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About Dr. Halsey

I have been a licensed psychologist since 2004, and have a private practice in Rockville, MD (serving the greater DC metro area). I am an EMDRIA Certified EMDR Therapist and Consultant, and also a Consultant and Facilitator for the Parnell (EMDR) Institute. I work with a wide range of therapeutic issues and specialize in working with people with complex and attachment traumas and those who struggle with sex and porn addictions.

Prior to entering private practice, I worked in VA hospitals with veterans with combat PTSD and military sexual trauma. I also worked for a number of years as a staff psychologist at Saint Luke Institute, a world-renowned residential treatment facility for priests and religious suffering from a wide range of emotional and behavioral issues, including mood disorders, sexual addictions, substance abuse, and trauma. I provided individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, and taught psycho-educational groups focused on developing critical coping skills and relapse prevention.

My life’s purpose and calling is to be an agent of transformation. In my early professional life, I worked with social advocacy organizations to effect change on the state and national levels. I quickly came to believe that lasting societal change would come only as individuals’ hearts and minds were transformed. I became an ordained United Methodist minister, serving local churches in Maryland for a number of years. Over the course of my ministry, I saw that many people experience deep emotional blocks that keep them from being who they really want to be. I found my “home” as a psychologist, helping individuals transform their lives.

Specialty Areas

  • Attachment Traumas & Disorders

  • Depression

  • Developmental Trauma

  • Dissociative Disorders

  • Grief/Loss/Mourning

  • Panic/Anxiety Disorders

  • Phobias

  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

  • Sex/Porn Addictions

Psychologist Dr. Betsy Halsey

As a client-centered integrative therapist, I work in collaboration with my clients to find the approaches that are the best and most efficacious fit for each person and each of their presenting issues or concerns. I draw upon numerous therapies and approaches, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Experiential Approaches, Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples, Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). I have advanced training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Attachment-Focused EMDR, and the Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM), and find these therapies to be especially effective and inherently respectful of a person’s own inner wisdom and spirituality.

I enjoy partnering with my clients to transform their lives. As an EMDRIA approved consultant, I delight in sharing my experience, knowledge, and enthusiasm to help other therapists develop and fine-tune the transformative practice of EMDR.

Credential

  • Licensed Psychologist

  • Maryland License #04009

  • Years in Practice: 15+

Additional Credentials

Memberships

  • Maryland Psychological Association

  • EMDR International Association (EMDRIA)

  • Parnell Institute

Education

  • Psy.D. (2001) American School of Professional Psychology (APA Accredited), Arlington, VA

  • M.Div. (1990) Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC

  • Masters in Public Management (1987) University of Maryland, College Park

  • BA (Double Major: Religion and International Affairs) (1983) Florida State University

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