Therapists in Chevy Chase, MD

I work with children, adolescents, and adults. I specialize in attachment, conflictive relationships, life transitions, anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD and executive functioning deficits. I have experience working with children that struggle with behavior and emotional dysregulation. I provide family therapy to support parents in managing behavioral challenges at home and can also provide coaching to their teachers. As a Play Therapist Supervisor and board approved supervisor in Maryland, I offer clinical consultation and trainings to other mental health professionals.

Wendy has 20 years of experience in her profession. Throughout this time, Wendy has utilized an eclectic approach when providing therapeutic services with various populations, tailoring services to meet the needs of each individual. She is passionate about treating everyone as special and unique as they are, helping them find the best version of themselves, through providing support, care and empathy each and every day.

I am a licensed clinical professional counselor with more than a decade of experience in mental health and substance abuse field. I have experience with wide range of treatment modalities such as CBT, DBT, EMDR, EFT, MI, yoga for trauma, biofeedback, experiential therapy (art, music, movement). My clinical focus has been in the areas of trauma treatment, addiction, and relationships. I am passionate about applying holistic approach to mental health and wellness. I meet my clients where they are and help them to move to a better place in their lives using client-centered approach.

Therapy can benefit you wherever you are in life, whether it's in the midst of a crisis, if you're feeling distant from a partner or your parents, or if you simply want to know yourself better. Providing therapy is a sacred calling for me, and I am honored to empower either individuals, couples, families, or groups to reach goals or explore the unknown. I use a systemic approach to help clients in the context of environments and identities. Together, we can grow and become the authors of our own stories. By accepting who we are and our imperfections, we increase our ability to love ourselves and connect more deeply with others.

Welcome, I truly believe that therapy is a brave and courageous choice. I strive to create a warm, empathetic, and safe environment for each client that chooses to work with me. I have a special expertise working with both adolescents and adults with mood disorders. Our relationship will be used as an element of change. Often, I will utilize aspects of our relationship to highlight barriers to change and provide a warm and directive approach to push you towards growth. My approach within our therapeutic relationship tends to be more collaborative and I commonly use interventions including mindfulness, CBT, DBT and attachment theory.

I am a clinical psychologist with more than 35 years of experience. My primary orientation is interpersonal/psychodynamic, but I am also familiar with cognitive behavioral therapy approaches and use them when appropriate. In addition to my private psychotherapy practice, I am a professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University and I have also served on the psychiatry faculties of The George Washington University and University of California, San Francisco. My areas of expertise include the treatment of depression, anxiety (particularly posttraumatic stress disorder), relationship problems, self-esteem issues, and marital conflict. I am the author of several articles on psychotherapy practice.

If you have concerns, worries or anxieties or feel overwhelmed sometimes, we can look at these together and work toward resolution in a relationship of trust, empathy, insight and honesty. I search for each person's strengths to enable them to have more control over their life. Most people have difficulty in relationships..........with friends, family members, or individuals in their work setting. We work together on improving communication to empower you to be more successful.

Our trauma informed and culturally sensitive clinicians provide professional services with respect, sensitivity and responsiveness. We treat each client, couple and group with compassion and work collaboratively to alleviate distress and promote optimal growth. Therapy will offer you an opportunity to know yourself better; address and identify current and long-standing difficulties; optimize your innate strengths; experience less pain and suffering; alleviate self-defeating behaviors; build and maintain healthier relationships; become more resilient and adaptable to change; and feel more equipped to manage and enjoy your life.

Because no two patients are alike, therapy should be tailored to each patient, rather than trying to treat everyone with the same theoretical approach. I believe that a therapist’s job is to guide the patient as they learn to change the behaviors and thinking styles that may have once been helpful, but are now getting in their way. Most importantly, I believe it is a therapist's job to teach their patients the skills necessary to eventually function independent of their therapist, allowing them to eventually leave therapy instead of being stuck with having weekly sessions for the rest of their lives!

Counseling is a healthy commitment and shows bravery. It is crucial to find the right fit for yourself, one who can best relate to your issues. Working for Peachford, Ridgeview, and Emory Hospitals, has allowed me to focus on trauma, persons on the spectrum, persistent anxiety, ADHD, grief, and resistent depression. My goal is to serve as an advocate for those desiring healing, proper medical care and learning to use their voice. Specializing in teens, college students, and adults who suffer from intrusive thoughts, self-harming behaviors, suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, divorce, parental alienation, and narcissist abuse.

I help individuals work on life issues tied to anxiety and depression, relationship difficulties, stress symptoms tied to childhood trauma, and families struggling with behavioral challenges. I teach communication skills that help with difficult relationships. These skills include helping my clients improve their power, voice, and contact with significant others. I employ many approaches in psychotherapy, including psychodynamic, gestalt, somatic experiencing (SE), accelerated experiential dynamic (AEDP), cognitive behavioral (CBT) and emotionally focused couples therapy (EFT).

I believe that a respectful, supportive, collaborative, relationship, free from judgement is important for deeper healing. My approach is warm & creative. I use traditional psychotherapy and adjunctive therapies to work from the inside out - allowing one to resolve deep-rooted, underlying issues. I am skilled and Certified in Psychotherapy, Hypnotherapy, EMDR ,and Sex Therapy. Together, we work towards freeing you from the pain of anxiety, Depression, PTSD, sexual disorders and eating struggles. Self-understanding with resolution can allow choice. I welcome the opportunity to be part of your journey to a freer life.

When we are struggling with our mental health, the question often asked is “What’s wrong with you?” instead of “What happened to you?” Sadly, many people who have reached out for help have found themselves shamed, invalidated, and in worse shape than they were before. My goal is to provide an affirming and safe therapeutic environment for all identities, and I welcome individuals who are trying therapy for the first time, as well as those who have had previous experiences. I regularly work with clients who are experiencing anxiety, depression, grief and life transitions.

You’re here because something’s not working. Whether it’s a specific event or just life piling up, I can help. Therapy with me blends visual arts with Internal Family Systems (Level 1 trained) parts work to explore your strengths and your stuck spots. You might find my approach beneficial if you relate to any of the following: you see yourself as an overachiever or perfectionist, find it hard to set boundaries, spend a lot of time in your head, struggle to sit with intense emotions, feel lonely despite being surrounded by people, have faced loss or trauma, or want to take up more space in your own life.

Through 25 years' experience in university, hospital and outpatient settings, I have developed specializations in Trauma & Abuse, Sexual & Relationship Violence, Women's Empowerment, Mindful Living, & the College Experience. Trained by a pioneer in complex trauma treatment, I assist survivors regain their sense of security and self. My past career research informs my continuing passion for mentoring women in their multiple roles and across their lifespans. I help individuals, couples & groups manage stress, anxiety, depression, and pain; navigate major life events and losses; & repair/strengthen their relationships.

I think it's very important to find a therapist who is a GOOD FIT for you with your unique needs. While I think psychodynamically, which means that I focus on helping my clients develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their relationships, I tend to be pragmatic and problem solving. My style is professional, yet relaxed and I'm appreciated for being both compassionate and having a sense of humor in my work. I see my patients in individual psychotherapy and very frequently in group therapy as well. Please note that I am only accepting new patients for group therapy.

Originally from Britain, I have an international background and have helped clients from around the world. Together, we have found ways to adapt to losses as well as new environments, and to heal the legacies of trauma. I work with individual adults and teens, as well as couples and groups.

Finding the right therapist is perhaps the most important step in the therapy process. A trusting relationship allows clients to feel safe when exploring deeper issues and taking risks. I am dedicated to creating a warm, supportive, and collaborative environment for each of my clients. Using an integrative approach, I enjoy working with adolescents and adults who may be grappling with life transitions or struggling with symptoms such as anxiety, depression, stress, grief, or relationship issues.

There is nothing like being listened to and understood on a deep level, with genuine interest and acceptance. This is what I strive to offer in therapy or analysis, as we explore together your hopes and dreams, your losses and regrets, your longings and fears. Many people come to therapy to free themselves from self-defeating patterns and the legacy of past traumas, so they can be more truly themselves in relation to others and live with greater satisfaction and meaning. My analytic training enables me to work intensively, and I enjoy incorporating experiential techniques like journaling, psychodrama, and art.