About Sade (she/her):

I’m Sade, an experienced licensed professional counselor in MD, DC & VA with advanced training in sex therapy and couples work. I create a safe, supportive space where you can explore your life and experiences with compassionate curiosity. Whether you’re seeking individual or couples therapy, I’ll help you recognize your strengths, speak up for your needs, and shift patterns that no longer serve you.

I specialize in working with clients facing intimacy challenges, including desire discrepancy, low desire, infidelity, sexual or relationship trauma, and erectile dysfunction. I also help clients explore how gender bias, religious teachings, and cultural beliefs affect their sexuality. I also support clients in unpacking the impact of cultural messaging, gender expectations, and religious beliefs on their experience of sexuality and self. If body image concerns or a history of substance use are shaping your relationship with your body or others, we can address those layers with care and nuance.

In our work together, I blend evidence-based practices with relational frameworks to help you build deeper emotional bonds, improve communication, and strengthen your conflict resolution skills. We’ll also go beyond the surface—exploring the deeper layers of insight and self-compassion needed for meaningful, lasting change. You can expect our sessions to be grounded, supportive—and often sprinkled with humor.

I work with people of all sexual identities. I especially enjoy guiding clients who are stepping outside of traditional relationship models to explore ethical non-monogamy (ENM) or kink in ways that feel authentic and affirming.

When working with couples, I use Imago Therapy to help you and your partner understand how early life experiences shape your current relationship dynamics. Together, we’ll uncover childhood wounds, identify triggers, and interrupt painful cycles so you can reconnect, rebuild trust, and grow closer.

I understand how your social identities shape your lived experiences. My approach to healing and growth honors your unique perspective and supports you in imagining and creating new possibilities for your life and relationships.

Education:

MA, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University

MA, Public Policy, George Washington University

BA, Comparative Women’s Studies, with a minor in Public Health, Spelman College

Selected Certifications & Professional Training

• Imago Relationship Therapy

• The Sexual Health School

• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

• Erotic Embodiment: Healing through Pleasure

• Queer Pleasure

• Gender Identity Decoded

• Substance Use Disorder and Addictions Counseling

• Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction 

• Healing Racial Trauma

*I don’t use uppercase for the first letters of my first and last name as a small reminder to come from a place of humility, service, and equity. I am also comfortable if others capitalize or don't capitalize the first letters of my name.