Therapists in Gaithersburg, MD

Bienvenido! Welcome! I believe that the overall health of a person depends on their physical, emotional, spiritual and social wellbeing- an integrated mind & body perspective. My approach focuses on supporting you to use constructive and healthy ways to better manage challenges life sometimes presents. I look forward to working with you to achieve your goals! I am licensed in Maryland, Washington DC & Virginia.

Currently accepting new clients! Restorative Focus Counseling Services has a passionate commitment for helping others make positive changes in their lives. The primary passions are helping individuals work through their problems and issues utilizing positive self-talk, mindfulness and grounding. We believe establishing a strong therapeutic rapport with her clients fosters a trusting, collaborative relationship in which clients begin to overcome their obstacles, developing positive coping skills, and achieve their goals.

I am currently accepting new clients! Sliding Scale Options are Available. I strive to create a safe, non-judgmental, and supportive atmosphere for clients. I use a holistic and collaborative approach, recognizing that it can be difficult to process painful emotions alone. I view a strong therapeutic relationship between the therapist and client as the main pillar for an enduring and meaningful experience. I draw from Psychodynamic, Attachment-based, Solution-Focused, and Existential approaches.

I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with a strong background working with adults and adolescents. Resistance is a completely normal part of the therapeutic process. My goal is to normalize this, and help you work toward acceptance. My experience has focused on addiction, mood disorders, trauma, gender/sexuality, sexual behaviors, and clients who have a difficult time making positive changes in their lives. Making long term, positive change in our lives is a learned skill set that many of us are not taught. It's not too late and every journey begins with one step. I'm here to be a guide on your journey.

Thank you for visiting my profile. It has likely been a long journey to get to this point, but here you are. I appreciate that there are difficulties that have sparked your interest in psychotherapy and invite you to take the next step. Perhaps this is not the first time that you have considered scheduling an appointment, but the discomfort does not need to continue. By pursuing therapy, you are making an honest commitment to yourself to feel better. It is ultimately my hope to join you on that path to self-improvement while supporting you throughout the process.

Hey, I'm glad you're here. Acknowledging that you need help or desiring change is a brave step, I commend you for taking it. Sometimes, life can feel overwhelming & we all need someone to help us navigate life's daily stressors that come our way. I want to be that person for you, to help you unpack & find healing from whatever you may be facing. Whether you're dealing with stress from work, relationships, disappointment, spirituality concerns, tired of doing the same things & feeling stuck & want to build better communication, reconnection, and healthier relationships or any other challenge, I'm here to support you on this journey.

Washington Psychological Wellness is passionate about helping people live the lives they have envisioned by bringing values of honesty, kindness, humor and compassion to the practice. Therapy can inspire change, create greater self-awareness and improve one's life and relationships. Our clinicians provide a comfortable and collaborative environment in which you can take risks and explore different ways of thinking, feeling and being. Our aim is to help you gain clarity about the underlying causes of problems, provide strategies to help you cope and empower you to trust your inner voice and live each day authentically.

Accepting New Clients! Is your child stressed, overwhelmed or more irritable now than ever and it's impacting the whole family? Are you exhausted trying to help your kids during these meltdowns? Perhaps your child or teen is not happy or the family is struggling. I believe that every individual possesses innate strengths, resilience and courage to live a fulfilling life. Counseling can be the support to help you and your kids live a more peaceful life. I help by contributing positively to you and your families lives through connection, empathy and creative expression and bolstering healthy self-concepts for children and the family.

As a therapist of more than 20 years, I have worked with individuals from all backgrounds & stages of life to help achieve their goals & experience more personal fulfillment. I have provided treatment to individuals anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, & trauma. Since the link between stress and the impact upon the body has been well documented, I incorporate mind-body techniques such as meditation, imagery and other stress management strategies into my practice. I operate from a strength-based perspective to move clients forward toward resolving issues. I listen attentively and customize the therapy to the unique needs of the individual.

During these difficult times, I will help you develop skills to tackle daily stressors, learn ways to cope with anxiety, depression or hardships of everyday life, and set personal goals and begin to achieve them. I'm passionate about helping individuals find their voice, become more assertive, increase self-esteem, and find their path in order to  start working on their life goals

I love helping my clients identify where they are feeling stuck and learn what their triggers are so they can feel more in control of their lives. I encourage them to define for themselves what brought them to therapy, what they want from it, and then how it helped them change over the course of time. It is a unique relationship and support, offering perspectives that are not otherwise available. I emphasize that it takes courage, not weakness, to face difficult issues.

Now available during after school hours! Its hard to be a teenager. Often my clients have a desire to better understand themselves and how experiences in their past inform who they are now. They may experience anxiety and depression or feel overwhelmed by stressors in their lives. Oftentimes, they struggle to cope with emotions or day to day stress and can be hard on themselves. I will work with you to process the emotions and beliefs that accompany relationship issues, identity exploration, emotional challenges, or past trauma, so you can move towards a life of fullness and connection with self and others.

Recommended by the Washingtonian Magazine as one of the Washington DC area's top trauma therapists, Tom Golden LCSW has been helping people move through crisis for over 25 years. Tom works with men, women, couples and children helping people find stability in the chaos whether the chaos is related to divorce, death or some other life crisis. His book Swallowed by a Snake: The Gift of the Masculine Side of Healing expressed the idea that each of us have a healing gift that is often overlooked or misunderstood.

As a result of COVID-19, all therapeutic services will be provided using Telehealth, by phone or video conference. Telehealth makes mental health care more accessible. It brings mental health care options to those with limited mobility, those who lack transportation, and those with limited mental health care options in their community. It also allows those who would ordinarily be reluctant to seek treatment because of the perceived stigma associated with receiving mental health care get the help they need. Flexible scheduling, evenings and weekends available, all from the comfort of your home, car, wherever you are.

My approach to healing is based upon a non-invasive experience rather than prolonged processes, which incorporates EMDR, Guided Imagery, and traditional psychotherapy. Each session provides an atmosphere for nurturing, heart-opening, and confidentiality that will help you successfully achieve your goals in less time than talk therapy. The outcome of this success will help you feel less anxious, sad, fearful, stuck and/or enhance your confidence, ability to perform, love openly, commit when you want/let go when you want, be fully present and connected in whatever you do.

Has your partner become a roommate instead of a romantic partner? Do one or both of you lack physical desire for each other? Are you struggling with how to reconnect sexually and regain the intimacy you once shared? Or perhaps you want to work individually, feel empowered, and have more joy and pleasure in your life? Working from a strengths based & holistic perspective, I am skilled at creating a warm, open space to help individuals and couples increase intimacy, enhance understanding, navigate changing roles, set boundaries, resolve conflicts, heal trauma, and create satisfying relationships.

We'll address and resolve distressing experiences, symptoms, relationships, behaviors and thoughts that affect your mood and functioning. You'll develop skills to identify feelings; assert needs; manage conflict in relationships; reframe irrational thoughts; regulate emotions; replace dissatisfying behaviors; increase distress tolerance; improve interpersonal skills and more. Teens and young adults work with me to gain insight and learn long term coping strategies to improve anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder, OCD tendencies and more. Using a collaborative process, we will build a flexible and dynamic plan for you.

My therapeutic approach is based upon the principles of positive behavior supports, cognitive-behavioral therapy and trauma informed care.