What We Do

There is no one-size-fits-all at the Center for Family Well-Being. Grounded in best Western psychotherapy practices and Eastern wisdom healing traditions and therapies, our aim is to offer a collaborative, integrative, and holistic vision and a range of therapeutic paths tailored to each child, teen, adult, couple, or family and their particular needs. 

We work with a host of life's challenges:  anxiety; depression; ADHD; self-regulation (emotional and behavioral); distinct learning styles; chronic illness; grief and loss; trauma; issues of identity across the life span; highly sensitive kids, teens, and adults; and family, school, career and life transitions. 

We provide individual and group therapy, couples therapyfamily therapy, parent guidance and coaching, school consultation and advocacy, and a variety of relational mind-bodybrain-basedcognitiveexpressive and mindful awareness-based therapies for optimal growth and well-being.  In addition to our core team of highly skilled child, adolescent and adult therapists, we partner with functional nutritionists, Ayurvedic practitioners, acupuncturists, integrative psychiatrists, and neurofeedback providers, as well as with yoga, energy, and body-centered therapists. 

We also offer meditation and mindfulness classes for kids, teens and adults, as well as a series of practical workshops for our community on specific topics, including "Money 101 for College-Bound Teens and their Parents," taught by financial planner Lori Atwood.

For more information on specific individual and group therapies,  please see individual therapist bios or contact us at: 202-660-1422 or Kate@centerforfamilywellbeing.com.

Each kind of therapy we offer is a doorway for greater clarity, connectedness and well-being. Please see our Girls In Tune or Boys In Tune pages for a description of our integrative group counseling approach and our current offerings. 

Talk therapies

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy

  • Psychodynamic therapy

Expressive therapies

  • Play therapy (Child-centered and structured)

  • Art therapy

  • Sand therapy

Mindful awareness-based therapies

  • Yoga, breath, and body-based movement therapy

  • Meditation and mindfulness practices (offered in individual and group sessions)

  • Sound awareness therapies: the ancient practice of creating sound vibrations — whether through chant, mantra, vocal toning, or deeply appreciating healing sounds through music or nature.

Brain-based relational therapies

  • Brainspotting: an innovative and relatively recent mind-body approach, which harnesses the visual field and the brain’s innate capacity to re-process and heal disturbing life events.

  • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing): uses rapid eye movement and bi-lateral stimuli to allow the old “thinking” brain to process distressing experiences in new ways.

  • Heartmath: an evidenced-based approach to establishing emotional well-being and balance by employing the power of heart rhythm coherence.

Animal-Assisted Therapies

Lisa Oakley heads up our animal-assisted therapy program with her certified therapy dog, Manny, and rabbit, Theodore. Animal-assisted therapy can be used in both individual and group sessions, integrated into our work with kids and teens with anxiety and mood disorders as well as social skill challenges. 

Nature-Based Therapies

Walk-and-Talk Therapy: During this time, in addition to tele-therapy, some Center therapists are offering socially distant in-person sessions -- outside in nature. These walk-and-talk sessions, which take place on the trails in Rock Creek Park, not only allow the continuation of in-person therapy in a safe setting; they also bring the added benefit of physical movement and nature into the therapeutic process. Our clients have found that working on personal goals while spending time in the calm and peaceful setting of the woods can be both invigorating and healing. The walk-and-talk sessions are available to people of all ages -- children as well as adults. We will also continue to offer outdoor sessions in our “outdoor living room and play space” for all ages at the Center.

Energy therapies

  • Reiki therapy is a gentle healing technique that promotes deep relaxation, balance, and tranquility.

  • Essential oils prompt responses that can alter mood and cultivate vitality and well-being. We offer high-grade, comprehensively researched, and scientifically formulated pure essential oils.

  • Qi gong is an evidence-based mind-body-spirit practice that integrates gentle postures, movement, and breathing.

  • Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) uses gentle taps on distinct energy pathways in the body to relieve distress stemming from charged emotional issues.

Functional nutrition counseling

Because food and lifestyle choices can impact depression, anxiety, ADHD, and other mental health conditions, we offer functional nutrition counseling to support clients and their families. 

 

Ayurvedic therapies

Ayurveda, one of the world’s most ancient (over 5,000 years old) and sophisticated mind-body health systems, focuses on lifestyle, nutrition, exercise, relaxation, self-study, and herbs to alleviate many mental and physical health challenges, including anxiety, depression, digestive problems, weight challenges, allergies, PMS and other hormonal issues, infertility, and menopause.