Troy Payne, LCSW

Troy Payne is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in Virginia with six years of experience. He helps people manage stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, anger, self-esteem concerns, and symptoms of ADHD. His work also includes support for autism and Asperger syndrome, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, isolation and loneliness, mood disorders, and post-traumatic stress.

Troy uses practical, action-oriented methods in sessions. He pulls from several evidence-based techniques so conversations lead to concrete steps. Sessions typically include talking through recent events, identifying unhelpful thinking patterns, and practicing ways to respond differently to strong emotions.

He trained with a social work master’s degree and has applied that background in settings that included work with people facing depression, PTSD, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. That experience informs his focus on helping people who have gone through traumatic events and now see those experiences affecting daily life.

In therapy he often uses Cognitive Behavioral strategies to spot and change thinking that feeds distress. He also draws on skills from Dialectical Behavioral approaches to manage intense emotions and reduce conflict. Motivational Interviewing is used when people are weighing changes and want help finding what matters to them.

Outside of practice he enjoys cooking, gardening, and exercise, and values time spent with family and friends. He aims to be practical and straightforward in sessions, helping people leave with clear next steps they can try between meetings.

How evidence-based methods translate to online sessions