Mairead Burke, LCSW-C
I’m Mairead (rhymes with parade) Burke (she/her), a therapist and licensed clinical social worker based in Silver Spring, MD. I’m passionate about helping people make sense of their past experiences and develop new approaches to current challenges, empowering them to have more enjoyable, attuned, connected relationships with themselves and their loved ones.
Drawing from my background in clinical social work and my personal experiences, I approach therapy through a relational lens, deeply informed by attachment and trauma theories. My work is grounded in my beliefs that the experience of feeling seen, connected, and understood is deeply healing and that loving, secure relationships make all the difference in our lives.
In our work together, I’ll support you in seeking understanding, finding purpose, and discovering joy while honoring your pain. I’ll help you integrate your life experiences, cultivate self-compassion, and lead a life that resonates with your true self.
Over the past 15 years, I've also worked as a mitigation specialist and sentencing advocate with individuals facing the death penalty, sentenced to life in prison as children, and facing serious criminal charges.
In addition to my therapeutic practice and mitigation work, I've served as an emergency department social worker, offering compassionate care to individuals navigating psychiatric crises and as a case manager, providing intensive support to those living with HIV/AIDS.
Credentials
I received my Master’s in Social Work from The University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration in 2013. I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Texas.
Values and Philosophy
We create ways to survive and navigate the world, but sometimes those ways no longer serve us, or they get in the way of the life we want. In our work together, my goal is to understand the full picture of your life so, together, we can uncover and understand the strategies that helped you navigate life's difficulties and explore with compassion and respect where they came from. Then, with that full view, we'll bring awareness to how issues surface in the present and develop new ways to navigate them.
Just as important as what we talk about in therapy is the relationship that we build together. We are hurt in the context of relationships, and we heal through relationships, too. My approach is nonjudgmental, warm, and collaborative, and my goal is to build a trusting, safe connection where you feel supported and seen. As our relationship evolves, the growth and self-understanding you develop will transfer outside the therapy room to help you understand patterns in other relationships and build more authentic, aligned connections.
You are the expert on your life. It's an honor to be let into your world, and I take that privilege very seriously. I will treat your life and experiences with respect and care, and we will go at a pace that feels safe and comfortable for you.
If this resonates with you, please contact me. It would be a privilege to walk alongside you.