What’s different about our practice?
We use a skillful combination of psychotherapy, meditation, yoga and movement, and other mindful awareness practices to support you in facing life’s challenges.
We don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach; we tailor your therapeutic path to your specific needs.
We offer the option of helping you form a health team, which could include psychiatric and integrative primary care, Ayurveda, acupuncture, neuropsychological testing, and nutrition coaching.
Each of our therapists is committed to her own mindful awareness practice. It’s not just what we do—it’s who we are.
We work in Spanish as well as English.
Kate Kelly, MA, MSW, LICSW
Director
I’m the founder and director of The Center for Family Well-Being and creator of Girls In Tune,™ the Center's signature mind-body group program. With more than 20 years of experience as an individual and group psychotherapist in both private practice and school-based settings, I merge my psychotherapy skills with a passion for mindful awareness practice -- with the goal of assisting each person and family I work with to fully realize their potential with confidence, understanding, and an open heart.
Whether I’m doing individual therapy or leading a group, my work with kids, teens, young adults, and families is a partnership, and each therapeutic method I offer is a doorway -- an opening for greater awareness, connection, and well-being within ourselves and with others around us.
I’m a licensed clinical social worker trained in multiple therapeutic approaches, including psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, dialectical behavioral, mindful awareness, and body-based therapies; play, art, and sand therapy and brain-based relational therapies informed by neuroscience, including Brainspotting.
I specialize in working with anxiety and with highly sensitive kids, teens, and young adults. I also work with many clients with depression, ADHD, self-regulation (emotional and behavioral) challenges, distinct learning styles, chronic illness, grief and loss, trauma, and issues of identity and transition across the life span.
I'm a graduate of Smith College School for Social Work and have advanced training from the Washington School of Psychiatry. I’m also a graduate of Shakta Khalsa’s Radiant Child 200 hr. yoga teacher training, and am a student of Kashmir Shavism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Western phenomenology with several years of intensive study with Rudy and Sharon Bauer at The Washington Center for Consciousness Studies.
Elizabeth Ebaugh, MSW, LICSW
Senior Associate Holistic Psychotherapist
My deep trust in the healing process and the resiliency of the human spirit and body has shaped my life and practice. At an early age, I knew I wanted to be a psychotherapist and facilitate people in their freedom from the physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds that prevent them from living life fully. I began my career as a family therapist and addiction specialist and today, with more than 30 years of experience in private practice, I focus on trauma release and holistic techniques for optimal health and well-being.
I am a bilingual (Spanish-English) licensed clinical social worker, and my work is informed by advanced training in marriage and family therapy, Gestalt therapy, Jungian archetypal therapy, Imago therapy, Cranial Sacral therapy, Thought Field therapy, EMDR and Brainspotting, and Family Constellations. I am a student of Kashmir Shaivism and Tibetan Buddhism and have studied for many years at The Washington Center for Consciousness Studies.
I have expertise working with trauma, anxiety and depression, grief and loss, and chronic illness. I offer individual, group, and couples therapy, and lead a weekly meditation class at the Center as well as a weekly Argentine chant and sound healing session Monday mornings at 11 am.
Lisa Oakley, MSW, LICSW
Senior Associate Holistic Psychotherapist
I work with kids, teens, adults and families to help them navigate challenges and make positive changes in their lives. I'm a licensed clinical social worker with advanced training in child-centered play therapy, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy. In addition to my work at the Center for Family Well-Being, I'm a part-time guidance counselor at Janney Elementary School in NW DC, so I help many parents with school-related questions and concerns based on my expertise with local private and public schools. Before joining the Center, I worked at an in-patient psychiatric setting with both kids and adults and as a school counselor with kids ranging in age from elementary through high school.
I offer individual and group therapy for kids, teens, adults and families, and especially enjoy seeing parents gain greater confidence in themselves through parent coaching sessions. I focus on a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, trauma, anger, ADHD, self-regulation, different learning styles, grief and loss, and social skills development. I've worked with a range of clients, including those navigating challenges with divorce, adoption, substance use, and identity issues.
My group work focuses on offering the Center's 10-week Boys In Tune mindfulness, play, and friendship skill-building group for middle school boys.
I lead the Center's animal-assisted therapy program, and have worked with many kids and teens with the help of my trained therapy dog, Manny, and therapy bunny, Theodore. I've seen first-hand the power of animals to help clients develop improved social skills, as well as increased self-esteem and greater compassion for themselves and greater empathy for others. I've also worked for many years with horses and am developing an equine-assisted psychotherapy program with the help of a local barn.
Liz Hagerman, LGPC, BC-DMT
Associate Holistic Psychotherapist and Dance/Movement Therapist
I believe all behavior is communication. I specialize in working with children, and I love working alongside parents to creatively and playfully connect with their child so they can understand what their child is trying to tell them (and me!). I’m dedicated to helping parents of little ones navigate the emotional ups and downs of parenthood.
I also enjoy working with adults by using the deep creative and embodied process of dance/movement therapy to help them explore roadblocks and to discover strengths, connectedness, and joy.
As a board-certified dance/movement therapist who believes that mind, body, and spirit are inseparable and interconnected, I have a keen interest in the relationship of motor development to the development of a core sense of self.
My practice with children is based on my significant experience with school-age children, as well as in infant, toddler and young child development. I am a certified Pikler® Pedagogue, and use this respectful approach when working with children birth to three and their parents and preschools. I’m on the faculty of the Infant Observation certificate program at the Washington Baltimore Center for Psychoanalysis, and developed psycho-educational parent, infant, and toddler groups at two Waldorf schools in Montgomery County.
Liz Liptak, MA, LGPC, RYT-200
Associate Holistic Psychotherapist
From a young age, I recognized the connection between mental, physical, and spiritual health. In high school, I was introduced to the therapeutic benefits of yoga by a high school gym teacher who was a breast cancer survivor, and I’ve been practicing yoga ever since. I enjoy the benefits of mindfulness and sharing the powerful practice of staying grounded in the present moment.
My path to the counseling field came through more than 25 years working with education nonprofits in the DC region. At two literacy nonprofits, I served adults and children who struggled with reading and learning challenges, which required a holistic case management approach that included supporting their mental health needs. More recently I led a DC nonprofit, Minds Incorporated, that teaches mindfulness to support the social and emotional learning needs of educators, students, and parents.
My training includes Jon Kabat Zinn’s Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), iRest (Yoga Nidra), Yoga Teacher Training at the Mindfulness Center, Yin Yoga, and RYT-200 certification.
I’ve worked with clients experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, chronic illness, and grief and loss. Using a strengths-based lens, I incorporate mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients find more effective coping mechanisms and build resilience.
Aryn Davis, LGPC, MA EdHD, MEd
Associate Holistic Psychotherapist
My intention is to help individuals access their inner wisdom in order to lead them towards resilience, and to a place of freedom.
I have a person-centered approach that prioritizes the individual and the therapeutic alliance. I integrate CBT, liberation-based healing, and mindfulness practices to bring individuals to a place of deeper awareness and full presence in heart, body, and mind. I enjoy serving clients at every stage of life, whether they're dealing with anxiety, trauma, grief, career obstacles, life transitions, or challenges connected to self-identity. As someone who is African American and identifies as a woman, diversity and inclusion are focal points for me. I have advanced experience with adolescents. I use various forms of expressive arts therapies, including sandtray, to help individuals across the life span find healing and balance.
In addition to my work at the Center for Family Well-Being, I work with Edwell, where I design tools for teachers to create psychologically safe, trauma-informed classrooms. With 12 years of experience in local schools, I am well equipped to support parents/caregivers on their journeys as they navigate school-related questions of all kinds. In addition to my experience as a school-based counselor and Director of Mental Health at a public charter school, I have also worked as a teacher and a reading specialist; I am highly attuned to the lives of our children at school.
Stephanie Brown, MA
Holistic Psychotherapist in Training
I believe that healing occurs by extending compassion to ourselves, and cultivating empathy for others. As a marriage and family therapist in training, I work with adolescents, young adults, adults, and families with issues including grief and loss, anxiety, depression, life transitions, and interpersonal relationship concerns. In my work with clients, I integrate person-centered, family systems, and mindfulness-based approaches. I am particularly passionate about helping individuals and families navigate the pathways of grief.
I’ve always been interested in how we gather inspiration to seek personal and relational betterment, and sharing those lessons with others. Before embarking on my career in mental health, that interest led me to working in film, where I collaborated with gifted artists as they told stories about the power of connection and transformation. I look forward to supporting all of my clients as they write their own narratives.
Amy Murphy
Client Care Coordinator
I have the honor of being the first person to speak with incoming clients and their families. I attune to families’ needs, and work to connect them with the most appropriate system of support within our Center, whether it’s partnering with an individual therapist or joining one of our therapeutic groups. If we find that a person’s needs are perhaps best met elsewhere, or if we are unable to offer direct services at the time of your call, I offer thoughtful referrals to help families get to the next step.
I come to the Center with many years of experience as an Early Childhood educator; I am also a mother of two. So I’ve always been a caretaker, and enjoy taking on roles where I serve as a mentor or a guide. Through my years in multiple school settings, I have worked with parents of kids of all ages, and I’ve particularly enjoyed welcoming prospective and incoming parents, helping them feel comfortable and at ease with their child’s new school environment.
I’ve practiced yoga for 10 years, and I recently completed the Budding Yogis Certification. This has enabled me to expand my teaching to include yoga and mindfulness for kids. My connection to this community is strong, having lived in DC and the greater Washington area for much of my life. I am thrilled to be serving in this role, helping local families get the support they need. Please email me to get the conversation started at: amy@centerforfamilywellbeing.com