DC | MD | VA | NY | PsyPact || Telehealth
Psychodynamic therapy for adults
I’m a licensed clinical psychologist, and I help individuals and couples deepen their self-understanding so they can have fuller lives and more meaningful relationships.
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why psychodynamic therapy?
Psychodynamic therapy can help you overcome anxiety, depression, intimacy and relationship difficulties, trauma, ADHD, conflict avoidance, low self-esteem and self-doubt, perfectionism, and related concerns.
a bit about dr. steglitz’s practice
At its heart, therapy is relational — it’s a relationship, itself, and it’s also about relationships from the past and from the present; but, mostly, therapy is about the relationship we have with ourselves. How we treat ourselves and others in our orbit is shaped largely by the stories our minds have woven about who we are and what we imagine others think of us. The way I generally work with people flows from that idea.
Those who work with me come from all walks of life, with a huge range of backgrounds and upbringings. Some people come with specific goals they’d like to achieve or symptoms they’d like to improve; others arrive at my doorstep wanting to process hardships, life transitions, or with a general sense that something has been off or of feeling stuck; some arrive after a crisis; many seek me out because their relationships aren’t what they want them to be. Those who seem to click with me tend to have a similar interest in understanding themselves more deeply so they can feel more self-confident and comfortable in their own skin.
My approach and the way I think about your problems, strengths, and needs are unique to you; but, generally speaking, I’ll help you clarify the narratives that guide your life — ones, maybe, you’ve known for a long time and others that have been living at the edges of your awareness. I’ll work to help you deepen your understanding of how these thoughts serve you but also how they might be holding you back. We might try to influence how you construct and consolidate storylines about yourself and other people, and how you experience your own feelings. We’ll work to create a little more space — or less — between when thoughts come to mind and how you respond to them — to create the possibility of a different relationship in that moment with yourself and people around you. As these moments accumulate over time, little shifts begin to happen, and you might begin to inhabit new narratives and experience a fuller, more authentic way of being.
about dr. steglitz
I’m a psychologist in private practice outside Washington, DC. My practice is mostly virtual, and I work with adults from the DC area, New York, and other PSYPACT states. I’m an Assistant Clinical Professor at The George Washington University in DC, where I supervise clinical psychology graduate students in providing psychodynamic therapy. Throughout the year, I provide didactic seminars on couples therapy to training therapists at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, where I’ve previously trained and led research. I’ve also completed specialized training at The Gottman Institute to complement the deeper psychodynamic work I do with couples.
I’m a member of the Washington Baltimore Center for Psychoanalysis (WBCP), where I dedicate my time to ongoing learning about contemporary psychodynamic thinking and practice, couples dynamics, and gender and sexuality. I’m also Chair of the Institutional Review Board of the WBCP, which ensures that participants in psychological research are protected and treated ethically.
education //
Northwestern University
PhD in Clinical Psychology
Yale University
MPH in Social & Behavioral Sciences
University of Pennsylvania
BA in Psychology
advanced training //
Washington Baltimore Center for Psychoanalysis
Adult Psychotherapy Fellow & Member (2022-present)
The Gottman Institute
Level 1 Certification (2021)
Washington VA Medical Center
Postdoctoral Clinical Fellow (2017-18)
New York City Mount Sinai Hospital
Predoctoral Clinical Intern (2016-17)
professional services //
The George Washington University
Professional Psychology Program
Assistant Clinical Professor (2025-present)
Washington Baltimore Center for Psychoanalysis
Chair of the Institutional Review Board (2025-present)
I’m providing my CV here if you would like more information about my professional background.
services
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My approach to individual therapy is depth-oriented and anchored by a persistent curiosity about you and your inner world. I work to help my patients clarify conflicting feelings and uncover blindspots that may be maintaining their symptoms. We’ve all learned ways since very early on to adapt and avoid things that stir up deeply uncomfortable feelings, but this avoidance tends to sustain our suffering and impact our self-esteem over time.
While your therapy goals will be unique to you, a general aim of psychodynamic therapy is to help you understand the psychological roots of your behaviors today. Those roots tend to be deep, so I generally meet with people one to three times per week. Meeting more regularly allows for greater continuity and momentum which enables a deeper understanding and greater capacity for growth. After we meet during the initial sessions of therapy, we’ll discuss the cadence that would be most beneficial to you.
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Couples psychotherapy is particularly useful for couples who find themselves unable to get unstuck on their own, repeating the same unhelpful patterns again and again. I believe that both partners maintain the current equilibrium of a relationship, so no one individual is to blame and each partner holds responsibility for their own actions.
As a couples therapist, I take a direct approach to increase your self-awareness as well as improve your understanding of what’s underneath your partner’s behavior. The general goal of my work with couples is to help partners communicate more constructively, build mutual respect, and foster greater emotional and sexual intimacy.
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Group therapy can be as equally effective as individual therapy, and, in fact, offers unique benefits that can allow for meaningful shifts in one’s self-esteem and quality of relationships.
I’m currently enrolling members for a new group called, Marlin, beginning October 2025. It’s a virtual psychotherapy group for fathers living in the DC area who are seeking more meaningful connection to other fathers and interested in deeper self-understanding. The group aims to help dads strengthen their family relationships by using that self-understanding to communicate and respond more effectively to their children and partners.
>>> More information about Marlin can be found here.
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I provide psychodynamic supervision to licensed therapists in DC, VA, MD, and other PsyPact states. Therapists seek me out because they are interested in deepening their work with their patients by honing their psychoanalytic case conceptualization and technique.
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what to expect in the beginning
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After you initially reach out to me, whether by phone, email, or with the form below, I’ll call you back shortly. During this phone call, we’ll discuss setting up at least one initial session to begin to get to know each other. I’ll also share with you the practicalities of therapy with me, including fee, schedule, and options for in-person or teletherapy.
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The first several sessions are a time for us to get to know each other. I’ll be asking you questions to begin to formulate ideas of what’s going on and if I think I could be helpful to you. At the same time, you’ll be figuring out if I’m someone you’d like to work with. If we learn that what you need is outside my wheelhouse, I’ll provide you with referrals of other clinicians who have expertise to help you.
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As the initial evaluation period unfolds, I’ll share with you my initial hypotheses about your challenges and what I believe would be the best approach. If we both agree that working with each other would be useful to you, then we’ll choose a regular day and time — an important part of what people in the field call “the frame” of psychotherapy — which will be your dedicated spot.
Common questions about psychotherapy
Below are questions I’ve often encountered over the years from patients and other therapists. If any of these resonate with you, please feel free to click on the question to read some of my thoughts about it. Many people ask about my approach to therapy, so I also hope that my responses below give you a sense of how I think about therapy and practice.
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Please contact me about my current fees. I’d be happy to talk through that with you.
I’m not in-network with any insurance panels. That said, depending on your specific plan, you may be entitled to out-of-network mental health benefits. Many of my patients get partially reimbursed for their sessions. I recommend that patients contact their insurance provider and ask these specific quesitons to figure out how much they would get reimbursed:
What is my out-of-network deductible?
What do you reimburse for individual, couple, or group psychotherapy?
What is the allowable amount for individual, couple, or group psychotherapy with a clinical psychologist?
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I offer both. My office is located in Rappahannock County in Virginia, about 60 miles west of DC. I’m licensed to meet with people virtually in Virginia, DC, Maryland, New York, and other states that are part of PSYPACT.
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Talking is the heart of psychotherapy. As we talk, we come to know ourselves better and recognize patterns, and new options and possibilities begin to emerge. The benefits of therapy are not always immediate. At first, there may be no obvious connection between what we’re talking about and how our problems will improve. It’s similar to planting a fruit tree: There’s no immediate connection between planting seeds and eating peaches, but if you plant seeds and tend to them, peaches will come. (Not to mention peach trees need at least two trees, close-by, to produce fruit.) If we start therapy intending to try it for a session or two just to see what happens, we’ll likely be disappointed. Therapy takes time.
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It’s very different. Outside therapy, you pick and choose what you talk about. In therapy, you try to say whatever comes to mind, without knowing in advance where your thoughts may lead. Friends take turns sharing information. In therapy, you will do most of the talking. Your therapist will learn a great deal about you, but you’ll know much less about them. Another difference is that your therapist cannot socialize or meet with you outside therapy. This has nothing to do with whether they would enjoy seeing you. It’s because a therapist can’t have a social relationship with you and be an effective therapist for you at the same time.
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When you start therapy, it’s important that you feel you can talk to your therapist and that they are interested in you and able to understand you. If you don’t connect in the beginning, it’s usually wise to choose someone else.
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As therapy progresses, there will be times when you feel upset, disappointed, or angry (and many other feelings). This is normal; it could even indicate progress.
When it happens, though, it’s important to talk about what might be bothering you. You may feel an urge to skip sessions or quit at this time, but that would be a missed opportunity to talk about what’s going on.
If you’ve been working comfortably with your therapist and suddenly find yourself feeling angry or wanting to quit, it may mean therapy has touched on something difficult and important. In fact, you might learn it’s related to the very thing you’re coming to therapy to work on. This is often when the most valuable work happens and when change takes place.
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Sometimes, thoughts of ending therapy can mean therapy has touched on something important, and, in these cases, hopefully you give yourself the chance in therapy to understand what’s happening for you.
But, at some point, you will start to think about ending therapy because you’ve accomplished what you came for and your life is on a better course. When that happens, please don’t rush. You might be compelled to, but it’s an important phase of therapy that needs time to unfold and talk about.
Let your therapist know well in advance that you’re thinking about ending. When the time comes, agree on a date for your last session. Then plan to do meaningful work in the time leading up to it. You can expect things to come up that haven’t come up before since you haven’t ended this course of therapy before.
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People often assume a therapist’s job is to give advice. But advice is not psychotherapy, and, in the long run, is rarely helpful. Sometimes, there are exceptions. But if advice were enough, you wouldn’t be seeking therapy. You can get advice anywhere—from friends, family, colleagues, AI. Instead of advice, your therapist will help you see yourself and your situation more clearly so you can make choices that are right for you, including choices about your own therapy.
When you’re ready, please reach out. I’d be happy to hear from you.
If you’re thinking about scheduling a session or have questions, feel free to call or email me, or you’re welcome to complete the form below.