While many people come to therapy for the treatment of specific disorders, for many others the primary goal of treatment is the creation of strategies and support in coping with the stressors of daily life. I am respectful in helping clients establish treatment goals that fit their situations when they come to therapy. Goals remain flexible so that they may be modified over the course of therapy as issues are resolved and there is change and growth.

The relationship between therapist and client is extremely important; if the client is not comfortable with the therapist and there is not a good fit, it is very hard to have effective therapy. Research has shown that across all modalities of treatment, the relationship with the therapist may be the most curative factor. A person must be comfortable and trusting to speak about difficult subjects that may be painful or shameful. A client must also feel confident that the therapist is competent to navigate the journey of self-discovery and wellness. Therapy is a relationship in which the therapist guides the client to an understanding of the issues affecting his/her life and to the creation of solutions. It is a partnership in which the strengths of the client are respected and nourished. I feel that the client and therapist together explore these difficulties, and work to create a treatment that is unique to their experience and needs. My goal is to engage with clients in a way that supports them in reaching their full potential in the resolution of their problems. Although I have extensive training, in the technical aspects of my work, I know that the connection and safety in the relationship that my clients and I create together is often the key to healing.

In my practice, I use a whole-person approach within the scientist-practitioner model in which I was trained. This means a psychologist is a practitioner and a competent scientist/researcher who understands and applies the most up-to-date knowledge and techniques in the field of psychology to help solve the problems of clients. I am trained in multiple evidence-based psychology practices (EBPPs): approaches that have been scientifically proven to be effective. I have training in a variety of treatment modalities including: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Multi-Dimensional Family Therapy, Brief Systemic Family Therapy, Multisystemic Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. I also include Humanistic-Existential and Psychodynamic approaches when these are helpful in creating understanding and change.

I stay informed by the latest research in the field through active memberships in the American Psychological Association and the Maryland Psychological Association. Additionally, I constantly upgrade my skills with continuing education in the areas of psychology in which I practice.

I believe that the client should see results of treatment within a reasonable amount of time and that I as well as the client am accountable for treatment outcome. I will help my clients to alleviate the problems and stress that brought them to therapy as quickly and efficiently as possible so that their energy and motivation for treatment is maximized and there is as little financial burden as possible. (However, there may be presenting problems that require approaches other than brief modalities.) If I cannot provide the optimum treatment for a client, it is my ethical responsibility to make a referral to someone else.

I work closely with psychiatrists when necessary, creating a treatment team for clients who are treated with psychotropic medications in conjunction with talk therapy. I understand the number of life stressors that contribute to psychological problems and strive to be familiar with local resources. I can provide my clients with links to other services to address problems that contribute to overall functioning such as other medical referrals, financial/employment resources, legal resources, childcare/parenting resources, and complementary medicine modalities (e.g., yoga, acupuncture, meditation). I also have a wealth of resources that I make available to the client: both supplemental readings, CDs, DVDs (bibliotherapy) as well as linkages to other community/regional/national resources that may be helpful.

— Dr. Quille