A woman with long brown hair, glasses, and a mustard-colored shirt smiling at the camera, sitting at a desk with a laptop, a stack of books, and holding a coffee mug.

Rachel Tomlinson

LPC, NCC, CNIT

My journey in the mental health field has taken me from clinical research labs to court-ordered treatment to group practices and now to independent practice. One commonality I’ve seen across these environments is that connection provides healing. I’ve witnessed this healing take place in small and large groups, in one-on-one settings, and in nature. Nature has taught me that we don’t always need other humans in order to connect.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Pennsylvania and Virginia, a nationally certified counselor (NCC), and I am a certified nature informed therapist. These titles represent the education and standards required to provide competent, evidence-based treatment. I apply expertise in my specialty areas to your unique personality to find an approach that is most effective for you.

My counseling style incorporates a person-centered approach that is not one size fits all. I draw from psychodynamic theory, dialectical behavior therapy, and mindfulness & somatic practices, among others. I primarily with adult women and couples to provide support through life transitions and find healing in their lives.

“The trees act not as individuals, but somehow as a collective. Exactly how they do this, we don’t yet know. But what we see is the power of unity. What happens to one happens to us all. We can starve together or feast together.”

— Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants

Green rolling hills with a winding road and mountains under a cloudy sky.

Qualifications

Licensed Professional Counselor Pennsylvania (#PC020414)

Licensed Professional Counselor Virginia (#0701015634)

National Certified Counselor - National Board for Certified Counselors (#1657980)

Certified Nature Informed Therapist - Center for Nature Informed Therapy

Trained in Advanced Perinatal Mental Health & Perinatal Loss - Postpartum Support International

Trained in Reproductive Mental Health - American Society for Reproductive Medicine

Gottman Level 1-Trained Couples Therapist - The Gottman Institute

Education

MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Marymount University - 2022

MA Forensic and Legal Psychology, Marymount University - 2022

BS Psychology, University of Pittsburgh - 2018

Who am I outside the counseling room?

I like to consider myself a professional hobbyist! I enjoy dipping my toes into a number of activities and interests. My outdoor interests include hiking, paddle-boarding, biking, gardening, and road-tripping with my husband and our Australian Shepherd, Archer.

My indoor hobbies include pottery, reading, painting, collecting antiques (film cameras are a favorite!), and playing board games with friends.

A person paddling a stand-up paddleboard with a dog on it, on a calm body of water, with a backdrop of green trees and a blue sky.
A woman in outdoor hiking gear standing on a rocky surface with a scenic view of green mountains, a river, and snow-capped peaks in the background under a clear blue sky.