Rachel Friendly, Ph.D.

I am an experienced clinical psychologist specializing in women's issues, college and graduate student mental health, and supporting the trans/gender expansive and queer communities to build their best, most fulfilling lives.

I am passionate about supporting clients who are looking to find their voices, claim their power, and create healthy relationships with themselves and others to build their most joyful, most meaningful lives!

My practice focuses on supporting clients who have been socialized not to take up space (e.g., women, queer and trans communities, communities of color) to live larger, fuller, more vibrant lives. I also specialize in working with college and graduate students, having spent the first 13 years of my professional life working in college counseling center settings. Really, my passion is working with any adults - the young or the young at heart - who are ready to make positive and healthy changes in their relationships and their life.

Therapy with me is an active process, using the relationship we build between us as a safe space to explore patterns and coping strategies that are keeping you stuck. I approach this work from an egalitarian stance - after all, I bring training and experience, but only you bring knowledge of your life and your truth. Together, we can begin to unpack some of the barriers to living that truth out loud: those inside of you, those between you and important others, and those perpetuated by the systems of power and oppression inside of which we all live. This work helps you to know yourself better, to set better boundaries for healthy relationships with others, and ultimately, to feel more grounded, authentic, and self-assured in your body and your life.

I work with clients both in person in Fairfax, VA as well as via telehealth in VA, DC, CA, and MA. Sessions are typically 45-minutes and cost $250. I am not able to bill insurance on your behalf, but I can provide the monthly paperwork (called a Superbill) that you will need to submit to your insurance plan for any out of network benefits to which you may be entitled. Longer sessions may be possible on a case-by-case basis and will be billed in 15-minute increments according to my hourly rate.

I also provide single session options for trans, nonbinary, and gender expansive clients who are seeking letters of support for gender affirming surgeries (GAS). These sessions are billed on a sliding scale, from a full fee of $300 down to $0. Clients who are able to pay part or all of the fee subsidize clients who are not, and I only ask that clients let me know what is a comfortable fee for them; finances should never be a barrier to medically necessary treatment. The fee includes the single session for information gathering, following which you will sign a form permitting me to share information with your surgeon, and I will draft a letter. Once you are happy with the draft, I will provide a final PDF copy for you to use in your GAS journey. The whole process usually takes about 1-2 weeks, but this can vary depending on time of year and schedule.