Petra Gross , LPC

Petra Gross is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Virginia who helps adults facing anxiety, depression, stress, and life changes. She also supports people dealing with relationship and intimacy concerns, trauma and grief, addiction, and issues related to body image and self-esteem. Petra has a particular interest in women's issues and in supporting mothers and people from minority backgrounds through the challenges they face.

Her style is warm and direct. Sessions focus on listening first, and then on practical steps clients can use between appointments. Petra blends gentle curiosity with clear accountability so people can try new ways of coping and notice what works.

Petra uses a mix of approaches, including mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, cognitive behavioral techniques, and client-centered work. She emphasizes self-compassion and skills practice to help manage intense emotions and difficult thoughts.

Early sessions are used to build rapport, set clear goals, and agree on priorities. From there she tailors pacing and tools to each person's needs, whether the work is short-term problem solving or longer exploration.

Petra brings ten years of counseling experience to her work. She speaks English, Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian, and works with clients across a range of life stages and cultural backgrounds.

Therapeutic approaches and online support

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages people to notice unhelpful thoughts and commit to actions that match their values. It can help with anxiety, depression, and decision points where values and behavior feel out of step.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and testing new behaviors to reduce distress. It is useful for anxiety, mood challenges, and practical problem solving.

Petra treats finding the right approach as a collaborative process. She will talk with clients about goals and preferences, try tools in session, and adjust methods based on what helps. The work is shared so people learn which techniques fit their life and needs.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video lets people work face-to-face from different locations, phone can be easier when bandwidth is low, live chat is useful for shorter check-ins, and messaging supports brief reflections between appointments. These formats make it easier to fit therapy around work, parenting, and daily responsibilities while keeping progress consistent.