Find someone who gets you.

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, LCPC, NCC

Yousef Essex is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor listed in Bethesda who serves clients across Maryland and Washington, DC. His specialties are trauma, ADHD and the mental health of men, and he also helps with anxiety, depression, burnout and relationship difficulties. Before becoming a therapist he worked for over a decade in international education and as a federal Foreign Affairs Officer, living and working in places such as Cairo, Beirut and Damascus; his own burnout led him here. He combines Internal Family Systems, Somatic Experiencing and CBT, and uses Gottman and emotionally focused methods with couples. He also offers psychedelic harm reduction and integration support, plus a free 20-minute consultation. Sessions are in person and online.

Psychologist, PhD

Dr. Laís Granemann is a licensed psychologist in Bethesda with 14 years in practice who works in English, Spanish and Portuguese. She provides individual and couples therapy for adults and neuropsychological testing for ADHD, autism, learning disabilities and mental health concerns in children, teens and adults. Many of her clients have moved for work, school or family and are adjusting to a new place or to cross-cultural relationships. She also supports people with cancer and their caregivers and treats blood and needle phobias. She trained and practiced in Brazil before earning her PhD in clinical psychology at Fordham University. Her approach is warm and collaborative. She offers a free 15-minute consultation and sessions in person and online.

Family Therapist, MS, LCMFT

Jennifer Fang Brehm is a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist in Silver Spring, Maryland, with 18 years in practice and licenses in Maryland and DC. She sees individuals, couples and families of all ages, from young children to older adults, and her specialty is couples work, including communication, conflict, intimacy, co-parenting, premarital preparation and separation or divorce. She also helps with grief, anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD and family conflict. She views the therapy relationship as a judgment-free place to explore and heal emotional, interpersonal and spiritual concerns. Her methods are research-supported, mainly CBT, emotionally focused therapy and solution-focused therapy, with play therapy for children. She offers a free phone consultation and sessions in person and online.

Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MSW, LCSW-C

Amy Gates is a licensed certified clinical social worker in Rockville, Maryland, with 26 years in practice. She works with adults who feel overwhelmed, anxious or depressed, and she helps people who feel stuck in difficult life transitions. A large part of her practice is couples and parenting work, often with parents raising a child with special needs, helping them develop coping strategies that ease worry. She also sees teens, older adults and families, with concerns including grief, self-esteem, OCD and the perinatal period. Her approach is supportive, practical and solution-focused, treating therapy as a way to make change rather than only gain insight, and she uses CBT, coaching and strength-based methods. Sessions are offered online.

LMSW

Adesola Ogin is a licensed master social worker based in Columbia, Maryland, with seven years in practice. She works mainly with older teens and adults who are dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship strain and major life changes, and her listing also covers couples, families, ADHD, self-esteem and stress. Her methods include CBT, DBT, mindfulness, solution-focused brief therapy and emotionally focused work, used to help clients regulate emotions, question unhelpful thinking and grow more resilient. She describes her style as warm, collaborative and supportive, with a focus on making clients feel heard, and she has a particular heart for people who feel close to giving up. Sessions are offered in person in Columbia and online.

Licensed Professional Counselor, LCPC, NCC

Ashley Swift is a licensed clinical professional counselor and National Certified Counselor in Baltimore. She helps children, teens and adults through anxiety, sadness, grief and the uncertainty of big transitions such as starting a job, moving, graduating, becoming a parent or a relationship shift, along with ADHD, self-esteem, family concerns and LGBTQ+ issues. She offers practical coping strategies and helps clients make sense of what they are going through, drawing on ACT, CBT, DBT, narrative, existential and person-centered approaches. Connection is central to her outlook, whether that means reconnecting with oneself, other people, community or the natural world. She sees clients in person in Baltimore and online.

Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LMSW

Ariel Wagerman is a licensed master social worker in Towson, Maryland, with two years in practice. Her main focus is perinatal and maternal mental health: she supports people who are trying to conceive, expecting, adjusting after birth or settling into parenthood. She also works with young adults and adults facing anxiety, depression, OCD, family stress and hard life transitions. Her approach is strengths-based and solution-focused, and she brings in motivational interviewing, elements of ACT, I-CBT and nature-informed therapy. She aims to offer a relaxed, judgment-free space where clients can speak openly, including about feelings that run against social expectations. Sessions are available in person in Towson and online.

Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LGPC

Chris Aitken is a licensed graduate professional counselor in Ellicott City, Maryland, who works with clients of all ages. Couples work is his specialty, and he also enjoys seeing individuals and families for anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, substance use and the stress of life changes, decisions and illness. His practice is shaped by existential ideas about freedom, isolation, meaning and mortality, and he combines DBT, narrative therapy, REBT and a strength-based outlook with his own life experience. He tailors therapy to each person, building on their strengths with the aim of moving them toward greater wellness and a more fulfilling life. He offers sessions in person in Ellicott City and online.

Psychologist, PhD

Dr. Jonathan Schettino is a licensed psychologist in Baltimore with 13 years in practice. He specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy for adults with anxiety disorders, OCD and depression, and he also works with trauma and PTSD, ADHD, self-esteem, life transitions and LGBTQ+ clients. As a scientist-practitioner with a background in clinical research, he relies on research-supported treatments including CBT, exposure and response prevention, prolonged exposure and mindfulness. At the same time, he treats each client's lived experience as essential, working together to shape therapy around their particular challenges, strengths and values. He also offers psychological testing and evaluation. Sessions are available in person in Baltimore and online.