I first met Dr. Ellen Lessans in 2008. I am writing this review retrospectively now in 2023. Dr…read more Ellen Lessans helped me tremendously. Dr. Lessans is very easy to talk with and helped me look at my situation in a new way improving my outlook. During my divorce, Dr. Lessans suggested I participate in a group called "New Beginnings" (https://www.newbeginningsusa.org/) which is a marital separation support group for separated and divorced men and women based in the DC metro area (MD, DC and VA). She provided sound advise in many areas of my life and I stuck to her suggestions and it all worked out fine in the end. Now 15 years later, I am happy and at peace and I have Dr. Ellen Lessans to thank. Posting a positive review is my way of saying thank you!

Ellen is a phenomenal therapist and has helped me deal with many issues related to my mental health…read morein the past year. During our weekly calls, I feel like she truly listens, and uses her experience to provide the type of guidance and advice that I can apply to my every day life. Talking to her is effortless, which is the sign of a compassionate, caring professional. I sought her out due to her knowledge in the field of bipolar disorder, and she has delivered in every way. I've long struggled to find a local (Wash D.C. metro area) therapist who I can relate to and also understands the nuances and complexities of bipolar individuals. I highly recommend her for anyone struggling with this disease and who needs someone to talk to.

This review is two years in the making. Our son suffers from OCD. We contacted Newport Academy…read morewho said that they had the supports to help him. They did not! He got pretty much no counseling and spent his days doing yoga and mindfullness, which may be helpful for some, but not a kid with a real diagnosis. Our impression was that this was babysitting for kids who smoked pot.... Our sons school sent work that was supposed to be done at Newport with there "teachers" but that never happened. I guess to sum up... our last day the academy and ourselves reached a decision that could not help, yet they told us we coud not leave until the end of the day. We left. Turns out they don't get paid for partial days. So althought they admitted that this diagnosis was out their capabilities, they wanted us to stay so that they could bill. Stay Away! Unless you just need someone to watch your unruley child, their services are not to cure/help just to babysit!

I WAS A PATIENT here and the care quality is not good at all. They treated everyone as if they're…read morementally ill suicidal maniacs which is the exact opposite of how you want to be treated. You just want to be accepted and this is NOT how I felt. I was in this program for about 6 months and definitely had some mental issues at the time, and being here only made it worse. Of course during the therapy sessions I TOLD them this and obviously they just insisted on keeping me there LONGER (probably because it made them more money). I saw absolutely no way out, so I said some pretty wacky things (not gonna specify) in order to get me kicked out. After that I found myself with very little respect for therapy/therapists. Now, I can confidently say that i am doing so much better with absolutely NO thanks to Newport. It wasted so much of my valuable time as a young man and student trying to find a passion in life. I DO NOT recommend this place for anyone. If you/your child are actually a serious risk to yourself or others, PLEASE pick somewhere professional.

I can tell you that Jessica is very caring and knows what she is doing. Around 2018, I was…read moreintroduced to her by someone close. It was the first time I had met a hypnotherapist, so I did not know what to expect. I told her about my ongoing struggles of my life and then she told me about the whole process of hypnotherapy. I told her that my main problems were anxiety and depression. So, she put me into a deep sleep to help me explore the roots of my problems. For the past year, I have been going to her and she helped me greatly. It is thanks to her that my mind and health has gotten much better than before. I highly recommend her to anyone who needs help. Jessica is very nice and she will always do her best to help you overcome obstacles.

Jessica Lin has been so kind and helpful from the moment we met. I deal with anxiety, OCD, and many…read moreother limiting behaviors and beliefs that I am working through. From the moment we connected via email, I had a good feeling about her. She responded promptly, and she even communicated with me via text message, which I found very personable and accessible. Her office is easy to locate and is located on a serene property surrounded by trees and nature. I found it calming before I even walked inside. Inside is a beautifully decorated office space, I would call it quite simple and zen. She gave me a little tour on my first visit. One of the many things I enjoy about my sessions with Jessica is that she takes the time to ask me questions about how I have been doing over the last couple of weeks. She is a wonderful listener and is always concerned about how I am feeling and what is going on in my life. She always remembers what we spoke about and remembers my loved ones' names, which I find very thoughtful and nice. After we catch up on life, she asks me what my main concern(s) are currently. I tell her what they are and then she proceeds to guide me through a meditative hypnosis wherein we focus on the topic or person of my choice. From the first session, I felt a weight lifted off my chest. Three sessions after that, I feel more empowered, confident, and peaceful. Meditation is something I have been learning and practicing for a few years. At times during meditation, one can feel vulnerable and fearful. I feel protected and safe when Jessica guides me through a meditation/hypnosis, and that is extremely important for it to be effective. Hypnosis was something I have never done before, but always wanted to try. I have learned in my personal studies that much of our inner healing takes place when we are silent and still. I find that silence to be very healing - even though it's hard sometimes to be still and silent for longer than 5 minutes for someone as restless as me. She guides me through a meditation that I helped create (my happy place is a beautiful beach). She has also guided me through other various hypnotic states. I have learned how to better meditate and visualize whatever results I want. I have also learned how to focus more on gratitude and less on fear-based thought patterns and behaviors. It's hard to describe how helpful meditation and hypnosis are - but I believe they're the best kind of therapy that exist. Jessica is one of the most kind hearted and also professional people I have ever worked with. She has given me tools that I can take with me and use any time in my life. She has a VERY calming presence and voice, and she fluctuates her tone during the hypnosis, which I find to be very pleasant and relaxing. It's safe to say that I recommend Jessica Lin to anyone who is ready to heal whatever is preventing them from living the life of their dreams. Thank you Jessica.

I spent a couple of years and several therapists before I went to Laura Zukowski at the Frederick…read morebranch of MICA. I am all too happy to say the search is long over. After just about two years, my only wish is that I'd come here sooner. A great therapist who listens, and creates an environment where a person feels like they are her only patient, a caring individual with a great sense of humor, which makes therapy not feel like therapy. I would wish for anyone seeking therapy to find someone as good as L. Zukowski

MICA Therapy is the only place where my son got therapy and substantially worsened. Stay away if…read moreyou value your children's mental health. We were referred for neurotherapy and when it became obvious that it wasn't working, transitioned to psychotherapy. The therapist, Michael Donovan, provided counseling that turned our son against us and reinforced self serving and harmful attitudes that had to be reversed by more knowledgeable and skillful professionals. As an organization, MICA Therapy appears more interested in promoting their niche specialties and generating self referrals rather than actually treating mental illness. If you want your loved ones to actually get better, you would do well to avoid this place.

Carol and the staff at Aspire get my highest recommendation…read more I can understand the frustration of the other reviewer if that was his experience. Fortunately, my experience, with the same therapist, has been completely opposite. She has been great. Our personalities are completely compatible. She is straight forward with me, calling me out on some things that I do from time to time. I appreciate this in a person, and counselor. It sounds to me like the fit just wasn't there for the previous reviewer, which is perhaps the single most important part of finding the "right" counselor. Best of luck to him.

For several months I've debated whether to attempt to approach the administration of this business…read moreand try to make them aware of the problem I had, or just post one of my trademark fiercely negative reviews. I'm breaking tradition here by going straight to the review and not attempting to address the matter with the management. My reasoning is that I feel that my experiences indicate that the business is so dreadfully managed that regardless of what I attempted to convey to management, I would only waste my time and accomplish nothing. Having said that, I have two complaints, but the first one is much more damning. The second one is neither here nor there, except to vent my furthered frustration. I had about eight appointments with one of their therapists, Carol Juran Ph.D. I thought things were going well, except that during that time I began to feel I was experiencing Deja Vu. I felt I was repeating myself a lot, because the therapists appeared to keep asking me the same questions as though we'd never discussed the topics which, over the span of these appointments, I began to feel I'd covered several times. By my very last such appointment, I finally asked her if she takes any notes at all. She then explained she spends at least 30 minutes between patients taking notes FROM MEMORY (but that's not the actual problem). Naturally I inquired if she had any difficulty remembering what I said, and that's when she revealed the actual problem. She explained, "You talk very fast and I have difficulty understanding what you are saying". Of that I have no doubt, but most people I know tell me when I'm talking too quickly and I adjust my rate to suit the listener. I do not adjust my rate if I'm not told that I'm talking too fast. This therapist failed to inform me that I was talking too fast, and I consider that to be a very very serious problem. It is a problem with this sole therapist, of course, but it is also a problem with any practice which would hire her without evaluating that therapist for efficacy. At some point, I do hope that I have the nerve to attempt to contact the administration, but I'm pretty sure I'll want to give them something in writing... something they cannot lose, and something they can refer to as often as necessary until they can address these matter. I can think of no form more effective than this review to serve such a purpose, so naturally I will be directing them to this review. As for my second complaint, it regards my direct request to the receptionist to cancel an appointment, to inform the therapist, and, when queried if I wanted her to request the therapist phone me back, I explicitly instructed her not to on the basis I was too stressed and tired (my reason for canceling) to be able to accomplish anything useful. About 15 minutes later the phone rang and it was my therapist. I began by expressing surprise, and inquiring why she phoned considering I had requested I not be phoned... but then I remembered that the receptionist is a ditz and this could not be the therapists fault. So instead I apologized for needing to cancel and expressing just a little of my frustrating experiences that led me to be so tired and stressed. The therapist then took on a harsh tone and informed me she was not going to held a therapy session over the phone. Talk about adding insult to injury. I didn't want to talk to her. I said I didn't want to talk to her, and if I cancel, and I don't want to talk about it, then what is the freaking point of phoning me???

I had the most off-putting appointment with the founder Elana. She spoke about herself the whole…read moretime but it was obvious she didn't have any real relationship experience. She came off arrogant and completely oblivious to my needs. I would not recommend her to anyone I care about.

From the owner: Life can get tough whether you’re a teenager, adult, or a couple. All humans suffer, but no one…read moreneeds to suffer alone. We believe in the power of co-regulation- humans help other humans thrive. We address the unique needs of teens, individuals, and couples. Each of our therapists has tremendous professional experience to help you. We provide therapy for real people by real people. We show up authentic and real and we want you to do the same. Show up as you are now.