Teletherapy for Washington, DC

I love helping lawyers and other stressed out and exhausted human beings heal, grow, and thrive by reconnecting to themselves and the people they love. As a former BigLaw and in-house lawyer, I know how the overwhelming stress and demands of our profession can take a toll on both us and our relationships. I work with individuals and couples to tame that stress and build lives and relationships full of meaning, peace, and joy.

First we together bring rapid relief from your current upsets (e.g., anxiety, depression), before moving on to any deeper issues. We work together directly, actively, and with care, focusing on mutually agreed upon goals. Together we work emphasizing strengths as well as dealing with problems. A collaborative partnership with you yields the best outcomes within the shortest amount of time. Understanding your family is important in our work: the current family and the family of the past. Support for families experiencing drug/alcohol crises is available. Free initial consultation by telephone. email me at drbarbarajsuter@gmail.com

Anxiety, depression, and the other experiences that bring us to therapy are some of life's greatest challenges, but in therapy they become valuable opportunities for growth. Through therapy our struggles become an opening to deeper self-understanding, to new ways of living, and even to new beginnings. Our suffering asks us to seek help and to find a place where we may learn to better help ourselves. In the supportive context of therapy we begin to see our symptoms and difficulties in a new way- as the first difficult steps on a journey of learning and growth.

With over 20 years of experience, I provide psychotherapy for adults dealing with anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, grief, and interpersonal issues. I am on faculty at The Catholic University of America and the Washington School of Psychiatry where I continuously both learn and teach the latest findings in effective therapy.

No matter how difficult your current circumstances may feel, psychotherapy can help you identify what is holding you back and help you develop the right strategies to feel connected with yourself and others. My goal in therapy is to assist you to find your own voice and to guide you to live life in your own terms.

Thanks for taking a look at my profile! I provide individual and couples therapy to adults and enjoy helping clients work through anxiety, trauma, attachment and relationship challenges, life transitions, and identity-related concerns. As your therapist, I will strive to understand your challenges and symptoms in the context of your personal history, biology, relationships, and intersectional identities. We will work collaboratively to develop an individualized treatment plan informed by our shared understanding of your presenting concerns and goals, my knowledge of psychology and evidence-based treatments, and your feedback.

Everyone faces challenges along the journey. While you are the ultimate expert of your life, it is often valuable to have a trusted guide to help explore and navigate bumps in the road, internal and external conflicts and relationship issues. As a clinician, I have experience with a wide range of presenting concerns from stress and anxiety to serious mental illness. I specialize in psychotherapy with young adults, adults and couples dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, human sexuality and relationship issues.

I help adults navigate the challenging experience of coping with grief. Loss is often highly distressing and there is not a duration of time that grieving should take. However, we sometimes feel stuck in our grief or desire support. Because grief is a natural response to loss, the goal of our work together is not to "cure" your grief, but to help you find ways to adjust to your loss and cope with the stressors that accompany it. I also work with clients experiencing relationship and family-of-origin concerns and with individuals who would like to live more authentically and develop greater self-compassion and healthier boundaries.

*At this time, I am only accepting new clients for EMDR treatment* Are you struggling with processing past traumatic events? EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. EMDR provides a proven approach to address the symptoms of trauma that can interfere with thriving in your everyday life. EMDR allows individuals to process incredible amounts of material in a shockingly short time.

I bring a nonjudgemental, warm presence to therapy, helping you to move through suffering and heal from difficult experiences. I strongly believe that each of us is capable of more than just “getting by,” even if we sometimes struggle to access a sense of wholeness, contentment, or connection in life. Allowing ourselves to hope for a better experience, a better life, takes courage. However, I firmly believe that every human has the innate capacity to move through anxiety, depression, trauma, and dis-ease into spaces of freedom and joy.

Are you finding yourself stuck in certain patterns and ways of thinking and feeling that you would like to change, but not sure how? Trying over and over to cope from the effects of past emotional wounds and traumas? If you are tired of the impact that anxiety, depression, and other emotional hurts are having on your performance, relationships, and self-esteem, I want to help. You deserve to feel more at peace, emotionally grounded, empowered, and to experience better relationships with those you care about.

Are your mental health struggles overwhelming you? I believe these challenges serve as a window into deeper intrapersonal and interpersonal processes, often rooted in our formative childhood experiences. Think of them as messengers, urging us to explore, understand, and transform our lived experience. Together, we can try to understand the function of these symptoms, which may be helpful in freeing you from their hold & embarking on a healing journey. I am also a firm believer in the transformative power of the therapeutic relationship and am committed to fostering authentic connection as we work together.

Whether you're a caregiver, healthcare professional, or someone navigating a chronic illness, I bring 17 years of hospital experience to my practice. This has helped me understand the stress and burnout that can come with illness and caregiving. My clients have included those experiencing grief/loss, healthcare professionals, people living with a chronic illness, and caregivers. My clients describe me as a great listener, compassionate, and a creative problem solver.

We all need support at different times in our lives. Navigating relationships, grief, life transitions, anxiety, loss, and trauma can be complex and overwhelming. If you are feeling stuck, lost, or unsure of what your next step should be, my approach to therapy focuses on helping you understand what troubles you and gain insight toward change that is positive and lasting. In my work with individuals and couples, I take a caring and collaborative approach to therapy to help you discover healing and meaning in your life and in your relationships.

I strive to provide a collaborative and supportive working space for individual clients or couples with a range of presenting concerns. My clients tell me that they appreciate my warmth and practicality, as well as my willingness to provide an individualized treatment plan tailored to their specific needs. I believe that most clients' struggles-be they with depression, anxiety, attentional difficulties, or relationship issues-are born of and maintained by a range of factors. These factors may include past experiences, family history, biology, or unhelpful patterns of thinking.

I view therapy as an invitation to bring awareness to the here and now. For many of us, we press forward, through, and over difficult feelings when they arise in our daily lives. Often they show up as unwanted thoughts or images. They not only fill us with dread, but we will go to great lengths to avoid them. On the other hand, what if moving toward our feelings actually reduces the influence they have over us, allowing us to attend to the very things we value, thereby creating meaning and purpose in our lives.

Are you seeking deeper attachment? I collaborate with couples and individuals to increase your inner awareness of self to share with others. I help clients process life-changing events including job growth and relocation, loss and grief, chronic health diagnoses, and adoption. I offer support for couples who want to strengthen their relationships and resolve issues preventing emotional and sexual intimacy. Where appropriate, I offer intensive therapy to bring clarity and begin the healing process of life experiences. I'm licensed in DC/MD/VA. My diverse background includes working in Silicon Valley, Wall Street and Main Street.

I work with adults of all ages in a highly attuned, caring, and deeply respectful way. I have helped many people overcome painful anxiety, shame, depression, relationship difficulties, job stress, loss, and the challenges of creating a truly meaningful life. As a fully licensed clinical social worker, I offer an effective blend of deep empathy, understanding and considerable training. I enjoy working with adults from all backgrounds and lifestyles, and will tailor my approach to your needs.

A "desire line" is a foot path made by us – people walking over time, as we discover that the path made for us isn't the easiest, safest or most fun route to walk. Desire lines remind us that we are not alone with our longing, frustration or irritation, nor are we alone in our search for fulfillment, peace or pleasure. Desire lines are also a good metaphor for life. Maybe you and your partner are on an unchosen or changing path and you need a therapist to help you navigate new territory.