Joanne Stein , MD, LCSW-C

Joanne Stein is a Maryland-based licensed therapist with more than 18 years of clinical experience. She holds an MD (Doctor of Medicine) and an LCSW-C (licensed clinical social worker), credentials that reflect her combined medical and social work background and inform a holistic approach to care.

Joanne prioritizes progress over perfection and works collaboratively with teens and adults to strengthen coping skills, improve relationships, and navigate life transitions. Her communication style blends warmth and directness, often infused with humor, sarcasm, and wit, and when it feels appropriate and is welcomed by a client, she may use candid language to create an authentic connection.

Her practice addresses a wide range of concerns including stress and anxiety, depression, relationship and family conflicts, parenting challenges, career burnout and transitions, motivation and self-esteem, intimacy issues, compassion fatigue, concentration and memory struggles including ADD and ADHD, addiction and recovery, grief, and coping with chronic illness or disability. Additional focuses include attachment and abandonment issues, caregiver stress, workplace difficulties, midlife concerns, and women's issues.

Joanne believes therapeutic work should be grounded in respect, sensitivity, and compassion. She also notes that occasional feline coworkers may appear during sessions, sometimes adding unexpected background noises or the occasional photobomb, which she accepts with good humor.

Approaches that guide online therapy and remote care

Joanne integrates Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) into her online practice. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes empathy, active listening, and a nonjudgmental stance so clients can explore their goals and values at their own pace. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and building practical strategies to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. DBT teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills, which can be especially useful for intense emotions, relationship challenges, and impulsivity.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Joanne works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences, and she adapts techniques over time as progress and priorities evolve.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility: sessions can occur by video call, over the phone, via live chat, or through text-based messaging to fit different schedules and comfort levels. For many people, these options make it easier to maintain continuity of care, access licensed professionals from home, and apply therapeutic skills in real-world moments when they are most needed.