I provide a warm and inviting atmosphere for my clients to feel comfortable, accepted, and safe to talk to me and feel confident enough to explore.

I am an attentive and active listener. I always bring a level of empathy sprinkled with insight and knowledge in order to connect us with a strong sense of shared understanding. The therapeutic relationship is very important to me, and I strive to ensure you, as the client, are comfortable, heard, and understood.

Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) offers specialized adoption-competent in-person and teletherapy. Whether receiving individual andor family therapy, our therapists will include the family dynamic as a whole during the treatment plan. C.A.S.E. therapists are trained under the nationally accredited the Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) program and have the specialized skills, insight, and experience needed to address issues and use various treatment types depending on the needs of your child, teen or family receiving care.

If there is one thing I hope you take away from an encounter with me, it is this: you are precious and valuable. That belief is at the heart of what I call Treasure Therapy. I believe every person has inherent dignity and worth, even when life, relationships, failure, shame, conflict, or loss have made it difficult to feel that way. My passion is engaging people in deeper therapeutic encounters that lead toward hope, meaning, connection, growth, and healing. I am especially passionate about helping people understand the deeper patterns shaping their lives and relationships. Rather than focusing only on symptoms or surface-level solutions, I work from a whole-person perspective that considers your emotions, relationships, history, body, beliefs, values, sexuality, spirituality, and the systems you are part of. Couples therapy is one of my primary specialties, and it has been for more than 15 years. With a PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy, I am trained to understand not only each partner individually, but also the relational system they create together: the patterns of attachment, conflict, intimacy, communication, and protection that can keep even loving couples stuck. My role is not to decide who is right or wrong. It is to understand the relationship itself, help each partner feel heard, identify the cycle underneath the conflict, and help you create a healthier, more connected way of relating. I work with couples dealing with recurring conflict, emotional disconnection, communication difficulties, trust injuries, sexual and intimacy concerns, differences in desire, parenting stress, life transitions, attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) and neurodivergence within relationships, and questions about whether or how the relationship can move forward. I also enjoy working with couples who are not in crisis, but want greater closeness, emotional safety, intimacy, and depth. I also work with individuals around relationships, ADHD and neurodivergence, self-worth, anxiety, depression, sexuality, intimacy, identity, spiritual questions, life transitions, and the challenge of integrating the different parts of ourselves into a more satisfying life. I have been counseling individuals, couples, families, and groups since 2007. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Maryland, Washington, DC, and California, and I am approved by Maryland to provide clinical supervision to therapists in training. My approach is evidence-based, but I also believe therapy should feel human. You should not feel like a diagnosis, a checklist, or a problem to be fixed. Good therapy should involve curiosity, honesty, compassion, challenge, and real engagement. I want to understand not only what is happening in your life, but also what it means to you, and what kind of life and relationships you want to create. Because I am also a former pastor, I can integrate faith and spirituality into therapy for clients who want that. For some people, faith is a central source of meaning, hope, identity, and strength. For others, religion may be complicated, painful, or not important at all. You do not need to share my beliefs, or hold any religious beliefs, to feel welcome here. I work with people of many faiths, backgrounds, identities, cultures, relationship experiences, and life choices. My goal is not to impose my worldview on you, but to understand yours and help you live more fully in alignment with what matters to you. Outside the therapy room, I have been married for nearly two decades, and I am the father of two boys. I understand personally that relationships do not happen in a laboratory. Marriage, parenting, work, stress, health, sex, money, faith, family history, and ordinary exhaustion all interact in real life. If you are looking for a therapist who will go deeper than surface-level advice, who understands the complexity of relationships, and who will engage you with warmth, honesty, and respect, I would be glad to work with you. Whether you are trying to repair a relationship, deepen one that is already good, rediscover intimacy, understand yourself better, heal from something painful, or simply become more fully who you are, I believe there are treasures within you worth discovering.

We all have challenges that hold us back and keep us from living our best life. Maybe you have been disappointed, experienced loss, trauma, or rejection. Perhaps you have struggled with divorce, anxiety, isolation, or low self-esteem. You may be going through a difficult transition. I offer a blend of tools to help you begin to feel better. I bring solid experience and research-based strategies to my work. I believe in working with each person in a way that is individualized for them and honors the way they think and feel. I strive to make everyone feel comfortable, safe and supported during our sessions. I am a cognitive behavioral therapist, but also draw from many other techniques.

In my practice, I work with adults, defined as approximately age 20 and older. I work with individual clients, with couples, and with groups. In group therapy, the clients are almost always in individual therapy as well, with me, with my co-therapist, or with another therapist who has referred the client to the group. I work with clients presenting a variety of issues, including: *Depression Relationship Issues *Life Transitions *Anxiety *Addictive Behaviors *GLBT Issues *Anger *Grief and Loss *Sense of Self/Self-Esteem *Men's Issues *Trauma and PTSD *Partners of Abuse Survivors *Adult Children of Alcoholic/Dysfunctional/Abuse Families *Couples Issues, including Re-Marriage, Extramarital Relationships, and Step-Families I have had experience working with diverse groups of people. I have been a consulting psychologist to an orthodox yeshiva, I have worked with Catholic seminarians, I have taught and supervised trainees in a largely Catholic Pastoral Counseling program, and I have taken numerous workshops in working with Gay, Bi, and Lesbian, and Questioning clients. In addition, I have been involved in Multicultural work since 2001, and seek to keep an open mind and continuously question my assumptions about people whose lives are different from mine. I believe that psychotherapy is an interactive process that calls for both the client and the therapist to be as fully involved as possible. Therefore, I participate actively with my patients, sharing my thoughts, impressions, and reactions to what we are talking about. I believe that people can change even long-standing patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior if THEY participate actively. My job is to create a space where clients can be curious and learn about the ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that they bring to their lives, and about how these ways work for them and against them. I create this space by bringing both my professional training and understanding and my human compassion, empathy, and respect. In my practice, I typically meet with people once a week; if there is a need for additional support, or if we decide together that more intense work is called for, meeting twice a week can be very useful. Even meeting once a week allows clients to develop enough comfort with me and with therapy for our work to be effective and helpful. Regarding my theoretical grounding, I have intensive training in Psychodynamic, Cognitive-Behavioral, Gestalt, and Existential therapeutic approaches, and I draw from each of these as the client's situation, needs, and goals call for. Some therapists subscribe to and identify with one school of thought and apply that way of thinking and working to every client. I first work to understand each client's particular issues, needs, and style of thinking and feeling. THEN, I use the approach and methods that I believe would be most useful to that patient, and remain open to using whatever else might work based on what develops. Therefore, my orientation is eclectic, and my methods are determined by the client's personality and needs.

When we feel stuck in our lives, for weeks, or years, it can take a toll on us in ways we may not see. Time passes and we don't feel any further in our life. We're left feeling exhausted and alone in our pain. My name is Ryan, and I provide therapy for people who are looking to break free. Whether it's poor relationships, anxiety, depression, substance or process addictions, trauma, or a desire to deepen their connection with others, I help my clients find strength, flexibility, and compassion, returning themselves to the feeling of being whole. My job is to guide you through the things that have been holding you back in your life. I'm experienced in both modern and historical approaches; psychodynamic, attachment-based, internal family systems, addiction, and psychosynthesis. Regardless of the style of therapy, I specialize in creating safe holding for exploring emotional depth and healing.

At Laurel Fay and Associates, my colleagues and I are committed to providing you with a safe, caring environment in which we can address your unique situation. By carefully listening, I work to get behind the everyday surface of a situation to the underlying meaning. My systemic approach means I look to the dynamics between people rather than solely focusing on the internal workings of one person. Even in individual work, this approach can be helpful and empowering. I often use humor to gently but skillfully pinpoint specific issues and highlight areas of growth.

From a space of non-judgment and sensitivity, I believe it is my job to provide a supportive environment for us to explore patterns that contribute to the pain and challenges of your everyday life. I aim to bring light to different ways of being, so you can experience less pain, more satisfaction, and a better quality of life. We all get stuck at some point in our lives. It is my job to be present in those "stuck" moments so that we may collaborate in discovering the origins of the pain while identifying a path to well-being that fits for you.

Hello beautiful soul, and welcome. I’m so glad you’re here. If you’re considering therapy, it probably means you’re ready to invest in yourself and create meaningful change in your life. That’s a courageous step, and I’m honored to support you on this journey. My approach to therapy is warm, compassionate, and deeply authentic. I believe that healing happens when we feel safe, seen, and supported, so I create a space where you can be fully yourself without judgment. I take a mindful and holistic approach, meaning I don’t just focus on the challenges you’re facing, I honor your strengths, your values, and the unique story that makes you who you are. Together, we’ll explore what’s holding you back, uncover your innate wisdom, and empower you to move forward in a way that feels true to you. I specialize in working with people who tend to prioritize others’ needs above their own, those navigating anxiety or Obsessive Compulsion (OCD), and anyone going through life stage transitions. Many of my clients are working to break free from old patterns, like people-pleasing, perfectionism, or feeling stuck in cycles of worry or self-doubt. If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place. I know how overwhelming it can feel to juggle life’s demands while trying to stay connected to yourself, and I’m here to help you find balance, clarity, and peace. When we work together, you can expect a supportive and collaborative relationship. I’ll meet you where you are, tailoring our sessions to what you need most, whether that’s practical tools to manage anxiety, gentle guidance to set boundaries, or space to process and reflect. I’ll challenge you when it’s helpful and offer insights to help you see things from a fresh perspective, but I’ll always follow your pace and respect your boundaries. My goal is to help you feel more empowered, confident, and grounded—not just in therapy, but in your everyday life. If you’re ready to start, or if you’re curious to learn more, I’d love to connect and see if we’re a good fit. Therapy is a partnership, and finding the right therapist is an important step. You deserve to work with someone who understands and supports you fully. I offer a free 30-minute consultation for anyone looking to explore more details about my services and therapeutic style.

Do you have the same fights? Does anything ever get resolved? Do you long for a simpler time when things were better between you and your partner? Do you talk only about logistics and the kids? Are you roommates and want to be lovers? Do you feel alone even though you are surrounded? Are you stuck in your relationship? I understand. I've helped numerous couples learn new skills, develop a better process for resolving differences and navigating life so that .... at minimum, you like each other at the end of the day. In my work, I include individual and couples therapy and add group therapy when the time is right. With this 360-degree view of each individual in the couple, the patient is able to see their self-defeating patterns and practice new skills in couples and groups to become a better partner. I also work with individuals in their work roles in a similar fashion.

Erica is licensed in the state of Virginia as a licensed professional counselor, a licensed addictions treatment practitioner, and a board-certified art therapist. She has an extensive history of working with clients suffering from co-occurring disorders. Erica feels that the therapeutic value of art has the opportunity to heal, empower, and engage those isolated due to their addiction, depression, anxiety, fears, anger, and pain.