Theresa Ridley
Compassionate, practical therapy for lasting change
MD, LCSW-C Maryland
- Experience
- 25 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Trauma and abuse
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
- Languages
- English
About Theresa
Theresa Ridley is a Maryland-licensed clinician who blends cognitive behavioral techniques with a client-centered stance to help people address persistent stress, anxiety, addiction, trauma, grief, and depression.
Background and approach
With 25 years of professional experience and dual credentials as an MD and LCSW-C, she emphasizes practical strategies alongside respectful listening to support meaningful change. Theresa approaches each person as the authority on their own life while offering tools to shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors.
Her practice also attends to related concerns such as abandonment, caregiver strain, codependency, control struggles, substance misuse, guilt and shame, and issues that arise near the end of life. Theresa incorporates grief work and trauma-informed perspectives when appropriate and pays attention to multicultural factors that influence healing.
She invites clients to explore life purpose, interpersonal patterns, and symptoms like paranoia or impulsivity with steady professional guidance. Beginning therapy with her involves collaboration to identify goals and select approaches that fit individual preferences and needs.
Theresa values the courage it takes to start therapy and supports clients through practical coping skills, reflective dialogue, and a focus on strengths to promote resilience and clearer day-to-day functioning.
Applying CBT and Client-Centered Care Online
Theresa uses cognitive behavioral approaches to help clients identify patterns of thinking and behavior that contribute to symptoms like anxiety, depression, and addictive behaviors; CBT work typically involves setting clear goals, practicing new skills, and testing changes in everyday situations. She also draws on client-centered therapy, which prioritizes empathic listening and collaboration so clients feel heard and can explore their own values and strengths at their own pace.Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and she works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods best match their goals and preferences. That may mean starting with skill-focused CBT techniques, shifting into deeper exploratory conversation, or blending both approaches over time to respond to evolving needs.
Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone appointments, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility for different schedules and communication styles. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care while balancing work, caregiving, or mobility limits, and they allow clients to access therapy from their Maryland location using the format that feels most comfortable.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
25+ years
Licensed
Maryland
Languages
English