Therapists in Silver Spring, MD

Most people can solve their own problems -- unless there is something they are not aware of that is in the way. I help couples, families, children, and individuals figure out what is in the way. In addition to my general practice, I specialize in adult sibling relationships, mid-life issues for women and for men.

Hello. Thank you for visiting my page. I believe that you have the potential to heal and grow regardless of your age, gender, social status, experience, and depth of pain. My goal is to help you acknowledge and trust your own strengths to overcome any struggles. When individuals come to therapy, they may feel out of balance with difficult feelings, perceptions, behaviors, and/or thoughts. With a holistic view of a person as a complex being with different facets and strengths, I aim to facilitate my clients' self-awareness, self-regulation, self-expression, and self-exploration toward recreating wholeness.

The events of the past few years have taught us that we can't handle everything alone. We experienced unprecedented unemployment, isolation, and health issues. These experiences led many to depression, anxiety, anger, and fears. Many experienced hardships that they were ill-equipped to handle and turned to mental health professionals for the first time. Asking for professional help in mental health is slowly becoming as common seeking professional help in physical health.

Living with purpose, meaning and happiness calls for self-compassion as you work to heal and grow. I believe we each have the innate ability for personal development that is enhanced when we are in a safe and supportive relationship. It can be hard to ask for help so I work to establish a strong, trusting relationship where needs, experiences and goals can be explored and worked on without fear of being judged. I work with adults experiencing a broad range of concerns including anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, relationship issues, attention/concentration issues, and changing life circumstances.

The days are getting shorter. We will soon be losing an hour. Less sleep, less daylight. I love winter, but it can be dark. Seasonal Affective Disorder generally waxes in winter and wans in spring. This is a gentle reminder to make sure that you're covered with therapy and your medication. For medication management, give us a call. Provide us with your full name and your email address. We will schedule an appointment for you as soon as possible.

What do you value? What is important to you? Are you showing up for yourself in those areas? You have the right to live a satisfying and rewarding life that's free of suffering. Sometimes in our journey, we can feel stuck to the point of emotional stagnation. I am committed to working with you, collaborating & following your lead, to a place of greater satisfaction. Whatever the case may be, you deserve to thrive, and I would love to partner with you through your process to a place of increased wellness and acceptance. I consider myself to be an integrative therapist grounded in psychodynamic thinking and allied with nature.

I look at each person as a unique individual with the potential to grow and develop. Whether you have struggled with challenges for years or you recently faced a new struggle, I can help you understand the nuance of the situation and learn strategies to improve your quality of life. I specialize in working with different presentations of anxiety, military families, and individuals and couples struggling with grief, including infertility and prenatal loss.

Our culture, identities, experiences of marginalization, and familial roles impact how we navigate the world and can make living authentically complex. Our unique experiences can leave us feeling misunderstood, alone, and plagued by worry. Life’s challenges can cause sleep issues, struggles with concentration, and increased guilt, shame, and irritability. Becoming empowered and confident comes with challenges, like isolation and changes in your relationship dynamics. I know how hard it can be to find someone who understands how your minority identities intersect and how your culture and upbringing impact your struggles and healing.

My passion is helping others to live their best and most productive lives. I strive to empower my clients to be their most authentic selves by learning to manage life stressors and to overcome past experiences. I work from an eclectic theoretical approach, using modalities such as CBT, DBT, and Mindfulness, to support clients to learn effective coping strategies and to build self-esteem. My role is to partner with clients to support positive growth and self-actualization. I work with individuals of all ages and their families to develop skills to successfully navigate life’s challenges.

I CAN HELP YOU HEAL YOUR RELATIONSHIP. PREMARITAL AND COUPLES COUNSELING. "Why does my partner overreact?" "Why do I get so triggered?" "How come the punishment doesn't fit the crime?" “Why can’t he be more supportive?” “Is anything I do ever enough for her?” While you are feeling hurt, you have an added layer of confusion. You simultaneously love your partner and even hope to stay in this relationship to keep your love, family, and dreams intact. You are torn in a tug-of-war of emotions and desire to feel understood, accepted, and embraced by your partner.

If you struggle with reactions to people and situations you aren’t feeling proud of; let’s explore the process for change. Understanding why you react to situations is a key part of self awareness. Let’s get you to the place of understanding how your history impacts your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

I have experience offering trauma-informed therapeutic services for survivors and alleged perpetrators. And I have offered counsel to many emerging adults struggling with fundamental childhood pain related to their upbringing and connected their experiences of racism, their ethnic origins, sexual orientation, gender identity, neurodivergence, and the many other multi-dimensional ways we can identify and be made to feel othered. As I understand trauma can be relational, as so should be healing. So where you may find value in intimate partner, familial, or group healing, I am happy to meet you and other willing participants there.

My clients are adults, usually midlife or older. They come to me for help with a variety of issues, including: life transitions, parenting, caregiving, or relationship difficulties, mental distress such as depression or anxiety, alcohol or drug problems, or a desire to resolve past traumas. I am comfortable and experienced with clients who want to strengthen their own spiritual resources in therapy and welcome diversity of all kinds.

Kindness, unconditional acceptance, and deep listening: these are the basis of my work. If you are looking for someone who will connect with you, understand your particular life or work situation, and help you find and use your strengths to create more calm, better communication, more ease and love in your life, contact me. I always begin with deep listening, to help people find their own inner resources and build wellbeing. My office is fully accessible.