Trauma & Anxiety Therapy in Manassas, Virginia

If you're living with panic, persistent worry, unsettling thoughts, or a nervous system that won't shut off, you're not broken — your body may be responding to stress or trauma the best way it knows how.

Kathleen A. Otero, M.A.Ed, LPC/LCPC provides trauma-informed therapy in a non-judgmental space to help you feel calmer, more grounded, and in control — without having to relive previous events alone.

  • Help for trauma & PTSD: complex trauma, childhood trauma, military/veteran stress
  • Help for anxiety: panic attacks, intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, chronic overwhelm
  • Trauma-focused approaches: EMDR, Brainspotting, CBT, and mindfulness-based care
  • Care for teens (12+) and adults, individual and family support
  • In-person in Manassas + telehealth across Virginia & Maryland
Schedule a Free 15-Minute Consultation

Prefer to start with questions? The consultation is brief, private, and pressure-free.

Does Any of This Feel Familiar?

Many people who reach out for trauma and anxiety therapy are doing their best to “hold it together,” but their body and mind feel like they're stuck in survival mode. You may notice:

  • Constant worry or a racing mind that won't slow down—especially at night
  • Panic symptoms like chest tightness, shortness of breath, shaking, dizziness, or feeling suddenly overwhelmed
  • Hypervigilance—always scanning for what could go wrong, feeling on edge, or startled easily
  • Intrusive thoughts or memories, nightmares, or reminders that come “out of nowhere”
  • Emotional numbness or shutdown, or feeling disconnected from yourself or the people you care about
  • Irritability and overwhelm—snapping more than you want to, or needing to withdraw to cope
  • People-pleasing and difficulty with boundaries, often paired with guilt, shame, or a fear of conflict
  • Relationship stress—misunderstandings, repeated arguments, or feeling like you can't fully relax with others

If any of this resonates, therapy can help you understand what your body is doing, reduce distressing symptoms, and build a steadier sense of safety and control — at a pace that feels manageable.

How Kathleen Can Help

When trauma and anxiety have been running the show, you can end up spending a lot of energy just trying to get through the day. Kathleen's role is to help you feel safer in your body, make sense of what you're experiencing, and build a clear path forward—so you're not stuck managing everything alone.

Therapy with Kathleen is practical, collaborative, and trauma-informed. Depending on your goals, sessions may focus on:

  • Stabilizing and grounding first—so you have tools to calm your nervous system and handle stress more effectively
  • Creating a plan that fits you—clear goals, an agreed-upon pace, and a treatment approach tailored to your needs
  • Building lasting skills—coping strategies you can actually use between sessions (not just insight)
  • Reducing the “power” of the past—gently working toward healing without rushing or forcing details
  • Strengthening relationships and boundaries—so you can feel more secure, connected, and confident in how you show up with others

Kathleen draws from evidence-based, trauma-focused methods (including EMDR, Brainspotting, CBT, and mindfulness-based approaches) while keeping the work grounded and human. You'll move at a pace that feels manageable, with regular check-ins so therapy stays aligned with what you want.

See If We're a Good Fit

What Therapy with Kathleen Is Like


A Calm, Steady, Trauma-Informed Space

Kathleen's approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded. Sessions are designed to feel safe and structured — so you can work on what matters without feeling rushed, judged, or pushed past your window of tolerance.

Rather than focusing on “just talking it through", therapy is a balance of understanding what's happening and building practical change. Kathleen will help you:

  • Track patterns without shame — how stress, triggers, and old experiences show up in your thoughts, body, and relationships
  • Build tools that work in real life — so you feel more steady between sessions, not only during them
  • Move at a pace your system can handle — with consistent check-ins and a clear sense of what you're working toward

You and Kathleen will decide together what to focus on, what feels workable right now, and when (or if) deeper trauma processing makes sense. The goal is steady progress — without overwhelming you.

A Clear, Step-by-Step Process


  1. Free 15-Minute Consultation

    A brief phone or video call to share what you're looking for, ask questions, and explore whether working together feels like a good fit.

  2. First 1-3 Sessions: Understanding Your Story

    Kathleen will invite you to talk about what brings you in, your history, and your goals. Together, you'll identify key patterns and decide what to focus on first.

  3. Ongoing Work: Skills, Insight, and Healing

    As therapy continues, you might use CBT tools, mindfulness, EMDR, or Brainspotting (when appropriate) to reduce distress, build emotional regulation skills, and shift long-standing beliefs about yourself.

  4. Review & Next Steps

    Periodically, you'll review progress, adjust goals, and decide together whether to continue, shift focus, or move toward planned completion of therapy.

Take the first step

If you're unsure where to start, that's okay. The consultation is simply a chance to talk it through.

Who Kathleen Works With

Kathleen works with:

  • Teens (12+) and adults, in both individual and family therapy settings
  • Clients navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, parenting challenges, and life transitions
  • Members of the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, and individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds seeking affirming, inclusive care

Sessions are available:

  • In person at Cedar Spring Counseling's office in Manassas, VA (9300 Forest Point Cir, Suite 176)
  • Online for clients located anywhere in Virginia and Maryland, depending on licensing and scheduling
Portrait of Kathleen Otero, M.A.Ed, LPC/LCPC

Meet Kathleen Otero, M.A.Ed, LPC/LCPC


Kathleen A. Otero, M.A.Ed, LPC/LCPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia (License #0701011336) and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Maryland (License #LC9878), and the founder of Cedar Spring Counseling, LLC.

Over the course of her career, Kathleen has worked in in-home, outpatient, and residential settings, supporting children, adolescents, adults, and families through a wide range of mental health challenges. She has also served members of the military and veteran communities, giving her a deep appreciation for the unique stresses and strengths that come with military life.

Kathleen has training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Brainspotting, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), attachment-based work, parenting and perinatal mental health, and Functional Family Therapy (FFT). She primarily integrates mindfulness-based, cognitive-behavioral, trauma-informed, and non-directive approaches, tailoring each treatment plan to the needs and goals of the individual or family sitting with her.

As a therapist, Kathleen is committed to creating a safe, inclusive space that honors clients' identities and experiences, in line with Cedar Spring Counseling's commitment to trauma-informed, affirming, and anti-racist care.

Kathleen lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two small children. Outside of her work as a therapist, she enjoys reading, traveling, staying active through hiking, yoga, and running, and spending time with family.

Fees & Insurance

Session fees

  • Out-Of-Pocket Session fees vary by clinician and your insurance coverage.
  • Our 45 minute sessions are typically $150 without insurance.

Insurance

Cedar Spring Counseling is in-network with the following commercial plans:

  • Optum
  • United Healthcare
  • GEHA
  • Cigna/Evernorth
  • Anthem
  • BlueCross BlueShield/CareFirst
  • Aetna
  • Sentara

The practice is not in-network with Medicaid, Medicare, or Tricare plans.

If you wish to use out-of-network benefits, Cedar Spring Counseling can provide a superbill that you may submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement.

Because benefits and copays vary by plan, our admin team can help you verify coverage and give you a clearer picture of your expected out-of-pocket costs before you schedule.


Reach Out When You're Ready

Common Questions About Working with Kathleen


Q1: Do you offer a free consultation?

Yes. Kathleen offers a free 15-minute phone or video consultation so you can briefly share what you're looking for, ask questions about her approach, and determine together whether working together is a good fit.

Q2: Do you meet in person, online, or both?

Both. Kathleen offers in-person sessions at the Manassas office (9300 Forest Point Cir, Suite 176) and telehealth sessions for clients located in Virginia and Maryland. Telehealth sessions are conducted via secure video and are designed to feel as similar as possible to in-person sessions.

Q3: What kinds of issues do you not treat?

Kathleen may refer you to a different provider or level of care if you are in immediate crisis, have acute safety concerns that require intensive or 24/7 support, or are seeking specialized services outside her scope. If you're unsure, the consultation call is a good place to talk about what you need and whether she is the right fit.

Q4: How soon can I start?

Cedar Spring Counseling is currently accepting new clients, and we will do our best to offer an appointment time that works with your schedule. Availability may vary, but we will let you know current openings when you reach out.


Get Answers To Your Other Questions