Preteen Therapists in Gaithersburg, MD

Whether you are seeking help for yourself, your child, or your relationship, therapy is a tool navigate the difficulties of life. Depression, anxiety are common concerns and CAN be managed. You may have experienced a stressful event, feel overwhelmed by ongoing stressors, or are struggling with identity issues. Life can be better. It may be difficult to imagine at this time, but it can be possible to improve your situation.

Do you ever feel like no one really listens to you or understands you? Are you a person of color or a part of the LGBTQIA+ community and feel discriminated against or rejected? Life comes with many challenges and while you may try your hardest to beat those challenges but sometimes you need a little help. So how can I help? My goal is to assist you with self-discovery, self-healing, and empowerment to face life head-on. I specialize in working with adults and adolescents with of various racial identities and/or sexual identities.

Welcome! I work with a wide range of clients and concerns, and enjoy working with teens and young adults. My areas of interest include anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, autism, family issues, and social and relationship struggles.

Are you worried about changes in your child's behavior? Maybe she isn't coping well and acts out or withdraws. Maybe he won't follow directions no matter what you try. Perhaps trying to communicate with your child leaves you feeling frustrated, confused and overwhelmed. If these types of problems sound familiar, I can help. I work with parents just like you who are struggling to figure out what's going wrong. My treatment approach focuses on helping clients better understand the challenges they're experiencing and offering specific strategies to make things better.

Empathy, warmth, and compassion are personal attributes that I bring to my role as a clinical psychologist. My extensive training in psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, dialectical-behavioral, couples, and family therapies allows me to draw upon an integrative psychotherapeutic framework in helping clients navigate life stressors. I guide clients in fostering a better understanding of self, relationships, and the context in which they live.

Thank you for taking the time to take a deep breath and acknowledging that you would like to seek help for what is causing difficulty in your life at this moment. You have just taken a most courageous step. I would like to assist you in taking this all important first step by working with you to develop coping skills and strategies.

I enjoy working with adolescents and adults around a variety of issues, including life transitions, anxiety, depression and trauma. My goal is to help individuals chart their own course by increasing awareness of how past experiences continue to resonate; to draw on their resilience, strengths and skills; and, to modify unhelpful patterns of thinking and behavior that cause distress so as to bring about lasting change. My approach involves joining with clients with curiosity, gentle humor, and warmth. Treatment approaches follow theory, best practices, and is practical. Clients typically report improvement after a few sessions.

You are beautiful, you are loved, you are creating yourself... let's embark on the journey of unfolding the best version of YOU. I sense your pain/ struggle; together we'll create the process of your healing and growth. I worked with clients at all developmental stages and issues - from crisis, trauma, special needs, adjustment, to managing clinical intensity mental health disorders, loss, family strategies. I am dynamic/ creative, I use techniques involving EMDR, visuals, movement, drawing, meditation, videos, reflection. Together, we'll create strategies that can take you where you want to be in your inner balance circumstances.

Accepting PCIT referrals! Dr. Renee DeBoard-Lucas is a licensed psychologist with over 15 years of experience treating trauma and anxiety in children, teens, and adults. She is passionate about using evidence based treatments because these treatments work and instill hope that people can get better! She is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and is trained in Prolonged Exposure therapy. Dr. DeBoard-Lucas provides Exposure and Response Prevention and Habit Reversal Training for OCD & Tic Disorders. Dr. DeBoard-Lucas currently has openings for PCIT, for children age 2-7 years with behavioral concerns.

I’m Kelsey (she/they) & I’m a Licensed Clinical Art Therapist from Portland OR working in Frederick with 10 years of experience as an Art Therapist in the US & abroad. I help clients work through the pain of trauma, grief, anxiety, self-esteem issues, depression, relationships & family dynamics, & toxic masculinity. Clients come to me wanting to manage tough emotions, improve communication, deal with conflict & find healthy coping skills to replace the ones they started using as a means of survival that maybe aren't the safest for them. My approach is warm, patient & empowering with a bit of sass & playful humor mixed in as a treat.

Using a warm and encouraging space, I help clients feel supported, inspired, and empowered to make meaningful and lasting change. I often say that attending therapy is like cleaning out your emotional closet. At first, it may feel intimidating to sort through the things that have been building up for months, years, even decades. Maybe the piles seem a little overwhelming. Maybe you feel stuck. I'm here to help you take all of the clothes out, sort through them, and find a place for what is important and fulfilling. I'll help you learn the skills you can use to maintain your emotional closet - even after our goals together are met.