Stephen Chop, MD, LCSW-C, LCSW

Stephen Chop helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, anger, and challenges with self-esteem. He works with adults on career problems, relationship strain, addiction concerns, grief, trauma, parenting stress, and the ups and downs of life. Stephen has 30 years of clinical experience and holds an MD plus social work credentials LCSW-C and LCSW.

His style is direct and practical. He listens first, then helps people set clear goals. Sessions focus on skills that can be used between appointments. He blends thought-based strategies with acceptance and emotion-focused work so clients get tools and time to process feelings.

Stephen commonly uses cognitive behavioral methods to address anxious thoughts and unhelpful behavior patterns. He also draws on acceptance and commitment ideas to help people tolerate hard emotions while moving toward what matters. Client-centered and emotionally-focused ways of working guide how he responds in the room.

Over three decades he has supported people dealing with caregiving strain, first responder stress, parenting pressures, adoption and foster care issues, and challenges such as bipolar mood shifts and ADHD. He also helps with body image, control struggles, forgiveness work, and recovery from domestic violence.

Sessions are offered to adults in Maryland and nearby areas. Conversations are aimed at making steady, practical change. Stephen encourages people to bring specific problems to sessions so they can leave with clear next steps.

How approaches like CBT and ACT work online

Stephen commonly uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can reduce anxiety and improve mood through practical exercises and homework. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is used to increase willingness to feel hard emotions while committing to meaningful actions, which helps with grief, chronic stress, and recurring worry. Client-centered techniques shape the therapist's response so sessions feel listening-focused and respectful of the person's priorities.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to match methods to their goals and preferences, adjusting plans as progress is made. That process often blends skill teaching with time to process emotions.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect, including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for deeper conversation and skill work, phone calls can fit a short break from work or have lower bandwidth needs, live chat works for check-ins, and messaging lets people share thoughts between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life while keeping the focus on practical change.