MEET JANE SLOMSKI, MSW, LCSW

ANXIETY THERAPIST IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Unravel the chaos, find your balance, and feel like yourself again. 

Your mind is a whirlwind.  Racing thoughts, relentless worries – it's like your mind's on overdrive, and the spin won't stop. You want support and clarity:  Someone who can unravel the chaos, demystify the disorder, and help you regain your center.

It's time to find that balance again.

I work with young adults and professionals who are looking for more than just someone who nods and listens. I offer emotional support, perspective, concrete strategies to manage anxiety and stress, and a sense of calm. My goal is that you first and foremost feel accepted and supported by someone who ‘gets it’ while you unpack and explore the hard stuff. I can help you navigate difficult life events with confidence and conviction, and reconnect with yourself and your purpose. 

Working with Me

You’ve sought guidance from friends, family, teachers, and co-workers, but that has only caused competing voices in your head, creating more anxiety and self–doubt.  It’s a vicious cycle. 

Together we can “cut through the weeds,” deepen your understanding of yourself and your struggles,  release feelings of shame and self doubt, regain your sense of self,  and empower you to create solutions that are uniquely yours.

I have lived experience with chronic anxiety, panic, and disability since childhood. While other therapists might have a clinical textbook understanding of these issues, I get it. I’ve been there. I know how heavy and overwhelming it can feel.

In my previous life, I worked with family in the field of veterinary medicine. I still maintain a connection to this community. I have a great deal of respect for the field and I understand how difficult and unrecognized the work is. I have merged my passion for mental health with my experience working with and caring about people in the veterinary field to support the mental health needs of veterinarians and staff.

Because I’ve been there and have come through to the other side, I also know that it is possible to thrive and create a full and fulfilling life with these challenges. That’s my hope for you too, and I want to help you get there.

Clients describe me as someone with whom it feels safe to share the hard things they may not have shared with anyone before. No matter what you are going through, you deserve a safe place to unpack these things without worrying about judgment or criticism. Life is often complicated, messy, and chaotic. I am honored to sit with you in the mess and help you make sense of the chaos.

SPECIALTIES

THERAPY FOR

Anxiety

THERAPY FOR

Young Adults

THERAPY FOR

Veterinary Professionals

Training & Education

Licensed Clinical Social Worker #0904010917 (Virginia)

Master of Social Work- Clinical Concentration (MSW) Catholic University of America

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology/ Minor in Family Studies James Madison University

Veterinary Social Work Post-Graduate Courses University of Tennessee Knoxville Center for Veterinary Social Work

  • Compassion Fatigue and Conflict Management

  • Animal Related Grief and Bereavement

  • The Link Between Human and Animal Violence

  • Animal Assisted Interventions

  • Veterinary Social Work Intensive (additional 5-day live training course)

My Guiding Principles

Authenticity

I bring my authentic self to every session. The most important predictor of success in therapy is the therapeutic relationship. Stuffy, awkward, formal relationships don’t connect people to change.

Vulnerability

I will offer insight from my own experiences when appropriate and helpful, and will honor your experiences when you are vulnerable as well.

Compassion

Shame and guilt have no place in therapy. Compassion, connection, and empathy are what help people to feel heard and understood. Once you experience compassion from another human being, it is easier to move towards change.

Acceptance

Everyone is welcome here. I value diversity and everyone has a place. I honor the unique intersection of everyone’s identities, backgrounds, and experiences, that makes them who they are..

Validation

Your feelings and experiences are valid. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to feel. You are allowed to feel the way you do right now. You may not have the same feelings or experiences as others in the same situation and that’s ok. You are uniquely you.

Change

You are capable of amazing growth and change.Therapy is a tool that helps you identify your strengths, call them out, and develop new strengths you may not have been aware of, but the process is all yours.

About Pathos Counseling

Pathos is the Greek word for empathy and compassion. In philosophy, pathos is the powerful art of appealing to one’s emotions with an argument. It is with pathos that emotional healing can occur.