Erin Gallagher, MSW, ASDI

Erin believes therapy shouldn’t focus on changing who a child or young person is.

Instead, she helps clients better understand themselves, recognize their strengths, and develop tools that support emotional regulation, communication, confidence, executive functioning, and overall well-being.

She works collaboratively with both clients and families to better understand what may be happening beneath behaviors or challenges and find approaches that feel supportive, realistic, and sustainable.

• ADHD & executive functioning

• Autism & neurodivergence

• Anxiety & depression

• Emotional & behavioral regulation

• Chronic illness

• Developmental & intellectual differences

• Sensory processing concerns

• Invisible disabilities

• Communication skills

• Early childhood concerns

• Late-diagnosed ADHD & autism

Erin takes a client- and child-centered approach that adapts to each person’s developmental needs, strengths, and way of experiencing the world.

Her work may incorporate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, play- and art-based techniques, mindfulness, somatic strategies, psychoeducation, social-emotional learning, and executive functioning skill-building.

She also brings a trauma-informed and neurodivergent-affirming perspective to therapy, creating space for clients to show up as they are rather than feeling pressure to mask or fit into expectations that don’t work for them.

Erin earned her Master of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she specialized in School Social Work, and her Bachelor of Social Work from James Madison University with a minor in chronic illness.

Her professional background includes school-based settings, and outside of therapy she also works as an assistant preschool teacher.

Erin is currently working toward becoming a Registered Play Therapist and completing her AutPlay certification. She is also interested in becoming a PEERS® Certified Provider and, after earning her LCSW, pursuing ADHD Certified Clinical Services Provider certification.

Erin is certified in autism-informed care. Her additional training includes Youth Mental Health First Aid, Psychological First Aid, Dyslexia Awareness, and Counseling on Access to Lethal Means.

Erin has a goal of visiting every National Park in the United States, so there are hopefully plenty of road trips in her future.

She also loves autumn, which pairs pretty well with spending time outdoors and exploring new places.

And when she isn’t working with therapy clients, she spends part of her time as an assistant preschool teacher, so working with kids is very much woven into her everyday life.