Adoption Therapists in Silver Spring, MD

Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and/or are navigating life transitions, my goal is to create a safe and supportive space for exploration and growth. My approach to therapy is client-centered and collaborative. I work with clients to gain enhanced self-understanding, address challenges, build resilience, adopt new coping skills and affect meaningful change. Special areas of focus include: anxiety, depression, fertility and family-building, grief/loss, adult ADHD, family dynamics, and life transitions.

I am committed to offering the very best in individual, couples and family therapy. Specialties include ADHD and executive function coaching, with an expertise in adoption , anxiety and learning disabilities. I use a strength based approach to helping people find life balance. I work with my clients to find strategies that help them improve their lives.

I know that finding the right therapist is a daunting process, so thank you for reading my site. Those who work with me appreciate how engaged & active I am, when needed. We will explore not only the reasons for your difficulties, BUT more importantly, how stress affects your body; how you internalize thoughts of self & others. I will give you tools to help with difficult emotions; manage stress effectively. I also specialize in: 1) postpartum, 2) trauma/grief, 3) non-traditional family formation, 4) adoption , 5) ThirdCultureKid, 6) LGBQ. I am happy to provide a phone consult; this will also allow you to get a sense of me.

Close and warm relationships are key to a successful family life, individual health, and to a happy life as a couple. I work collaboratively with families to improve communication between parent and child, deal with underlying emotions, and to address problems together. I help couples find their way back to the initial strong bond that brought them together. I assist parents in finding successful strategies to deal with emotional outbursts, school difficulties, and sibling conflicts. Together we address specific challenges that children face such as learning differences and mood swings. I specialize in working with adoption and multicultural families.

Touched by Adoption ? The Barker Foundation recognizes that adoption is a lifelong journey, with normal developmental challenges and tasks. We will walk with you through and support you through your journey. Whether you are an adoptive parent with a child that is struggling emotionally or academically; a birth parent who is seeking understanding, reflection, or search and reunion; or an adoptee looking for support- we are here for you.

I specialize in working with families, couples, groups, and individuals. I treat children as young as three, have experience with school phobia, adoption , blended families, gender issues, gay, lesbian, and transgender individuals, and the challenges of elderly. I am experienced working with psychoses, severe post traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorder, and problems of every day life. I have special expertise working with the LGBTQ+ population, with adolescents, sexual development, severe mental illness, post traumatic stress disorder, and physical illnesses.

Our relationships with others can be the source of our greatest joys and our greatest pain. I see therapy as a collaborative process where we work together to help you develop healthy, supportive, relationships - be they with partners, children, parents, friends, or co-workers. With over 25 years of experience providing individual, couple and family therapy, training family therapists, and teaching about families at the university level, I am committed to the important yet often difficult work of enhancing self-understanding and improving relationship/family functioning.

In my work as a therapist for the past 25+ years I have witnessed the incredible strength and resilience in people despite life's hardships, losses and traumas. I work with adults, teens and tweens to deal with life's challenges such as relationship difficulties, depression, anxiety, loss, trauma, adoption ,parenting, and divorce. As people gain deeper understanding of themselves and their behaviors , they are often able to make changes to improve their self esteem, strengthen their relationships, cope with life's ups and downs,and achieve deeper satisfaction in their lives.

Is there something holding you back from the experience of feeling fully alive, safe, and satisfied in your own life; in your own skin? Experiencing internal and external difficulties long enough and under enough stress, we become disconnected to what makes life worth living. I believe my job is to provide a safe space and be a supportive, caring, non-judgmental presence as a guide and collaborator. Together we can face what is hurting or not helping you. I have worked over the years in a variety of settings with adults, children, teens, families and couples from diverse backgrounds and identities.

I believe that effective therapy is rooted in the importance of the individual, and built on trust, comfortability, and unconditional empathy. My treatment approach is person-centered, using methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Strength-Based skills, and Behavioral Modification. I value taking the time to understand my clients’ passions so that I can integrate these into their treatment to build connection in creative ways. I want my clients to be able to not only process their experiences during our sessions, but also leave with practical tools that fit for them.

Maybe you want a sense of security, to be calmer, to have more energy and creativity or more loving relationships. Maybe you want freedom from the after-effects of trauma. We begin with an attitude of loving self acceptance. You can change an unhealthy habit, heal from trauma or shed an addiction relatively quickly with a brand new (evidence-based) method called Accelerated Resolution Therapy (A.R.T.). I bring wide experience and a large professional toolbox to help you toward your goals.

With over 30 years of experience to offer, I'm pleased to say that most of my clients have been referred by their friends who are or have been clients. When mutual respect develops, it ensures the trust and comfort needed to address and resolve most problems. I have always felt blessed and privileged to be a therapist and to sit with someone who is grappling with some of the most meaningful aspects of their lives. When you contact me, I'll be happy to honestly explore whether or not this will be a good therapeutic relationship.

I am accepting new clients! Taking the first step to seek help for yourself or your child is a huge accomplishment. My goal as a therapist is to meet you where you are to help you tap into your innate wisdom to develop skills and create goals to overcome the obstacles you’re facing and find a deep, abiding sense of contentment within yourself. I love working with both kids and adults. In my work as a play therapist, I help you and your child process the difficulties we have all experienced over the last few years. I excel at assisting clients in navigating anxiety, depression, existential dread, past trauma, and addiction.

Hello and thank you for your interest in my profile and Whole Healing Mental Health. I work with clients who need support, an understanding of themselves and their environment, and are ready for change. Clients struggling with depression, anxiety, self-esteem, PTSD, grief, schizophrenia, bipolar, and personality disorders, as well as relationships, career support, aging, and other daily life issues are great candidates for therapy with me. I see individual clients of any age (however under the age of 16, parent/caregiver collaboration is required), families, and couples.