AUTHOR

Alicea Ardito MSW, LCSW

Licensing & Certifications:

Licensed Clinical Social Worker – Virginia License

Professional Background

Alicea Ardito is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in private practice with Loudoun Adult Counseling in Virginia. She has more than ten years of professional experience working with older adults and their families in a variety of clinical settings.

In addition to working with older adults, she is passionate in supporting the “sandwich generation”, adults who are concurrently caring for children and aging parents, to help restore balance, alleviate stress and fatigue, explore role and identity issues, and reduce caregiver burnout.

In practice, Alicea provides adults of all ages with affirming, inclusive and client-centered psychotherapy. Her clinical expertise includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to treat depression and anxiety, Motivational Interviewing to facilitate change, and Narrative Therapy to help clients explore and revise their personal stories.

Alicea has a strong knowledge base in psychopharmacology and integrates this into clinical social work practice to improve client outcomes.

In addition to writing for ChoosingTherapy.com, Alicea Ardito’s expertise has been featured in Forbes, Men’s Health, Insider, Care.com, FAR, Livestrong, and UpJourney.

Education:

Arizona State University, 2000, B.A. in Sociology
George Mason University, 2013, Master of Social Work
Fairleigh Dickinson University, 2023, Master of Science in Clinical Psychopharmocology

Areas of Focus

Alicea Ardito specializes in supporting older adults and the ‘sandwich generation’ navigate challenges of aging and caregiving with compassionate, client-centered therapy. With expertise in cognitive behavioral therapy and caregiver support, Alicea empowers individuals to find balance, reduce stress, and enhance well-being.

Alicea Ardito utilizes a number of therapeutic approaches, including:

Depression
Anxiety
Grief/Loss
Adjustment Disorders
Isolation
Risk and Vulnerability

Issues of aging
Functional decline and/or impairment
Issues facing the "sandwich generation
Assessment and care planning for older adults
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Caregiver support

Adjustment Disorder: Signs, Symptoms, & Treatments

Adjustment disorder is characterized by difficulty adjusting to an event or a new circumstance. This reaction is disproportionate to the stressor and impairs daily functioning. Adjustment disorder can improve with treatment; it may take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months for symptoms to improve.

August 8, 2020

Depression In Older Adults: Signs, Treatments, & Ways to Cope

Depression is a common diagnosis in older adults and seniors, but doesn't have to be part of the aging process. There are options to feel better.

August 8, 2020

Anticipatory Grief: How to Cope & When to Get Help

Anticipatory grief is the grief process leading up to an expected loss, most typically a death. People coping with anticipatory grief may often feel anxious, fearful, worried, depressed, isolated, angry, or hopeless. Fortunately, there are many ways to cope with anticipatory grief, including talking with a therapist who specializes in grief and loss or bereavement.

August 8, 2020

Sundowner’s Syndrome: Symptoms, Causes, & Treatments

Sundowner’s syndrome describes the late-day or evening emergence of symptoms such as agitation, increased confusion, wandering, disorientation, aggression, and anxiety. It commonly affects people living with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.

August 8, 2020