Tracy Kessler, LISW, MD, LCSW-C
Experienced social worker focusing on practical change
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How Tracy works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LISW, MD, LCSW-C
- Licensed in
- Maryland, Virginia, Ohio
- Years in practice
- 23
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Tracy
Tracy Kessler is a licensed social worker who focuses on helping people manage stress, anger, anxiety, and the fallout from trauma. She brings 23 years of experience and a direct, warm style that many find easy to talk with. Tracy aims to help people build strength and make practical changes that fit daily life.
She uses a strengths-based outlook and a holistic view of healing. That means she looks at personal patterns, relationships, and routines to find workable steps forward.
Background and approach
Sessions often include teaching skills, practicing new responses, and talking through what gets in the way of change. Tracy has spent the past 18 years providing school-based mental health services to children and adolescents in public schools.
Her background includes work with survivors of child abuse and trauma, people affected by domestic violence, those with mood and behavioral disorders, and children with learning disabilities. She also mentions advocacy, mentoring, and coaching as areas she is passionate about. Her listed clinical approaches include Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, and Trauma-Focused Therapy.
These approaches guide her to focus on both practical skills and emotional understanding during sessions. Tracy holds LISW, MD, and LCSW-C credentials and practices in Maryland. Outside of work she describes herself as energetic and positive, a mother, and a dog lover who enjoys being outdoors and staying active.
What Tracy works with
Everything Tracy lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Tracy's practice.
- 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 lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How Tracy Uses Evidence-Based Approaches Online
Client-Centered Therapy centers each session on what the person brings. It emphasizes listening, respect, and helping the person find their own solutions. This approach is useful for building trust and clarifying personal goals.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions. In therapy this often looks like spotting unhelpful thinking, testing new responses, and practicing different behaviors to reduce symptoms like anxiety or anger.
Trauma-Focused Therapy concentrates on safety, stabilizing reactions, and processing traumatic experiences at a pace that feels manageable. It can help people who struggle with past abuse, PTSD symptoms, or strong emotional reactions tied to old events.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals, try methods that fit the person’s needs, and adjust the plan as progress is made. Clients are invited to give feedback so sessions stay aligned with their priorities.
Online sessions include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction for skill practice and emotional work. Phone sessions use less bandwidth and can fit a short check-in during a busy day. Live chat and text are useful for brief updates, written reflection, or when typing feels easier than speaking. These options make therapy more flexible for people juggling work, school, and family life.
Questions people ask about Tracy
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, grief, anger, trauma and abuse, relationship and family challenges, eating and body image concerns, and mood disorders among other issues.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is warm, direct, and strengths-focused. She blends skill teaching with emotional work and practical problem solving.
What experience does she bring to sessions?
She has 23 years of professional experience and 18 years delivering school-based mental health services to children and adolescents.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds LISW, MD, and LCSW-C credentials and practices in Maryland.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to the therapist's availability.