Licensed to practice in Maryland and accepts 28 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Life Transitions, Older Adults and 9 more.
Clients say this provider is
Welcome! I'm an LCSW-C practicing virtually throughout Maryland, with almost 40 years of experience in mental health settings. I work with adults across the lifespan, from young adulthood through middle age and into the later chapters of life. I’m particularly interested in the challenges, transitions, and opportunities that come with each stage—and in helping people navigate the changes that are simply part of being human. Depending on where you are in life, that might include changing relationships and family roles, career transitions, caregiving, retirement or choosing to work beyond traditional retirement age, grief and loss, chronic illness or pain, living alone, or questions about identity, purpose, meaning, aging, mortality, and what comes next. I also enjoy working with busy professionals managing demanding careers and frequent work travel, as well as parents trying to support young adult or adult children who are struggling with mental health concerns, ADHD, autism, independence, identity, relationships, or finding their way in adulthood. Many of my clients aren't in crisis—they're simply at an important crossroads. I bring a warm, thoughtful, down-to-earth approach to helping people slow down, sort through what's happening, and decide how they want to move forward. My services are virtual only. Appointments are available Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons and evenings.
In our first session, you can expect me to listen closely and ask thoughtful questions so I can begin to understand not only what is bringing you in, but the larger context of your life. First meetings aren't always easy, so helping you feel comfortable matters to me. I bring both heart and head to the process. I'll listen for patterns, strengths, concerns, and those moments when something important begins to come into focus. We'll start identifying what you would like to be different and what might help you get there. By the end of our first session, my hope is that you feel heard and understood—and that you leave thinking, "Yes, I'd like to keep talking with Barb."
I am a seasoned, late-career therapist with almost 40 years of experience helping adults through an enormous range of life situations. After that many years, I've seen and heard a lot! That experience helps me listen deeply, recognize patterns, think on my feet, and often get to the heart of complicated situations fairly quickly. I'm also down-to-earth, curious, open-minded, and genuinely engaged with my clients. I don't believe therapy should feel like a clinical checklist. I want it to feel like a meaningful conversation—with warmth and compassion, but also honest feedback, practical ideas, humor when appropriate, and new ways of looking at things. I'm comfortable saying when I don't know something, and if I believe someone needs expertise beyond mine, I'm happy to help them think through what kind of specialist or support might be a better fit. My goal isn't to keep someone in therapy forever. It's to help them get where they want to go.
My ideal client 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 neurodivergent, or more sensitive than those around them and feel misunderstood and/or ostracized. Some are dealing with political stress, religious trauma, or loneliness. 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, therapy or support they need.
Cash - $200 per session
Aetna
Aetna - Allied Benefits
Aetna - ASR Health Benefits
Aetna - Lucent Health
Aetna - Luminare
Aetna - Medicare
Aetna - Moda
Aetna - WebTPA
Aetna – HealthEZ
All Savers
Anthem
AvMed
Blue Cross Blue Shield
CareFirst
Golden Rule
Harvard Pilgrim/UnitedHealthcare
Independence Administrators
Independence Blue Cross
Optum
OptumHealth Complex Medical Conditions
Oscar
Oxford
Surest (formerly Bind)
United Medical Resources
UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance
UnitedHealthcare Shared Services
UnitedHealthcare StudentResources
UnitedHealthcare/Optum
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.
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.
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.
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. In addition to the logical, left brained methods described above (which are the more 'practical' methods with the most research backing), I am more naturally drawn to the right, creative side of the brain and methods such as narrative therapy, existential therapy, ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), Humor Therapy and 'Heart Centered', Agape Therapy. I enjoy blending these right-brained approaches in ways that gives the client a more interesting, in depth, meaningful and often more fun therapy experience.
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.
14 ratings with written reviews
August 12, 2026
It was so easy to talk to Barb. When you're looking online and reviewing what others have said, it's hard to really evaluate what you might get out of a session. It was easy to share, which is sometimes hard. Thank you for making this first session manageable.
June 10, 2026
I feel that Barb listens with an intent to support positive, self-motivated change. She is a good sounding board for the challenges I face and reminds me of the different forms anxiety can take as I make progress.
May 27, 2026
I always appreciate Barb's candor and insight. She is a great listener, but she's also active in her responses -- very helpful. She follows up with visuals and reading information that helps reinforce her guidance/advice, plus provides me references to call on in the future