ABOUT ME

My name is Kimberly Baker and I am a licensed therapist and certified coach dedicated to helping individuals, couples, and families navigate life's complexities. I earned my M.Ed. in Couples and Family Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University, and hold licenses as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), alongside an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and other certifications. 

I offer telehealth services in Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Florida and South Carolina; with my clinical work grounded in trauma-informed care, DBT, EMDR, CBT, family systems theory, and attachment — all just a formal way of saying I've spent years learning how people work and what actually helps.

The Long Way Around

I came to the clinical field through a non-traditional path, which deeply informs my practice today. For 23 years, I taught high school and college English. That is two-plus decades of learning how to meet people where they are, read what someone isn't saying, and hold space for the particular chaos of human beings trying to figure themselves out.

Parents often feel reassured knowing I spent over two decades in classrooms with teenagers. The skills that made me an effective educator – truly listening, not taking things personally, knowing when to push and when to back off – are the same ones that make me an effective counselor. I'm also a spouse and a parent, which means I've lived some version of what many of my clients are navigating.

Telehealth & Global Practice

In 2025, I relocated to Costa Rica – a personal dream – and I continue to serve clients in Florida, Virginia and D.C. through a 100% telehealth practice. I also work directly with expats in Costa Rica through life coaching. (Yes, it's as good as it sounds, and no, it hasn't made me less serious about the work.)

Key Credentials

• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) — Virginia & Washington, D.C.

• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) — Virginia

• ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC)

Certifications

Clinical Trauma Professional (Level II) | Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) | Complex PTSD  | Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) | Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) | Suicide Prevention | Eating Disorder Recovery | Personality Disorders | Mandated Reporting & Child Safety | Telehealth Ethics 

Clinical Approaches

Trauma-Informed Care | DBT | EMDR | CBT | Internal Family Systems (IFS) | Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) | Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) | Gottman | Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) | Mindfulness | Family Systems Theory | Positive Psychology

Professional Memberships

American Counseling Association | American Mental Health Counselors Association | Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling | International Association for Marriage and Family Therapy