About Tracy
Tracy Kessler helps people manage stress, anxiety, trauma, and the daily strain of parenting and caregiving. She brings 23 years of clinical experience and a steady, compassionate presence to sessions. Tracy is direct but warm, and she focuses on practical steps people can use right away.
She trained and practices as a licensed independent social worker - LISW and as an MD LCSW-C. Tracy spent 18 years providing school-based mental health services for children and adolescents.
How Tracy works
That work shaped her way of explaining things plainly and staying focused on what will help at home and at school. Tracy works from a strengths-based view. She helps people notice what is already working and build on it.
Her approach draws on client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral tools, mindfulness practices, and trauma-focused ideas to address symptoms like panic, low mood, and intrusive memories. She also supports people dealing with grief, relationship stress, eating concerns, and caregiver fatigue. Tracy pays attention to attachment and abandonment issues, and she uses coaching-style guidance when clients want clear strategies and goals.
Sessions aim to be practical and goal-oriented while staying respectful of each person's pace. Outside of clinical work, Tracy is a parent and stays active outdoors. That background informs a collaborative, hopeful style.
To begin, she asks a few questions about current challenges and priorities, then builds a plan together that fits the person's life and goals.
Tracy lists 5 ways of working on the entry:
What Tracy works with
The areas below are the ones Tracy selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
Also listed
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Eating disorders
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- LGBT
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Relationship issues
- Self-harm
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
Training and background
| Registers | LISW, MD, LCSW-C |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 23 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Maryland |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Approaches that translate well to online care
Client-centered therapy focuses on the person in front of the therapist. It involves listening closely, reflecting concerns, and helping clients set their own goals. This approach helps with motivation, self-esteem, and general coping skills.Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, teaches practical ways to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. It is useful for anxiety, panic, depression, and many everyday difficulties because it offers clear exercises and homework to try between sessions.
Trauma-focused therapy addresses memories, triggers, and the impact of painful events. It combines careful pacing with skills to manage strong feelings and reduce reactivity over time.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk through goals, preferences, and past experiences to decide which methods to try first. This is a collaborative process and plans are adjusted as needs change.
Online therapy gives practical flexibility. Video calls let people maintain a face-to-face connection and work through skills in real time. Phone sessions require less bandwidth and can be easier to fit into a busy day. Live chat and text-based messaging support shorter check-ins, written reflections, or follow-up between longer sessions. These options make it simpler to keep consistent care around work, school, and family life.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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