Sandplay Therapists in Kensington, MD

Welcome! I can imagine that the journey to get here has not been an easy one and I would like to congratulate you for taking the first step toward getting the help that you need. Research has repeatedly shown that the therapeutic relationship is one of the strongest predictors of successful therapy. I strive to create a safe, accepting environment where my clients can feel comfortable being their true selves and fully engage in the process to gain more insight into their feelings, core beliefs and actions, as well as to develop adaptive behaviors and coping strategies.

Ours is a highly regarded group of experienced, compassionate, skilled therapists working with children, adolescents, adults, and families. Washingtonian and Washington Parent magazines cited us as top therapists in the DMV area. We collaborate with our clients to address emotional, family, and relationship concerns. We welcome clients with various ethnic/racial/religious backgrounds, family structures (single parent, divorced, etc.), and sexual, gender, and developmental differences.

If you are looking for a supportive and approachable therapist to help you, your child, or your adolescent build effective coping strategies and create goal oriented solutions to help you improve your quality of life, I can help. My passion is adolescents and children. Some of the issues I focus on include anxiety, depression, adjustment problems, and social skills enhancement in young people. I have extensive experience in helping children, adolescents, adults, and families with complex underlying medical and/or developmental diagnoses deal with the impact these conditions have on their behavior, emotional happiness, and interactions with others.

Naomi Karp (she/her) is a Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical (LCSW-C) practicing in Maryland with licenses in both Maryland and Washington, DC. Naomi is committed to developing a trusting therapeutic relationship and providing a safe space for people to be themselves and engage with challenging and emotionally charged topics. She is known for her warm demeanor and thoughtfulness, which she strives to bring to every encounter. Naomi believes in the power of play and incorporating playfulness into life, as well as the capacity we all have to develop and change.

My expertise lies in providing evidenced-based therapy to individuals and families experiencing challenges in relationships. Clients come to me to explore how to be a better parent to their children or how understand themselves and grow after trauma and neglect. Often they discover there is a deep relationship between the two.

My core belief in therapeutic practice is that everyone has inherent value and strength, that with the right support, can be harnessed to create positive changes and meaningful growth. Offering a safe place where self-exploration, processing, and healing can be done, I will help you to build insight, resilience through healthy coping skills, and empowerment in reaching your therapeutic goals. Whether it is improving communication, changing behaviors, healing from trauma, or having a consistent and dependable ally in your mental health, I will support you each step of the way.

I offer individual and group therapy, virtually and in-person, for grief and loss, anxiety and depression, life transitions, and spiritual issues ranging from the existential life journey to cult awareness and recovery. We all need support through the inevitable challenges of human life, and being able to talk with a counselor in a safe, empathetic, and nonjudgmental setting is essential to healing and strengthening our mental and physical well-being.

Cognitive behavioral therapy in its various forms is central to my practice, with a focus on thoughts and behaviors. Therapy is an active, collaborative process and I invite clients to participate as much as possible in their own treatment.