Find a Therapist in Laurel, Maryland.

Robyn E. Brickel, M.A., LMFT, LLC works with clients on a range of issues and concerns and has experience with clients of all ages, backgrounds, and belief systems. The foundation of effective therapy is a safe, trusting and collaborative relationship. We will work with you to develop a plan that is tailored to your goals and needs. Robyn's treatment style is active and supportive. Robyn's goal is to help you uncover your true potential and lead a life that is worth celebrating. While we can't change difficult situations of the past, we can work together to better understand and resolve challenges in your life.

Psychotherapy is an investment in your quality of life. Clients who seek talk therapy from me benefit from my gentle humor, sensitive suggestions, unique insights, and careful listening. We work together to reach your unique goals, whether they are about improving your work life balance, healing from past relationships, building a life that you are proud of, or learning about the ways you think and feel. I often incorporate helpful books or in-session tasks that expand our conversations and deepen the benefits of talk therapy.

You look for psychotherapy when something is wrong, when you are fed up with not being able to get something you need. At the same time, there are some good things in your life and you have strengths. I will listen to you carefully and become your ally. Together we will discover how you are creating what you don't want, and come up with strategies to go toward what you do want. I have much experience and many great tools to put at your service. My satisfaction is to see my clients become more in charge of their lives - and happier!

My first task in psychotherapy is to provide a safe and secure environment. I provide my clients with care, calmness, respect and stability to help address life challenges in new ways. Being non-judgmental, open-minded, empathetic and listening with respect helps set the stage for the deeper work that needs to be done. I help my clients evaluate whether their present life choices are providing what he or she wants. I also help my clients become aware of and transform the mental, emotional, interpersonal and/or behavioral strategies that cause his/her suffering. My approach to psychotherapy is to help clients become what he/she wants to become, to be better equipped to deal with life’s challenges, and to be in a greater state of health and harmony.

My approach to psychotherapy focuses on your internal world and relational patterns. Often our moods, anxieties and relational difficulties in the present need to be examined in light of our past experiences. I provide a caring and non-judgmental place where you can explore your feelings and behaviors and discover patterns that need to be changed. My goal is to help you in your healing, growth and change.

Psychotherapy is sacred work, and I hold a very safe and honest space for people to show up authentically. I use different modalities, but the most important factor is to have deep compassion and let the person know you care. Humor is essential, and there is as much laughing as crying in my office. I have been doing this work for nearly 30 years, and I am still in awe of the capacity people have to change.

What is psychotherapy? Some people say “psychotherapy is the treatment to work on your personal situation”, and others say “psychotherapy is the place for you to talk about your problem and your therapist will work with you to figure out the better way to manage it” Well…both of them are correct. When you seek therapy, that does not mean you are weak. In fact, attending therapy is a brave behavior as you allow yourself to be vulnerable in front of another person (your therapist), and you are willing to touch on some undesirable characteristics about yourself and work on that. By doing so, you are getting closer to your true self and make your life more beautiful than ever.

Psychotherapy is the use of psychological methods to help a person change behavior and overcome problems in a positive manner. Its aim is to help people understand the thoughts behind feeling anxious or depressed and addressing these thinking patterns. Psychotherapy will help you change behaviors and habits that are limiting you, to experiencing your fullest potential.

Life can present you with difficult situations which are hard to process and move past. These challenges are not on your timeline and affect everything. Having worked in many healthcare settings, I am familiar navigating life-changing events and grief. I understand the territory of encountering loss, coping with trauma, the complexity of the medical system and living with illness. These issues can have ripple effects on your relationships, sense of self and perceptions of the world. I know how complex things can get, and I will support you during this process.

Many clients feel comfortable discussing their issues and working together with me to rethinking how they would like to change make changes in their lives. While we cannot stop thoughts, we can develop a plan to change negative thoughts into positive thoughts. I use talk therapy and mindfulness to help clients identify negative habits and develop new healthy and effective habits.

My approach to individual psychotherapy comes out of my training and experience as a psychodynamic therapist. Psychotherapy focuses on inner conflicts and unconscious reactions as well as defenses that have built up in interpersonal relationships. My approach to psychotherapy is very relational. Most of our difficulties come about in the context of relationship, both early relationships and current relationships, and healing comes about in learning new ways of relating during the therapy hour.

Psychotherapy encompasses more than support, problem solving, or coaching. It is the process of engaging with another person, a skilled therapist, to help you learn more about yourself and see yourself more accurately. With a skilled therapist such as a licensed clinical psychologist, you can assess what you like and what you'd like to change about yourself and your life. You can explore what keeps you "stuck" in unhappy or self-defeating circumstances and work toward gaining the insight you need to have a happier and more satisfying life.

I am a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist (CBT). Cognitive Behavioral therapy has been clinically proven to be effective in treating depression, general anxiety disorders, marital/relationship distress and many other problems. In your therapy I will help you learn the role thoughts, feelings and behaviors play in your relationships, your mental health, your level of success and your general quality of life. Together we can change the way you think and feel to create a more balanced, healthier and happier existence. .

I use an evidence-based approach to therapy. This means that the techniques I use are proven to help you overcome your challenges, whether it be depression, anxiety, relationship issues, or life transitions. Together we will create a space where you can feel safe talking openly about your challenges, learning and practicing new skills, and getting genuine feedback. In our work together, I will help you untangle the confusing, complex emotions you may be feeling. We will explore and confront the fears, doubts, self-criticisms, and other thoughts that keep you up at night. No matter what you’re struggling with, we'll work together to help you feel better.

Psychotherapy is a most intense and intimate form of personal relationship--between therapist and client in individual therapy, between family members in couples and family therapy, and between group members in group therapy. My job as the therapist is to nurture and cultivate all of these relationships, as the magical healing that takes place always comes from these relationships. I have spent many years both as a psychotherapist and as a psychotherapy client--these have been the most important part of my preparation as a psychotherapist.