About Dustin


After receiving my Bachelors of Arts in Psychology, I went on to pursue my dream of becoming a therapist by attending Johns Hopkins University for a Masters in Clinical Community Counseling. I have been working in the field of counseling since receiving my degree in 2004.  I have more than 15 years experience working with children, adolescents, young adults and adults. Many of these clients come to me with complex family histories, trauma and struggles with anxiety and depression. For the past 7 years, I have been working in the private practice setting where I continue to see adolescents and adults. 


My extensive work with the adolescent and young adult population has led me to a deep level of understanding and connection with high school and college girls. With stress, expectations, and social pressures at an all time high, many teenagers come to me with a great deal of anxiety and/or depression. Most of the time, these young women have a good understanding of how these pressures are effecting them, but are at a loss for how to express and deal with these issues.  I truly enjoy working with them to improve the communication and expression of this stress and the skills to deal with it.  It is often difficult for parents to understand the perspective of a teenager and just how "big" things are in their world. It is my job to not only connect and work with the teenager, but often times to assist in reconnecting the parent with his/her child.


I also have a particular interest in working with new moms, both as it relates to the transition to parenthood and postpartum stress/depression and anxiety. The birth of a child can be exhilarating, exhausting and overwhelming.  I am passionate about working with new moms to understand these wide range of powerful emotions and how to best manage them. 

As parents, we often reach out for help when it comes to support for our children but neglect our own personal struggles. I strongly believe that one of the best things we can do as parents, is to understand how our own dysfunctions play a part in our children's lives. Through therapy, one cannot only improve their own lives, but that of the lives around them. 


Other interests include my work with adolescents and adults who are struggling with eating disorders as well as challenges in their relationships and life transitions. My goal is to guide them to discover patterns in their lives that are creating road blocks and the skills to create positive change for themselves. 


Making the decision to seek help and guidance when faced with life challenges is a courageous step.  Often times people come to me in crisis or at a crossroads in their life.  Other times, people seek therapy simply to continue to grow in a positive direction.  No matter what brought you to my site today, I invite you to explore whether or not I would be a good fit in terms of working with you towards your goals.  It is my firm belief that the connection between therapist and client is instrumental in making change. It is is within a warm, connective, therapeutic environment that change and growth can take place.  






Maryland License #LC4885

My Philosophy

​I consider myself to be a "integrative therapist" meaning that I pull from many facets of therapeutic theories and make it my goal to find what techniques work best for you. This always begins with a trusting and welcoming environment. It is my job to use the experience of our therapeutic relationship to gain insight into how your other relationships function. It is important to me that my clients understand that therapy is hard work. Together we must recognize the maladaptive patterns in your life that are causing distress.  Often times, these patterns are shaped by our early experiences. With increased awareness of these patterns, and why they exist, change is possible.