Johns Hopkins Therapists in Columbia, MD

Unfortunately, I am not currently accepting new clients at this time. So much of our daily life involves interactions and relationships with others. Often these relationships are affecting us more than we realize and may cause difficulties in the home, at work or socially. I am here to help families, couples, and individuals understand how to better manage their challenges such as depression, anxiety, personal loss, infidelity, substance abuse, and self-esteem issues. As a couples and family therapist, I am experienced and trained to focus on relational issues as well as the everyday struggles of the individual.

My speciality lends me the ability to understand active duty military, military families, veterans, and government employees. I love helping military members and veterans re-integrate back into life after deployment or separation as well as other common issues related to active duty service. I have extensive experience in helping military spouses and children with issues unique to the military lifestyle. I also enjoy helping military couples learn to communicate better with one another, especially during the post-deployment reintegration process.

“I don't feel cared for.” “When I bring up the ‘hard stuff,’ I’m met with silence." “Whatever I give is never enough.” “Why do I feel so alone?” “We keep having the same fights.” “I just want to be heard.” If these statements resonate with you, I'm glad you've landed on my page! Navigating these struggles alone can be overwhelming. In couples therapy, I can offer effective and compassionate help for your relationship, tailored to meet the needs of your situation. Working together, we can develop the skills you need to move away from a cycle of conflict and frustration and move towards greater connection, communication, and intimacy.

Balance is hard. There are often many influences in our lives pushing and pulling us in different directions – work, friends, school, a continued global pandemic, relationships with others, relationships with ourselves. It can be hard to navigate, and it takes incredible strength to reach out and acknowledge needing help. My goal is always to support my clients in defining what balance looks like for them and taking steps to achieve it.

Many people are haunted by interpersonal traumas and other wounds that prevent them from living fulfilling lives. Their lives may appear "perfect" from the outside but they struggle with shame, psychological symptoms, engage in self-sabotaging behavior, and feel isolated. I strive to provide a supportive, collaborative, and safe space for individuals to work through their inner experiences to increase awareness of how and why they feel stuck and not satisfied. My focus in therapy is to help individuals explore how their ways of relating to others may hinder growth and wellness and create psychological distress.

I believe that each one of us knows exactly how to heal ourselves; however, the message gets lost inside ourselves for various reasons. I see my job as merely helping the individual attain the clarity to see for themselves the choices they've made. Once they understand the unconscious decisions that drive their behavior they can begin to make positive changes. My style is very relaxed and interactive. I try to create an environment that feels nonjudgmental and safe; where the individual feels cared about, encouraged and empowered.