Serenity First Counseling, LLC
Relationship, Family Systems, and Life Transition Therapist and Educator
Helping couples strengthen their relationships, supporting individuals through life's major transitions, and equipping organizations with evidence-informed training on trauma, family systems, and parenthood.
When life feels heavy, therapy can help you slow down and find your footing again.
You may be navigating relationship stress that keeps repeating itself, carrying the impact of trauma in your everyday life, or feeling emotionally overwhelmed by a season that has stretched you further than you expected. You may also be adjusting to a major life transition — including pregnancy, postpartum, or parenthood — and realizing how much support you need.
At Serenity First Counseling, I help couples and individuals make sense of what’s happening beneath the surface, heal what feels unresolved, and move toward greater clarity, connection, and emotional steadiness.
Support for the seasons that stretch you most
Clients often come to Serenity First Counseling when they’re navigating:
Relationship stress, communication breakdowns, or emotional disconnection
Trauma that continues to affect daily life, relationships, or emotional safety
Anxiety, overwhelm, burnout, or feeling stuck in survival mode
Pregnancy, postpartum, or the transition into parenthood
Major life changes that leave them feeling disconnected from themselves or the people they love
Couples Therapy
For couples navigating conflict, communication breakdowns, emotional distance, or the strain of major life transitions. We’ll work toward greater understanding, healthier communication, and stronger connection.
My Areas of Expertise
Individual Therapy
For adults navigating anxiety, emotional overwhelm, trauma, grief, identity shifts, or life transitions that feel difficult to carry alone.
EMDR Therapy & Intensives
For clients who want focused support in processing trauma, distressing memories, or patterns that continue to show up in everyday life.
Pregnancy, Postpartum & Parenthood Support
For individuals and couples navigating the emotional, relational, and identity shifts that can come with pregnancy, postpartum, and the transition into parenthood.
Professional Trainings & Workshops
For organizations, schools, agencies, and community groups seeking trauma-informed education, relationship-focused trainings, and mental health workshops.
.png)
Meet Shayla
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Relationship, Family Systems, and Life Transition Therapist
and Educator
.png)
Shayla Gray
Harvard-trained in Couples Therapy
EMDR-Certified Therapist
15+ Years in Mental Health
Licensed in Maryland & Virginia
PhD Candidate in Marriage & Family Therapy
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
I’m Shayla Gray — a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist serving clients in Maryland and Virginia. I work with couples and individuals navigating trauma, relationship stress, emotional overwhelm, and major life transitions, including the transition to parenthood.
My work is especially informed by the emotional and relational impact of pregnancy, postpartum, and early parenthood. Many of the clients I support are navigating birth-related experiences, relationship changes after pregnancy, pregnancy loss or complications, fertility journeys, postpartum anxiety, intrusive thoughts, panic, depression, identity shifts, and the ways that becoming a parent can activate earlier trauma.
My approach is collaborative, grounded, and trauma-informed. Therapy with me is a space where you don’t have to “hold it together.” We move at a pace that feels safe, while focusing on reducing triggers, strengthening emotional safety, and building sustainable tools that support your nervous system, your identity, your relationships, and your healing.
Whether you’re feeling disconnected in your relationship, overwhelmed by the season you’re in, or trying to process experiences that still feel unresolved, you deserve support that honors the whole story.
I hold a B.S. in Psychology from Virginia State University and an M.A. in Human Services from Liberty University, along with certifications in Marriage and Family Therapy, Autism Education, and advanced couples-focused training. I am Harvard-trained in Couples Therapy, EMDR-certified, and a PhD candidate in Marriage and Family Therapy at Northcentral University, where my research focuses on relationship satisfaction during parenthood.
.png)
.png)
Looking for support as a couple or a community to grow with?
If you and your partner are looking for support beyond therapy, Serenity Connection Collective offers a space for couples who want guidance, education, and community while navigating pregnancy, parenthood, and the changes that come with building a life together.
Frequent Asked Questions