The goal isn’t to make an ADHD brain work like everyone else’s. It’s to build understanding, find strategies that actually fit, and make everyday life feel a little more manageable.

How I Can Help

  • ADHD

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Borderline Personality Disorder

  • C-PTSD (Complex Trauma)

  • Self-Esteem

  • Parent Separation

  • Family Conflict

  • Parenting Support

  • Emotional Regulation

  • Impulse Control

  • Passive Demand Avoidance

  • LGBTQIA+

  • Perfectionism

  • School Avoidance

  • Attachment Wounds

  • Advocacy

  • Gender Affirming

My Approach to Therapy

I use tools and interventions based on the individual in front of me - their needs, their goals, their age, and what actually resonates with them

  • IFS-informed work, play and art therapy techniques, DBT, ACT, expressive modalities, somatic-based interventions. Whether you’re 7 or 37, there’s room for creativity, humor, curiosity, and even a little fun alongside the harder work.

  • Direct but Kind: I believe honesty is an important part of healing. I’ll support and validate you, but I’ll also gently point out patterns, offer a different perspective, and say the things that may be important to hear. Growth sometimes means getting curious about the uncomfortable stuff, and we can do that with both honesty and compassion.

  • Client-led, Trauma-informed: We’ll pay attention to what feels safe, what you need in the moment, and where you want our work to go. You’re the expert on your own experience, my role is to walk alongside you with curiosity, support, and guidance as we figure out what healing and growth look like for you.

  • When Working with Children: I see parents and caregivers as an important part of the process. Together, we can work on responding to big emotions and challenging behaviors with both connection and boundaries, without expecting parents to get it right every time.

  • Support Beyond the Therapy Room: With your consent, I collaborate with teachers, school counselors, psychiatrists, and other professionals involved in your or your child’s care. Therapy doesn’t happen in a bubble, and working together can help support progress, consistency, and advocacy across settings.

  • Neurodiversity-friendly: There’s no expectation to sit still or sit a certain way. Choose a wobble chair, sink into a comfy chair, grab a blanket or fidget, move around, or get creative. Whether you’re a child, teen, or adult, I want the space to feel comfortable, welcoming, and easy to be yourself in.

  • I believe that understanding why something is happening can be just as important as knowing what to do about it. I want therapy to help make things feel less confusing. Rather than simply handing you a list of coping skills, we’ll work together to understand the patterns underneath what you’re experiencing and find tools that actually make sense for you.

How it Works

Starting therapy can feel like a big step. Whether you’re looking for support for yourself or trying to figure out how to best support your child. You might not know exactly what you need or where to begin. That’s okay, you don’t need to have it all figured out before reaching out. We’ll start where you are, get curious together, and find the next steps as we go.

Step 1 - Reach Out

We’ll schedule a complimentary consultation call to talk about what you’re looking for, answer any questions, and see if we might be a good fit.

Step 2 - Intake Session

We’ll spend our first session getting to know you (or your child), what’s bringing you in, and what you’d like support with. There’s no pressure to have everything figured out, we’ll start where you are and build from there.

Step 3 - Wander Together

We’ll get curious, notice patterns, build practical tools, try new things, and adjust along the way. Progress isn’t always linear, and therapy doesn’t need to follow a perfect path. We’ll keep finding the next step together.

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