In-person and virtual therapy
Therapy Services in Washington, DC
North Star Psychological Services offers therapy services in Washington, DC for adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, OCD, grief, burnout, relationship concerns, and major life transitions. Our therapists provide thoughtful, evidence-based care shaped around your goals, history, and current needs—not a one-size-fits-all plan. Meet with us in person near Dupont Circle or virtually in Washington, DC and participating PsyPact states. You do not need a diagnosis or the perfect therapy category to begin.
In-person therapy in Dupont Circle and secure virtual therapy for clients in Washington, DC and participating PsyPact states.
Find the right support
Therapy that meets you where you are
Many people come to therapy knowing something feels off, but not yet knowing what kind of support they need. You may be anxious, shut down, grieving, distracted, burned out, overwhelmed by relationships, or trying to function while carrying more than others can see.
Use this page as a starting point
Browse the services below and choose the page that feels most relevant. Each page explains what the concern can look like, how therapy may help, and what it is like to begin care at North Star Psychological Services in Washington, DC.
Choosing where to begin
How do I choose the right therapy service?
You do not need to identify your concern perfectly before starting therapy. Begin with the pattern affecting your daily life most, the change that brought you here, or the issue you most want to understand. During the consultation and early sessions, your therapist can help clarify which service area and treatment approach best fit your needs.
“My mind rarely switches off.”
Start here if worry, panic, overthinking, perfectionism, or physical tension makes it difficult to feel present or at ease.
Explore anxiety therapy“I feel low, numb, or disconnected.”
Start here if sadness, low motivation, exhaustion, isolation, irritability, or loss of interest has become hard to carry alone.
Explore depression therapy“Something painful still affects how safe I feel.”
Start here if a past or ongoing experience affects trust, relationships, your body, your mood, or your ability to feel secure.
Explore trauma and PTSD therapy“Focus, time, and organization feel harder than they should.”
Start here if procrastination, distraction, emotional regulation, time management, or chronic overwhelm is affecting daily life.
Explore adult ADHD therapy“Work is draining me, and I cannot recover.”
Start here if chronic workplace stress has left you depleted, detached, resentful, anxious, or unable to recharge outside work.
Explore job burnout therapy“A relationship or major change has left me stuck.”
Start here if dating, conflict, separation, grief, relocation, career change, caregiving, or another transition has disrupted your sense of direction.
Explore life transitions therapyOur therapy services
Explore therapy services at North Star
Select a service below to learn more about symptoms, treatment fit, and how therapy can help.
Anxiety Therapy
Support for racing thoughts, panic, overthinking, perfectionism, physical tension, and feeling like your mind rarely turns off.
Learn more 02Anxiety and Depression Therapy
Therapy for the painful overlap of worry, low motivation, exhaustion, self-criticism, emotional heaviness, and feeling stuck.
Learn more 03Depression Therapy
Support for sadness, numbness, low energy, loss of interest, isolation, irritability, and difficulty getting through daily life.
Learn more 04Relationship and Breakup Therapy
Therapy for relationship distress, separation, divorce, dating patterns, attachment, conflict, grief, and rebuilding after loss.
Learn more 05Trauma and PTSD Therapy
Care for trauma and PTSD symptoms, including painful experiences that affect trust, safety, relationships, mood, flashbacks, avoidance, hypervigilance, and daily functioning.
Learn more 06Job Burnout Therapy
Therapy for professionals feeling depleted, resentful, detached, overextended, or unable to recover from chronic workplace stress.
Learn more 07Adult ADHD Therapy
Support for focus, procrastination, emotional regulation, time management, overwhelm, and the shame that often comes with ADHD.
Learn more 08OCD Therapy
Therapy for intrusive thoughts, compulsions, checking, reassurance seeking, rumination, contamination fears, and unwanted mental loops.
Learn more 09Grief Therapy
Support for loss, bereavement, complicated grief, life after death or separation, and the loneliness that can follow major change.
Learn more 10Women’s Mental Health Therapy
Support for anxiety, depression, relationships, identity, caregiving stress, work pressure, reproductive health, and transitions.
Learn more 11Men’s Mental Health Therapy
Therapy for stress, anger, burnout, depression, relationship concerns, emotional disconnection, and pressure to hold it together.
Learn more 12Eating Disorder Therapy
Support for disordered eating, body image distress, restriction, bingeing, purging, food anxiety, and emotional pain underneath.
Learn more 13Bipolar Therapy
Therapy for depressive episodes, hypomania or mania, emotional intensity, disruption to routines, relationships and stability.
Learn more 14Life Transitions Therapy
Support for career changes, relocation, identity shifts, caregiving, relationship changes, new parenthood, and uncertainty.
Learn more 15Psychosis Therapy
Support for unusual thoughts or perceptions, paranoia, hearing or seeing things others do not, and rebuilding stability with care.
Learn more 16Post Graduation Therapy
Therapy for recent graduates navigating anxiety, career uncertainty, loneliness, identity shifts, and life after school.
Learn more 17Depersonalization and Derealization Therapy
Support for feeling detached from yourself, unreal, emotionally numb, disconnected from surroundings, or frightened by dissociation.
Learn moreWho we help
Therapy for adults navigating work, relationships, and change
North Star works with adults whose concerns may be visible to others and with people who appear to be functioning well while carrying stress, self-doubt, grief, disconnection, or emotional pain privately. Therapy is tailored to your circumstances rather than a single idea of what struggling is supposed to look like.
Adults balancing more than others can see
You may be keeping up with responsibilities while feeling anxious, depleted, numb, distracted, lonely, or unsure how long you can continue at the same pace.
Professionals and high achievers
Therapy can help when ambition, workplace pressure, perfectionism, difficult leadership, burnout, or fear of falling behind begins affecting your health and relationships.
Young adults, students, and recent graduates
Support is available for academic stress, early-career uncertainty, loneliness, identity questions, family expectations, dating, and the transition into a more independent life.
People navigating relationships and major transitions
Therapy can provide a steady place to work through conflict, attachment patterns, breakups, grief, relocation, caregiving, parenthood, career changes, and shifts in identity.
Therapy approaches
Evidence-based therapy approaches, tailored to you
Therapy at North Star is not one-size-fits-all. Our clinicians draw from several evidence-based approaches and adapt treatment to your goals, symptoms, pace, history, and current life in Washington, DC.
Your therapist may use one primary approach or integrate several depending on what you are working through. The goal is to create a treatment plan that feels thoughtful, collaborative, and relevant to your life.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
ACT helps you relate differently to painful thoughts and feelings while moving toward the life, relationships, and values that matter most to you.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT focuses on the connection between thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and physical responses so you can build more flexible coping patterns.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills
DBT-informed therapy can help with emotional regulation, distress tolerance, communication, boundaries, and staying grounded during intense moments.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
EMDR is often used in trauma therapy to help the brain process painful or overwhelming experiences that still feel emotionally active in the present.
Internal Family Systems
IFS helps you understand the different parts of yourself, including protective, wounded, anxious, angry, or self-critical parts, with more compassion and clarity.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about starting therapy at North Star
You can begin with a concern, a recent change, or simply the sense that something is not working. These answers explain how to choose a service and what to expect when you reach out.
What types of therapy do you offer in Washington, DC?
North Star provides individual therapy for anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, adult ADHD, OCD, grief, burnout, relationship concerns, life transitions, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, psychosis, depersonalization and derealization, and other mental health concerns. Our clinicians may use approaches including CBT, ACT, DBT-informed skills, EMDR, and IFS depending on your needs and goals.
How do I know which therapy service is right for me?
Start with the concern that feels closest to your current experience. You do not need to select the perfect category on your own. During your consultation and early sessions, we can help you think through your symptoms, goals, history, and therapist fit.
Do I need a diagnosis before starting therapy?
No. Many people begin therapy because they feel overwhelmed, stuck, disconnected, burned out, or affected by a pattern they want to change. You can reach out based on what you are experiencing, even if you do not have a diagnosis or know exactly how to describe it.
Do you offer both in-person and virtual therapy?
Yes. North Star offers in-person therapy near Dupont Circle, secure virtual therapy for clients in Washington, DC and participating PsyPact states, and hybrid care when appropriate and available.
How do you help me choose the right therapist?
We consider the concerns you want to address, the kind of support you are seeking, scheduling, format preferences, and clinician availability. The goal is to identify a therapist whose experience and style are likely to fit what you need.
What happens during the free phone consultation?
The consultation is a brief conversation about what brings you to therapy, what you hope will change, whether you prefer in-person or virtual appointments, scheduling, and possible therapist fit. You can also ask questions about the process before deciding on your next step.
Ready when you are
You do not have to choose the perfect service before reaching out
If you are unsure where to begin, contact North Star and we can help you think through fit, scheduling, therapy options, and the kind of support that may make the most sense.