Tracy Kessler, LISW, MD, LCSW-C
Maryland · 23 years in practice
Tracy Kessler is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage overwhelming stress, anxiety, trauma, and mood struggles.
License and registration
- LCSW-C, Maryland
- 15478 · expires October 2027
- LCSW, Virginia
- 0904013963 · expires June 2027
- LISW, Ohio
- I.2607959 · expires March 2028
- NPI
- 1669896924 · national provider identifier
- Years in practice
- 23
- Languages
- English
Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check the license with the issuing state board, and the NPI with the national registry.
About Tracy
Tracy Kessler is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage overwhelming stress, anxiety, trauma, and mood struggles. She brings 23 years of experience and speaks plainly so parents can quickly understand what to expect. Tracy aims to be warm, present, and practical in sessions.
She draws on a strengths-based approach to help people notice what already works and build on it. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) is one of the approaches she uses to help people identify and work with strong feelings.
Background and approach
She also uses Client-Centered methods to create a supportive space and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to develop clear skills for day-to-day coping. Much of her recent work took place in public schools over 18 years, providing mental health supports to children and adolescents. That experience shapes how she talks about parenting, attention challenges such as ADHD, and child trauma.
She also has experience with survivors of abuse, domestic violence, mood and eating disorders, and people facing chronic illness or caregiving stress. Tracy holds the credentials LISW, MD, and LCSW-C and practices from Maryland. She values honesty, hard work, and compassion and brings energy and encouragement to sessions.
She also enjoys outdoor activity, time with her sons, and being a dog owner when she’s not working. Her style is straightforward and collaborative. Sessions focus on practical strategies, emotion work, and short-term skills to help people cope while also looking at longer-term changes they want to make.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Tracy lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Self esteem
- Depression
- ADHD
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Eating disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Control issues
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Self-harm
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
Approaches Tracy names
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.
Online support
Emotion and skill work online
Tracy uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy to help people name and work with strong feelings so patterns tied to fear, loss, or anger become clearer and more manageable. EFT can be useful for people who want to understand emotional responses and change how they react. She also uses Client-Centered Therapy to create an accepting, nonjudgmental space where people can speak freely, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to teach concrete strategies for changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. CBT is often used for anxiety, panic, low mood, and for building everyday coping skills. Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Tracy will collaborate with each person to choose methods that fit their needs, goals, and preferences. That might mean shorter, skills-focused sessions at first, then deeper emotion work over time. Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for face-to-face conversation and emotion work. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and messaging work well for brief updates, coaching-style feedback, or when someone prefers written communication. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule and support steady progress without needing to travel.We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you. It does not change what you pay or the order of the listings.
Questions people ask
What concerns does Tracy commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, ADHD, grief, eating and mood disorders, parenting strain, and related issues such as attachment and body image.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Sessions combine emotion-focused work with practical skill building. The approach is warm, direct, and strengths-based.
What professional background informs her work?
She has 23 years of clinical experience and spent 18 years providing school-based mental health services to children and adolescents.
What credentials and location are listed?
Credentials shown are LISW, MD, and LCSW-C, and practice is based in Maryland.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available online?
Therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What steps are needed to begin therapy?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
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