Lori A. Bristow, PhD, LLC
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Specializing in Self-Development
and Relationship Enrichment
Announcement: Dr. Bristow is taking a leave of absence until Fall 2025. Current clients are encouraged to reach out by email or phone with any questions.
Learn meaningful ways of reconnecting to yourself & others
I received my PhD in Clinical Psychology from George Mason University in 2011. After completing my predoctoral internship (Florida State University Counseling Center; 2008-2009) and accepting a temporary role as staff clinician (Dickinson College Counseling Center; 2009-2010), I started my private practice in Northern Virginia in 2011. Over the years of practice, I have come to see providing psychotherapy as a craft— pouring myself into learning, growing, and understanding from different therapeutic orientations. More importantly, I have come to deeply value the different life experiences my clients share with me, which has shaped and contributed to my desire and capability to listen with a “third ear”. I have discovered that bringing radical curiosity to our conversation in session opens space to wander, ponder, and examine.
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Currently, I am concluding a several month sabbatical from my private practice (which started in late 2024) and I plan to return in Fall 2025 with beginner’s eyes and a renewed spirit for the work and partnership that unfolds in therapy. Such a sabbatical has been a tremendous gift for my work, as taking time to write, journal, read, and create art have revived the "right brain" abilities needed to see the world around me differently.
Professional Memberships
Member, American Psychological Association (APA)
Member, Virginia Psychological Association (VPA)
Member, Alabama Psychological Association (aPA)
Member, Illinois Psychological Association (IPA)
Member, Virginia Academy of Clinical Psychologists (VACP)
Member, Northern Virginia Clinical Psychologists (NVCP)
Member, National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology
Member, International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT)
Credentials
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from George Mason University (2011)
Licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia Board of Psychology (2012)
Licensed by the State Board of Examiners of Alabama (2023)
Licensed by the Illinois Dept of Financial and Professional Regulation (2024)
Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) granted by the PSYPACT Commission (2021)
Recipient of Early Career Psychologist Credentialing Scholarship, granted by the National Register (2012)
