Teddy Knebel, LMSW

Available for Telehealth Services in Washington D.C. and Maryland: I have openings for adult individuals and couples. Expertise: Internal Family Systems (IFS), PTSD, CPTSD and trauma healing, relationship difficulties, couples & relationship counseling, anxiety and depression, LGBTQIA+ issues, neurodiversity support, life transitions, men’s issues, parenting concerns, parentified adults, attachment injuries, self-compassion and mindfulness, grief, and stress management My Background & Approach: While my family prioritized basic needs and togetherness, mental health and emotions were often not welcomed or supported. This sparked a passion to not only understand my own inner world but offer a welcoming space for others. As someone who has experienced several modes of therapy such as traditional talk therapy, CBT, and EMDR, I found IFS to be the most compassionate and comprehensive approach. With the help of an IFS therapist, I found and connected with the parts of me that needed witnessing and healing. This opened paths to profound transformation and growth, which also led to greater internal trust and confidence in my system. Professionally, I was fortunate to become IFS trained which inspired me to pursue a longstanding dream of becoming a therapist and helping others experience the transformative healing of this model. Prior to earning my Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, I worked as an IFS Practitioner, helping to teach the IFS model to therapists and allied health professionals across the United States and internationally. Clinically, I provided IFS therapy to adults and couples in community mental health and private practice. Outside my clinical work, I enjoy drinking locally roasted coffee, listening to a variety of music, attending local concerts, lifting weights, adventuring with my partner, and reading nonfiction and fiction books. Each session, my hope is for you to trust yourSelf more as you connect to your parts while you increase access to your inner wisdom, strengthen your voice and boundaries, and enhance your capacity to navigate life's challenges. As your therapist, I am committed to providing a calm, judgment-free zone regardless of your sexuality, race, gender, culture, and spirituality. I look forward to supporting you on your healing journey as you develop a deeper connection and trust with your internal world. My Style & Skills: As a therapist, I enjoy taking a person-centered approach and being flexible to every client’s individual needs. I can maintain a pragmatic focus, offer humble leadership around a conflict, or encourage lots of space to gently explore subtle, body signals in new ways, depending on what feels right to you. I am happy to encourage curiosity towards an inner voice who is used to being brushed aside, or to speak directly to an inner critic. I have learned IFS with a somatic focus, and I am equally happy to encourage exploration of your intellectual parts. Your faith or spiritual beliefs are welcome in our work, whenever it feels right to you. I know that you are a good person, and I understand if parts of you have forgotten or taken on beliefs that deny that. At your side, I will be your companion as you reconnect with your creativity, confidence, and freedom of choice. When working with a couple, I use Intimacy from the Inside Out (IFIO), the application of IFS to relational therapy. You may be seeking help with your communication skills, repetitive patterns of conflict that never seem to get resolved, emotional disconnection or sex and intimacy. Together, we will work to bring courage and perspective to your everyday interactions, creating space for openness, mutual understanding, and compassion in your relationship. Couples therapy can often bring deep healing for both partners as you get to know yourSelf in new ways and witness your partner do the same. As your couples' therapist, I aim to empower all partners to feel connected, valued, and supported as you navigate the big decisions and challenges of life. My Values: *Anti-oppression: As a social worker, I recognize the impact of ableism, sexism, racism, power, patriarchy, and other systemic influences, and I create space for these conversations within our work together. *Authenticity: As an Enneagram Type 9, “the Peacekeeper,” I feel a natural ease with appreciating various perspectives, and mediating internal conflicts. All parts of you are respected and valued. I am happy to answer questions about myself if that is helpful to your process or provides comfort in our work. *Collaboration: I trust your intuition, internal resources, and capacities. Together, we will identify and prioritize the goals that are most meaningful to you. *Honoring your culture, religion, spirituality, and ancestry: We’ll notice and work with the beliefs and stories that you inherited from your family lines, allowing you to let go of what does not belong to you. *Relational: I respect the therapeutic relationship by offering choices, respecting your boundaries, knowing how to repair when mistakes happen, and always being open to feedback. What to Expect in Our Sessions & How I Can Help You: I will check what is most useful to you, whether that involves deep therapeutic exploration or focused problem-solving. We will collaborate and work at the speed of trust, and I will be there with you every step of the way. That means that you don’t have to know anything before a session, or “get it right” in a session. I know that you are intelligent in many ways, and that you’ve worked hard for a long time. Rather than being another responsibility, therapy can be a time to be appreciated for all that you do each day and to be less alone in your struggles. Ultimately, this will allow you to feel more seen and valued in your relationships. I work with people who are... * Carrying the impacts of trauma in their bodies, minds, and relationships (this may include CPTSD, relational trauma, and/or intergenerational trauma) *Constantly experiencing vigilance and overthinking *Often feeling they are not enough and need to prove themselves to feel worthy of love *Caring parents committed to breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma and raising children with neurodivergence and/or physical disabilities *Feeling overlooked or unsupported in their lives while being caregivers to others *Desiring deeper inner child work or parts work *Wanting to know themselves and better advocate for their needs *Experiencing overwhelm due to childhood parentification *Concerned with their relationship with their partners, regardless of whether their partner is willing to go to couples therapy or do their own individual therapy *Navigating intercultural and interracial relationships, partners of different ability, neurotype or sexual orientation *Struggling with sexual and religious guilt and shame *Challenged by stress at work or exploring a change in career *Missing their creative expression/outlets due daily pressures and responsibilities in life Dedication to Lifelong Learning: My commitment to this work extends beyond the therapy room. Through ongoing professional development, IFS workshops, and specialized trainings, I continue to explore topics such as inner critics, perfectionism, psychedelics, trauma, spirituality, neurodiversity, and attachment. I also serve as a Program Assistant (PA) for the IFS Institute’s Level 1 and Level 2 trainings. In this role, I’ve had the privilege of supporting therapists and allied health professionals across the U.S., Canada, and Pakistan as they learn the IFS model and develop greater confidence in bringing it to their clients. To date, I have contributed more than 2,000 hours as a PA, helping foster a welcoming and collaborative learning environment for participants on their IFS journeys. ~ Teddy Knebel “There’s a chain reaction in your heart. Muscle memory, remembering who you are...A little at a time, I feel more alive. I’ll let the scale tip, feel all of it. It's uncomfortable, but right. And we were born to try to see each other through. To know and love ourselves, and others well, is the most difficult and meaningful work we’ll ever do.” ~“Nine” by Sleeping at Last Note: Four Corners Counseling & Wellbeing is out of network (OON) with insurance. I provide monthly superbills for potential OON reimbursement.