Services

Individual psychotherapy is a great way to focus on achieving your goals.

It’s the treatment modality used in most studies of cognitive-behavioral therapy. The majority of patients treated in individual CBT have been found to experience measurable decreases in symptoms and improvement in quality of life.

Most of our patients are seen in individual therapy once a week for 45-minute sessions. As symptoms improve, it is sometimes possible to reduce the frequency of sessions. When someone is in crises or having difficulty functioning in daily life, more frequent sessions may be recommended.

EMOTIONAL REGULATION/DBT SKILLS GROUP STARTS JANUARY 19, 2021

The REDI (Regulating Emotion, Distress, and Interpersonal Relationships) Program is a skills-based, didactic teletherapy group designed to help those whose wellbeing and relationships may be suffering as a result of difficulties managing their emotions and behaviors. The goal of this group is to help individuals in their journey to improve control over their emotions and mind, gain agency in their world, and lead a life worth living. 

In this group you will learn how to:

• Regulate emotions
• Tolerate distress and crisis situations 
• Improve interpersonal communication 
• Practice mindfulness 
• Effectively live a life worth living

The material covered in the REDI Program is based on an effective, research-based therapy called Dialectical Behavior Therapy* (DBT). This group will cover skills from a variety of domains, including mindfulness, tolerating distress, regulating emotions, and effectively navigating interpersonal relationships. Individuals both with or without prior DBT experience are welcome. Interested parties who are already working with an individual therapist may attend The REDI Program as an adjunct to their ongoing therapy. 

The group is led by Drs. Hyejin Jin and Zara Wright.  It will meet Tuesdays 6:00-8:00 PM on our secure HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform.   

Click here for the group brochure.  For more information on the group, contact Dr. Hyejin Jin (202) 234-0903 ext. 24 Dr. Zara Wright zwright@cognitivetherapydc.com.   

For more information about our services or to set up an appointment, please call 202-234-0903 ext 15 or fill out this form:  

COPING WITH CRISIS GROUP

We are pleased to announce that the Coping With Crisis Teletherapy Group, led by Dr. Pooja Datta and Dr. Rick Raymond is accepting new members.

What does it mean to “cope” when we live in a world of multiple crises?  How do you keep from being overwhelmed when there are real threats, nothing seems stable or certain, and we all have so many reasons for fear, anger and grief?

These are trying times. There’s the COVID-19 pandemic, increased focus on racial injustice, violence in our streets, deep political divides, natural disasters made worse by climate change.  It’s no wonder recent surveys find high rates of anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance abuse, eating disorders and other signs of emotional distress.

In this group you will have an opportunity to meet with others and share your experiences of crisis and stress.  Together we will explore ways to cope in these challenging times.  You will learn proven techniques for staying realistic, dealing with uncertainty, establishing moments of peace and calm, and finding meaning, purpose and maybe even joy in the face of adversity. 

For a brochure describing the group, click here.

Making a marriage or long-term relationship work can be challenging. Couples therapy with a spouse or partner has been shown in research studies to improve relationship satisfaction and decrease the likelihood of divorce for many people.

In couples treatment you can learn more effective skills for identifying and resolving sources of stress and conflict. You can also learn ways to increase feelings of closeness and attraction and improve your sexual relationship. Couples therapy may also be an opportunity learn how to accept and live with differences within the context of a happy relationship.

Most insurance plans will not cover treatment that is solely focused on improving a marriage or relationship. However, plans typically will cover couples therapy where one or both members of the couple are experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety or another covered condition and the couple’s treatment is aimed at improving those symptoms and/or helping the couple cope with the symptoms.  We recommend that you talk to your therapist about whether you might qualify for insurance coverage at the beginning of treatment.

Deliberate planned exposure to situations that trigger fear has been consistently found in research studies to be one of the most effective treatments for anxiety. When this form of treatment is recommended, we work with you to create a gradual program of exposure exercises that feels comfortable and achievable.

Often exposure can be done in the therapist’s office with recommendations for exercises you can do on your own between sessions.  However, sometimes exposure exercises are best done outside of the office in real life situations.  This is called in-vivo exposure.  Since these situations can be challenging to face on your own at first, it may be helpful to have your therapist accompany you.  When this is the case, your therapist may recommend scheduling one or more sessions outside of the office so that he or she can help you more effectively face and overcome your fears.

Depending on the situation, therapist-assisted exposure sessions may take longer than the typical 45-minute session. Insurance may not reimburse you for the full time required. Most patients need only a few sessions of therapist-assisted exposure before they are ready to continue on their own. We recommend checking with your insurance company before beginning any sessions longer than 45 minutes to see what the insurer will cover and whether pre-approval is required.

Severe anxiety or depression can make it hard to function in daily life. Some people’s symptoms are so debilitating that meeting once or twice per week is not enough. In addition, there are some situations where it is important to make more rapid progress than could ordinarily be achieved with weekly sessions.

We offer short-term intensive treatment for anxiety disorders and depression using a team approach. Sessions can be scheduled up to five days per week. You will be assigned a primary therapist who will work with you to custom-design a treatment program. Often a second member of our clinical staff will assist in the treatment. Intensive treatment typically lasts for two to four weeks, but may be extended as necessary. We generally recommend less frequent sessions for follow-up care after the intensive treatment has ended.

Most insurance companies require pre-approval for intensive treatment and may not cover all sessions. You should discuss insurance coverage with your therapist as part of the treatment planning process.