Theresa Ridley, MD, LCSW-C

Theresa Ridley is a licensed clinician in Maryland with 25 years of professional experience. She combines practical therapy methods with a straightforward, respectful style. She aims to help people manage stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma, grief, and depression. Theresa speaks English and works through the issues each person brings to therapy.

Theresa uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors. She also draws on Client-Centered Therapy to build a trusting space where people can speak openly and feel heard. Sessions focus on real-life struggles and small, doable changes rather than jargon or long lectures.

She has worked across many settings over her career, supporting people who face abandonment, caregiver strain, codependency, control issues, substance use concerns, guilt and shame, and end-of-life matters. Theresa also addresses isolation, life purpose questions, multicultural concerns, paranoia, personality challenges, impulsivity, and post-traumatic stress. Her experience helps her tailor the work to what matters most to each person.

Theresa expects the client to be the expert on their own life and looks for strengths to build on. Early sessions typically clarify goals and identify a few concrete steps to try between meetings. Progress is reviewed regularly and adjusted as needed.

For people who are unsure where to begin, Theresa encourages a brief intake to map out priorities and set a comfortable pace. She offers several remote formats to make ongoing work easier to fit into a busy life.

How CBT and Client-Centered Work Online

Theresa uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people spot unhelpful thoughts and test small behavior changes. CBT sessions tend to include clear goals, short exercises to try between meetings, and a focus on what is getting in the way of feeling better.

She also uses Client-Centered Therapy to create an accepting, listening space where the person leads the conversation. That approach helps when someone needs to process grief, trauma, or complex feelings while feeling understood rather than judged.

Choosing the best approach is a joint effort. Theresa will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences and then shape sessions to fit. If one method isn’t working as hoped, she adjusts the plan together with the client.

Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for longer sessions and face-to-face conversation. Phone can work when bandwidth is limited or for shorter check-ins. Live chat and text messaging make it easier to fit quick updates or steady support into a busy day. These options help people keep momentum between sessions and make ongoing progress more practical.