Meet Bettina Kanitz, PhD
I view people from a holistic, broad and integrative lens.
So I do not rigidly follow one philosophy or methodology. I draw from both Western and Eastern modalities as suited to the unique styles, wants and needs of clients. I am highly trained and skilled in several evidence-based practices to include psychodynamic, cognitive and behavioral, mindfulness meditation and motivational interviewing.
I am committed to listen deeply and non-judgmentally to my clients’ internal and external experiences.
I am equally committed to develop a trustworthy therapeutic relational space, rooted in respect, genuineness and positive regard for clients. I aim to genuinely understand clients in a deep and authentic way. I get to know and respect where people are “at” emotionally, mentally, spiritually and behaviorally and I strive to help them fully identify and ultimately reach their desired outcomes and goals.
I firmly believe that therapists can only be of genuine benefit to others, once they have effectively managed their own issues and/or are engaged in ongoing self-growth/development and healthy practices. I am very motivated and passionate about my own ongoing development as a professional helper and a person.
I also aim to stay abreast of cutting-edge research about human development, neuroscience, attachment and trauma effects, mind-body integration and variety of additional subjects relevant to the people I work with. I highly value life-long learning.
Professional Experience & Training
Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification – Completed a two year training program with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach.
Provided individual, family therapy and group therapy to adolescents and adults via Fairfax County Government in Virginia.
Provided psychotherapy and parental guidance to military personal/families at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC.
Counseled diverse adults with addictions and co-occurring conditions in a Day Program via the City of Alexandria Substance Abuse Services in Virginia.
Served as a college counseling center therapist at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC and the University of Maryland in Baltimore, Maryland.
Determined complex, differential diagnoses for a national study on anxiety for the John’s Hopkins School of Medicine in Maryland.
Provided individual and group therapy at the Center for Post-traumatic and Dissociative Disorders in Washington, DC.
Completed a year-long, pre-doctoral internship at McLean Hospital of Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts. Provided individual and groups therapies via the Mood and Anxiety, Child and Adolescent, Dissociation and Trauma, and Eating Disorders programs.
Taught undergraduate and graduate courses in psychology and counseling as an adjunct instructor in psychology at George Mason University in Virginia.
Education
Doctorate (Ph.d) in Counseling Psychology, Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana: May 1998
Clinical Fellow – Harvard Medical School in Cambridge, Massachusetts: 1995 -1996
Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology, Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland: January 1988
Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland: May 1985