Meet Lily, PhD
Specializations
I specialize in treating concerns related to anxiety and/or trauma recovery. Life stressors can affect us in a variety of ways; I am equipped to address feelings of depression, perfectionism, burnout, or other adjustment challenges that might be showing up for you. My clients are often looking for support while navigating important decisions or life transitions, or figuring out what they want from their career, relationships, or other valued life areas.
Approach
My approach to therapy is evidence-based, affirming, and client-centered. My clinical orientation is most grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), in which we identify areas of your life that are most important to you, build your awareness, resilience, and psychological flexibility, and move you closer to the things that give you purpose and fulfillment. As an integrative clinician, I also incorporate skills and concepts from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), trauma-focused treatment modalities such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Intersectional Feminist/Multicultural theory. My top priority is to create a safe, collaborative environment where I can truly understand you: your challenges, strengths, values, goals, lived experiences, and the connections among them. I invite regular feedback from clients about what is and isn’t helpful in therapy so that we can optimize the process together.
Populations
I have specific experience working with clients from LGBQAI+, Trans/Nonbinary, Polyam/Non-Monogamy, Black/African-American, and International/Immigrant communities. I am committed to anti-oppressive practices in mental healthcare. For me, this means engaging in ongoing self-reflection and training to understand the impact of, and reduce harmful biased caused by, my privileged identities. I also take responsibility for creating space in the therapy room to discuss culture and identity, including not only your identity-related experiences but also what it might be like for you to work with a clinician with my identities. I recognize that communities are not monoliths—I am invested in understanding where you fit within your specific cultural groups. Exploring the influence of culture and identity can also give us greater insight into your relationships, environment, and values.
Additionally, I have experience working with clients who have served in the military and clients who belong to helping professions. While I myself am a civilian, I completed two training rotations at the DC VA Medical Center, where I specialized in substance use recovery and trauma-focused treatment. I recognize that service members face unique challenges and that each branch has its own distinct culture. Individuals in helping professions (such as medical and mental healthcare providers) provide a great deal of care to others and are at heightened risk for burnout, trauma, and loss. I am here to provide the support that we are not able to offer to ourselves.
Education & Training
Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, American University
M.A., Psychology, American University
B.A., Psychology, Bard College
I’ve always been interested in hearing people’s stories, exploring different perspectives, and understanding the “why” of human behavior. As an undergraduate at Bard College, I explored the role of writing in mental health treatment. It was my first deep dive into the research literature around depression, trauma, and how expressing our thoughts and feelings about difficult experiences can improve physical and emotional wellbeing. From there, I went on to conduct research related to motivation and behavior change. I spent several years working in psychology research at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, followed by six years of graduate training at American University. These experiences nurtured my deep interest in exploring the functions of different behaviors and coping strategies that we use in our daily lives, and in identifying the most effective strategies to meet our needs.
My clinical background includes a breadth of experiences. Before opening my practice, I trained in a variety of settings, including university/college counseling, family therapy, community psychotherapy, and Veterans Affairs psychological services. I completed my postdoctoral fellowship specializing in trauma-focused treatment and values-oriented therapy under the supervision of Dr. Noëlle Opsahl.
About Me (Outside of Therapy)
I love spending time outside, whether on a hike with friends or just walking through my neighborhood. I take pleasure in noticing the plants and flowers that come into bloom at different times of the year, and in practicing mindful appreciation for the sensory experiences we can find in nature. Seasonal produce often finds its way into my kitchen, where you'll see me trying out new recipes—I’m drawn to the art and science of cooking and baking. I like to wind down at the end of the day with music, a podcast, a favorite TV show, or playing video games with my partner.
Lily is a licensed Psychology Associate in Maryland and Washington, DC. She works in close collaboration with Noëlle to provide you with quality, individualized care.