Metropolitan Counseling Associates
Our Associates
Erin Abbott, LCSW-C
Erin is extensively trained in Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and oversees the DBT outpatient and Ascend services at MCA. She is a member of the Ascend and Ascend Lite treatment team. Erin also provides outpatient individual, family and group therapy to adolescents and young adults.
Erin’s solution focused approach to psychotherapy integrates a combination of DBT and cognitive behavioral principles and techniques. Prior to joining MCA, Erin gained extensive experience working with children, adolescents and families with a wide range of behavioral challenges, depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. She spent several years working on a DBT treatment team providing treatment adherent DBT services to adolescents and families. She also provided direct services and program development with children and adolescents working as a member of the Arlington Public Schools special education team and the Department of Child Welfare in the District of Columbia.
Erin is a licensed clinical social worker in Maryland, DC and Virginia. She earned her Bachelor and Master’s degree in Clinical social work from the Catholic University of America.
Email abbotte@metcounseling.com
Mackenzie Bell, LCPC
Mackenzie provides individual, family and group therapy to children, adolescents and young adults. Her work integrates skills and strategies from DBT and CBT to help clients reduce negative behaviors and to manage emotions in healthy and effective ways. She is a member of the Ascend Lite treatment team.
Prior to developing an outpatient practice at MCA, Mackenzie worked as a treatment provider within inpatient and community-based settings. Her familiarity with treatment across levels of care leads her to approach therapy with a goal directed approach to change. Her previous work includes training and practice with evidenced based treatment for complex trauma and dissociative disorders. In her outpatient practice, Mackenzie specializes in using skills-based strategies and interventions to treat a wide range of anxiety and mood disorders with clients of all ages.
Mackenzie is a licensed clinical professional counselor in Maryland, DC and Virginia. She has a Masters in Psychology from American University and a Professional Counseling Studies Certificate from the University of Baltimore.
Email bellm@metcounseling.com
Caryn Harris Bohac, LCPC, NCC
Caryn has a full time outpatient practice providing individual, group, and family therapy to adolescents and young adults. Caryn is the director of the Ascend 2 and Ascend Lite programs as well as a member of the Ascend team. She is also co-founder of the LaunchWell™ college readiness program. Caryn has developed an interest and specialization in mental health assessments and completes intakes for both the Ascend program and young adult outpatient services.
Caryn specializes in treating Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Mood Disorders in adolescents and young adults. Caryn is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) as well as certified in Exposure Response Prevention (EXRP). In addition to her clinical work, Caryn provides professional and community-based trainings in the areas of anxiety and exposure. Prior to developing her practice, Caryn co-founded About Time, a tutoring service for students struggling with executive functioning. Caryn is passionate about empowering adolescents and young adults with the skills and confidence to improve self-esteem, manage stress, and navigate the difficult transition into college and adulthood.
Caryn is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and a National Certified Counselor in Maryland, DC, and Virginia. She completed her undergraduate degree from Tufts University with a double major in Psychology and Child Development. Caryn received her graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from George Washington University.
Email bohacc@metcounseling.com
Amye L. Fried, LCSW-C
Amye is the co-founder of Metropolitan Counseling Associates, LLC (MCA) and has been providing individual, group and family therapy to children, adolescents and young adults in the Washington, DC metropolitan area for over 25 years. Amye is the Founder and Director of the Ascend Program, a certified Clinical Supervisor, and an expert on human development and mental health assessment. She has served as a consultant and keynote speaker at many DC metropolitan schools, hospitals, and to many other outside professionals.
Amye graduated Summa Cum Laude from Emory University with a degree in Psychology and from Smith College with a Masters degree in Clinical Social Work. Amye then completed 5 additional years of post-masters clinical training with a specialization in family and group therapy. In recent years, she has completed training in DBT (Dialectical and Behavioral Therapy), EXRP (Exposure and Ritual Prevention), cultural competence and comprehensive assessment. Her work both within MCA and in the broader community is focused on developing a comprehensive and collaborative approach to promoting independence, a sense of purpose, confidence and overall wellness in young adults.
Email frieda@metcounseling.com
Sina Jones, LMSW
Sina has a full-time outpatient practice with adolescents, emerging adults, and adults. She provides individual, family, and group therapy. She is a member of the Ascend and Ascend 2 treatment teams.
Sina has had the privilege of serving a diverse range of individuals in a variety of settings, including college counseling centers, public schools, and community mental health clinics. Her clinical interests include grief, anxiety, life-stage transitions, intersectional identity development, relationship stress, and trauma. She strives to create an atmosphere in which clients feel supported and heard and uses an integrative approach to therapy, incorporating relational, humanistic, and mindfulness-based interventions into her work. She has a background in international program development, working primarily with youth outreach, reconciliation, and empowerment in post-conflict communities.
Sina is a Licensed Master Social Worker in Maryland. She earned her Master’s Degree in Clinical social work from the Catholic University of America and is a Postgraduate Trauma Fellow at George Mason University.
Email joness@metcounseling.com
Rebecca Kullback, LCSW-C
Rebecca is a co-founder of Metropolitan Counseling Associates, the Director of Outpatient Services, and a co-founder of LaunchWell™ college readiness programs. She specializes in assessment and the treatment of trauma related disorders. Her work at MCA focuses on providing individual, family and couples therapy to young adults and adults.
Rebecca received her MSW in clinical social work from Smith College School for Social Work in 1994.and began her career alongside Anthony Fauci MD, Wayne Fenton MD and their respective teams of researchers and providers at NIH and Chestnut Lodge Hospital. Developing a passion for mental health assessment and prevention, Rebecca left hospital work to create and direct the first upper school counseling department at Sidwell Friends School. She participated in the pilot development of advanced adoption competent therapist training through PACE and the University of Maryland, is a former faculty member of the Catholic University School of Social Work, is a certified clinical social work supervisor and public speaker on mental health and wellness throughout the DC area.on issues pertaining to child and adult mental health and wellness. She is certified in DBT, EMDR and CPT treatment and has extensive training in family therapy and the neurobiology of mental health.
Rebecca is passionate about mental health assessment and believes that unsuccessful treatment is often the result of misdiagnosis. She has a special interest in helping parents, educators and health care providers and other professionals better understand differences in human behavior that are commonly mistaken as disorder; and helping people develop the understanding and support they need to promote life-long health and wellbeing.
Email kullbackr@metcounseling.com
Bridget Kuzma, LCPAT, ATR-BC
Bridget is part of the Ascend treatment team and leads the Art Therapy groups. Art therapy uses art mediums, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to enhance relatedness, personal insight, and growth. Bridget provides compassionate space for discovery and healing with a spirit of curiosity and co-exploration to develop a safe environment for expression. Because words are often not enough, Art Therapy provides a nonverbal way to represent inner experiences that is naturally integrative as creativity engages emotional, sensory, kinesthetic, spatial and cognitive levels of processing. No skills required!
Bridget’s experience includes work with children and adults ages 2- 97. Her work with adults, children and families encompasses non-profit, school, and hospital settings including pediatric, palliative, and intensive care units. Along with Art Therapy, she is trained in Psychodynamic and Somatic Psychotherapy modalities. Bridget specializes in trauma and is certified in the somatic modality Sensorimotor Psychotherapy to treat dysregulation, survival defenses and traumatic memory. Before becoming a therapist, she worked at the National Institutes of Health where she developed supportive programs for families, teens and young adults. There she learned to appreciate the value of person-centered care and the meaningful benefits of creativity.
Bridget is a Nationally registered and Board-Certified Art Therapist licensed as a Clinical Professional Art Therapist in Maryland and New York. She earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Studio Art at the University of Dallas, her master’s in Art Therapy and Creativity Development at The Pratt Institute and completed her clinical training at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. In addition to being a therapist, Bridget is a painter. Her own creative practice informs and enriches the work she is honored to do with clients.
Email kuzmab@metcounseling.com
Kim Levin MS, CCC-SLP
Kim is director of educational and vocational services at Metropolitan Counseling Associates. She works with adolescents, young adults, and adults as well as runs groups. She is a member of the Ascend and Ascend Lite programs and co-founder of the LaunchWell™ college readiness program.
Kim specializes in assessing and treating executive functioning disorder. Kim focuses her work on assisting individuals develop and implement skills to improve executive functioning in an effort to feel successful at school and/or work. Kim has experience both evaluating and treating executive function disorder as it relates to neurological and mental health concerns. Kim is trained in conducting many educational and vocational assessments.
Kim is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist in both Virginia and Maryland and has over 20 years of experience working in the Washington DC area. She obtained her undergraduate degree from James Madison University in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Psychology and her Master of Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Speech Language Pathology.
Email levink@metcounseling.com
Paige Lewis, LCPC, NCC
Paige has a full time outpatient practice working with adolescents, young adults, families and groups. She is a member of both the Ascend and Ascend Lite programs. In addition to her clinical work, Paige takes a lead role in assisting individuals with any case management services needed to further treatment.
Paige specializes in treating adolescents and young adults with mood and anxiety disorders, trauma, and challenges within their family. Paige is trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Paige uses mindfulness and a strength-focused approach to compassionately help individuals identify and work through their challenges and achieve their goals.
Paige is a Licensed Professional Counselor and National Certified Counselor in Maryland, District of Columbia, and Virginia. Paige earned her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University where she majored in Criminal Justice. She received her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marymount University.
Email lewisp@metcounseling.com
Michelle Manket, LMSW, LGSW
Michelle has an outpatient practice working with adolescents, emerging adults, and adults. She provides individual, family, couples, and group therapy. She is also a member of the Ascend treatment team.
Michelle specializes in working with mood and anxiety disorders, trauma, and life transitions. She incorporates various behavioral, cognitive, and psychodynamic approaches to support the growth of her clients. Her goal is to help clients develop the awareness, tools, and vocabulary to access, identify, and manage their feelings in an effort to feel empowered to explore deeper and more successful relationships with themselves and others. Prior to MCA, Michelle has a background in the corporate and startup spaces, working primarily in strategy, partnerships, and sales.
Michelle is a Licensed Master Social Worker in Maryland and Virginia, and a Licensed Graduate Social Worker in Washington DC. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and her MSW from New York University.
Email manketm@metcounseling.com
Macarena “Maca” Santelices, LCPC
Maca has a full time outpatient practice treating children, adolescents, young adults, and families. Maca provides individual, family, and group therapy. Maca is fluent in Spanish and provides bi-lingual therapy services.
Maca specializes in treating depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Maca is trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). She incorporates mindfulness and solution-focused therapies to help individuals work through social, emotional, and behavioral challenges and to achieve their goals. Maca also has extensive experience providing support and guidance to parents, conducting mental health consultations, and assisting with case management.
Maca is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Maryland, District of Columbia, and Virginia. She received her undergraduate degree from The University of Maryland where she doubled majored in Psychology and Spanish. Maca obtained her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Email santelicesm@metcounseling.com
Alexandra “Alex” Swe, LCSW-C
Alex has a full time outpatient practice treating adolescents, young adults, and families. Alex provides individual, family, and group therapy. Alex is also a member of both the Ascend and Ascend Lite programs.
Alex specializes in working with adolescents and adults with extensive trauma history, behavioral challenges, depression, anxiety, mood disorders, attachment disorders, and socio-emotional concerns. Alex is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). Alex strongly believes in being an advocate for her clients and helping them identify and understand their strengths. Alex has previous experience working with many populations in Washington DC including children, adolescents and families in Child and Family Services, the DC Public Charter School system, and psychiatric crisis stabilization services for those experiencing homelessness.
Alex is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker licensed in Maryland, District of Columbia, and Virginia. Alex earned her undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina where she majored in Psychology and minored in Social Work. Alex received her MSW from the Catholic University.
Email swea@metcounseling.com
Katherine Whorton Todman, LCSW-C
Katherine has a part-time outpatient practice working with adolescents and adults. Katherine joined MCA when the practice first opened and has continued to provided individual, family, and group therapy over the years.
Katherine specializes in treating anxiety, depression, trauma, loss, and bereavement. Katherine has completed training of the adult psychotherapy program at the Baltimore Washington Center for Psychoanalysis and advanced clinical training at the Clinical Social Work Institute in Washington, DC. In addition to her practice at MCA, Katherine works fulltime at the National Institute of Mental Health with a focus on human subjects’ protections for research participants. Her expansive work in research and ethics is a consistent asset to our group and is seen in our outcome-based studies in the Ascend program and in-house ethics adherence and training. She also provides ceaseless and sophisticated attention to the complexity of variables that impact clinical work and helps our team safeguard the integrity of practice.
Katherine is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker licensed in Maryland, District of Columbia, and Virginia. Katherine graduated from Chapman University and earned her MSW from Smith College.
Email todmankw@metcounseling.com
Robyn Wechsler, MD
Dr. Wechsler is the consulting psychiatrist for the ASCEND program, a consultant to LaunchWell™ college readiness program, and routinely collaborates in the treatment of clients and families in our outpatient practice. Dr. Wechsler is also co-founder of Capital Mental Health, a very busy child, adolescent and adult psychiatric practice in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
Dr. Wechsler integrates a sophisticated knowledge and practice of medicine with warmth and enthusiasm for her patient’s success and well-being. Her wisdom, competence and energy make her a highly sought-after provider and an invaluable asset to Ascend. Before moving to fulltime private practice in 2012, Dr. Wechsler was on the faculty of Georgetown University Hospital Department of Psychiatry and a staff supervisor and psychiatrist. Dr. Wechsleer also completed a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine and spent time out west where she was a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Children’s Institute in Los Angeles.
Dr. Wechsler is an ABPN board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist. Dr. Wechsler graduated from Brown University and received her medical degree from the University of Maryland. She completed her residency at the University of Pittsburg Western Psychaitric Institute.
Anna Wolf, DSW, LCSW-C
Anna has a full-time outpatient practice treating adolescents, adults, and families. She provides individual, family, and group therapy, and is a member of the Ascend program. Anna is fluent in Spanish and provides bilingual mental health services.
Prior to MCA, Anna has worked as a psychotherapist, program director, and clinical supervisor in various settings such as child welfare, public schools, and community health clinics. Anna is trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Exposure Response Prevention (EXRP) She is passionate about helping clients develop skills to improve emotional, relational, and psychological wellbeing. She utilizes a collaborative approach that is strengths-based and solution-oriented.
Anna is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Board Approved Supervisor in Maryland. She completed her MSW at the University of Maryland and earned her Doctor of Social Work in clinical practice and leadership from the University of Tennessee.
Email wolfa@metcounseling.com