Abigail Plaisance, LICSW

About

Clinical Social Work/Therapist in Washington, DC. Works with Anxiety, Burn out and Stress. Sees clients online only. Takes Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and other plans. Accepting new clients.

Areas of expertise

• Anxiety
• Stress Management
• Coping Skills
• Depression
• Grief
• Life Coaching
• Life Transitions
• Relationship Issues
• Self Esteem
• Trauma and PTSD

Types of therapy

• Acceptance and Commitment (ACT)Helps people make room for difficult thoughts and feelings instead of fighting them, and commit to actions that fit what matters to them.
• Attachment-basedLooks at early bonds with caregivers and how they shape relationships and emotions now, and works toward a greater sense of safety and connection.
• Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)A structured, practical therapy that looks at how thoughts, feelings and actions affect each other, and teaches skills for changing unhelpful thinking and habits.
• Cognitive Processing (CPT)A structured therapy for PTSD that helps people examine and change beliefs about themselves and the world that formed after a trauma.
• EclecticUses techniques from several approaches, chosen to suit the person and the problem rather than following one model.
• HumanisticA family of approaches, including person-centered and Gestalt therapy, that emphasize growth, self-awareness and a person's capacity to choose.
• Mindfulness-Based (MBCT)Combines mindfulness practice, paying attention to the present moment without judgment, with ideas from cognitive therapy.
• Motivational InterviewingA collaborative style of conversation that helps people explore mixed feelings about a change and find their own reasons to make it.
• Person-CenteredA warm, non-directive approach: the therapist listens with empathy and without judgment, and trusts the person to find their own direction.
• Positive PsychologyFocuses on well-being, strengths, gratitude and what makes life fulfilling, alongside working through difficulties.
• PsychoanalyticThe tradition that began with Freud. Explores unconscious thoughts and feelings, often through free association, sometimes with several sessions a week.
• PsychodynamicExplores how past experiences, relationships and feelings outside awareness shape how a person thinks and acts today.
• Solution Focused Brief (SFBT)A short-term, goal-focused approach that spends less time on problems and more on what already works and the small steps toward what the person wants.
• Strength-BasedFocuses on the strengths, skills and resources a person already has, and builds on them to meet challenges.
• Trauma FocusedTherapy for people affected by trauma. Puts safety and pacing first, and helps process painful memories so they have less hold on daily life.

More details

Sessions

Online only

Accepting new clients

Yes

Specialties

Anxiety, Burn out, Stress, Addiction, ADHD, Alcohol Use, Bipolar Disorder, Body Image, Cancer, Career Counseling, Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, Coping Skills, Depression, Domestic Abuse, Grief, Hoarding, Life Coaching, Life Transitions, Mood Disorders, Relationship Issues, Self Esteem, Sexual Abuse, Substance Use, Trauma and PTSD

Insurance

Aetna, BlueCross and BlueShield, CareFirst, Carelon Behavioral Health, Cigna and Evernorth, Kaiser (Out-of-Network), Optum, Oscar Health, Oxford, UnitedHealthcare UHC | UBH

Fees

Individual sessions $120; sliding scale available

Ages

Adults, Elders (65+)

Works with

Individuals

Communities

Blind Allied, Deaf Allied, Gay Allied, HIV / AIDS Allied, Queer Allied

Religion

Secular and Non-Religious

Languages

English

Gender

Female

Years in practice

8

Other offices

Washington, 20005

Education & qualifications