Child Therapists in Bethesda, MD

I am a licensed psychologist with over 30 years of experience helping children, adults, and families to grow, connect, and experience more joy in their lives. My treatment and consultation services range from evaluation and short term support to comprehensive intervention. I am guided by the belief that individuals and families possess great strength that is fully expressed through nurturing relationships, empathic listening, and collaborative problem solving. Supporting insight and skill building, I aim to help others develop positive well-being, cultivate healthy relationships, and navigate life challenges.

I am an experienced therapist working with individuals and coupl for over 20 years. During this time I have worked with children, adolescents, adults and couples. My clients begin therapy as a means of overcoming obstacles or issues that prevent them from moving forward toward the individual goals they have set for themselves, whatever they may be. I help them assess and explore clear and realistic goals. I developed my early expertise working with adolescents with social, emotional, family or school issues. Since my early practice and training, I have gone on to also develop expertise in individual, couple and family counseling.

During different life stages you, or your child or teen may experience a range of difficulties including loss of self-esteem, depression, anxiety, behavior problems, dysregulation or moodiness. You may also face challenges through stressful times including separation and divorce, loss, bullying and teasing, relationship conflicts, and communication gaps. These are all painful and worrisome experiences and it is important to remember that all of us need help from time to time. Therapy will help you or your child gain insight, develop coping strategies, and better manage behavior and relationships.

For the past 20 years, I have worked with children, adolescents and their families both as a special education teacher and a clinical social worker. I specialize in anxiety, social skills and behavioral struggles at home and at school, ADHD, challenges with inflexibility, problem solving and autism.

I practice care through psychotherapy with children, adolescents and adults. I help patients address a range of issues, including: depression, anxiety, ADD and ADHD, trauma, perinatal and postnatal issues, grief, difficulties managing anger, pervasive developmental disorders, low self-esteem, family conflicts, academic difficulties, peer conflict, and chronic medical illness. I seek to understand the unique needs each of my clients within the context of their own ethnic, cultural, and racial identity. I collaborate regularly with parents when treating children.

My greatest passion in life is helping children, adolescents, and young adults navigate their own therapeutic journey. As a neurodiversity affirming therapist, I focus less on problematic behaviors and more on identifying unmet needs and lagging skills. I am strong believer that children are not intentionally giving their parents/teachers/caregivers a hard time, but rather they are having a hard time. As Dr. Ross Green states, "kids do well if they can."

People seek me out when they or their family members are in psychological or emotional pain, stress or crisis. Your kids aren't behaving and you want help for them; the career, relationship/marriage is falling apart; you feel depressed and hopeless, or lost; lack confidence, feel angry or someone tells you that you need "anger management"; you might feel shame and humiliation; unfulfilled with your life; dealing with loss and grief; psychological or sexual traumas; phobias and fears. I specialize in treating people who feel "stuck" and want expert help. Let me help.

I work with children, adolescents, adults, and families on a variety of issues including depression, anxiety, communication, divorce, grief, relationships and behavior management. I am primarily cognitive behavioral and take an active role in therapy, challenging clients to explore alternative ways to deal with their issues while creating a trusting and caring environment. I am the founder and clinical director of District Therapy Associates, a psychotherapy practice with several diverse therapists who focus on child, adolescent, adult, family, marriage, and group therapy.

I am committed to helping individuals and families. I work collaboratively with clients from a strengths-based approach to empower them and draw out their strengths, so they can grow psychologically, have fulfilling relationships, and reach their potential. I provide a safe, nurturing, supportive, non-judgmental and respectful positive therapeutic environment while also providing structure and focus to identify and achieve goals that foster growth and change.

I provide support and guidance to children, adolescents, and families in order to help them learn healthier ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving. We live in a complex and stressful world and are not always equipped with practical strategies to handle the challenges of everyday life or its more unusual challenges. My goal is to help individuals and families develop more satisfying lives. I treat clients with a broad range of psychological concerns. I use a practical and comprehensive approach, addressing each individual's issues within the context of the family, school, and community.

Hello! I am a Maryland licensed psychologist with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and Community-Social Psychology. I have extensive experience working with children and adolescents (ages 18 months - 19 years), presenting with a wide range of developmental, behavioral, social, and emotional challenges, as well as their caregivers and schools. I received extensive training and have worked in a variety of community- based, school-based, outpatient clinic, group practice, and private practice settings, including the renowned Kennedy Krieger Institute of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

I provide a positive and supportive approach to helping children, adolescents, adults and families who are navigating a variety of emotional or transitional challenges, including anxiety, mood disorders, school issues, family conflict and other sources of stress or disruption that may affect daily functioning or emotional well-being. I apply a person-centered and strength-based approach which involves respecting and encouraging a client's own goals and perspectives. I also work closely with parents to help identify practical and personalized strategies and interventions to address the many challenges that come with raising children and teenagers.

"Picking up the telephone to make an initial appointment to see a psychologist, can be difficult for many people for various reasons. One may be feeling wounded, lost, or stuck. I am dedicated to helping children, adolescents, adults, and families begin to heal and get "unstuck" by freeing themselves of distressing and sometimes debilitating feelings such as depression, anxiety, and feeling out of control. I believe awareness and insight into your child's feelings and behaviors, and your feelings and behaviors, is the great gift of psychotherapy. At its best, psychotherapy is a rewarding, productive, and at times, fun experience."

If you are looking for a supportive and approachable therapist to help you, your child, or your adolescent build effective coping strategies and create goal oriented solutions to help you improve your quality of life, I can help. My passion is adolescents and children. Some of the issues I focus on include anxiety, depression, adjustment problems, and social skills enhancement in young people. I have extensive experience in helping children, adolescents, adults, and families with complex underlying medical and/or developmental diagnoses deal with the impact these conditions have on their behavior, emotional happiness, and interactions with others.

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 primary focus is working with children and adolescents who are struggling with family discord, parent separation and/or divorce. Since 1996 I have been working within the school system, consulting for an adolescent residential/outpatient therapeutic treatment facility and in private practice. I work with children, adolescents, and their families to improve their skills navigating through life's challenges, transitions, and daily stressors. I also assist people who are feeling depressed, sad, anxious, or dealing with general relationship concerns. Together we develop skills to increase self esteem and coping abilities to promote resilient individuals and more communicative families.

In my practice, I work with a diverse clientele: children, adolescents and adults from all backgrounds. My approach is practical and conversational as we explore together the stressors of daily living, relationship concerns, parenting issues, and in some instances, severe psychiatric disorders. Often, clients seek short-term interventions, though for some difficulties therapy continues for an extended period. I allow my clients to set the agenda for our work together and decide what sort of help is needed.

I work mainly with children (2-12 years) who suffer with anxiety, depression, regulation disorders and trauma-related symptoms. I have years of experience working with parents and their adopted children.

I work with adults, adolescents and children to create a safe space in which to explore and understand struggles, develop healthy coping skills, and cultivate fulfilling relationships. I bring my understanding of development across the life span, listening skills, and a commitment to help each individual feel understood, supported, and challenged to move toward healing, growth, and the change they desire.