Theresa Ridley, LCSW-C

Theresa Ridley is a licensed clinical social worker in Maryland with 25 years of experience. She centers sessions on each person’s needs and strengths, helping them name what feels heavy and find manageable next steps. Her approach is straightforward and respectful, aimed at people who are ready to make change but need support getting started.

Theresa uses Client-Centered Therapy to build a steady, nonjudgmental space where clients guide the agenda. She also draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, helping people spot patterns in thoughts and behaviors and try small experiments that lead to change. These methods are used to address stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma, grief, and related concerns.

She regularly helps people dealing with caregiver stress, feelings of abandonment, codependency, and struggles around control and impulsivity. Theresa also supports those facing end-of-life issues, hospice-related concerns, and the complicated emotions that follow loss. Multicultural concerns, guilt and shame, and relationship patterns such as isolation or paranoia are also within her focus.

Theresa works with people affected by drug and alcohol addiction as well as those navigating personality-related struggles and post-traumatic stress. Sessions emphasize clear goals and practical steps rather than jargon. Progress is viewed as a series of small, practical changes.

If you’re a caregiver or someone handling intense life changes, she offers a calm, experienced presence. To begin, use the Start Therapy button and complete the short matching questionnaire to schedule according to availability.

How Theresa’s approaches translate to online therapy

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on the person’s perspective and strengths, offering a listening approach that follows what matters most to the client. This style helps with issues like grief, caregiver stress, isolation, and complex emotions by letting clients set the pace and topics.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks larger problems into manageable parts by linking thoughts, feelings, and actions. CBT is useful for anxiety, depression, addictive behaviors, and patterns such as control issues or impulsivity because it offers concrete tools and short experiments to try between sessions.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Theresa will collaborate with each person to identify what methods fit their goals and preferences. That decision is reviewed and adjusted over time as progress and priorities change.

Session logistics should be confirmed before booking because the biography does not list specific formats. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, and allow for brief check-ins when a full session isn’t possible. Ask about current session options when scheduling to find what fits your routine and needs.