Healing Through Connection
About Me
Gerard M. Grigsby, PhD, LCPC, LPC
Pronouns: he/him/his
I am licensed to practice professional counseling in Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. I earned my M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, as well as my Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision, from Ohio University. I have several years of experience working in college counseling and community mental health settings, and I currently manage a private practice from my office in Hyattsville, MD.
I’m proud to be a Black, gay, first-gen college graduate (and HBCU alum) with roots in the world of recovery. I love what I do and am so grateful to have received the call to be a healer. I tell people my practice is open to all, and I don’t claim any specializations; however, I have found a niche working mostly with Black queer and same-gender-loving men. When I take my therapist hat off, I enjoy spending time with loved ones and making people laugh. I also enjoy dancing, boxing, singing, hiking, listening to audiobooks, and journaling.
I work with people who present with all sorts of concerns, including anxiety, depression, drug and alcohol use, life adjustment and transition, grief and loss, self-esteem, interpersonal conflict, and dating and intimate relationships. My lived experience gives me unique insight into issues related to sexuality, sexual identity, race-based stress, racial identity, and the challenges of navigating manhood and masculinity. I also help people who are interested in self-discovery and seeking opportunities to learn more about themselves and others. While I feel equipped to meet the needs of most people who seek my help, I find that I’m most energized when I’m working with clients who are motivated and invested in the therapeutic process. I work best with people who arrive with an open mind and a trusting heart and who are committed to making lasting, meaningful changes in their lives.
My Approach
Drawing from a variety of theoretical orientations, I tailor my counseling approach to address the unique needs of each person. I have had success with clients using aspects of REBT, CBT, Motivational Interviewing, mindfulness-based approaches, Existential Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy (in couples counseling) and other therapeutic approaches. Recently, I have been drawing heavily from Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, an approach that can help you get to know, and possibly heal and unburden, different parts of yourself. This form of therapy deeply resonates with me and has significantly shaped the ways I see and work with clients. No matter what approach I use, I’m guided by a spirit of collaboration, non-judgment, compassion, and understanding.
In therapy, my goal is to help you tap into the resources that already exist within you. I believe you possess wisdom, resilience, sound judgment, love and compassion for yourself and others, and a host of other strengths that can be refined or rediscovered through the process of therapy. I also believe that authentic human connection is the primary conduit of healing in therapy, so I strive to make our work relational -- not just symptom-focused. I do this by lending a listening ear, offering empathic support, helping you consider things from multiple perspectives, giving feedback, sharing insight from my own lived experience, processing things that happen between us in the therapy room, and examining the ways our interactions might be similar to or different from others in your life outside of therapy. I also love to use humor, so we will probably do our fair share of laughing together.
Sometimes, I will take on a more directive role if we both decide that will be helpful for you. For example, during a session, I may ask you to experiment with a new way of thinking, or I may assign homework for you to complete between sessions. If you are seeking to make behavioral changes, we may role-play to give you an opportunity to practice a new skill or technique, or I might support you in taking risks outside of therapy that feel comfortable for you. Sometimes, I will even refer you to another provider for specialized help, including evaluations for medication or other treatment options, if that interests you.
The above are just a few examples of what you might experience in therapy with me. Ultimately, there is never any way for me to predict how our journey together will unfold. I can offer ideas about various ways to navigate, but you ultimately decide where we will go.
