A bit about me...
Hello, my name is Fox Vernon, and yes, Fox is my real name, given after my great grandfather.
Patience and self-care have been a large part of my journey, especially during the difficult times. None of us can escape the bumps and bruises of life, but how do we survive, or even thrive, in the midst of these?
In my personal and professional growth, I have learned to remain present with myself and others to draw upon the powerful human resources of curiosity, creativity, and responsiveness to strengthen self-understanding, self-acceptance, and self-growth.
I have been in the profession of psychology for more than 20 years, tracing the beginnings of my career to work during high school as a crisis counselor for a local crisis hotline. Having grown up in North Carolina, I ventured to the West Coast to attend college at Stanford University. One of the ways I grounded myself in my new environment was by becoming involved in a student-run peer counseling center, where I volunteered and trained other student-counselors as I earned my bachelors degree in sociology.
Instead of going immediately to graduate school after college, I explored my interest in helping people connect creatively as a community organizer in Chicago and as a musician and songwriter in Los Angeles. I then entered graduate school to earn a Ph.D. from the APA-accredited counseling psychology program at the University of Southern California.
In 2002 I returned to the East Coast and became an assistant professor at Rutgers University, where I taught for the counseling psychology program. In 2005 I moved to the DC area, where I began to work as a department chair at Capella University, teaching graduate students in clinical and counseling psychology.
In 2010 I opened my psychotherapy practice in Old Town Alexandria, Va. With training at the doctorate level as a counseling psychologist, I practice as a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, offering individual, couples and group therapy to adults wanting more from life.
Values
The following values shape my approach to the practice of music and psychotherapy.
Creativity – letting ideas flow naturally, without boundaries—but with intention
Curiosity – seeking to understand and make sense of the complicated parts of life
Care – listening patiently and being present with those in need
Responsiveness – extending ourselves to others in ways that meet their true needs
Efficiency – winnowing out those life processes and habits that do not work
Beauty – moving toward the things that bring enjoyment and energy to our lives
Enjoyment – being fully present and receiving the beauty set before us
education
Ph.D., Counseling Psychology, University of Southern California
B.A., Sociology, Stanford University
Professional Affiliations
Virginia Psychological Association
Virginia Academy of Clinical Psychology
Northern Virginia Clinical Psychologists
Mid-Atlantic Group Psychotherapy Society
