Theresa Ridley, MD, LCSW-C

Theresa Ridley, MD, LCSW-C, is a Maryland-licensed clinician with 25 years of experience supporting people through depression, stress and anxiety, family and children concerns, addiction, trauma and abuse, and grief and loss. As both an MD - a medical doctor - and an LCSW-C - a licensed clinical social worker with clinical certification - she brings clinical training and social work expertise to her practice.

Theresa approaches each person as the expert of their own story, helping them identify and build on strengths to move through challenges. She works with individuals facing a wide range of concerns, from substance use and coping with trauma to managing caregiving stress, codependency, feelings of isolation, and questions about life purpose.

Her style emphasizes empathy, practical skills, and collaboration, drawing on client-centered principles and cognitive behavioral strategies to create tailored plans that match each personâs needs. Taking the first step toward therapy can require courage, and Theresa acknowledges that effort while offering steady support through the early sessions and beyond.

She welcomes those ready to begin work on healing and change and recognizes the bravery it takes to get started.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care with Theresa Ridley

Theresa Ridley uses client-centered therapy to create a respectful, supportive environment where the clientâs perspective guides the work. This approach focuses on listening, validating experience, and helping people uncover their own strengths to address issues such as grief, relationship concerns, and life purpose.

She also draws on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a practical, skills-based approach that examines how thoughts and behaviors interact. CBT can help with symptoms of anxiety and depression, stress management, and strategies for coping with addictive behaviors by teaching tools for changing unhelpful patterns.

Finding the right fit is a collaborative process - Theresa will work with each person to identify which approach or combination of approaches best matches their goals, preferences, and day-to-day needs. Together the therapist and client adjust methods as progress unfolds.

Online therapy options including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging make it easier to fit care into busy schedules and to access therapy from home or other convenient locations. These formats support continuity of care and flexibility, so clients can engage in therapy in ways that suit their routines and comfort levels.