Raquel Carrera Adams, LCPC, LPC, NCC
FOUNDER/SUPERVISOR/LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR
Locations: Dupont Circle, DC; In-person
Specialties:
Anxiety/Depression
Relationship Issues
Life Adjustments/Transitions
BIPOC Experiences
Rate: $250/ session
Hey there!
Owner of RTCCounseling, Raquel, has predominantly worked with young adults to create a sense of “togetherness,” so they don’t feel alone in their struggles. She believes therapy establishes a place where you can go to figure things out, without external pressures. We all have a particular perspective on how we interpret events and relationships in our lives. This outlook is shaped by upbringing, what was modeled by caretakers, and the relationships that influenced our identity. Raquel helps you take a closer look at the past to understand how it shapes who you are today, the challenges and difficulties you face, and the dynamics of your relationships. By engaging with our minds in reflection, exploration, and curiosity, we can begin to see what was initially out of awareness–the patterns, attitudes, and perspectives that keep your unhappiness or dissatisfaction—from recurring discontent to pain to ongoing suffering.
Exploration into one’s own mind, feelings, and conflicts is central to how Raquel practices. Raquel’s approach is insight-oriented and supportive. She focuses on deepening your self-awareness by encouraging restraint from self-evaluation and criticism in and out of sessions. She believes that you have the power and agency to tackle your problems, so you won’t find her giving advice or coping strategies. Instead, Raquel’s approach to clients is direct, compassionate, and curious, towards goals of assisting you with finding your own answers and making decisions for yourself in ways you might not have been able to before. While her approach emphasizes exploring one’s inner self and mind, she does not ignore the influence systems of oppression have, nor the interplay of culture/race in shaping your identity, experiences, and relationships.
Raquel’s experience includes working with diverse populations such as children, adolescents, and adults in both school-based and community clinic settings. Her background treating young adults experiencing their first episode of psychosis (FEP) sparked the development of her empathic stance and insight into a wide range of challenges, from severe mental illness to the hazards of everyday life. Although she no longer works with FEP, she prioritizes improving the quality of treatment that is offered to individuals coming to her practice and invests in ongoing professional development to better train new therapists entering the field. She currently supervises counselors in training and Howard University Psychiatry Residents’ looking to gain more skills in psychotherapy. She also teaches at the Washington Baltimore Institute’s Psychoanalytic Studies Program. Raquel volunteers much of her time outside of clinical work to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives at a local psychoanalytic organization, the Washington Baltimore Center for Psychoanalysis.
Raquel is a Board Certified (NBCC) Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in the state of Maryland and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the District of Columbia and Commonwealth of Virginia. She is a Board Approved Supervisor for Maryland and for Virginia Counselors In-Training. She can also provide supervision to District of Columbia LGPCs needing hours for licensure. She received her Master’s of Science degree in Clinical Counseling from Johns Hopkins University and studied Psychology at Towson University. She was a selected fellow for the Psychoanalytic Fellowship Program and completed a 2-year post-graduate certificate program for psychoanalytic theory and practice, the Psychoanalytic Studies Program.