Psychotherapy in Maryland, Virginia, and California
Trajectory happens. We find ourselves, our lives, progressing in unexpected ways. Earnest efforts to make sense of change and uncertainty can lead us to circling the same thoughts, repeating familiar patterns, finding disconnection where once there had been affinity — both outwardly with others, and inwardly toward the self.
I offer online psychotherapy for adults in Maryland, Virginia, and California, facilitating the work of human becoming in the midst of anxiety, depression, relationship changes, challenges with self-esteem, and major life transitions. The personal odyssey of undergoing meaningful change is stimulated and enhanced by the experience of a genuine human connection through which introspection, meaning-making, and resolution can be explored without judgment. Grounded in that connection, I help people recognize their patterns, improve tolerance of difficult emotions, and discover previously unknown possibilities within themselves.
As humans we are inclined to wonder what comes next, yet we live on the boundary between an inaccessible past and an unknowable future. The rapid pacing of our always-on culture does not often afford us the opportunity for slowing down, taking stock, and growing present with our deeper human needs.
Relational, Depth-Oriented Psychotherapy
My practice is relational, depth-oriented, and ACT-informed. I work with anxiety, depression, life transitions, early adulthood, career stress and burnout, parenthood, and the squeeze of the sandwich generation.
Therapy here is built around you, not a preset formula. I draw on humanistic and existential perspectives, psychodynamic thinking, cognitive tools, and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT). My lens is also neuroaffirming, evolution-informed, and attentive to how culture and colonization shape what we call “normal.” The result is a therapy made fresh for each person.
If that sounds messy, it’s because being human is, undeniably, heck of messy.
From our first session, the focus is on trust, empathy, and collaboration. Feeling genuinely understood and emotionally “met” often matters more than any specific technique. We pay attention to the here-and-now, including present emotions and patterns in how we relate, because that often offers the clearest path to insight. Humor, imagery, and creative exploration help make hard experiences more tangible, and sometimes lighter.
Along the way, you get practical tools for what’s pressing today while we explore the deeper questions of meaning, freedom, and connection.
I show up as a fellow traveler. Together, we build new ways of relating to yourself, your emotions, and the world that feel grounded and true to who you are.
True empathy is sitting with another at the window of their world, bearing witness to their view, letting none of their humanness feel alien.
Meet Matthew
I believe the heart of effective therapy is the connection between us. If you’re considering working together, I invite you to learn more about who I am and how I approach therapy.