Melissa Weinberg, LCPC, Founder of Open Lines Counseling

she/her/hers

Availability: 

Accepting new clients

Location:

Telehealth, limited in-person sessions

How to Reach Me: 

info@openlinescounseling.com
410-324-6809

For New Clients:

ARE WE A GOOD FIT?

I Work With: 

Adults only, couples

Areas of Specialization:

  • OCD and anxiety

  • Perinatal mental health

  • Consensual non-monogamy

  • Relationship therapy

  • Body image and food recovery

Who I love to Work With:

Living with stress, anxiety, and OCD is miserable. I have seen the transformative empowerment clients experience when they learn how their anxiety or OCD work and start relating to it differently. I love supporting these individuals.

I’m also deeply invested in working with folks struggling with perinatal mental health concerns. New or expecting parents deserve support through what is often an isolating and overwhelming experience. I write on Psychology Today specifically about pregnancy and postpartum anxiety if you’d like to read more.

I enjoy working with individuals and couples practicing consensual non-monogamy and believe this is an underserved population.

And finally, I am passionate about working to dismantle anti-fat bias and help those who struggle with disordered eating/exercise or body image to find a more balanced and trusting relationship with their bodies.

MY APPROACH

My Approach to Therapy:

Therapeutically, my work is deeply grounded in evidenced-based approaches (see below) with an understanding that academic study of psychotherapy can be biased and only goes so far in tackling the endlessly complex and nuanced human experience. Therefore I aim to practice through a critical intersectional lens.

Some approaches I use when appropriate include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure and response prevention (ERP) and inference-based cognitive behavioral therapy (I-CBT) for OCD, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy (MCBT), and Gottman Method for relationship therapy.

I hold human connection as essential for wellbeing and value the therapeutic relationship as one to use as a springboard for connecting in healthy ways with others, on a personal and communal level, to increase a sense of belonging and reduce feelings of isolation.

I want the best for my clients. I want them to feel heard and their experiences validated so that they can challenge themselves to grow and live the truest version of their lives. 

More About What to Expect in Therapy with Me:

I am a huge advocate of self-compassion. I want you to treat yourself kindly--with acceptance and patience. Therapy is a vulnerable and delicate undertaking. I also want you to feel better! While developing insight and leaving room to reflect is a hugely important part of the process, I also encourage taking action.

I believe that change occurs through a dedicated practice of incremental actions. We'll work together to understand your specific obstacles, then craft a plan through which you will see tangible progress. We'll strengthen your ability to be resilient and psychologically flexible in the face of life's challenges. I will hold you accountable. We'll probably have some laughs along the way. 

I believe in acknowledging and exploring the role that inequitable and oppressive systems have on mental wellbeing. I see the therapeutic space as one in which to identify and heal from these systems--to find ways to thrive, rest, and resist.

I encourage you to explore some of my blog posts to get a more in depth sense of my approach and interests. 

Aspects of My Identity that Impact My Work as a Therapist:

As a parent of two small children, I am right there in it with other parents and I know how challenging the postpartum period can be.

As a bisexual woman, I am aware of how important understanding and owning our sexuality is to living fully and honestly. I am sensitive to the queer experience and the need to unpack and address the impacts through therapy at times.

As a cis white woman, I am committed to owning up to mistakes, engaging in ongoing education, and practicing self-reflection to understand the ways my privilege and inherent biases may be harmful to others and showing up in my work with clients. I am always working on finding ways to sensitively and ethically decolonize my business and therapy practice and hold myself accountable.

MORE ABOUT ME

Populations in Which I am Invested:

LGBTQIA+ (a part of, knowledgeable), BIPOC (allied), parents (a part of).

Out of the Therapy Office:

I love to read (my goal has been 50 books/year for the past few years), connect with the natural world (through vegetable gardening in my little city yard, very long walks, hiking, and backpacking adventures), draw, write, listen to podcasts (have you heard the good word about Maintenance Phase?), spend time with friends and family, lift weights, and sometimes roller skate if the mood strikes.

Credentials:

I hold a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology and am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) as well as licensed supervisor in the state of Maryland.

I honed my skills treating anxiety and OCD through my work at The Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute, where I worked for several years. Since then I have taken various trainings on the treatment of OCD. I have completed training through Postpartum Support International on treating perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. I have also had professional training in working with consensually non-monogamous clients and have completed Gottman Level 1 training.

I have served as an adjunct faculty member at Towson University, teaching counseling skills and social psychology classes to both undergraduate and graduate students. 

I am a Prepare/Enrich Certified Facilitator for premarital counseling.

Media and Article Contributions:

I welcome you to explore my Psychology Today articles on pregnancy and postpartum anxiety.

Check out these Bustle articles in which I am quoted on coping with anxiety and the difference between gut instincts and anxiety.

I’ve also been quoted Huffington Post on social anxiety and how to talk to someone intimidating.

Here is a post I wrote about healthy spending and another on the fear of pregnancy and childbirth (and was quoted in this Insider article on tokophobia as well).

You can find me quoted in Huffpost’s article on the first Sports Illustrated model with a visible c-section scar.