When could you begin with a therapist in DC?

The grid is the answer, day by day. It covers the next two weeks, so wherever a number appears, a first appointment for therapy in Washington, DC within one to two weeks is possible at that time of day. Some days show none, and evening times fill first.

If nothing is listed in the window, the scheduler shows the closest times beyond it and can hold a place for you. The scheduling questions take about ten minutes, and you don’t need a referral.

Only when the grid shows a count for today’s date, and today’s numbers are the ones that change fastest. We don’t promise same-day appointments.

We show what the schedule says, as of the time at the top of the page, and the scheduler confirms the exact time of your first session.

Sessions are $240 to $300 for 45 minutes, paid at the time of the session. Your therapist’s specific fee is confirmed when you schedule, and it varies with experience and training.

We’re an out-of-network practice. That works like this:

• You pay per session, and our team files your insurance claim electronically after every one.
• Most clients with out-of-network benefits get 50 to 80 percent back in reimbursement once their deductible is met, so the therapy cost out of pocket is usually well under the sticker price.
• Verify what is covered for outpatient mental health care, which some plans call behavioral health, before you begin. HMO plans, TRICARE, Medicare and Medicaid typically don’t cover out-of-network therapy.

If the numbers feel confusing, our team will explain them before your first appointment; just ask.

Washington therapists of three kinds, plus psychology associates working under supervision:

• Psychologists with a PhD or PsyD
• Licensed clinical social workers (LCSW or LICSW, a master’s degree in social work)
• Licensed professional counselors (LPC)

Licensed therapists with years of experience and extensive training; their approaches are evidence based, psychodynamic therapy, individual psychotherapy and talk therapy among them. Each profile in the directory describes a therapist’s experience, background, specialties, focus and style, and many clients read a few before choosing. We’ll confirm a therapist’s credential type before you book.

A range of mental health concerns, not one specialty:

• Anxiety and depression, worry and mood disorders
• Stress and burnout at work
• Trauma and PTSD
• Grief and loss
• Career and identity questions, identity development and identity issues
• Life transitions and major life changes
• OCD, ADHD, self-esteem, sex and intimacy
• Relationship issues and relationship challenges
• The stressors of parents and professionals, and the particular pressures on college students and young adults

LGBTQ+ affirming care throughout, from adults navigating anxiety for the first time to people who have been managing a mental health condition for years. Adults of all ages, from young adults to older adults. A few of our clinicians also see teens, with limited openings; we don’t treat children.

Our What We Treat pages address each of these specific concerns in depth, and the conditions we don’t specialize in we say so and recommend someone who does.

Yes. The counts combine in-person sessions at our Dupont Circle office with telehealth appointments by secure, private video, and the questions that follow sort out which fits you and where you’ll be, whether home in DC, Maryland (MD) or Virginia.

Clients come from neighborhoods across the city and the wider area; the office location is easy to reach, and video is the same process from anywhere you can talk in private.

You can. Name them in the questions that follow, along with any preferences, and we’ll start there when the fit and the schedule allow.

We still weigh the whole team, because the clinical fit and the therapeutic relationship, a warm, collaborative, respectful and non-judgmental approach in a safe, confidential space, matter more than the nearest opening. The match is the point, and the right fit is the best way to make the work effective.

Most people feel heard and comfortable within a session or two. If you don’t, say so, and we’ll help you find a better match rather than keeping you where it isn’t working.

A 45-minute conversation about what’s going on, whether something feels wrong, you feel stuck, or it has just been hard, what you’ve tried, and what you hope will change. A consultation and a first session in one, and you don’t need a diagnosis to come.

Expect to be heard. Your therapist will listen to your thoughts and your story in your own voice, and you’ll discuss your goals, the symptoms you want to manage, daily life, boundaries, strengths you already have, and how past experiences shape the present. You leave with a sense of the therapy approach and whether it feels comfortable.

Future sessions, and the treatment itself, are set with your therapist, not on this page. The process continues at a pace that suits your needs, and we’ll explain each step along the way.

Collaborative and personalized care, with a compassionate approach that is affirming, direct and down to earth, humor included when it helps. A safe, supportive environment, rooted in evidence-based approaches.

In it you learn to manage what you came with:

• Cope with worry or a hard situation, and make sense of past trauma
• Explore identity and culture
• Build the mental wellness and resilience that let you navigate life’s challenges and keep your balance
• Move toward lasting change, healing, personal growth and well-being

The methods are a combination of talk therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and evidence-based methods such as CBT, matched to your individual needs rather than a single method for everyone, with attention to mind and body, strategies you can use, and guidance when you want it. Underneath them is the belief that you are capable of more control, connection and purpose than the hard stretch suggests; the opportunity to be understood without judgment is often the chance people were waiting for.

Our mission is accessible, quality mental health care that helps people thrive. For over a decade, dedicated therapists here have been helping individuals, parents, partners and families across the DC area, one person at a time.

This page is for planning a first appointment, not for a mental health crisis. If you need immediate help, or you or someone with you is in danger right now, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or go to the nearest emergency room. Your safety comes first, and the schedule can wait.