Specialties → Civil Service Professionals

You're committed to public service. But how do you keep going, when so much has been destabilized?

Psychotherapy for federal employees and international civil servants at multilateral development organizations.

Telehealth in DC and 43+ states nationwide · Bilingual services in English and Spanish

Book a free 15-minute consultation

YOUR VOCATION, YOUR IDENTITY

Public service is more than a job. It is a calling.

Folks drawn to public service tend to build their sense of identity around their work. You get to advocate for your stakeholders, build bridges across competing parties, and the challenges you face are intellectually stimulating.
Whether you are a federal employee or an international public servant in multilateral development organizations like the World Bank, the IMF, or PAHO, your expectation was to be in this path for the long run.

Regrettably, there has been a growing sense of letdown and betrayal across these institutions in recent years. As a civil servant, you may be navigating:

Job insecurity and chronic uncertainty

You have lived through systemic layoffs, funding cuts, and, if you are an international civil servant, visa uncertainty. Your sense of job security feels precarious. Each restructuring cycle brings a fresh wave of anxiety about what comes next.

Survivor exhaustion

You are carrying the load of those colleagues who left, and the survivor’s guilt of those who stayed. The work is increasingly unsustainable, with no relief in sight.

Moral injury

You may be someone particularly hit by betrayal in recent years, watching programs and relationships you built get dismantled overnight. There is a clinical name for this experience: moral injury. It is the psychological toll of watching an institution dismantle everything you stood for. Whether it discarded you in the process, or whether you had no choice but to stay.

You may feel you have no choice but to stay and carry on. And you are carrying emotions that are hard to explain to those who haven’t been through it.

Therapy is a space where you can process what you have been through, reclaim your sense of purpose and identity, and find your next steps.

FOR INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SERVANTS

Joining a multilateral development organization in the U.S. carries its own privileges and challenges. You gain extraordinary opportunities, working alongside professionals from across the world, taking on high-stakes projects, and doing work that genuinely matters. You become, in the truest sense, a global citizen.

But you also lose things along the way. The credentials and standing you built at home do not carry the same weight here. For international civil servants, the stakes are compounded: your ability to remain in the U.S. is tied to the same institution that has become a source of uncertainty.

The specific challenges of being an international public servant deserve recognition and specialized care.

WHAT WE WORK ON TOGETHER

Support that meets the complexity of your situation.

I provide a structured, goal-directed space to process what you are carrying and build the clarity and skills to move forward. Some of the issues we work on together include:

Identity & Mission

Sense of self entrenched in work identity Moral injury Disillusionment with institutional culture Grief for the work left behind

Pressure & Performance

Burnout High-stakes decision fatigue Chronic overwork Difficulty disconnecting

Displacement & Belonging

Starting over professionally despite your qualifications Cultural isolation Impact of relocation on spouse's career Loss of professional network and social standing

MY APPROACH

Here, structure is an act of care.

I work within a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) framework. This means there is space both for processing what you are going through and for building skills to protect your time and energy in the workplace.

I choose CBT because it mirrors the way I naturally think and approach problems. We set concrete goals that create accountability and move you forward. There is direction and continuity between sessions. Structure, when offered with genuine care, is my way of saying that I take your time, your suffering, and your goals seriously.

On a personal note, I am an immigrant and a Latina professional who has navigated U.S. institutions from the outside in. I understand what it means to rebuild a life here, and that lived experience drives a genuine commitment to the clients I work with.

I am bilingual in English and Spanish, and work with you in the language that resonates most naturally with your experience.

SOCIAL PROOF

What fellow clinicians say:

“I frequently refer clients to Dr. Rendón for her clinical expertise and calm, steady presence. She offers evidence-based tools and a truly grounded partnership in healing. She has a gift for making people feel safe and seen. I never hesitate to recommend her.”

Regina Morales, LCSW

NIH Wellness Advisor

“I highly recommend Dr. Rendon. She is warm, compassionate, and organized, balancing empathy with honest feedback. She motivates clients to tackle challenges and reach their goals, especially around perfectionism and burnout. You’re in excellent hands.”

Shoshana Pearlman, LCSW-C

Psychotherapist

“She provides the structure to reach your goals in a compassionate space. Her understanding of cultural diversity enriches the process of change.”

Iris Ysern, LCSW-C

Psychotherapist

LOGISTICS

Fees

INITIAL INTAKE

$350

90 minutes

INDIVIDUAL SESSION

$250

60 minutes

INDIVIDUAL SESSION

$230

45 minutes

My practice is primarily fee-for-service and fully telehealth. A limited number of spots are available for clients using insurance. All major credit cards and HSA/FSA cards are accepted.

Full fee information and out-of-network guidance →

FAQ

Common questions

Is my therapy confidential given my employment context?

Yes. Everything discussed in therapy is confidential and protected under U.S. law. I do not share information with your employer, your institution, or any government agency. Your immigration or employment status has no bearing on your right to confidential mental health care.

Yes. Many people seek therapy not because they’re failing at work, but because maintaining that level of performance feels exhausting or unsustainable. If you’re constantly overthinking, struggling to disconnect, or feeling burned out despite “doing well,” therapy can help you reduce that strain and work more sustainably.

Feeling burned out or disengaged doesn’t automatically mean you need to leave—but it does mean something needs to change. Therapy can help you clarify whether your stress is driven by your current environment, internal patterns like overwork or perfectionism, or a deeper mismatch with your role, so you can make a more informed decision about staying or transitioning.

Frequent moves and global work can disrupt routines, relationships, and your sense of stability, even when the career opportunities are strong. Over time, this can lead to stress, isolation, or feeling ungrounded. Therapy helps you build consistency, process transitions, and maintain a sense of connection across changing environments.

Yes. The experience of putting your own career on hold, building a life in a new country, and navigating identity outside of a professional role is its own significant clinical territory. You don’t need to be employed by an institution to access services here.

Yes. I offer sessions in English, Spanish, or Spanglish. Certain topics surface more easily in one language. No pressure to choose one and stick to it.

Not at all. If the pressures described on this page resonate you are welcome here regardless of background.

Take The Next Step

The work you do matters. And so do you. If any of this resonates, connect with me to find out if we are a good fit.

Book a Free Consultation

Questions first? hello@potomaccbt.com –  240 200 0842