I have been coping with anxiety for years, but felt like most therapists were either aloof or…read moreincompetent when I got in front of them. I've now spent about six months with Dr. Hecht and feel that I've made more progress in six months than I did in six years with other doctors. She's patient, kind, and insightful, but also holds you to account to make sure you're not shortchanging yourself. I am so grateful I found Dr. Hecht and am so thankful she's helped me grow so substantively over our short time together.

Awesome Human beings, especially the women and infant departmen. Stayed twice and every time they…read morehave exceeded my expectation!!!

I have to say, oh my God! That Ana is just the sweetest thing. She was swift and very…read moreknowledgeable. I tell you it sucks that they did not accept my insurance however Ana went out of her way to find me a provider within my own network and I'm almost positive that was not apart of her job description. If you're lucky enough to have them in your network I definitely recommend this practice!

I saw a therapist here for about a year and she helped me with my mild anxiety and depression but…read moreonly slightly. I discontinued treatment as she did not meet my basic needs and was not able to provide even rudimentary feedback on progress, and various elements of my treatment. In general, she was not able to hold simple modes of communication on the most basic facets of my treatment which was deeply concerning. Overall, it was quite disappointing to say the least. Every patient and doctor is different of course, however I would proceed with the utmost caution and concern for your time, personal wellbeing, energy, and pocketbook.

Warning: My experience with The Sterling Group in March 2025 consisted of misleading claims and…read moreunprofessional conduct that borders on an ethics breach. I saw this practice's name as one of the few providers in DC of in-person group therapy which I was looking for, so I scheduled a consultation call. I was called by the leader of the group, Shelby Allen, LSGW who asked me some questions about what I am looking for, said that it sounds like I would be a great fit for the group and could benefit greatly from it, and then told me I could not join because the group was full. I was disappointed as this seemed like something to bring up before wasting my time but I was somewhat pleased that Shelby suggested I do personal therapy with her until finding a group, even though I was specifically looking for a group, that seemed like a reasonable compromise for what seemed like misleading and unprofessional communication regarding the group. During my individual intake session at the office, I was asked all the basic questions about what I was looking for and I said that if I was going to do individual instead of group, I would prefer something other than cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). She said that she and the practice typically do CBT and I responded that I had not done one-on-one talk therapy in a while and would be willing to try it out and go from there. She then encouraged me to talk about my reasons for seeking therapy, i.e. my trauma, my insecurities, and even - in her words, my "experiences with grief and losing loved ones" which she explicitly asked me to share. Towards the end of the session, she told me that she would not be able to offer me therapy because it was "not a good fit." Feeling gut-punched, I asked why it wasn't a good fit and she said because of two things I mentioned AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SESSION: That I had a preference for methods besides CBT and that I had been diagnosed with OCD. If that was the case, then it is grossly unprofessional at best and a breach of ethics at worse that she encouraged me to share some of my most sensitive and personal, private information under false pretenses. I never would have shared most of what I did with her if I had known what she knew; that we would not be working together in therapy. My experience was grossly unprofessional at best, and an ethics breach, predatory negligence at worst.

Finding The Sterling Group has honestly been a turning point for me. I had been nervous to start…read moretherapy again because past experiences felt either too clinical or like the therapist wasn't really listening. With The Sterling Group it's been the complete opposite. My sessions feel collaborative -- some days it's about untangling the big picture, other days it's about what's right in front of me, and both feel equally valuable. What I appreciate most is that I never feel rushed or judged. There's a genuine sense of care, and I've been able to open up in ways I didn't expect. Even outside of sessions, I notice myself handling stress and relationships differently, which is a huge change for me. The office itself has such a calm vibe, but it's really the people who make it feel safe.

Do not use Dr Velkoff for couple's counseling. She is the worst and unskilled at treating basic…read morepersonality disorders. She destroyed my 40 year marriage by failing to recognize my wife's borderline personality disorder and failing to help us cope with the personality disorder when it became severe. My wife has dealt with it well most of her life but when she was stressed from her father's death it became unmanageable. Finally after 4 years of no help from Dr Velkoff (who my ex-wife loves because she supports all her pathologic behavior) a close family member gave me the sound advice to separate and save myself. She will support one spouse and made counseling very adversarial. Now I am alone and heartbroken near retirement and cannot imagine trusting anyone again.

Helped me and my wife through some really challenging situations; she's pragmatic, kind, and wise…read more We have recommended her to others and they rave about her, too.

Puma is very warm, friendly, and most of all helpful and supportive. She always has great insight…read moreand advice on personal issues that I need help with, and I trust her unbiased, thoughtful advice. She leads several groups with her colleagues and this adds another insightful level in my experience with therapy. Her couples therapy sessions are led by her and and another therapist. I think this is a unique and helpful technique for couples therapy. I would (and do) always recommend her to anyone who is seeking help and personal advice. Puma's location in Rosslyn, VA is very accessible by car or by public transportation.

I had the opportunity to be in a process Group with Puma Cornick and found the experience deeply…read moreenriching. She and her co-Leader created an environment that was safe and challenging. She is a terrific therapist and I feel sincere gratitude.

Rude and unprofessional…read more The first time I talked to Elena was over the phone. I was inquiring about her services when she made an off-putting comment- "Such a strange playful way of spelling your name..." she said "...do you always LIKE to spell it that way?" And I thought 'Well since it's the way my mother (who by the way is now dead) spelled it on my birth certificate, yeah that is how I ALWAYS spell MY NAME.' I should have stopped there without booking. Now don't get me wrong, I'm fond of my 'playful' name. But as a first impression, this comment from a mental health specialist came off a bit strange, as if she'd assumed things about a person (me) she'd never met. Not to mention it was potentially offensive depending on the state of the caller/the culture they're from! But against my better judgement I booked her for the next compatible date in our schedules. Lo and behold, the day before our appointment was a full 10 hours of travel for me. I arrived home late and put all the mail on the counter before falling asleep. Upon waking in the morning I discovered that my WATER was turned off for routine building maintenance - a notice that was sitting in the stack of mail that collected the 4 days I was away. Ugh. I immediately called Elena's number (provided on the forms I has already printed and filled out prior to our appointment -per her instructions) MULTIPLE times with no success. I also politely emailed her that I was extremely sorry but since I was unable to shower or brush my teeth before meeting her for the first time, I hope she understood. No answer. 5 minutes prior to our appointment time Elena called, sounding worried. I explained to her the calls, email, and then gave her the run down of my situation. If she was trying to be empathetic it didn't show. When I restated that I was not coming I thought I may have given her a panic attack. She went into a frenzy about checking her email and said that she'd 'obviously be okay and figure something out'. Whatever that means. It wasn't long until she texted me her correct email address and informed me that she had the WRONG PHONE NUMBER up on her site / forms all along. Apparently her email has a period between first and last name. But the cherry on top was when she emailed me FROM THE "WRONG" ADDRESS letting me know that I had no reason to give her less than 24 hours notice much less not show up at all. Well Elena, maybe my situation wasn't ideal, but neither is yours. Had I known 24 hours prior MYSELF then I would have contacted you- but it probably still would have been at your outdated forms of contact. A situation arose and if you can't show empathy about a small issue in the present, why should I or anyone trust you with the buried, horrific details of the past? So glad I won't be paying those crazy prices to work with her rude disorganization. So hey, maybe she did her job as a health realization counselor, because I sure realized a heck of a lot about what first impressions of your health care provider should not look like.

I used to think that with all the resources that were available (friendship, prayer, Holy Writings,…read moremy own intelligence, the Internet, self-help books, etc.), psychologists were useless and only the weak needed them. I didn't trust them. However, there came a point in my life where even with all these resources, still I couldn't cope with what I was going through. So, I followed the recommendations of a trusted friend and contacted Elena. I did so with a lot of mistrust and even fear, but... How wrong I was!!! Elena is understanding, compassionate, and truthful. She is really amazing in her ability to perceive what is really, fundamentally going on, and her advice is centered and realistic.Yet she leaves me free to do what I believe is the right thing, even when I don't agree with her, and never have I felt her judge me negatively. She is very knowledgeable yet I never feel as though we are having a textbook session, she has a very human and friendly touch. She is very accomodating (sessions are through Skype or in person, her hours are flexible, last minute sessions are possible). Even if the price was a little steep for me (150$/h), I have to say that it was worth every penny. She offers the possibility of a (small) sliding scale. Elena has helped me to see clearly in my marriage and my inner life. She has become a true and trusted friend, and I can honestly say that meeting her has been a blessing.

The fact that I recommend Karen Osterle to anyone and everyone in the market for a smart, empathic,…read morepractical therapist speaks for itself. - Oh, and I haven't had a major depressive episode in the over 5 years that she and the wonderful Psychiatric NP Lorraine Carleo tag teamed to do their magic. Phenomenal. And thank you!

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Karen is smart and savvy and incredibly compassionate. She…read moregenuinely cares about the people she works with. She doesn't really take insurance, which sucks, but dealing with the reimbursement process is worth it for such a good therapist. Check out her website at www.karenosterle.com - I mean, come on, she has an Anais Nin quote right there on the front page. How much better does it get?

Dr. Franco is a very knowledgeable and caring mental health professional. She was tremendous help…read morea few years ago when I was going through a rough spot in my life. She has a highly trained and keen clinical eye that can save someone tons of time in unnessesary therapy. I highly recommend her.