EMDR Therapists in Bethesda, MD

Here at Bethesda Play Therapy and Healing Center, our clinicians provide integrative, customized psychotherapy services to children, teens, adults, caregivers, and families in English and in Spanish. We strive to hold safe space and form authentic connections during your growth and healing journey. There is power in asking for and accepting help and our team of clinicians is here to help you heal from the inside out.

I have been helping individuals and couples transform their lives for over 25 years. My work is holistic. We target the root causes of your distress rather than skimming the surface level of symptoms. Only when root causes are addressed can symptoms dissolve. We dive deeply into the core issues that are keeping you stuck, disconnected and dissatisfied in your life and relationships. The process is efficient, effective, respectful, safe and profound. My ideal clients are people who are passionate about healing and releasing patterns that no longer serve them.

I strive to create a compassionate, non-judgmental space for my clients to feel safe and understood. I specialize in treating conditions such as depression, anxiety, mood disorders, self-injury and other self-sabotaging behaviors. I work with teens and adults looking to develop a better understanding of their dysfunctional patterns in order to create effective and lasting change.

I am a clinical social worker licensed in DC and MD and provide individual, group and family therapy to adolescents, young adults and adults. I have doctoral-level training and experience in treating anxiety, mood disorders, and trauma, and have worked in a variety of settings including private practice, public schools, and outpatient clinics. My approach is strengths-based and collaborative, and I am passionate about helping clients identify concerns, set goals, and develop skills that improve emotional, relational, and psychological health.

After a long career and brief retirement, I chose to resume practice because many people struggling now with old trauma, depression and anxiety and I know ways to help them find more peace and equilibrium. Are you dealing with PTSD, regret or guilt? Did you suffer abuse in the past? Are you having difficulty adjusting to how life has changed? Are you grieving the loss of someone dear to you or for the collective losses we've experienced? Are you experiencing caregiver stress, compassion fatigue, burnout, or vicarious trauma? Are health challenges impacting your mood and ability to cope? Let's talk...I would like to help!

"Something we were withholding made us weak until we found out it was ourselves" (Robert Frost) Working closely together we'll help you become authentically, fully ALIVE by healing your past and current emotional wounds and breaking self- destructive habits/behaviors. We'll work relentlessly to liberate you from crippling anxiety, shame, detachment, loneliness and other destructive inhibitions creating your symptoms. Clients report a feeling of HOPE and MOMENTUM even after our first session! So, if you want to enjoy passionate relationships, become emotionally alive while experiencing internal peace and fulfill your unique potential, roll up your sleeves and let's get started!

If you are sitting on my couch, SOME kind of trauma or pain has touched you. Whether you are straight or gay, a teen, adult or or older adult, first responder, couple in crisis, or struggling with illness or grief, I will help you learn to better process and manage your emotions, including worry, fear, anxiety, sadness or anger to develop better coping strategies TODAY. My therapy is non-judgmental and client-focused where therapeutic goals are driven by the client's needs.

Oladipo Adedeji is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in Maryland and a Resident in Counseling in Virginia. Oladipo has 6 years of experience providing individual and group psychotherapy to clients of various demographics (ages 4-65). People across the lifespan often experience low self-esteem, low motivation, irregular moods, discrimination, poor impulse control, family stress, school-related or work-related conflict, substance abuse, and grief. Oladipo partners with those experiencing these barriers to help them cope and develop more meaningful relationships in their communities.

We work with individuals, families, and children. We specialize in trauma including generational trauma, perinatal, immigrants, parent-child relationship issues, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, and family conflict. Our greatest intention is to help you understand yourself better and improve your quality of life and relationships. We tailor our approach to the needs of each person or family, responding to your unique problems, identities, and realities. This is not a one-size-fits-all practice because we are trauma-informed and social-emotional focused practices from a social justice framework.

Opening up around the vulnerable and intimate details of our lives can be very uncomfortable. Together we can navigate the relational dynamics and patterning that is inhibiting potential. I greatly value your trust and relish opportunities to facilitate self-discovery and growth by balancing both supportive and challenging interventions. I will always hold the best of intentions at heart to set you up for long-term success.

I believe in the innate goodness of people. Problems arise when we lack the ability to communicate what's really going on within or can't get past defenses to understand another person's feelings or experiences. Most people haven't been taught the skills to be safe listeners and so we grow up believing that others don't have capacity to understand us. I love bringing people closer by teaching them to cross the bridge into the world of others without losing themselves. I teach emotional safety by demonstrating emotional safety and believe breakdowns create opportunities for new breakthroughs.

Whether you feel unable to live the life you desire because of painful childhood experiences, traumatic memories, limiting core beliefs, insecure attachments in relationships, or for reasons completely unique to your own life experiences, it IS possible to find healing. You CAN live a life that feels most authentic to who you are, even if it seems unattainable. Using mind-body approaches and evidence-based techniques, I hope to facilitate your access to the innate and powerful resources that exist, and ultimately empower you to create a life that is meaningful and representative of who you want to be.

We overcome difficulties, adjust to changes, and manage difficult emotions best when we do not have to go at it alone. I offer a supportive partnership to help you identify your goals and build capacity to experience joy, compassionate self regard, and healthy rewarding relationships. I have over 35 years of experience helping children, couples, adults, and parents who may be feeling stuck, alone, sad, anxious, or unable to find the forward motion to reach goals for well being. Together we can create a safe space to address difficult emotions, and identify resources and habits that support resiliency and wellness.

Do you have a hard time trusting yourself and knowing what you like, how you feel, how to describe yourself? Have you been in a series of "bad" relationships ( boss, friend, family, love) not sure why you keep repeating the pattern or attracting such narcisistic people? Do you feel anxious and unsure of using your voice and asking for what you want/need? Do you have a hard time setting boundaries with others? Do you feel a lot of shame/guilt over choices you have made and want to let go of those feelings? Wouldn't it be nice if you were treated how you treat others? Do you feel you need to take care of others, but are last priority?

Are you a professional in the DC metro area, thriving in some areas of your life, but feeling "stuck" or "in the dark" in others? Are you grappling with a recent loss, a major decision or life transition, trauma, grief/loss, or symptoms related to anxiety or depression? Do you want more for your life, your career, your relationships? Sometimes the things that happen to us can lead to negative beliefs about our selves or the world, and these beliefs get in the way of living the lives we've always wanted. You are more than capable of untangling these beliefs. You are motivated and ready for change.