Bernard Adam Stoltz, Psy.D.

Is therapy, psychotherapy or counseling for you?

To some, there is a stigma that therapy is an endeavor only for people with severe mental illness. However, psychologists can be helpful to all kinds of people who have come across all kinds of roadblocks in life. Therapy often helps us to understand these impediments, capitalize on our strengths, and improve our shortcomings. Therapy helps to make all of life’s endeavors more meaningful, so that we can relate to other people, our work, and our free time with confidence and

satisfaction. When we are unable to do this, life can become dull at best, and emotionally painful at worst.

Therapy can help with a variety of issues that many people contend with:

Self-esteem

Social effectiveness

Building and maintaining relationships

Insomnia

Infertility

Loss of a loved one

Divorce

LGBTQ concerns

Career development and transitions

Scholastic difficulties

Coping with legal difficulties

Life often presents us with great challenges and sometimes therapy can be the critical step that keeps us from “going crazy.”

Therapy and Mental Illness

Therapy can be crucial in treating mental illness and symptoms of mental illness. I have worked in the mental health field in the Washington DC metropolitan area for 10 years. During this time, I have helped people suffering from the following

symptoms and disorders:

Depression

Anxiety

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Phobias

Addictions

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD, ADD)

Bipolar Disorder

Psychotic and thought disorders

Personality Disorders

Eating Disorders

What is the difference between therapy, psychotherapy and counseling?

Therapy is a term that is often used interchangeably with psychotherapy and counseling. Therapy does not refer to a process different from psychotherapy or counseling, but rather it is a general term that can be used for both. Although this is sometimes confusing, it is also reflective of the many shared elements of psychotherapy and counseling. Both psychotherapy and counseling assist clients in achieving major life goals and gathering understanding of ourselves. Both help clients address barriers to achieving those goals. Both involve meeting on a regular basis, usually weekly, with a professional with a graduate degree in psychology or social work.

Counseling tends to be goal focused. For example, career counseling assists clients with the goal of making a career transition, or obtaining and maintaining a job. Couples counseling assists a couple in generating positive communication. In life we often talk about things we would like to accomplish, yet we struggle with actually making these things happen. Counseling involves a systematic assessment of what keeps us from reaching our goals so that we can successfully address these barriers. Individual insight is gained in the service of achieving goals set out for counseling.

Psychotherapy tends to be focused on the individual. Although we all have goals in life, sometimes it takes a deeper understanding of ourselves in order to achieve what we want. Sometimes we need to seek a larger meaning in life in order for the other pieces to fall into place. In psychotherapy we seek to understand our desires and struggles as they relate to our essential sense of self. Psychotherapy helps us to build meaningful ways of relating to others and the world at large.

That being said, there are times when counseling may entail the exploration and development of the self. There are also times when psychotherapy may become goal focused. Ultimately the content of each session is determined by the needs of each individual at that specific moment.

About Me

I enjoy working with people of diverse backgrounds, cultures and orientations. The clients I have served include troubled adolescents, undergraduate and graduate students, military personnel, working adults, single mothers, and people suffering from severe and persistent mental illness. My areas of specialty include anxiety, depression, relationship problems, development of self-esteem, trauma (PTSD), insomnia, infertility, childhood abuse, obsessive-compulsive disorder, ADHD, eating disorders, and personality disorders. I also have experience coaching individuals through career changes as well as other life transitions.

I use an integrative approach that is tailored to every individual's, couple's and family's needs. My training includes psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral and humanistic methods. I am also a student of mind-body practices, including Buddhist meditation, and I am searching for new ways to incorporate alternative medicine with western practices.

I have been working in mental health field for over 15 years in the Washington DC metro region and Hampton Roads. I held positions at McDonald Army Medical Center at Fort Eustis, Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center at Ft. Meade, Parkhurst Associates, The Women’s Center, The Counseling Center at the Catholic University of America, the Fairfax County Juvenile Detention Center, St. Luke House, the Rock Creek Foundation, and the Holy Cross Hospital Adult Daycare Center.

I received my Bachelor of Arts degree at Georgetown University and Masters of Science in Psychology from University College London. In 2005, I earned my doctorate in clinical psychology from The American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University.

I hold licenses to practice in Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a psychologist prescribe medication?

No. A psychologist engages in talk therapy. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (M.D.) who specializes in psychiatric medicine. While some psychiatrists engage in talk therapy as well as prescribing medication, their required training in talk therapy is not as extensive as a psychologist.

What is a Psy.D.?

A Psy.D. is a Doctorate of Psychology. A Ph.D. is a Doctorate of Philosophy. In clinical psychology, Psy.D. programs emphasize applied clinical work, while Ph.D. programs emphasize research.

I earned my Psy.D. from the American School of Professional Psychology at ArgosyUniversity.

What are your fees?

I am an Anthem BCBS and Aetna provider. Fees can vary based on the type of health insurance you have. Feel free to call me at 703-348-6427 ext. 108 for more details.

Please note that in cases of financial hardship, fees can be negotiated. It is always appropriate to discuss the matter of fees with your therapist.

Can you come speak at my school/workplace/community center?

I have worked as a mental health consultant in several capacities. This has included educating families and employers about mental illness, stress management and anger management, as well as coaching executives in career transitions. I have developed workshops including “Managing Work-Related Stress” and “Debunking the Myths of Depression.”

Military and Tricare

I have worked with active duty military and veterans for several years, particularly with those suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Currently I am an approved non-network provider for Tricare so that, if you choose, our sessions can be reimbursed as an out-of-network appointment. I will soon be credentialed as an in-network Tricare provider.

For concerns about discretion and clearance, please feel free to contact me for further discussion.

I am also starting a waiting list in order to develop a PTSD group for active duty military and veterans. If you have a possible interest in joining such a group in the future please contact me.

Insomnia and Pain Management

Insomnia and chronic pain are two conditions in which regular medical treatment can be limited. Modern therapuetic interventions such as Mindfulness and Cognitive-Behavioral (CBT) techniques are helpful additions or alternatives to medication and surgery. I have helped many patients utilize these techniques to take back control of their mental and physical wellbeing.