University of Maryland, Couple and Family Therapy

Postpartum Support International’s Maternal Mental Health Certification
Certified Facilitator for Dr. Domar’s Mind/Body Infertility Program

Currently licensed in Maryland & Florida

As a therapist, I work with individuals, couples and families as they navigate various life transitions. This can include reorganization within the family system, through either a new marriage, a separation or divorce, birth of a new family member, or various other life events.

I have received extensive postgraduate training and mentorship in working with individuals and couples who encounter challenges as they transition into parenthood. These may include infertility, reproductive loss, and perinatal mood or anxiety disorders. I am also a certified facilitator for Dr. Domar’s internationally recognized Mind/Body Infertility Program, which utilizes principles from cognitive-behavioral therapy, and has been shown to significantly improve mental health during fertility treatments. I am a member of the Mental Health Professionals Group of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine.

While pursuing my Masters at the University of Maryland (UMD), I was lucky to be able to work with a wide range of individuals, couples, and families with a variety of presenting concerns. In addition to providing therapy services out of our community mental health clinic, I was lucky to be able to spend one year working within Montgomery County Public Schools at a middle school providing therapy services to students. During my time in the school system, I primarily worked one on one with the students providing them with support, however when necessary and possible, I would try to incorporate family sessions. My work within the school system provided me with valuable experiences learning to coordinate with teachers, guidance counselors, and other school personnel when it came to helping the students that I was working with.

After graduating from UMD in 2019, I joined Family Therapy Center of Bethesda as an associate. Here, I provide both therapy services and parent coaching. As a therapist, I work with clients primarily around anxiety, processing changing family dynamics and structures, and navigating the transition to parenthood, in whatever form that might take. As a parent coach, I can help to support parents whose children are experiencing anxiety, and I provide individual parent coaching for adults who are in the process of separating or getting divorced.

In addition to my clinical work, I am a doctoral candidate in Maternal and Child Health at UMD where my research focuses on the intersection between reproductive health/decisions and mental health. I have published research in several peer-reviewed journals on factors that impact maternal mental health.

We all reach various transition points in our lives where we are unsure of what decision to make or how to navigate the stress and anxiety that comes with these decisions. In therapy, I strive to create a safe space where clients are able to explore their emotions and new patterns of thinking, behaving, and interacting with others. I work to co-create with my clients what they would like to achieve through the course of therapy, and I aim to create a collaborative relationship with my clients where there is a reciprocal exchange of ideas and conversation. I believe that my clients know themselves and their relationships best, and I strive to be a guide with them on their journey to achieve their goals. In my work, I strive to use a growth-oriented approach, utilizing various therapeutic models, such as play therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, structural family therapy, and solution-focused therapy.

In my free time, I like to spend it curled up with a good mystery book or out on the water. Growing up in Florida, the beach has always been one of my favorite places, and I try to spend as much time as possible outside at the pool or on the coast.

Email: gabriela@familytherapyllc.com
Phone: (240) 242-7121