Play Therapy in Silver Spring, MD

My clients are smart, successful people who want to create change in their lives. Does your life look good on paper, but you don't feel happy or fulfilled? Experiencing mild to moderate anxiety or depression? Maybe, like many, you suffered trauma, now interfering with your quality of life. You want insight and action, process and results, to feel and perform better. Maybe you are the concerned parent of a child, seeking help for emotional or behavior problems. You want a trusted therapist for your child who will include you in their treatment, and who will provide you with information and realistic strategies you can use at home.

I am trained in a psychodynamic and relational approach that includes the use of play therapy , art, music, cognitive behavioral therapy, and mindfulness. I have spent the last 20 years working clinically with children and adolescents in school settings in Baltimore City, Montgomery County and Prince Georges County. I currently combine my work as a school counselor in a special education facility with private practice.

If you are struggling with issues that prevent you from being as happy as you would like, I can help. For over 35 years, I have specialized in working with children and adolescents, as well as adults and couples. I utilize play therapy with young children and look to their parents as partners in treatment. With older children and adolescents, I use various approaches depending on their emotional development and issues. For those of us a bit older, life transitions including college, marriage, becoming a parent and loss can be stressful, but also create opportunities for growth.

I am a psychologist with The Kingsbury Wellness & Learning Group, a multidisciplinary team of dedicated professionals working collaboratively to provide exceptional therapeutic and educational services to children and adults of the Greater DC community. I provide psychotherapy, parent guidance and consultation, and comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations. If you or someone in your family is experiencing difficulty related to learning, behavior, or emotional well-being, I can help.

I work with children, adolescents, and adults who are struggling with learning challenges, ADHD, stressful family dynamics, depression, and anxiety. For many children and adolescents, there are struggles with behavioral and emotional regulation that are making life difficult for them and their families. Through dialogue and/or play , we develop innovative and creative strategies to help with self-regulation. For adult clients, through developing understanding of ADHD, depression and/or anxiety, I help clients make changes in their thoughts, feelings, and actions that lead to alleviation and reduction of symptoms.

We all deserve a space where we can explore and grow into our authentic selves. I can't wait to connect with you and help you feel your best. I'll provide a judgment free space where you can explore what "best" means and how you'd like to get there.

We all deserve to be happy. Sometimes events and circumstances may get in our way. Using holistic approaches to compliment traditional talk therapy, I hope you will let me help you on your journey of self-discovery and healing. Whether you are dealing with traumatic issues or life challenges, these methods work! As one client shared with me, "after years in talk therapy, this is the first time that I am beginning to feel integrated and whole." If you are ready, please accept my offer to share this journey with you.

Trauma shatters your world and the world around you, including your personal and professional relationships. Finding your wellness requires having a therapist who understands your needs. I specialize in working with trauma and its related disorders. I bring creativity and above all else sincere caring for my clients. With children, I implement and integrate play and sandtray therapy to facilitate and increase the child's confidence. For adolescents and adults, I create a warm self-honoring environment that increases in their ability to develop positive tools to navigate through their traumas, challenges, anxieties, and fears.

Mark believes that individuals are uniquely gifted with a purpose to seek self-actualization and contentment to optimize intrapersonal wellness. He attributes the complexities of humanity to have enabled him to implement or utilize an eclectic approach to counseling. A therapeutic process is a safe place for individuals to learn more about themselves, mental health awareness, and spiritual connection. As noted within the inner-person, counseling requires a commitment to address cognitive and emotional deficits to seek wellness to promote a healthy balanced lifestyle.

Are you weary of feeling lonely, tired, sad? Perhaps you're scared or confused and don't know what to do about your marriage--the two of you are almost like strangers, or you fight all the time, or you're facing infidelity? Maybe you know your child is troubled, and you're not quite sure how to be of help. A special strength of mine is healing connections--connections between people as well as personal connections to the inner self--whether I see you in a couple, a family, or as an individual.

I am a clinical psychologist who specializes in helping children, adolescents, and their families. I have extensive experience working with preschoolers, school-aged children, and adolescents with social, emotional, behavioral, and educational challenges. My areas of expertise include depression, anxiety, social difficulties, learning disorders, divorce, and loss. Kids are sometimes sad when they sit by themselves at lunch. Others may be frustrated when they are not picked for games. Children may not have the social language skills, impulse control, social judgment, and/or abilities to develop and maintain friendships. I help children and adolescents develop these skills in individual and group therapy.

I am passionate about working with young children and their families who are experiencing challenges with academics, parenting, separation and divorce, as well as regulatory and behavioral issues. I provide psychological, developmental, and admissions testing. I also conduct play therapy , family therapy, parent guidance, divorce mediation, as well as school consultations. Early intervention and prevention as well as parental involvement is essential and paramount for optimal and favorable treatment outcomes.

I work with children and teens and their families. I address issues including problematical attachment with parents and/or caregivers, negative self-image, trauma, depression, anxiety, anger, oppositionality, poor communication and social skills, acting out behaviors, sibling problems, and difficulties in school. As a therapist, I establish a safe "container" in which to work with children and parents together in order to strengthen a child's positive sense of self, reinforce the family system and bonds of attachment, and promote behavioral and emotional regulation. I work with teachers and school administrators to help children learn and thrive in school

My down to earth style, arising from over 25 years of experience working with adults, adolescents and children, creates a comfortable, safe environment where together we learn to understand you. I provide individual, couples and family therapy to enable you to better cope with life's continuing challenges. I have extensive experience with individuals who are having trouble coping with depression, anxiety and trauma history. I also enjoy working with couples who are struggling in their relationships. I have a certificate in Advanced Trauma Treatment and I use Gottman Method Couples Therapy in my work with couples.

IF YOU HAVE BEEN FEELING: Worried about future; Stressed about work; Discouraged and not motivated for life; Feeling I am not good enough; Feeling lost, loneliness, hopeless, and confused...WE WILL HELP YOU FEEL: Fulfilled life with purpose and joy; Ready for whatever life obstacles are ahead of you; Connected with the people who you are close to! You have been struggling for some time with negative thoughts and feelings that just won't seem to go away. You are in the right place. We can help! Mindology is a professional and licensed private counseling practice that is specialized in treatment for Trauma, Substance Abuse and other mental/behavioral disorders, in order to empower and help our clients to overcome day-to-day life challenges; achieve personal goals and improve the qualities of life.

I have had a lifetime of working w/all ages & types of people: physically, cognitively, developmentally & emotionally challenged children/ adolescents/adults & their loved ones; individuals struggling w/difficult life transitions & w/mood, trauma, abuse, loss, grief & relationship issues. I work from a strength-based perspective, w/respect for client self-determination, helping clients identify & achieve their goals & build their strengths. Together, we will therapeutically work to create & follow a plan for your success.

My therapeutic approach emphasizes the importance of meeting the client and family where they are at and building a connection through trust and understanding. I have experience working with children as young as 5 years old, adolescents, adults and families. I specialize in supporting clients with depression, anxiety, trauma, self-esteem challenges, socialization and attention deficit disorder. When working with adolescents or adults, I utilize a variety of modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and Mindfulness.

I work with adults of any age, and have specialized training/experience with families and with children/adolescents, including play therapy for pre-school and young children. My clients find relief from painful symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety); address troublesome behavioral problems (e.g., anger management; school/work performance); improve family/ interpersonal relationships; and access greater creative and spiritual potential to fulfill life goals. I work with many clients who have been exposed to trauma, violence, abuse, or loss, and with adoptive and foster children/families. My clients often address issues of ethnic, cultural or sexual identity, and challenging life transitions.

I'm a bilingual Licensed Professional Counselor, Registered Play Therapist and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional with over 26 years of treating children, teens, adults and families in private and public settings. I work with individuals with complex trauma, and personal histories of neglect/abuse. Addressing family systems issues like, parent/child relational issues, family reunification and ineffective/ inadequate parenting skills, and insecure attachment. Implementing evidence based practices and mindfulness techniques to achieve individualized treatment goals. I provide treatment to Spanish speaking individuals/ families.