I’m Kaylie Groenhout, LPC and EMDR Certified Therapist in Leesburg helping high-achieving adults trade performance for presence.
Where clinical expertise meets human connection.
You’ve built a life that looks enviable from the outside, but the internal cost of maintaining that success has become unsustainable. I work with the "reliable" ones, the people who've spent decades perfecting the art of "fine" while their own well-being sits on the back burner. You aren't just looking for a listener who will tell you everything will be okay. You're looking for someone who understands that it won't be okay until you actually deal with what's underneath.
I get it. Yes, I've read plenty of books and attended trainings, but also because I've sat across from countless individuals and couples who are exactly where you are right now. Successful on paper, but struggling underneath, wondering if this is just how life is supposed to feel.
Spoiler: It's not.
Hi, I’m Kaylie Groenhout (she/her).
I’m a board-certified Licensed Professional Counselor in Leesburg, but more importantly, I’m a therapist who believes in depth over clinical distance.
My style is warm and direct as needed. I’m not a blank-slate therapist; I’m an active partner in your process. I created Wildwood because I saw too many people who were self-aware, and still suffering. You deserve a space that is as professional as it is personal.
Addressing the roots, not just the symptoms
The Wildwood Methodology
Beyond Managing Symptoms
Most therapy focuses on managing symptoms. You learn coping skills, talk about your week, and maybe feel a little better for a few days.
But here's what I've learned after years of working with developmental trauma: If we're only addressing surface symptoms, we're just rearranging furniture in a burning house.
The anxiety you feel in your relationship? The overworking that you can't seem to stop? The drinking that's crept up over the years? Those aren't the problems. They're solutions you created to survive situations that were too much to handle at the time.
My job isn't to take away your coping mechanisms. It's to help you understand why you need them in the first place, and then give you better options.
Beyond Just Being Heard
Healing from trauma requires more than a sympathetic ear. It requires a specialist who understands that your past is stored in your nervous system, not just your memory. By integrating EMDR and Internal Family Systems (IFS), our work goes beneath the surface to resolve the physical and emotional weight you're carrying. This isn't talk therapy in the traditional sense. Instead, it's a focused, active process designed to shift the internal patterns that keep you stuck in your life.
Your time and investment are valuable, and you deserve a space that balances progress with safety and stability. If you're looking for a therapist to simply nod while you vent, sure, I could do that. But if you're ready for someone to also challenge you, celebrate your breakthroughs, and walk with you toward a life that feels truly yours, let’s talk.
Therapy for adult individuals (30-70+) and their non-traditional partners.
Depth-Oriented Therapy for the Complex Internal Landscape
"You know your history, but you are still a stranger to yourself."
You’ve spent years analyzing the "why." You understand your patterns, yet you still feel the same hollow sense of disconnect. Whether you're 35 or 65, you aren’t just looking for more coping skills; you're looking for yourself.
"We work within the complex internal landscape."
Healing isn't a linear path, especially when your life includes non-traditional relationship structures. Whether you're navigating ENM, polyamory, or evolving partnership dynamics, you need a therapist who's fluent in the lifestyle. We provide a judgment-free space that respects your intelligence and your lived experience. We move beyond the noise of what's at the surface and drop in to what's happening beneath and between.
"Because your rational brain eventually checks out."
You can intellectualize your story and your pain all day, but true change happens when we track what is happening in the room. We bridge the gap between knowing better and feeling better, unburdening the roles you’ve played for decades so you can show up authentically in the present.
What It Feels Like in the Room
Depth, Directness, and Grounded Insight
Some sessions will feel heavy. Some will feel lighter. All of them are part of moving forward. My approach is warm but active; I’m not just a passive listener. I'm tracking the moments when your nervous system takes over and your rational brain checks out. I’m paying attention to what you’re saying, and more importantly, what you’re not saying.
I'll point those patterns out as they happen, because that's where insight turns into integration. Whether you decide to explore those moments, sit with them, or work through them is always your choice. This is your healing; I'm here to hold the space for it.
Tools I Use in My Work
EMDR
Move beyond merely talking about the issues. We use Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to help your brain file away traumatic memories so they no longer flood your present with anxiety, fear, or other self-limiting beliefs.
IFS-Informed Parts Work
Stop the internal tug-of-war. By identifying the different parts of you (the critic, the caretaker, the achiever), we create increased self-compassion and internal harmony, and help your core Self lead with confidence and clarity.
DBT Skills
Build a practical toolkit for the here and now. These strategies can help you navigate intense emotions and high-stress moments without feeling overwhelmed, keeping you grounded in your daily life.
Somatic-Informed
True healing isn't just changing the way you think. We check in with your physical sensations to help your nervous system move out of survival responses and back into a state of grounded safety and ease.
Healing happens in connection.
Techniques don't matter if we don't have a solid therapeutic relationship. Healing happens in connection. That means our relationship matters just as much as any intervention I use. This isn’t just a philosophy; it’s a clinical reality supported by research.
Outside the Therapy Room
Behind the Practice: A Little More About Me
I live in Western Loudoun with my family. Outside of sessions, I'm probably reading the latest trauma research, messing with my plants, or navigating life with a big family, dog, and seemingly endless flow of (at times) wild ideas.
I believe in practicing what I preach, which means I'm also doing my own work. I can't ask you to be vulnerable if I'm not willing to do the same.
I didn't become a therapist because I had all the answers. I became a therapist because I'm deeply curious about what makes humans human the way they do, and I'm committed to helping people untangle the knots that keep them stuck in patterns they desperately want to break.
Healing in Community
While much of our work happens in the sacred space of one-on-one therapy, I believe there's a unique, profound power in being witnessed by others who share your struggle.
If you're tired of carrying the weight of holding it all together in isolation, you might find your place in one of our Leesburg Group Therapy cohorts. It's a space designed to move you from feeling invisible to feeling deeply understood.
Education & Credentials
- EMDRIA Certified Therapist™
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) - Virginia #0701015737
- Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling - The College of William & Mary
- Bachelor of Arts in Communication - Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
Specialized Training
- EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
- IFS (Internal Family Systems)-Informed Parts Work
- Non-monogamous & Polyamorous Relationships
- Attachment-Based Therapy for Developmental Trauma
- Neurodiversity-Affirming Care
- Gottman Level 1 Trained for Relationship Counseling
- One-year Clinical Internship Focused on Trauma Therapy at Trauma Specialists of Maryland
Professional Memberships
- American Counseling Association (ACA)
- National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
- EMDR International Association (EMDRIA)
- Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ)
- Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, & Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE)
- Association of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness (ACSSW)
- Virginia Mental Health Counselors Association (VAMHCA)