I want my clients to feel comfortable talking with me about their struggles. I provide empathy and exploratory questions to develop a shared understanding of their struggles and goals for therapy.

In my practice, I typically work with a diverse range of clients who are seeking support and guidance in managing various mental health concerns. I have extensive experience and feel comfortable working with individuals who are dealing with depression and anxiety. Additionally, I am well-equipped to address issues related to stress, self-esteem, relationship difficulties, and life transitions. I strive to create a compassionate and collaborative therapeutic environment where clients feel empowered to explore their challenges and work toward positive change.

Are you stuck in a painful relationship? Are you suffering from anxiety? Or do you feel your life isn't going the way you want it to? With cognitive behavorial therapy you can learn to have more meaningful relationships, manage anxiety and enjoy a more fullfillng life. I use a psychoeducational format in which I teach you skills to become your own best emotional coach. I will help you learn to understand and feel better about yourself, better about your life. With this self-awareness and skills developed in therapy you will be able to implement healthier behaviors and realize more positive ways of living.

Feeling overwhelmed by life? Stress feels unmanageable, relationships are strained, and moving forward seems impossible. The constant weight of overwhelm can leave you physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted. You long to make peace with a painful past but feel stuck. Unmanaged stress affects every aspect of your life—work, health, and relationships. You recognize the need for change, and starting therapy is a courageous, proactive step toward well-being. I'm here to provide a compassionate, validating space where your thoughts and feelings are heard. Together, we'll work toward healing and a more balanced, fulfilling life. I help individuals and couples navigate emotional regulation, stress, and relationship challenges through evidence-based methods like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and somatic therapy. Specializing in mood conditions, trauma, and attachment, I focus on fostering resilience and balance. Using biofeedback, I strengthen the mind-body connection to support lasting healing. Life’s challenges can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face them alone. Whether you’re seeking emotional balance, healing from past wounds, or strengthening your relationships, I’m here to support you. Together, we’ll create a compassionate, non-judgmental space to explore your goals and build the life you deserve. Reach out—I’m ready to help.

I believe that the innate nature of human beings is to survive and be well, and that varying degrees of life experience and trauma create psychic structures that inhibit that natural process from occurring. My job is to help client's develop compassionate awareness for these structures that are no longer functional in their lives and help them to build tolerance for the underlying feelings being protected by these structures. And ultimately to help client's choose and develop healthier more functional thoughts, feelings and behaviors to expand their well being, life satisfaction and treat themselves with loving kindness.

From my perspective life is about learning and growing. We have continual opportunities to learn and grow. Sometimes this means accepting ourselves and our situation with more realistic expectations- grieving or forgiving ourselves or others. Sometimes this means making a conscious choice about how we want to live differently and having the courage to make the first steps in that direction. As my mentor therapist used to say---- a therapist's role is to comfort the discomforted and discomfort the comfortable- we need both at different times. My role is to help guide you and walk with you in your journey. Thank you for the privilege and honor of walking with you and helping you navigate life in more balanced and authentic ways!

Therapy is a journey into a space where your feelings are welcomed and understood. Imagine a calm environment with soft light, warm air, and the gentle scent of lavender. This atmosphere provides comfort and ease, allowing you to settle more deeply into yourself. At the center is a mirror, not an ordinary mirror, but one that reflects your authentic self: vulnerable, radiant, and whole. In this supportive space, you are invited to recognize and accept all aspects of who you are, including your strengths, challenges, and areas of growth. Therapy becomes a process of healing and self-discovery, where you learn to embrace yourself with compassion and openness. With each passing moment, you feel yourself softening, embracing this mirror as it shows you who you truly are. And as you stand there, something shifts. You begin to uncover the pieces that make you whole, cherishing them, nurturing them, letting them grow. The journey of therapy is not just about healing; it is about discovering and embracing the profound beauty within you, piece by piece, moment by moment. In our first session, we will review essential consent forms and complete an intake questionnaire. This allows me to gather vital information about your unique experiences and needs, ensuring that our work together is tailored specifically to you. In subsequent sessions, we will collaboratively create a personalized plan aimed at helping you achieve your goals, fostering growth and healing every step of the way. You are not alone on this journey. I am here to support you in navigating the complexities of your life with compassion and understanding.

Whether you are feeling stretched thin by daily stress, navigating a major life transition, or stuck in the same relationship argument on repeat, you shouldn't have to figure it out alone. Many of the people I work with still care deeply and carry heavy responsibilities—they just feel trapped in a loop they can't break by themselves. I provide a direct, judgment-free space where you can put the armor down and trade walking on eggshells for honest connection. In our work together, we replace "Guess Culture"—where you hint, overthink, or build quiet resentment—with "Ask Culture," where stating your needs, desires, and boundaries directly feels safe and natural. Using a structured, action-oriented roadmap grounded in the Gottman Method, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Attachment-Based work, and Intercultural Communication, I help both individuals and couples quiet anxious overthinking, rebuild trust, and leave with practical tools that actually stick between sessions.

If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with one of our therapists, please use the contact form on our WEBSITE www.imaracounseling.com and a member of our intake team will be in touch with you within 24 business hours. Unlike many other practices you reach out to, we will respond and do our best to schedule you with someone who can assist you.

It is my highest responsibility to provide a safe environment that induces my client's trust and alliance. I am on my client's journey without being judgmental. Each client is unique and each client well-being is of the uttermost importance. My client's needs and desires are highly considered. The therapy I provide allows my clients to address their concerns, fears, and issues. I assist my clients in finding ways to better communicate and to resolve issues without engaging in conflict. My client's who seek relationship counseling engage in a process that requires their active participation so that they are able to utilize coping skills, techniques, and mechanisms they can use outside of counseling. My office enables my clients to experience an environment that is safe, tranquil and serene. Clients are able to learn more about themselves, their partners, and their families.

Many people come to therapy because they are tired of surviving. They may be struggling with the effects of trauma, grief and loss, relationship challenges, anxiety, depression, or life transitions that have left them feeling disconnected from themselves and others. I believe our struggles make more sense when they are understood within the context of our life experiences, relationships, and the environments that shaped us. The ways we learn to trust, protect ourselves, connect with others, and understand our worth are often influenced by experiences that occurred long before we recognized their impact. My approach is trauma-informed, attachment-based, and culturally responsive. I work with individuals, couples, and families to explore patterns that may no longer serve them, heal unresolved wounds, strengthen relationships, and build a greater sense of clarity, connection, and purpose. I integrate EMDR and other evidence-based approaches to help clients process difficult experiences while developing new ways of relating to themselves and others. Therapy is not about fixing what is broken. It is about understanding your story, recognizing your strengths, and creating space for healing, growth, and meaningful change.

Youth Crisis Residents provides short-term, stabilization-focused behavioral health treatment for adolescents and transitional-aged youth experiencing acute mental health symptoms, substance use concerns, or significant functional impairment. Our goal is to reduce crisis intensity, restore safety, and support youth in returning to home, school, and community with a clear, individualized plan. Our program provides partial hospitalization (PHP) and intensive outpatient (IOP) mental health and substance use services for adolescents (12-17) and transitional-aged youth (16-25). Services are offered virtually or in person in Maryland.