Marcia McKinley, JD, PhD, LPC

I specialize in working with clients who are gifted, twice-exceptional, neuro-divergent, or highly sensitive.

My clients frequently report that they have been told for years that they are "too much," "intense," or "too sensitive." Often, they feel misunderstood or unseen. They are insatiably intellectually curious about many different fields, but have difficulty finding their tribe. They may have been labeled as neuro-divergent of some flavor in childhood but find that supports are missing in adulthood. These experiences may have been experienced as traumatic.

I specialize in helping people with such experiences explore their identities, understand and make meaning of their lived experience in the world, heal from traumatic wounds, and develop strategies for thriving.

My approach to therapy has been informed by both my professional and personal experiences. I have a multi-disciplinary education in law, developmental psychology, and counseling, as well as additional training in EMDR, Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy, and neurofeedback. Before becoming a mental health professional, I was a professor of developmental psychology and an ADHD coach. This training prepares me to look at all of the domains of clients' lives (e.g., cognitive, emotional, spiritual, and psychological) over the course of their lives and to consider both the macro- and micro-level factors that have influenced their development and their current lives. My approach to therapy is integrative and includes aspect of humanism, narrative therapy, existentialism, and psychoeducation.

In addition, I have lived the experience of being a twice-exceptional adult (gifted and ADHD) and the parent of a multi-exceptional now-adult child.

I offer in-person services in Virginia and teletherapy in both Maryland and Virginia.