Individual Therapy – Dr. Joseph W. James. Ph.D.

Sometimes life comes at you harder than you expect...

And when it does it can be helpful for you to turn to someone who can help you navigate the road you find yourself on.

As a psychologist with over 25 years of experience you’ll find me to be not just a good listener, but also an active participant in your work. My approach is positive and affirming and I strive to bring new perspectives and solutions to your problems. I’ll ask you hard questions. I’ll give you feedback and support. I’ll tell you the occasional bad joke because sometimes we all get a little too serious and lose perspective.

Most importantly, I’ll help you find new ways of thinking, feeling, and being so that you once again feel like you have a sense of direction and are back in charge of your life.

Eleven Ways Therapy Can Help You:

Feel better about yourself - Lots of people have a hard time feeling good about themselves and it's not necessarily because you are depressed. Therapy can help you explore roadblocks to a sense of self worth and teach you practical ways to make happiness a priority for you.
Dissect a problem and develop a solution - Ever feel like you're dealing with something and no matter what you try you run your head into the same wall over and over again? Therapy can provide an outside perspective from someone who specializes in dealing with problems that can seem unsolvable.
Overcome a bad break up - A bad break up can leave you in hopeless pain and questioning everything about yourself and your life. Therapy can help you overcome your loss, understand what went wrong and how to avoid it happening again in the future.
Overcome anxiety - Sometimes your anxiety may have an obvious cause such as a life stressor that you are struggling to cope with. Other times your anxiety may seem disproportionate to whatever you're stressing about. In either case, therapy can help you learn how to find peace of mind by learning new ways of viewing and coping with the problem.
Become an even better parent - Even though you swore you'd never be like your parents it's natural to revert to patterns you experienced in your own childhood. Therapy can help you break this routine and become the parent you vowed to yourself that you would be (and your kids need).
Thrive in your career - Maybe you decided on a career when young and don't find it satisfying anymore. Or you work hard to get ahead but never seem to go anywhere. Therapy can help you explore what would be a more satisfying fit and develop a plan to move forward.
Discover your true potential - Sometimes who you are and who you are meant to be are two very different propositions. You may find yourself so stuck in the everyday responsibilities Therapy can help you reconnect with your true self and live the life that is
You want to let go and forgive - Not being able to let go of a grudge does nothing to the person you're upset with but can keep you in a prison of anger, hurt and resentment. Therapy can help you to forgive, let go and get back on with your life.
You want to learn how to be more assertive, become better at expressing your emotions, or anything else - Therapy is a workshop for you to learn and practice behaviors that are difficult for you in real life. Shy people can practice connecting with others. Detached people can experiment with expressing emotion. Soon you'll find yourself easily and naturally doing these things in your everyday life.
Overcome loneliness or isolation - Over 44 million people in the U.S. alone struggle with chronic loneliness. Many feel deeply ashamed and think they are the only ones and/or there is something wrong with them. Therapy can help you realize your not alone, explore how what is holding you back from developing a more connected social network and help you take the steps to find the connections you want.
Understand why and how you keep sabotaging relationships or other parts of your life - Do you find yourself repeating the same patterns in your relationships or other important parts of your life? Many of these patterns were laid down very early in life and are so much a part of who you are that you are not even aware of what you're doing. Therapy can help you to see what you're doing to sabotage, where it comes from and how to develop new ways of being that will give you what you are truly wanting out of life.

10 Signs Your Relationship Needs Help

Communication seems like it is going in circles
S/he seems unwilling to compromise
Our personalities seem incompatible
His/Her family gets in the way
Fighting is cruel
Fighting never seems to reach resolution
Your fights become physical
You rarely or never have sex
You can’t agree on how to raise or discipline your children
You have discussed or fantasized about divorce

What Kind of Relationship Do You Have?

Fulfilled: You are best friends and lovers in every sense of the word. You feel supported by and are supportive of one another. You can’t imagine a sharing your with a different partner.

Friendship: You are a team and may or may not feel like your partner is your best friend. But the passion is gone. It may feel more like you are running a business together than being lovers. There are some simmering resentments underneath that you can’t seem to resolve and your fights may have a repetitive quality to them.

Detached: You feel like two ships passing in the night. While you may each know your roles in keeping the house running there is no sense of teamwork. You have lingering disdain for one another. You are together more out of habit than any sense of passion or love.

One Foot Out the Door: You’re planning or fantasizing about your exit.

Dr. Joe in the Media

Your Journey Begins with a Single Step

After over 25 years of practice I’m convinced that the hardest part of therapy is reaching out with that first phone call or first email to inquire about an appointment.

In all likelihood you came to this page because you’ve been struggling or suffering for quite awhile and you don’t seem to be able to find the answers on your own.

Chances are that if there were an answer you could find on your own you would have discovered it by now. Every day you wait makes it a little worse.

You don’t have to struggle on your own; give a call (240-485-6053) or drop a line (DrJoe@DrJoeJames.com) for a free 20-minute consultation where we can talk and figure out what the best course of action may be for you.

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Testimonials

“Dr. James is extremely thoughtful, attentive, and he offers practical and effective advice. I highly recommend.”

“Dr. Joe genuinely and compassionately listens, asks apt questions to illuminate issues and help resolve difficult situations. Flexible hours and quick response time.”

“Dr. James is a superb couples therapist. Not only is he very knowledgeable psychologist, but also very smart and attentive listener, who suggests several solutions to the problems. He can repair and fix quite complicated relations and bring back happiness and mutual love to the partners.”

“My partner and I found Dr. James to be very empathetic but also firm and insightful in helping us identify and address our issues. In acting as an objective yet caring mediator, he guided us effectively through the practical steps and emotional honesty required to rebuild our relationship. Be willing to work on salvaging a relationship is the first step, but having the right counselor to help is critical. I would definitely recommend Dr. James”

“Simply great and super helpful human. Couldn't ask for better help.”

“Pure awesomeness. He gets down to the root of your problem.”

serving the Maryland, Virginia and Washington dc Area

6917 Arlington Road
Suite 216.
Bethesda, MD 20814
Call: 240-485-6053
Day, evening and weekend appointments available.

Virtual and in-person appointments available. Please contact me at 240-485-6053 for more information.