About Asha Gray LPC

Rachael has spent her career both in and out of the therapy room working to dismantle systems of oppression, pulling apart what doesn’t work, and crafting structures that treat people better. Whether this is treating yourself better, your partner(s), children or doing your own work to make the world a better place, Rachael is a solid partner in change. She deeply enjoys the work alongside her clients in claiming/reclaiming their space in the world both physically and metaphorically. 

The status quo tells us we can’t trust ourselves, our knowing, or our bodies. Rachael believes that our innate knowing - when we can access it, is not only the gold we seek, but the light we shine for ourselves and in the world around us.

From clinical experience with eating disorders, self-injury, trauma, chronic pain, couples and larger family systems,  ethical non-monogamy, kink and the entirety of the LGBTQIA umbrella to professional work in issue focused non-profits and campaigns (and even performing), Rachael is deeply in tune with the political and social ecosystems that our intersectional identities transverse on a moment to moment basis and is committed to be a lifelong student learning about her client’s unique identities and what these mean for their experience of the world and the world’s experience of them.

Rachael received her MSW from New York University and has additional training in Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems, and more.

Rachael is deeply committed to an anti-racist, HAES celebratory, anti-ableist, sex positive practice.

Ketamine assisted therapy, Eating disorders, self-injury, trauma, chronic pain and complex disorders, couples counseling, parents of neurocomplex children, ethically non-monogamous relationships, sex and sexuality. 

 Email- rachaelstern@gmail.com 

*Accepts Carefirst and BCBS PPO for individual sessions. Provides complimentary billing or superbills for partnered sessions. Provides telehealth to DC, MD and VA. In person Wed only.* 

I am a marriage and family therapist from Capella University, a member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), and currently practice in DC under the supervision of Dr. Symphonie Smith.

I believe in providing safety, acceptance, and support to those navigating the areas of life causing issues of conflict, confusion, and stagnation of growth. Using a systemic approach, I incorporate Solution-Focused and Narrative therapies into my work with both individuals and couples. I am an ally of the LGBTQ+, kink, polyamorous and ethically non-monogamous communities.

As a certified relationship coach and Prepare-Enrich facilitator, I have worked with high achieving individuals desiring to change their approach in dating, marriage, and relationships, after experiencing breakups and other issues affecting their relationship satisfaction. I believe in helping others strengthen their authentic voices, become their own best advocates, and discover circumstances holding them back from a better overall lived experience.

I am a psychotherapy intern student from Old Dominion University. I am currently obtaining my master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. I believe that all facets of my therapeutic work should incorporate cultural humility and multicultural knowledge. My aim is to offer my clients a secure environment where they can investigate their present concerns, examine their past experiences, and constructively shape their identity. Finding the ideal counselor might be challenging when it comes to vulnerability. I would like to encourage you to investigate this and learn from it in a connection with affirming and helpful counseling.