Eleanor Daniels, MSW

I work with First Responders, Military, teens, and young adults

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MY FOCUS

There are seasons when the weight of trauma becomes too heavy to carry alone — when hypervigilance, fear, anxiety, grief, anger, or shame begin to take over daily life. For those living with PTSD, even ordinary moments can feel exhausting or overwhelming. Reaching out for support can feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable, especially when you’ve been carrying things on your own for a long time. But there are moments when something inside begins to recognize that it’s time for support — even if you’re not fully sure what that looks like yet. That is exactly where I meet people.

EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS

  • Master of Social Work – George Mason University 2025

  • Bachelor of Science: Kinesiology – Virginia Commonwealth University 2020

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My Approach

My goal is to provide a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental space where clients feel understood as they begin healing and recovery. With over five years of experience in behavioral health, clinical social work, case management, crisis stabilization, and community mental health, I bring both MSW training and hands-on clinical experience to my work. I use evidence-based approaches alongside practical, real-world support to help clients navigate complex challenges and build meaningful change.

At the core of my practice is the belief that healing begins when people no longer feel alone in what they’re carrying. I am passionate about supporting first responders, military members, veterans, and their families facing trauma, stress, anxiety, and PTSD, and I offer a reduced fee for first responders and military clients. I also enjoy working with teens and young adults as they navigate life transitions, identity development, and emotional challenges.

I am currently a Supervisee in Social Work under Angela Gilmour, LCSW.

Learn more about our approach to working with first responders and military 

Learn more about our approach to working with teens and young adults

MY SPECIALTIES

  • Anxiety is a natural human response to stress, uncertainty, or perceived danger. In small amounts, it can help us stay alert and focused. However, when anxiety becomes frequent, intense, or overwhelming, it can interfere with daily life, relationships, and overall well-being. It may show up as persistent worry, racing thoughts, restlessness, muscle tension, trouble sleeping, or a sense of dread.

  • Depression is more than just feeling sad or having a bad day. It is a persistent emotional state that can affect how you think, feel, and function in daily life. People experiencing depression may notice ongoing feelings of emptiness or hopelessness, low energy, loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed, changes in sleep or appetite, difficulty concentrating, or increased self-criticism.

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. While it’s natural to feel shaken after trauma, PTSD involves ongoing symptoms that may persist long after the danger has passed. These can include intrusive memories or flashbacks, nightmares, heightened anxiety, emotional numbness, irritability, or feeling constantly on edge.

  • Suicidal ideation and self-harm often arise from deep emotional pain, overwhelm, or a sense of hopelessness. Suicidal thoughts can range from passive wishes not to wake up to more active thoughts of ending one’s life. Self-harm may be used as a way to cope with intense feelings, numb emotional distress, or regain a sense of control.

  • First responders and military service members face unique pressures that most people never experience. Repeated exposure to high-stress, high-risk situations can impact emotional well-being, relationships, sleep, and overall functioning. You may notice irritability, hypervigilance, emotional numbing, difficulty transitioning “off duty,” or feeling disconnected from loved ones. I offer a reduced fee for First Responders and Military

  • Family conflict can arise from differences in communication styles, unmet needs, life transitions, or long-standing patterns that no longer serve the relationship. When tension becomes ongoing, it can lead to resentment, misunderstandings, emotional distance, or frequent arguments. Even in loving families, unresolved conflict can create stress and impact each member’s well-being.

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Read more about how I work with First Responders and Military

Blog
Recognizing When Stress Turns Into Something More: Military Personnel, Veterans, and First Responders
Eleanor Daniels, MSW
Recognizing When Stress Turns Into Something More: Military Personnel, Veterans, and First Responders
Eleanor Daniels, MSW

For military personnel, veterans, and first responders, stress often comes with the job. Long shifts, difficult calls, deployments, critical incidents, and everyday life responsibilities can all take a toll. Feeling stressed from time to time is completely normal. 

The important question isn't whether you're experiencing stress—it's whether that stress is starting to affect your daily life. 

Are you having trouble sleeping? Finding it harder to focus? Feeling more irritable than usual? Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed? These can be signs that your mind and body aren't recovering from stress the way they normally would. 

Not every difficult emotion means there's a mental health diagnosis behind it. However, when stress begins affecting your relationships, work performance, motivation, or overall well-being, it's worth paying attention. 

One simple question to ask yourself is: "Am I still doing the things that matter to me?" 

If stress has been impacting your life for an extended period of time, you don't need to wait until you're in crisis to seek support. Early intervention can help you regain balance, build resilience, and feel more like yourself again. 

Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health. 

Eleanor Daniels, MSW
Understanding the Hidden Wear-and-Tear of High-Stress Careers
Eleanor Daniels, MSW
Understanding the Hidden Wear-and-Tear of High-Stress Careers
Eleanor Daniels, MSW

Many first responders and military personnel spend years functioning in high-alert environments where stress, unpredictability, and trauma exposure become part of daily life. Over time, the nervous system can struggle to fully power down — even off duty. 

This chronic activation often shows up as hypervigilance, sleep disruption, irritability, emotional exhaustion, difficulty relaxing, or feeling “stuck on” all the time. Some people notice they sleep lightly, stay constantly alert, or feel more comfortable in crisis than in calm environments. Others experience adrenaline cycling, where the body becomes so used to intensity that slowing down feels uncomfortable. 

These responses are not signs of weakness. They are often the result of cumulative stress load and prolonged nervous system activation. 

Therapy can help first responders, active-duty military personnel, and veterans better understand these patterns, improve nervous system regulation, address sleep disruption, and reduce the long-term effects of chronic stress exposure. 

Healing is not about losing resilience or readiness — it is about helping the body and mind recover from living in survival mode for too long. 

Eleanor Daniels, MSW
Peer Support vs. Clinical Support for First Responders & Military
Eleanor Daniels, MSW
Peer Support vs. Clinical Support for First Responders & Military
Eleanor Daniels, MSW

Peer support and clinical support both matter—but they’re not the same thing. 

Peer support offers connection, trust, and conversations with someone who understands the first responder or military culture firsthand. Sometimes hearing “I’ve been there too” is exactly what someone needs to stop feeling alone. 

Clinical support goes deeper. Therapy helps address trauma, chronic stress, anxiety, sleep issues, anger, burnout, and the emotional weight that builds over time in these professions. 

The strongest wellness approach isn’t peer support or therapy—it’s both working together. 

And despite the rumors, therapy usually involves a lot less lying on a couch talking about childhood and a lot more learning why your brain still thinks it’s on shift at 2 a.m. 

Reaching out for support isn’t weakness. It’s maintenance for the people who spend their lives taking care of everyone else. 

Eleanor Daniels, MSW

FAQs

  • I offer discounts for military/first responders and take several insurances. Otherwise an initial session is $160 and each following session is $140.

  • I am in-network with most CareFirst, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Anthem, and Cigna plans.

  • I offer a discounted rate of $125 for the initial session and $115 for each of the following sessions.