Craig Kalman, MD, LCPC, LPC

Craig Kalman brings 35 years of professional counseling experience to his practice, combining long-term institutional work with extensive first-line crisis response. He spent more than 12 years at the National Institutes of Health serving a wide range of clients - from leading health researchers to support staff - and served as a senior staff EAP representative and crisis counselor during the attacks on the Pentagon on 9/11/2001, the anthrax incidents in Washington D.C., and the D.C. Sniper events. Those experiences shaped his ability to respond to stress, trauma, and the complex needs of people working within large organizations.

Following his work at the NIH, he was recruited to support the Department of Defense and the United States military, assisting soldiers and their families facing the strains of multiple combat deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas of conflict. That period deepened his experience with relationship strain, deployment-related stress, and the unique challenges military families encounter. Over the course of his career he has developed a broad clinical skill set focused on helping people manage stress, process trauma, navigate grief and sudden change, and address generalized and specific anxiety.

His style is relaxed and accepting, aimed at offering a nonjudgmental setting in which clients can explore current concerns. He uses an eclectic approach that emphasizes motivational interviewing to identify areas of conflict or distress and applies modes of cognitive behavioral therapy to support practical change. He holds MD, LCPC, and LPC credentials - MD indicating a medical doctor and LCPC and LPC indicating licensed professional counseling credentials - and he welcomes the opportunity to work collaboratively with people seeking personal growth and recovery.

Therapeutic approaches and online care

Craig Kalman integrates client-centered therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy to support online clients. Client-centered therapy focuses on creating an accepting environment where the client’s goals and perspectives guide the work - it is often helpful for relationship concerns, self-esteem, and navigating life changes. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) emphasizes identifying patterns of thought and behavior that contribute to distress and teaching practical strategies to reduce symptoms - it is commonly used for anxiety, depression, and coping with stressful situations. He also uses motivational interviewing to help clients clarify goals and strengthen their own motivation for change, which can be useful for addictions, career transitions, and other areas where ambivalence arises.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. He works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting the plan as progress is made and new concerns appear.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect, including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to schedule sessions around work, family, or mobility constraints and allow continuity of care when in-person visits are difficult. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises and interventions to these formats so clients can engage in meaningful work from wherever they are located.