Wendy Olson Ph.D.
I have been caring for and treating people with mental health and behavior concerns for over 30 years. I completed my M.A. degree in clinical psychology with an emphasis in behavior change at the State University of New York at Brockport in 2002, and went on to work as a therapist in a college counseling center. After that, I decided to advance my education in order to treat people with a wider range of mental health concerns.
I completed my M.S. Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Texas A&M University in 2010. After finishing my post-doctoral fellowship at Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital in 2011, I decided to remain as a staff psychologist to continue my work with underserved people struggling with mental health and behavior concerns. During my time at Saint Elizabeth’s, I served as unit psychologist, forensic evaluator, clinical supervisor, and member of the psychology and psychiatry training faculty. I have been dedicated to treating people with mood, personality, and psychotic disorders, as well as paraphilias. I also served as director of clinical training, overseeing education and training programs, and teaching new psychologists the art and science of clinical supervision. Currently, I provide clinical consultation, assessment, and therapeutic support for people experiencing distress as a result of their life circumstances.
I provide Individual Therapy (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) to address:
Depression
Anxiety
Social and interpersonal functioning problems
Self-care, wellbeing, and boundary setting issues
Pornography use concerns
You deserve to feel your best mentally and physically, and you can do so with the right tools and supports. I strive to maintain a culturally humble and curious approach, and to be an ally for those who are oppressed, ostracized, or otherwise marginalized by society. I welcome all people to my practice. I use a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach to treatment and will work with you to help you determine your goals for treatment and criteria for success.
A typical first session will include an interview to determine why you are seeking services, explain my approach, and answer any questions you might have. We will also discuss any pre-conceived notions (this is fine, plenty of people have these!) you may have about therapy.
It is ok if you are not yet certain about what you want from therapy. Sometimes people just know that they need ''something." Together we can figure out what that ''something'' is. Once we have that, we work together to create a treatment plan with concrete goals, decide on a meeting schedule, and off we go! This treatment planning process can occur more than once during the time we work together as your goals and needs evolve. Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions. I am always happy to discuss my approach and qualifications.
You deserve to feel better.
Education
1994, BA in Psychology and English, State University of New York at Buffalo
2002, MA in Clinical Psychology State University of New York at Brockport
2008, Pre-Doctoral Internship in Psychology, Colorado Mental Health Institute at Fort Logan
2010, Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Texas A&M University
2011, Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital, Washington, D.C.
Professional Memberships and Other Activities
American Psychological Association
Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers
Pro-Bono Consultation
Invited lectures
Licensed Psychologist District of Columbia PSY1000749
PSYPACT Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Psychology #14595
In my free time I enjoy catching up on streaming series and movies, spending time with good friends and family, cooking new foods, eating even more new foods, and hanging out with my dog Elmer. I read research articles about human behavior for fun, and don’t take myself too seriously.