Services
About My Clients
When you're in a bad place-- with behavior or emotional patterns (anxiety, depression, unhealthy habits, stress) or with relationships (loneliness, conflict, toxic interactions)-- then it costs you time, keeping you from engaging with life the way you want to. We'll work together to help you understand what's gotten you to where you are and, most important, how to create and enact a plan to change the problematic patterns and enhance the positive aspects of your life.
My Background and Approach
For two decades, I have helped clients gain insight into themselves and build new habits in order to create meaningful differences in their lives. I have specialized clinical and research experience in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness techniques, and how they can help those suffering from anxiety, stress, burnout, and relationship challenges. Some clients find me through my other work-- my longtime Washington Post mental health columns and my commentary on CNN and NPR, my bestselling "Detox Your Thoughts" book, or my mental health trainings. I've also taught for fifteen years at Georgetown University, including a long-running popular class on psychological disorders and a seminar on anxiety disorders. Across my work, my goal is always the same-- using sound science to help create more fulfilling lives.
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
I believe strongly in the power of community-- how important positive social connections and inclusivity are to mental health, and also how devastating the ripple effects of isolation, discrimination, implicit bias, and violence can be. I embrace progressive values and speaking truth to power, and am continually seeking to learn, improve and gain further understanding into life experiences that are different than my own. On the personal front, I am a married mother of three (four if you count our huge, exuberant Black Lab(ish!) rescue dog Buster) who loves all things food, baseball and softball, weird documentaries, emotional novels, stand-up comedy, knitting, crossword puzzles, and pretending that she is a skilled gardener when in reality it's just that zucchinis will grow anywhere.