Takoma Park Therapist - substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and trauma

Everyone is different and there is no one size fits method to therapy. While my personal approach is unique to each client, I have a wealth of experience in multiple styles of therapy and am willing to be flexible to meet each client's needs.

The treatment of substance abuse and addiction is usually multifaceted. I have vast experience consulting to help clients determine an appropriate level of treatment. I have helped facilitate the enrollment of hundreds of people into higher levels of care where needed. I can help clients build their own individual  recovery programs, and provide the individual therapy component for clients dedicated to their sobriety.

For individuals struggling with personality issues, treatment resistant anxiety or depression, self-harm, or other maladaptive behaviors, dialectical behavioral therapy is an effective, evidenced based treatment.  While I'm not able to provide formal DBT (which requires a group in addition to individual therapy) I frequently draw on DBT tools with a broad range of clients. 

Particularly effective for clients working on addictions or changing difficult habits, motivational interviewing is an evidence based technique that is a collaborative, goal oriented style of communication designed to strengthen personal motivation for and commitment to behavior change.

For six years I served on the Provider Wellness Committee at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.  For the last two years, I was the chair.  I helped guide many providers back into clinical work after medical leave due to mental health, substance abuse, or physical health issues.  I worked with credentialing committees, licensing boards, and hospital leaders to help providers safely return to their duties. If you are a provider who has had issues with a license, I can help.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is another evidenced based treatment approach with demonstrated effectiveness for a variety of mood and anxiety disorders.  By focusing on thought patterns and changing irrational/unhelpful thoughts, we can work towards feeling better about ourselves and our lives.  Are you mired in negative thinking?  Do you struggle to believe in yourself or your worth?  Let's talk about it.

Teens are struggling more than ever in our social-media obsessed culture, and parents are struggling to navigate relationships with their children in this new world.  I have helped parents learn to engage better with children coping with substance use or abuse, ADHD, anxiety, depression, and autism spectrum disorders. 

Among the oldest forms of therapy, psychodynamic approaches focus on relationship patterns, uncovering stuck points, and working through internal conflicts which may have deep roots in our past. Understanding and actively changing these patterns can lead to improved psychological health.

My approach to working with couples is based upon establishing open and honest communication. I frequently use principles rooted in DBT therapy, fostering mindfulness and presence to help  partners re-establish trust and gain greater empathy and awareness of eachother.