Therapist Near Me in Washington, D.C. · Dupont Circle Since 2003

Choosing a therapist really comes down to two things: the right experience for what you’re working on, and a person you feel comfortable being honest with. Research consistently finds that the relationship between you and your therapist is one of the strongest predictors of whether therapy helps — which is why we don’t hand you a list and wish you luck. When you tell us what’s bringing you in, we recommend a specific therapist whose training and style fit your situation, explain the thinking behind the recommendation, and show you their profile and availability. You choose who you actually see. And if it turns out not to be the right fit, that’s both normal and fixable — tell us, and we’ll help you find someone who is.

Your first session is a conversation, not an evaluation. Because you’ve already told us what’s bringing you in, your therapist starts with real context — so the time goes to understanding your situation, what you’re hoping for, and what things feel like for you right now, instead of forms and intake questions. There’s no wrong thing to say, and you don’t need to have it all figured out or be able to name exactly what’s wrong. Most people leave the first session with a clearer sense of how the work will go and whether the fit feels right.

No — our clinicians are licensed therapists and psychologists who provide talk therapy; they don’t prescribe medication. (Medication is prescribed by psychiatrists, primary care physicians, or psychiatric nurse practitioners.) Many people do well with therapy alone; for others, a combination of therapy and medication works best. If medication might be helpful for you, your therapist can talk it through and coordinate with a prescriber or help you find one.

We’re an out-of-network practice. In practice, that means you pay the session fee up front and submit a claim for partial reimbursement — most DC plans with out-of-network benefits reimburse 50–80% after you meet your deductible, which brings the cost down to $75–$125 per session for most clients. Out-of-network is common here (about 70% of DC therapists are), and the trade-off is real: you get full choice of therapist, and your clinician — not an insurer — makes treatment decisions. Because the paperwork is tedious, we submit claims electronically on your behalf. Not sure what your plan covers? Call the member services number on your card and ask about your out-of-network mental health benefits, or see our Payments page.

Yes. The Capital Therapy Project is the lower-fee part of our practice — psychologists-in-training who offer substantially reduced rates while maintaining the same quality of care. We also accept HSA and FSA payments, and for clients with out-of-network benefits, we submit insurance claims for you so reimbursement is one less thing to manage.

We’ve practiced in Dupont Circle since 2003 — one of the longest-established private therapy practices in the DC area. Our team is majority doctoral-level, with advanced degrees from programs including Penn, Cambridge, Georgetown, George Washington, Northwestern, American, and Maryland, and we’re a clinical training site, which shapes the rigor and supervision behind every session. Our clinicians have been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, HuffPost, Business Insider, and Oprah Daily. Because we’re out-of-network, your therapist makes treatment decisions — not your insurance company — and we’re known for pairing you thoughtfully with someone based on clinical fit, style, and scheduling — not whoever has the next opening.