Carissa L. Strohecker Hannum, LCPC, LPC, CCTP (She/Her)

Carissa Hannum, LPC, therapist at Monarch Wellness & Psychotherapy, offering online counseling for clients in DC, FL, MD, and VA. Carissa's collaborative and experiential approach helps clients engage in therapy with ease and even fun.

“My approach tends to be more collaborative and experiential, and even fun!”

Therapy with Me

I’m a warm and caring therapist who often describes themselves as “lovingly direct”. Often, I will utilize aspects of our relationship to highlight barriers to change and provide a warm and directive approach to push you towards growth. 

I enjoy being an active participant in the therapeutic process and utilizing our relationship together to help you towards your goals. Through our trust, I help my clients learn how to sit with emotions that may feel challenging and give clients reparative emotional experiences by tolerating their emotions within our relationship. I work with adolescents, adults, couples, and families.

Once we have a strong relationship, I draw from a variety of techniques to help you understand yourself and start to create change.  As a strengths-based therapist, I help you to see what is already working well and figure out how to expand upon that.  

As an integrative therapist, I commonly utilize interventions from mindfulness, motivational interviewing, dialectical behavioral therapy, the unified protocol, attachment theory, and cognitive behavioral therapy to help you understand the functional purpose of your emotions.  

I use the approaches that match the client and the moment.  I also enjoy working somatically and with different mind/body approaches to therapy. When appropriate, and usually with clients that I have been processing trauma with for some time, I enjoy utilizing EMDR to help clients reprocess memories. 

As a trauma-responsive and trauma-informed therapist, I never move you past your zone of comfort without making sure you have the skills to feel safe doing so.  I believe strongly in anti-diet and health at every size philosophies. 

For me, it is important to work in the “gray-area” within therapy. I don’t believe black and white approaches work for my clients and that each of my clients may need their own unique treatment plan to lead them to their goals.  It is also important to me that my clients feel like I’m their personal advocate. 

In addition, I want my clients to feel that I’m constantly on their team and cheering them on. Also, because eating disorders as well as any mental health disorder tends to be multidisciplinary and multi-faceted, I strongly believe in working with a comprehensive treatment team, when needed and possible. I frequently work with a team of trusted professionals (dietitians, medical doctors, psychiatrists, as well as other professionals) to help my clients. 

Serving Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC and Florida virtually.

Choosing a therapist is important. We offer a 20 minute consultation with no cost and no commitment.

Specializations & Expertise:

  • Eating Disorders

  • Chronic Pain

  • Eating Disorders

  • Body Image Concerns

  • Chronic Pain and Chronic Illness

  • Bipolar Disorder

  • Neurodivergence 

  • Depression

  • Anxiety and Phobias

  • Mood Disorders

  • Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

  • EMDR

  • Self-harm and Suicidality 

  • Relationship Difficulties

  • Life Transitions

  • Attachment Concerns

  • Difficulties with Self-Esteem

  • Professional/Career Issues

  • College/Graduate School Issues

  • Grief, Loss, or Bereavement

therapist at Monarch Wellness & Psychotherapy, specializing in online counseling for clients in DC, FL, MD, VA. Expertise in anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions, helping clients navigate challenges with a supportive, engaging approach.

Training & Education

Previous to training as a licensed clinical professional counselor, I studied Psychology at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. During my undergraduate career I became highly interested in Health Psychology due to my own background and experience as a disabled individual living with chronic pain.

I began to study different techniques surrounding the mind and body. At the time, I studied attitudes and emotions of individuals living with arthritis. I also had my first internship experience at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center’s PHP and IOP eating disorder program for adolescents. 

I received my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The George Washington University in Washington, DC. During my schooling, I completed two internships. One at the community counseling center on campus and another at The Renfrew Center of Bethesda working with women diagnosed with eating disorders. During my training, I learned approaches to working with complex trauma, mind/body approaches to eating disorders, and advanced training in the unified protocol to help clients learn how to tolerate and sit with uncomfortable emotions.

Since my graduation, I have worked with a variety of populations including experience working in the field of eating disorders within several inpatient and outpatient settings. I am extensively trained in the treatment of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder, disordered eating, mood disorders, trauma, adolescent/young adult concerns, family discord, and attachment disorders. 

Prior to joining Monarch Wellness & Psychotherapy in 2019, I have worked at The Renfrew Center of Bethesda as both a primary therapist and a team leader. As the team leader, I oversaw both the PHP and IOP programs as well as provided supervision to therapists on site. I see myself as a lifelong learner and continue to receive training in EMDR, trauma, and somatic methods. 

Reach Out

reachout@monarchwellness.com
(202) 656-3681

2 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 710
Chevy Chase MD 20815