Joanne Waithaka, LMFT

Joanne Waithaka is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) based in Virginia. She helps people manage relationship strain, family conflict, parenting challenges, depression, trauma, and big life transitions. Her work also addresses adoption and foster care concerns, aging and geriatric issues, and the stresses that come with midlife and military-related life changes.

Joanne draws on nearly three decades of clinical experience to keep sessions practical and focused. She encourages clear, direct communication and helps clients identify small changes that lead to better days. Conversations often include looking at patterns, naming what matters, and trying new ways of interacting that can reduce tension at home and work.

Her style blends several approaches so therapy fits the person in front of her. Narrative work helps people reframe the stories they tell about themselves. Solution-focused techniques keep attention on immediate, achievable steps. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy supports coping with difficult feelings while moving toward chosen values.

Joanne has worked with older adults and multicultural families and is familiar with issues like immigration, adoption, and intergenerational conflict. She aims to make therapy a space for practical problem solving as well as emotional repair. Sessions are tailored to each person’s history, goals, and daily demands.

People looking to begin typically complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions based on the therapist’s availability. Joanne practices in Virginia and conducts work in English.

How her approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on noticing difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then taking steps that match a person's core values. It can help with depression, grief, and life transitions. Narrative Therapy looks at the stories people tell about themselves and their relationships, helping rewrite those stories in ways that reduce shame and open up new choices. Solution-Focused Therapy centers on concrete goals and immediate steps, making it useful when someone needs quick, practical changes rather than long-term digging into the past.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Joanne treats method choice as a conversation. She will work with each person to match strategies to their goals, preferences, and daily demands so therapy makes sense and stays useful.

Confirm session formats before booking so you know what options are offered. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into busy schedules, reduce commute time, and allow shorter check-ins when a full session isn't needed. It also makes it simpler to continue care during life transitions and when mobility or travel are factors. Licensed professionals can adapt ACT, narrative, and solution-focused work to remote sessions, helping people build new patterns and reach practical goals without disrupting their routines.