Dr. Alissa Putman , MD

Dr. Alissa Putman creates a supportive environment where people can explore what matters most to them and take practical steps toward change. She works empathically and collaboratively, noticing what is going well while identifying areas a client wants to address, and she helps set clear goals using ideas from positive psychology and executive coaching. She emphasizes rapport and regularly checks in to make sure therapy is tracking toward each person’s priorities, respecting clients’ time and focus on meaningful progress.

She is a licensed psychologist in Maryland and holds an MD, a Doctor of Medicine, with more than 20 years of experience across higher education and healthcare settings. Her clinical areas include depression, anxiety, self-esteem, relationship and identity exploration, career concerns and job burnout, stress management, resilience, and juggling competing demands. In her practice she uses a client-centered stance and integrates cognitive-behavioral and family systems ideas to tailor approaches to each person’s situation. Her volunteer work has included providing suicide prevention education with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and mentoring underrepresented minority teens. Dr. Putman brings empathy, practical strategies, and collaborative goal-setting to her work and looks forward to supporting individuals who seek meaningful change.

Therapeutic Approaches Applied to Online Care

Client-Centered Therapy places the client's own perspective at the center of work, focusing on empathy and collaboration so individuals feel understood and supported while they explore values and goals. This approach helps with self-esteem, identity questions, relationship concerns, and broader life direction.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps identify unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and then develops practical strategies to shift them. CBT is commonly used for anxiety, depression, stress management, and problems like sleep difficulties or burnout because it combines short-term skills with clear action plans.

Internal Family Systems views the mind as composed of different parts and works to understand internal roles, how they developed, and how they interact. It can be useful for issues such as shame, self-criticism, grief, and complicated relational patterns.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process and will be handled collaboratively. Dr. Alissa Putman and other licensed professionals will work with each person to determine which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences and will adapt methods over time as things change.

Online sessions via video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging offer flexibility for scheduling and continuity of care. These options make it easier to access therapy from home or between commitments and support consistent progress without sacrificing convenience.