EVENING APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE. Welcome. I’m an LCSW-C practicing in Maryland, and I earned my MSW from the University of Maryland School of Social Work in Baltimore. With almost 40 years of experience in mental health settings, I bring a warm, thoughtful, and grounded approach to helping people better understand what they need and where to begin. Having worked in mental health across several decades, I’ve seen the field become both richer and more complex. There are now many more kinds of therapists, areas of specialization, and approaches to care than most clients know how to sort through on their own. I’m especially helpful for people who have struggled to find the right therapist fit. Many come in feeling overwhelmed, discouraged by past starts and stops, or unsure why therapy has not felt as helpful as they hoped. One of my strengths is listening carefully, noticing patterns, and helping people clarify what kind of support may fit them best. For some, that may mean continuing therapy with me. For others, it may mean leaving with more clarity about what kind of therapist, style, or approach they may want to look for. I offer virtual therapy throughout Maryland and make evening appointments available because I know many people need options that are both convenient and accessible.
In our first session, you can expect me to listen closely and ask thoughtful questions that help me begin to understand what is bringing you in and where we may need to begin. I also know that first meetings are not always easy, so I work to help you feel as comfortable as possible. I bring both heart and head to the process. I listen for patterns, pay attention to what begins to come into focus, and start getting a feel for what may be most important in helping you move forward. If part of the issue is that you have struggled to find the right therapist or type of support, we can begin sorting that out together as well. By the end of a first session, I hope you will feel heard, understood, and more able to tell whether continuing with me feels like the right fit.
I am a seasoned, late-career therapist with decades of experience helping people through a wide range of life situations and mental health concerns. That experience is a real advantage: it helps me listen deeply, think on my feet, notice patterns, and often recognize what may be most important more quickly. I’m also a down-to-earth person and value engaging fully and authentically with my clients. My goal is always to be as helpful as I can — whether that means working with you directly or helping you get clearer about what kind of support may fit you best. One of my particular strengths is fit discernment. I’m often able to help people make sense of why past therapy may not have felt right and what they may want to look for going forward. When appropriate, I can help clients think through whether a more specialized therapist, treatment approach, or next step may better serve their needs, helping them avoid some of the unnecessary stops and starts that can happen when the search for help feels too rushed or too generic.
My ideal client is someone who is thoughtful, self-aware, and ready for a more meaningful kind of help than a rushed or generic therapy experience. Often, this person has already tried to find support before. They may have read profiles, reached out to therapists, started therapy once or more than once, and still walked away feeling that the fit was not quite right or that they were not getting very far. They are not necessarily resistant to therapy. More often, they are discouraged by how hard it has been to find the right help. This client is often carrying anxiety, overwhelm, burnout, work stress, family strain, or the emotional toll of chronic health issues or major life transitions. Many are in midlife or later life, though not always. Some are healthcare professionals, caregivers, leaders, or high-responsibility people who are used to functioning well on the outside while quietly feeling stretched thin on the inside. Some are LGBTQ+. Some are dealing with political stress, religious trauma, or estrangement. What they share is a wish for therapy that feels thoughtful, human, and well matched. My ideal client values wisdom, depth, and discernment. They want warmth and authenticity, but also the wise ability to recognize patterns quickly and help them make sense of what is really going on. They want to feel that telling their story is leading somewhere. They want clarity, direction, and the relief of feeling understood. Most of all, my ideal client is looking for a therapist who can help them slow down, sort through the noise, and find a more fitting path forward. Whether that path leads to ongoing work with me or greater clarity about what kind of therapist or support they need, they want a wiser, grounded place to begin.
Anxiety
Coping Skills
Depression
Career Counseling
Chronic Illness
Grief
LGBTQ
White
Woman
Adults (18 to 64)
Elders (65 and above)
Maryland
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Solution Focused Brief Treatment
I was trained in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy in the 1990s, when it was first gaining momentum, and I still value it for its practical, strengths-based, forward-looking approach. It aligns well with positive psychology by helping people focus on what is possible, what is working, and what small but meaningful changes can move them forward. Right now, I am especially interested in one area where many people struggle: finding the right therapist. Insurance networks and online directories are often too vague to help people make a confident choice, which can leave them discouraged before therapy even begins. I am currently exploring ways to help individuals find better-fit therapy options and improve the likelihood of a stronger match from the outset.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
As a social worker, I approach therapy with compassion and with deep respect for the whole person. I see each client not simply as an individual acting alone, but as someone living within real-life circumstances, relationships, and systems that shape their experience. Mental health does not exist in a vacuum, and sometimes healing involves improving the conditions a person is living in as much as addressing what is happening internally. Above all, my work begins with understanding my client and listening for what they want, value, and hope for, rather than assuming I know what is best for them. That respect for the client’s own experience and direction is at the heart of person-centered therapy.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
The so called gold standard, I include CBT with my clients when it is appropriate. Helping you understand your automatic thoughts is one way to help you feel better. Thoughts that lead to distress are usually normal and had survival value at some point. However, in today's world, it's important to challenge them at times because they are reactive and biased.
Eclectic
I am highly skilled at drawing from different therapy approaches and blending them in ways that best serve the individual client. Rather than forcing someone into a single model, I tailor treatment to the person in front of me, using what is most helpful, relevant, and effective for their particular needs, goals, and circumstances. Trained as a social worker, I also bring an understanding that people do not exist in a vacuum. Emotional struggles are shaped not only by inner life, but also by relationships, family systems, work demands, social pressures, and the broader environment in which a person is living. My approach reflects that wider lens, allowing therapy to be both flexible and grounded in the realities of a client’s life.
Gottman method
Although I do not currently work with couples, I have studied Gottman’s work in depth and continue to find it extremely useful in helping individual clients better understand and improve their relationships. Its principles offer practical guidance around communication, repair, conflict, emotional connection, and the habits that help relationships function more effectively. Clients often find these ideas relevant far beyond intimate partnerships. Gottman-informed concepts can be very helpful in navigating relationships with children, adult family members, siblings, co-workers, supervisors, and others with whom communication and connection matter.
7 ratings with written reviews
July 31, 2025
Barb was wonderful! Our first interaction definitely felt like it was the 50th lol She’s so down to earth, genuine and open minded. Can’t wait to grow and glow together
April 30, 2025
First session, Barb was very easy to talk too. I felt heard today.
April 16, 2025
Very easy to talk to and be open with.