Marie Hellinger MSW, LCSW-C
Short Term and Long Term Individual Therapy, Psychonanalysis and Couples Therapy
How I work
You’re looking into therapy because something isn’t working for you in your life. Maybe you
feel anxious or depressed, maybe lonely, or sad, or overwhelmed. Maybe you are struggling
with a relationship. You need some help. You might feel okay about looking for help or feel bad
about that in and of itself. In starting therapy, perhaps you feel both hope, and some dread.
It takes courage to start on a journey of self-discovery to make things better. For those who
do, the rewards can be many. In addition to receiving help with the problem they went to
therapy for, many patients experience many other positive changes from therapy they could
never have anticipated.
In my work with patients, I develop an atmosphere and process in which we “make sense together” of the underlying feelings, thoughts, and roots of current day struggles. Although this may sound simple, it is anything but. Sometimes emotions and experiences connect in surprising ways that are not evident until explored. My job is to use my expertise from years of experience and training to facilitate this process with you. I put words to feelings that are sensed but not known. I ask questions that I sense will deepen our understanding. I help make sense of how one’s personal history is connected to the feelings and reactions they are having today.
How does this help? Our minds are so quick, so dynamic, and so able to work symbolically at an incredible rate of speed. It’s hard to change patterns when there is so much behind what one feels or how one sees the world. When the feelings and thoughts that underlie a problem are made clear, it provides a powerful opportunity to work with the underlying causes of problems and to make change FROM THE INSIDE. As new ways of seeing things and feelings develop, therapy becomes a place where symptoms can resolve and creative new ways of being can be recognized and supported.
This type of therapy is called psychodynamic, although there are many varieties of psychodynamic therapy. I approach therapy with a modern, relational sensibility. The approach can be helpful in both short-term and longer work. It is effective with a wide variety of problems.
I believe a collaborative and connected relationship with a therapist is crucial to change. For many patients, the experience of being deeply understood is new and is in and of itself healing.
And we do better as humans when we are not alone.
Couples Therapy
Some couples come to therapy following a crisis, such as the
discovery of an affair or struggles with a loss or infertility. Other couples come in for therapy because they are stuck.
Problems between them are not getting better and conversations tend to end up in the same place. When working with couples, I use my skills to help couples unblock communication, develop new understandings of themselves and each other, and create new solutions to old problems. Couples find that therapy can be a safe place where they can go into emotional waters knowing they have the help of a professional to guide them through.
About
Marie Hellinger
I have been in practice for over 40 years treating individuals and couples and have invested heavily in my growth as a therapist. I received my MSW in 1983 and completed post graduate training at the Advanced Psychotherapy Program of the Washington School of Psychiatry in 1991. This program involved 3 years of course work, 3 years of supervision of therapy cases, and my own personal therapy. In 2005, I completed more post graduate training at the Psychoanalytic Training Program at the Institute of Contemporary Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis in Washington, D.C. This program involved 3 years of course work and over 350 hours with consultants on clinical work, and my own personal analysis. I am involved in teaching, mentoring and supervising therapists in training.
How to reach me
2 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 665
Chevy Chase, MD. 20815
202-588-1610
