Janet Nealer, MD, LCMFT

Janet Nealer is a Maryland clinician with 40 years of experience helping people facing stress, anxiety, trauma, depression, and relationship concerns. She approaches therapy with respect for each person's story and strengths. Janet encourages small, practical steps toward better daily functioning and greater hope. Her work emphasizes clear goals and straightforward strategies. She often uses cognitive behavioral methods to help people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Janet also draws on attachment-based ideas to address how past relationships shape current feelings and reactions. Sessions are conversational and focused. The therapist listens closely, asks practical questions, and offers tools clients can try between meetings. Janet frames challenges as problems that can be worked on rather than as fixed traits. Over decades of practice she has supported people dealing with parenting stress, sleep problems, addiction concerns, anger, low self-esteem, and career-related pressure. She also addresses issues such as abandonment, caregiver stress, chronic illness, dissociation, and domestic violence in individual work. Janet works in a respectful, nonjudgmental way and aims to empower people to make changes that fit their lives. She helps clients set realistic goals and track progress. The focus is on methods that feel doable and relevant to each person.

How therapy approaches translate to online care

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps people identify unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and replace them with more helpful ones. It is often used for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and stress by teaching concrete techniques to try between sessions.

Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early and important relationships affect current feelings and interactions. It can be useful for people who want to change patterns in close relationships or understand strong emotional reactions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful, then shape sessions to fit those needs in a collaborative way.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit busy lives. Video works well for in-depth conversation and exercises that benefit from seeing each other. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat or messaging allow brief check-ins, written reflection, or ongoing support between longer meetings. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent around work, caregiving, or travel.