Top Therapists 2009

Whom would you call if a family member needed help? That’s the question we asked local mental-health professionals.

We sent postcards to 1,500 psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, therapists, and counselors, asking them to complete an online survey. Nearly 800 did.

The survey asked them to name the one or two specialists, in a variety of areas, to whom they would send a family member for care. We tallied the results, disregarded ballots that listed the same person in all or most categories, and checked that each person on our list was licensed by the state in which they practiced. Here are the top vote getters by category.

These professionals are regarded highly by their colleagues, but their inclusion on this list is no guarantee that you’ll be satisfied by their care, nor should it be a substitute for your own research and judgment. The list is designed to help you make informed decisions. The practitioners listed are not necessarily the area’s “best,” and they certainly aren’t the only good ones. Because a survey like this can never be exhaustive or perfect, many excellent practitioners are not on the list.

It’s also important to note that many mental-health professionals treat a variety of disorders; a practitioner listed under just one or two areas may also provide very good care for several other conditions or using different treatment methods. Likewise, some practitioners were recommended in multiple categories.

Some of the professionals on our list are faculty members at medical schools and other institutions and see patients only part-time. In those cases, we’ve listed phone numbers for their private practices, not their academic offices.

Initial Consultation/Evaluation

Jody Bleiberg, psychologist. Bethesda;

Todd S. Cox, psychiatrist. Downtown DC;

Michael S. Diamond, psychiatrist. Chevy Chase;

Edward Farber, psychologist. Reston;

Jon Frederickson, clinical social worker.

Stephen J. Holland, psychologist. Dupont

Ike Nnawuchi, psychiatrist. Northwest DC;

Louis A. Ross, psychiatrist. Dupont Circle;

Roy Michael Stefanik, psychiatrist.

Generalized Anxiety Disorders

Vincent Greenwood, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Stephen J. Holland, psychologist. Dupont

David Kupfer, psychologist. Falls Church;

Charles Mansueto, psychologist. Silver Spring;

Elisa E. Nebolsine, clinical social worker.

Ike Nnawuchi, psychiatrist. Northwest DC;

Karen J. Osterle, clinical social worker.

Jerilyn Ross, clincial social worker.

Tara Thompson-Guldseth, psychologist. Dupont

Bernard J. Vittone, psychiatrist. Downtown DC;

Phobias

John Chamberlain, psychologist. Silver Spring;

Brian Doyle, psychiatrist. Dupont Circle;

Stephen J. Holland, psychologist. Dupont

David Kupfer, psychologist. Falls Church;

Bernadette Landolf, psychologist. Reston;

Charles Mansueto, psychologist. Silver Spring;

Jerilyn Ross, clinical social worker.

Bernard J. Vittone, psychiatrist. Downtown DC;

Barry Wolfe, psychologist. Rockville;

Bonnie Zucker, psychologist. Rockville,

Bipolar Disorder

Todd S. Cox, psychiatrist. Downtown DC;

David Goldstein, psychiatrist. Dupont Circle;

Frederick Goodwin, psychiatrist. Chevy Chase;

Frederick Jacobsen, psychiatrist. Downtown DC;

Jacob Katzow, psychiatrist. Downtown DC;

Judith A. Nowak, psychiatrist. Downtown DC;

Robert Post, psychiatrist. Bethesda;

Louis A. Ross, psychiatrist. Dupont Circle;

Major Depression

Deborah Curry, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Jon Frederickson, clinical social worker.

Vincent Greenwood, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Stephen J. Holland, psychologist. Dupont

Kimberly Hoskins, psychologist. McLean;

Ike Nnawuchi, psychiatrist. Northwest DC;

Judith A. Nowak, psychiatrist. Downtown DC;

Karen J. Osterle, clinical social worker.

Norman E. Rosenthal, psychiatrist. North

Geriatric Depression

Nathan Billig, psychiatrist. Northwest DC;

Elliot Blum, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Lynn H. Deutsch, psychiatrist. Rockville;

William J. Polk, psychiatrist. Chevy Chase;

Peter V. Rabins, psychiatrist. Baltimore;

Grace C. Riddell, clincial social worker.

Louis A. Ross, pscyhiatrist. Dupont Circle;

Dean Storer, psychiatrist. Alexandria;

Postpartum Depression

Terri R. Adams, clinical social worker.

Suzanne Griffin, psychiatrist. Chevy Chase;

Wendy Hookman, psychiatrist. North Bethesda;

Infertility/Reproductive Health Issues Terri R. Adams, clinical social worker.

Sharon N. Covington, clinical social worker.

Wendy Hookman, psychiatrist. North Bethesda;

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Teodor Postolache, psychiatrist. Downtown DC;

Norman E. Rosenthal, psychiatrist. North

Panic Disorder

Craig Fisher, psychologist. Falls Church;

Vincent Greenwood, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Stephen J. Holland, psychologist. Dupont

David Kupfer, psychologist. Falls Church;

Charles Mansueto, psychologist. Silver Spring;

Regina Ottaviani, psychologist. Chevy Chase;

Jerilyn Ross, clinical social worker.

Keith Saylor, psychologist. Herndon;

Pavel Snejnevski, psychologist. Georgetown;

Tara Thompson-Guldseth, psychologist. Dupont

Bernard J. Vittone, psychiatrist. Downtown DC;

K. Elaine Williams, psychologist. Fairfax;

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

John Chamberlain, psychologist. Silver Spring;

Larry Cohen, clinical social worker. Northwest

Mia Foley, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Stephen J. Holland, psychologist. Dupont

Elaine Klionsky, psychologist. Bethesda and

David Kupfer, psychologist. Falls Church;

Bernadette Landolf, psychologist. Reston;

Charles Mansueto, psychologist. Silver Spring;

Elisa E. Nebolsine, clinical social worker.

Jerilyn Ross, clinical social worker.

Bonnie Zucker, psychologist. Rockville,

Schizophrenia

Todd S. Cox, psychiatrist. Downtown DC;

Sabah Hadi, psychiatrist. Ashburn;

Joel Kanter, clinical social worker. Silver

Ann Reifman, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Louis A. Ross, psychiatrist. Dupont Circle;

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Mary Alvord, psychologist. Rockville and

Larry Cohen, clinical social worker. Northwest

Lawrence Dalton, psychologist. Chevy Chase;

Vincent Greenwood, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Stephen J. Holland, psychologist. Dupont

Bonnie Zucker, psychologist. Rockville,

Group Therapy

Mary Alvord, psychologist. Rockville and

David A. Beigel, licensed professional

Mary Dluhy, clinical social worker. Northwest

David F. Flohr, psychologist. Falls Church;

Beatrice Liebenberg, clinical social worker.

Cynthia Mathis, marriage and family therapist.

Britt Rathbone, clinical social worker.

Rosemary Segalla, psychologist. Georgetown;

Stephen Shere, psychologist. Georgetown;

Michael J. Stiers, psychologist. Dupont

Steven L. Van Wagoner, psychologist. Downtown

Barry Wepman, psychologist. Georgetown;

Hypnosis

Joseph Mallet, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Psychopharmacology

Todd S. Cox, psychiatrist. Downtown DC;

Michael S. Diamond, psychiatrist. Chevy Chase;

Fuad Issa, psychiatrist. McLean; 703-356-3502;

James Lettenberger, psychiatrist. Downtown DC;

John Livingood, psychiatrist. Northwest DC;

Ike Nnawuchi, psychiatrist. Northwest DC;

Laurel Northup, psychiatrist. Bethesda;

Steve Polakoff, psychiatrist. Chevy Chase;

Louis A. Ross, psychiatrist. Dupont Circle;

Curt Thompson, psychiatrist. Falls Church;

Bernard J. Vittone, psychiatrist. Downtown DC;

Grief Counseling

Terri R. Adams, clinical social worker.

Deborah Curry, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Adele D’Ari, psychologist. Falls Church;

Diane DePalma, psychologist. Downtown DC;

Susan Eig, licensed professional counselor,

Martha Blechar Gibbons, nurse psychotherapist.

Elizabeth Haase, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Carol S. Miller, clinical social worker. Falls

Melinda Salzman, clinical social worker.

Mila Tecala, clinical social worker. Dupont

Wendt Center for Loss and Healing, Northwest

Daniel Wilson, clinical social worker. Dupont

Addiction/Substance Abuse

Jan Beauregard, licensed professional

Susan Berlin, clinical social worker, licensed

David H. Fram, psychiatrist. Northwest DC;

Ed Hendrickson, licensed substance-a

Kolmac Clinic. Gaithersburg, Silver Spring,

Craig Moorman, licensed professional

Amy C. Robertson, clinical social worker.

Roger J. Segalla Jr., psychologist. Bethesda;

Denise Tordella, licensed professional

Eating Disorders

Kay Abrams, psychologist. Kensington;

Darlene Atkins, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Jane Baxter, clinical social worker. Dupont

Deborah Blessing, clinical social worker.

Adrian Brown, psychiatrist. Downtown DC;

Monica Leonie Callahan, psychologist.

Mia Foley, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Angela Guarda, psychiatrist. Baltimore;

Gary Litovitz, psychiatrist. Vienna;

William Pinney, psychologist. Downtown DC;

Laura Ratner, clinical social worker. Chevy

Adina Shapiro, clinical social worker. McLean;

Kimberly Burghardt Sutter, psychologist.

Jean Ward, psychologist. Fairfax;

Raine Weiner, psychologist. Rockville;

Marriage and Family Counseling

Rudolph Bauer, psychologist. Dupont Circle;

Rosalyn Beroza, clinical social worker. Silver

Robin Cohen, clinical social worker. Herndon;

Cathleen Gray, clinical social worker.

Gail Guttman, clinical social worker.

Paulette Hurwitz, clinical social worker.

Linda Rogers, marriage and family therapist.

Rebecca Sears, licensed professional

Barbara Shapard, clinical social worker.

Richard B. Smith, psychologist. Dupont Circle;

Michael Stadter, psychologist. Bethesda;

Michael Wannon, psychologist. Chevy Chase;

Michelle R. Ward, licensed professional

Separation

Emily M. Brown, clinical social worker.

Deborah Curry, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Adele D’Ari, psychologist. Falls Church;

Edward Farber, psychologist. Reston;

Karen Freed, clinical social worker. North

Linda Perlman Gordon, clinical social worker.

Cathleen Gray, clinical social worker.

Carol Hawker, licensed professional counselor.

Lisa Herrick, psychologist. Falls Church and

Nicholas Kirsch, psychologist. Bethesda and

Sexual

Ben Ellis, clinical social worker. Dupont

Gail Guttman, clinical social worker.

Phyllis Kramer Hirschkop, clinical social

Linda Levine, clinical social worker. Dupont

Barry McCarthy, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Hani Miletski, clinical social worker.

Gwen Enfield Pearl, clinical social worker.

Mary Linda Sara, licensed professional

Susan Segal, clinical social worker. Dupont

Thomas N. Wise, psychiatrist. Falls Church;

Racial Identity Issues

S. Nicole Burton, licensed professional

Dorothy E. Holmes, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender

Jeffrey Akman, psychiatrist. Downtown DC;

Becky Carroll, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Gordon Cohen, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Stephen McDonnell, clinical social worker.

Domestic Violence and Abuse

Eileen Dombo, clinical social worker. Dupont

Eric McCollum, marriage and family therapist,

The Women’s Center. Vienna; 703-281-2657;

PostTraumatic Stress Disorder

Jan Beauregard, licensed professional

Sarah Briggs, licensed professional counselor.

Christine Courtois, psychologist. Northwest

Eliana Gil, marriage and family therapist.

Hedy Howard, psychiatrist. Chevy Chase;

Jeffrey Jay, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Deany Laliotis, clinical social worker.

Norah Neale, psychologist. Silver Spring;

Troubled Child

Mary Alvord, psychologist. Rockville and

Marilyn Bartolo Benoit, psychiatrist.

Sarah Briggs, licensed professional counselor.

Eliana Gil, marriage and family therapist.

Lisa Happ, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Kimberly Hoskins, psychologist. McLean;

Paramjit Joshi, psychiatrist. Northwest DC;

Sheri Mitschelen, clinical social worker,

Debra Nackman, psychologist. Falls Church;

Elisa E. Nebolsine, clinical social worker.

Michael Oberschneider, psychologist. Ashburn;

Charles E. Parks, psychologist. Bethesda,

Bruce Pickle, psychologist. Arlington;

Jennifer Weaver, clinical social worker,

Carol Weissbrod, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Bonnie Zucker, psychologist. Rockville,

Troubled Adolescent

Deborah Curry, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Amye Fried, clinical social worker. Bethesda;

Richard C. Fritsch, psychologist. Chevy Chase;

Joseph Hochheiser, psychiatrist. Chevy Chase;

Elizabeth Kastelic, psychiatrist. Baltimore;

Neil McNerney, licensed professional

Elisa E. Nebolsine, clinical social worker.

Michael Oberschneider, psychologist. Ashburn;

Charles E. Parks, psychologist. Bethesda,

Britt Rathbone, clinical social worker.

Guy Van Syckle, psychologist. Alexandria,

Karen Weise, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Carol Weissbrod, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Bonnie Zucker, psychologist. Rockville,

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Carolyn Angelo, clinical social worker.

Debra Nackman, psychologist. Falls Church;

Kathleen Nadeau, psychologist. Silver Spring;

Marilyn Schwartz, psychologist. Dupont Circle;

Arnold Small, psychologist. Reston;

William Stixrud, psychologist. Silver Spring;

Faith Tanney, psychologist. Northwest DC;

Daniel Wojnilower, psychologist. Bethesda;

Autism

Lance Clawson, psychiatrist. Cabin John;

Peter Daniolos, psychiatrist. Northwest DC,

Griffin Doyle, psychologist. Bethesda;

Jonah Green, clinical social worker.

Stanley Greenspan, psychiatrist. Bethesda;

Cynthia Mathis, marriage and family therapist.

Top Psychiatrists

These psychiatrists were recommended by other

Jeffrey Akman, Downtown DC;

Wagdi M. Attia, Gaithersburg;

Marilyn Bartolo Benoit, Georgetown;

Allan S. Berger, Silver Spring;

David A. Block, McLean; 703-821-8128

Martin J. Book, Bethesda; 301-654-22

Lillibeth Boruchow, Arlington;

Lawrence A. Brain, Bethesda;

Valerie J. Buyse, Vienna; 703-893-24

Donna J. Carmosky, Manassas;

Ranville S. Clark, Northeast DC;

Lance D. Clawson, Cabin John;

Cheryl Collins, Northwest DC;

Todd S. Cox, Downtown DC; 202-223-85

Edward P. Curcio, Falls Church;

Michael S. Diamond, Chevy Chase;

Brian B. Doyle, Dupont Circle;

F. Rodney Drake, Northwest DC;

Harold I. Eist, Bethesda; 301-530-05

Steven A. Epstein, Georgetown;

Thomas M. Fogarty, Fairfax;

Randolph A. Frank, Arlington;

David L. German, Downtown DC;

Steven P. Gilbert, Dupont Circle;

Michael Glasser, Gaithersburg;

Liza H. Gold, Arlington; 703-875-043

Sherry D. Goldman, Rockville;

David M. Goldstein, Dupont Circle;

Gordon M. Gondos, Falls Church;

Frederick Goodwin, Chevy Chase;

Philip S. Greco, Alexandria;

Stephen A. Green, Northwest DC;

Suzanne J. Griffin, Chevy Chase;

James L. Griffith, Downtown DC;

Anne Hayes, Bethesda; 301-951-2001.

Stephen P. Hersh, Chevy Chase;

Michael Houston, Chevy Chase;

David S. Irwin, Gaithersburg;

Robert W. Johnson, Falls Church;

Paramjit Joshi, Northwest DC;

Michael Edward Kerr, Northwest DC;

Vikram Khot, Manassas; 703-369-8055.

Kevin W. Kiernan, Northwest DC;

Michael B. Knable, Bethesda;

Daniel J. Levine, Bethesda;

William L. Licamele, McLean;

Daniel Z. Lieberman, Downtown DC;

Joan V. Liebermann, Northwest DC;

John M. Livingood, Northwest DC;

Patrick C. Lorenz, Northwest DC;

Catherine S. May, Dupont Circle;

Catherine McCarthy, McLean;

Allan S. Melmed, Falls Church;

J. David Miller, Downtown DC;

Frank M. Moscarillo, Chevy Chase;

Audrey A. Moss, Arlington;

Laurel Northup, Bethesda; 301-493-89

Judith A. Nowak, Downtown DC;

Celia R. Oliveira, Northwest DC;

Gary K. Palys, Olney; 301-774-9400.

Stephen W. Peterson, Northwest DC;

Michael J. Petite, Downtown DC;

Bruce P. Pfeffer, Potomac;

Steven A. Polakoff, Chevy Chase;

Deborah R. Pollack, Bethesda;

Robert Post, Bethesda; 301-530-8245.

Jared Putnam, Bethesda; 301-656-9520

Michael Roath, Springfield;

Peter Robbins, Fairfax; 703-352-3822

Norman E. Rosenthal, Rockville;

Alan R. Sager, McLean; 703-790-1499.

Andrew A. Schiavone, Annandale;

Philip A. Seibel, Northwest DC;

Mahteme Selassie, Bethesda;

Bruce M. Smoller, Chevy Chase and Reston;

Bernard M. Snyder, Rockville;

Molly Strauss, Bethesda; 301-897-009

Terry A. Teplitz, Chevy Chase;

Susan B. Trachman, Fairfax;

David Trachtenberg, Bethesda;

Donald B. Vogel, Silver Spring;

Stephen M. Weissman, Northwest DC;

Kevin Williams, Chevy Chase;

Thomas N. Wise, Falls Church;

Albert A. Zachik, Bethesda;

This article first appeared in the July 2009 issue of The Washingtonian. For more articles from that issue, click here.

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