What's My Approach to Therapy?
I help people to be better focused, motivated, organized, and thrive in life. I specialize in attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) and executive function challenges (i.e., time management, organization). I often blend traditional psychotherapy with executive function coaching. Through this, I help clients to better understand their difficulties, as well as take concrete steps and actions to make tangible changes in order to see the improvements that they desire. With Psypact, I can see clients in 42 states.
With kids and teens, this often involves helping them plan out homework assignments, use a task list or calendar, and better understand how to manage their time, and address challenges with this, such as distractions. For adults, this may involve helping them plan out and execute work tasks, household chores, keeping themselves organized to know where they need to be and when for their kids, and more.
In addition to psychotherapy, coaching, and attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) testing, I run an executive functioning boot camp. This is a two-hour intensive 1:1 or family session geared towards helping kids, teens, and adults jump-start or fine-tune strategies and tools. We work together to make a comprehensive plan of what to do going forward, and set up tools as feasible during the session. Obviously, follow-through is crucial, and can be even harder than knowing what to do. We work on this during the session, and follow-up appointments are also available to assist with this.
My Practice & Services
In addition to my practice, I am very involved with the ADHD and broader professional community of mental health and education-related professionals. Specifically, I have a faculty appointment as an assistant clinical professor of clinical psychology at The George Washington University, providing assessment supervision to graduate students. I also serve on the board of the Montgomery County, Maryland, chapter of Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity (CHADD) as the chapter coordinator, as well as on the board of Washington Independent Services for Educational Resources (WISER) as president. Furthermore, I am on the National CHADD Board as the chair of the Editorial Advisory Board (EAB) for CHADD’s Attention Magazine.
Specific Issue(s) I'm Skilled at Helping With
While I feel that I have strengths in working with a variety of issues, I believe that my skills and experiences in conducting evaluations for ADHD and learning disabilities in a variety of settings have provided me with the necessary skill set to complete useful, in-depth, and informative psychological evaluations.
In my assessment work, I write reports that are easily understandable to individuals without psychological training. I clarify with parents andor clients at the outset, exactly what they are hoping to achieve with the evaluation. Following completion of the report, I meet with the client andor family to go over the results and assist them in implementing strategies. I am also available for follow up visits if needed.
My experience conducting testing in school settings has provided me with excellent experience in understanding how assessment reports are received by schools, how the IEP process works, and what recommendations are realistic for schools to implement.
With treatment, I specialize in ADHD and executive functioning issues. I am able to assist individuals with improving time management, organization, and other related executive function skills as well as with related study tools. As a psychologist, I also have the ability to treat co-occurring anxiety and other similar difficulties.
On the Fence About Going to Therapy?
Choosing to begin therapy is a personal choice, and one should enter treatment with an open mind as well as ideas of what they wish to obtain from treatment. I always tell clients (and their parents) during the first session that I want them to get everything out of their treatment experience that they want. Thus, I encourage frequent feedback about their thoughts on the treatment process. For example, if clients feel that they are not going into enough depth about issues, are being pushed too much to open up about sensitive topics, not receiving enough practical suggestions, or have other concerns, I encourage them to discuss the issue with me so we can work collaboratively on making treatment more conducive to their individual needs.
As part of any new therapeutic relationship, I always explore previous therapy experiences and encourage clients to discuss what they have liked and valued in previous experiences as well as what they have disliked. This provides valuable information that can make therapy more effective. Therefore, I would encourage anyone starting therapy to be open with their therapist about what they are looking for and make sure that the therapist is receptive to their needs and able to provide the kind of treatment desired.
Importance of the Client-Therapist Alliance
The client-therapist relationship is crucial to a successful treatment outcome. Thus, I strongly emphasize the development of it during the early phase of treatment. Clients can expect that during the session I will allow them to use their time in whatever manner is most beneficial to them, while guiding treatment to ensure that it is effective. I am always very open to feedback, and encourage clients to offer suggestions on how treatment may be improved. It always amazes me how many clients come in for the first session and discuss how they have not liked certain aspects of the way a previous therapist conducted sessions, yet instead of speaking with the therapist about their concerns, they simply stuck with therapy or quit.
In addition to conducting therapy, I also do a significant amount of psychological testing. Since testing is time-limited, often times I believe the importance of the client-therapist relationship is not focused on enough. In my clinical work doing testing, I take the necessary time in order to foster a strong client-therapist relationship, as I feel that this is vital in obtaining accurate results. Furthermore, I am always available to clients for follow up after the feedback session at the conclusion of an evaluation.
