Essie Connor, LGPC

AnxietyDepressionLGBTQIA+MindfulnessLife AdjustmentsStress Management
Written By Asia Rodriquez, LCPC
Essie Connor Black Therapist in Maryland

Accepting New Clients

Book a Consultation

Pronouns:

she/her/hers

Locations Served:

  • Maryland

  • Virginia

Services Offered:

  • Individual Therapy

  • Couples Therapy

Areas of expertise:

  • Cultural and Identity related experiences

  • LGBTQIA+ & Sexuality

  • Boundaries

  • Depression and Anxiety

Approach:

  • Experiential

  • Emotionally Focused Therapy

  • Psychodynamic

Read More From Essie

Therapy for Emotionally Exhausted High Achievers

I work with Black and BIPOC adults in Maryland who are used to being the strong one, the dependable one, or the person who keeps everything together for everyone else. On the outside, you may look successful, driven, or high-functioning, but internally feel emotionally exhausted, disconnected from yourself, anxious, or overwhelmed by the pressure to always keep going. I am LGBTQIA+ affirming and sex-positive, and I create space to explore identity, sexuality, and relationships without shame or judgment.

Many of my clients struggle with perfectionism, overthinking, people-pleasing, difficulty resting without guilt, and feeling responsible for everyone else’s needs before their own. Some are navigating identity exploration, relationship challenges, boundary-setting, sexuality, or learning how to advocate for themselves without fear, shame, or burnout.

If you’ve spent most of your life surviving, performing, or staying emotionally guarded, therapy can become a space where you finally slow down, reconnect with yourself, and feel supported without judgment.

You May Resonate With This Work If…

  • You’re constantly overthinking and mentally exhausted

  • You struggle to rest without feeling guilty

  • You’ve spent most of your life being the “strong one”

  • You have difficulty expressing your needs or setting boundaries

  • You feel pressure to ‘have it all together’ as a Black or BIPOC person in predominantly white or high-pressure spaces.

  • You want deeper, healthier relationships but struggle to feel emotionally safe

  • You’re tired of surviving and want to feel more connected to yourself

A Warm, Culturally Responsive Approach to Therapy

I provide culturally responsive therapy for adults who want to better understand themselves, improve their relationships, and feel more emotionally grounded in their daily lives. My approach is warm, collaborative, affirming, and insight-oriented. I help clients slow down enough to notice the patterns, emotions, and protective strategies that may have once helped them survive but no longer feel sustainable.

I integrate experiential therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and psychodynamic approaches to help clients move beyond simply thinking through their emotions and begin feeling, processing, and responding to themselves with more clarity and self-compassion.

Together, we may explore anxiety, burnout, emotional avoidance, attachment patterns, self-worth, boundaries, family dynamics, and the impact of cultural expectations or lived experiences on how you relate to yourself and others. My goal is to help you feel more connected, emotionally aware, and empowered in your relationships and everyday life.

What It Feels Like to Work With Me

Clients often share that they feel emotionally safe, deeply understood, and less alone in our sessions. Many come to therapy used to minimizing their feelings, staying emotionally guarded, or carrying pressure quietly, and describe therapy as one of the first spaces where they feel able to fully exhale and show up as themselves.

Clients appreciate that I balance warmth and compassion with thoughtful reflection and gentle challenge when needed. They often leave sessions feeling more emotionally aware, more connected to their needs, and better able to navigate relationships, boundaries, and stress with greater confidence and clarity.

If you’re ready to stop just surviving and start feeling more grounded, connected, and supported, I’d love to meet with you. You can book a complimentary 15-minute consultation to see if we’re a good fit.

Book a Consultation

Education:

  • Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from George Mason University

  • Bachelor’s in Psychology from North Carolina A&T State University

Licensure:

  • Resident in Counseling, Virginia #0704016936

  • Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor, Maryland #LGP17681

  • Supervised by Simone Warrick-Bell, LCPC

specialized training:

  • Sex Positive Clinical Social Work Practice

  • Certified Trauma Professional

Insurances Accepted:

Asia Rodriquez, LCPC
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