I've been meaning to write this review for over a year now. I did one session with Dr. Carpenter and I didn't return to her for a reason. During 1 hour session she mentioned THREE times about payment. I was there for clinical help and she kept mentioning payment which I have no problem paying because obviously I booked her session and could afford the out of pocket fees. She wasted a lot of my time by constantly bringing up administrative things when the session should have been solely about what I paid for, which is therapy. But this was super off putting and signified that she is (1) unorganized because this should have been handled by an assistant or receptionist BEFORE the session, and (2) all she is interested in is financial gain, not helping the community she claims to serve. read more

I'm really surprised by the first review. I just joined yelp bc I use it often but never give reviews... well, it was time to speak up when I saw this poor review of Dr. Carpenter. Dr. Carpenter has been wonderful to me! I saw her in 2012 and 2014 and she was nothing but awesome! I used insurance the first time and then came back and paid out of pocket. She was always upfront about the costs and fee structure, and anything else I had questions about. She was smart and usually gave me a different perspective on things. I always left her office feeling like she cared. That first review is just appalling. I've even referred friends to her. One of my friends was a terrible patient because she was always late or rescheduling, but Dr. Carpenter was really patient with her and still saw her, and didn't show any malice toward to me because of my friend. I've gone to another therapist before her, and my friends have also reported horror stories from some of the counselors in DC, but this lady always gets high marks in my book. I trust her whole-heartedly and I may actually be returning to therapy. She helped me to feel okay about therapy again and she really helped me through a difficult time. Not sure how I would have gotten through my bout of depression and life changes with relationships without her help. Overall, she has always been easy to talk to and she understood me. She is really down to earth for someone with a Ph.D. and she doesn't mind laughing with you in the session... she's personable. Oh, and she's kind of young but also married, so she's not "your mom" but is still wise and can relate to the problems. Absolutely go to Dr. Carpenter. If you want a compassionate, genuine, and smart psychologist, she's that person. And, her prices are average for the area. I'm sure she has her faults, but I along with a good friend and a friend of a friend, would say that she was super helpful to us. read more

Searching for a therapist is a daunting task for anyone. Once you have managed to talk to one, you need to ensure that: 1) he or she does care about your issues and is not only interested in getting paid; 2) you feel comfortable and can trust him/her. I first contacted Dr. Carpenter in June 2014 to book my first session and to discuss her rates and her submitting of payment receipts to health insurance. She told me she would charge one fee for the first session and a second (lower) fee thereafter. She also confirmed that she could submit the receipts directly to my insurance, which was great news. A few months later, I needed to cancel my fourth session and I attempted to reschedule it for another day. Unfortunately, Dr. Carpenter announced, for the first time, that she could no longer see me after 5:00 p.m. unless she would charge me double the agreed-upon rate. I expressed my concerns as I could not afford it, nor could I skip work to have a session in the middle of the day. I later tried to resolve the scheduling issue, reinforcing the fact that her failure to share with me the particularities of her scheduling and varying rates put me in a difficult situation. Unfortunately, Dr. Carpenter showed no interest in arranging her schedule to allow me to continue therapy. Knowing that the receipts for the second and third sessions did not get submitted on time, I sent an email to Dr. Carpenter to inquire about this matter. The doctor claimed that I needed to sign a form before she submits them, something she did not ask me to do when she submitted the receipt for the first session. Furthermore, she informed me that she didn't have the time to perform this type of administrative work. I reached out to her again to request that she submits the receipts. She responded that she would send them when she has time, and asked that I stop harassing her! In many aspects, Dr. Carpenter showed poor work ethics and people skills. Even more so knowing which discipline she specialized in. Finding a therapist is always an ordeal and it is not an easy task to open up to a stranger to talk about personal issues, which often date back to childhood. Dr. Carpenter failed multiple times to share important pieces of information, contradicted herself on many points, claimed to have scheduling policies which weren't outlined on any documents I signed, and proved to be rude and insulting and ultimately distrustful. I strongly suggest that you try to find another therapist, something which seems to be rather difficult in NoVA. read more

Absolutely terrible people skills. She is extremely cold and condescending. You want to feel comfortable and safe with your therapist, not judged and criticized. I felt like I was being scolded and looked down upon each session. I went a handful of times (maybe 3-4) and each time I felt worse leaving than I did going in. I decided to go elsewhere so I needed to cancel my last scheduled appointment with her. All she said was "ok, cancelled" and didn't even ask me if I wanted to reschedule or ask me if everything was ok. This is a woman I shared intimate details with regarding a very personal crisis I was going through and she never even followed up to make sure I was doing ok, or asked why I didn't want to continue counseling sessions when it was very obvious I needed to continue treatment. What kind of mental health professional does that? Maybe she just knew she was terrible so she was was cutting her losses. It should be noted that during our sessions, she would be constantly PICKING HER NAILS while I was speaking. She even did this while I was crying and sharing very personal issues. I felt like she wasn't even listening to half the things I was saying, just grooming her nails, or looking down and not even acknowledging that I was speaking. Icy cold personality. Ugh, she is seriously the worst. Stay away! read more

I have known this psychologist for almost 3 years. I saw her on two different occasions "for many months each time" separate issues. She has always been awesome for me and my friends (I referred two people to her). We love her. That first review must be about someone else. Dr. Carpenter is smart and genuine with everything. She even gave one of my friends a sliding fee when my friend lost her job. She is a great therapist and if I still lived in the area, I would definitely be checking in with her. I encourage everyone to work with her if you're having problems. She was really good in helping one friend with depression and some sexual addictions. If you need a smart and compassionate therapist, you should check out Dr. Carpenter. read more