About Me
About Me
Hello and welcome to my website. I am Dr. Alicia H. Clark, a Washington, DC based licensed psychologist. Named one of Washington’s Top Doctors by Washingtonian Magazine, I have been helping clients face and manage the stressors of their life with more confidence and balance almost 25 years. Often these stressors range from everyday issues like juggling career and family responsibilities, feeling overwhelmed at work, being concerned about the vitality of relationships (with spouse, kids, friends and family), as well as coping with the anxieties about life, health and all that we have to do to make it through the day.
I have published in the areas of trauma, alcohol use, and adult development, and have spoken at international Women’s Leadership conferences on Anxiety, Life Transitions, and Wellness. Additionally, I have appeared on local television broadcasts about relationships, mood regulation, and eating disorders, and have been cited in over 100 online and print publications, including the Associated Press, Time, Forbes, American Express Open Forum, Men’s Health, Parents, and Shape. I am an Expert Contributor for YourTango, where I write regularly about relationship issues, and participate in special projects including a recent video series with noted love expert Helen Fisher, PhD, where we discussed maintaining healthy relationships. My work has been syndicated to TIME, Huffington Post, MSNliving, eHarmony, and elizabethst. As a contributing blogger to findapsychologist.org, I write about coping with adversity and life challenges, and was recently honored in the Psychologist Spotlight, which, “features stories, written by psychologists and psychologists-in-training, that reflect their outstanding research and experience in education and practice.” I maintain a weekly blog on my website where I write on balance, productivity, relationships, and parenting, and am social on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
I am also passionate about the field of psychology and giving back, and have enjoyed getting involved in psychologist training through the Chicago School of Professional Psychology where I am an Adjunct Professor. For the past several years, I have taught Advanced Psychopathology and Advanced Clinical Skills to doctoral candidates at the Washington, DC campus.
An active participant in a variety of women’s professional organizations and community based charities, I also enjoy yoga, racket sports and trail running. I live in the District of Columbia with my husband and two children.
What I have come to understand is that when we’re in pain, we often feel alone, misunderstood, and want to feel the support of someone who understands. I consider it a privilege to help people face the curve-balls life throws, and be part of their decision to improve their lives. There is no greater fulfillment than sharing in the satisfaction and peace that emerges through the growth process.
If you choose to work with me, what’s important to know is that while I tailor my therapeutic approach to meet my clients’ needs and goals, I also rely on my training and expertise honed over the years. As such, in our sessions I may use techniques designed to help you build a greater awareness into your world. This may involve teaching you how to better understand what you’re feeling, what those feelings mean, and releasing you from the internal judgment you might place on your feelings today.
My approach to our working relationship is a holistic one in that I look at both how you feel and how you behave/live your life. This gives me a more complete picture of where your true needs lie. My work often includes psychoeducation on the current brain science that impacts how you cope with life’s challenges, a look at your past and how your past impacts your present situation, as well as cognitive and/or behavioral strategies (CBT) to help you manage your life more effectively.
What I have come to understand is that when we’re in pain, we often feel alone, misunderstood, and want to feel the support of someone who understands. I consider it a privilege to help people face the curve-balls life throws, and be part of their decision to improve their lives. There is no greater fulfillment than sharing in the satisfaction and peace that emerges through the growth process.
If you choose to work with me, what’s important to know is that while I tailor my therapeutic approach to meet my clients’ needs and goals, I also rely on my training and expertise honed over the years. As such, in our sessions I may use techniques designed to help you build a greater awareness into your world. This may involve teaching you how to better understand what you’re feeling, what those feelings mean, and releasing you from the internal judgment you might place on your feelings today.
My approach to our working relationship is a holistic one in that I look at both how you feel and how you behave/live your life. This gives me a more complete picture of where your true needs lie. My work often includes psychoeducation on the current brain science that impacts how you cope with life’s challenges, a look at your past and how your past impacts your present situation, as well as cognitive and/or behavioral strategies (CBT) to help you manage your life more effectively.
What I have come to understand is that when we’re in pain, we often feel alone, misunderstood, and want to feel the support of someone who understands. I consider it a privilege to help people face the curve-balls life throws, and be part of their decision to improve their lives. There is no greater fulfillment than sharing in the satisfaction and peace that emerges through the growth process.
If you choose to work with me, what’s important to know is that while I tailor my therapeutic approach to meet my clients’ needs and goals, I also rely on my training and expertise honed over the years. As such, in our sessions I may use techniques designed to help you build a greater awareness into your world. This may involve teaching you how to better understand what you’re feeling, what those feelings mean, and releasing you from the internal judgment you might place on your feelings today.
My approach to our working relationship is a holistic one in that I look at both how you feel and how you behave/live your life. This gives me a more complete picture of where your true needs lie. My work often includes psychoeducation on the current brain science that impacts how you cope with life’s challenges, a look at your past and how your past impacts your present situation, as well as cognitive and/or behavioral strategies (CBT) to help you manage your life more effectively.
What I have come to understand is that when we’re in pain, we often feel alone, misunderstood, and want to feel the support of someone who understands. I consider it a privilege to help people face the curve-balls life throws, and be part of their decision to improve their lives. There is no greater fulfillment than sharing in the satisfaction and peace that emerges through the growth process.
If you choose to work with me, what’s important to know is that while I tailor my therapeutic approach to meet my clients’ needs and goals, I also rely on my training and expertise honed over the years. As such, in our sessions I may use techniques designed to help you build a greater awareness into your world. This may involve teaching you how to better understand what you’re feeling, what those feelings mean, and releasing you from the internal judgment you might place on your feelings today.
My approach to our working relationship is a holistic one in that I look at both how you feel and how you behave/live your life. This gives me a more complete picture of where your true needs lie. My work often includes psychoeducation on the current brain science that impacts how you cope with life’s challenges, a look at your past and how your past impacts your present situation, as well as cognitive and/or behavioral strategies (CBT) to help you manage your life more effectively.
If you are experiencing any of the following issues and are looking for a therapist to help you, please send me an email to see about working together. Here are a few common issues my clients bring to be at the start of our sessions:
Anxiety: Lots of people experience anxiety, in fact in many cases it’s normal. The big question to deal with is when your anxiety is impeding your ability to live your life in a healthy way. I can help you understand how your anxiety serves you and how to best manage it when it interferes with your life.
Depression: Sadness and emotional pain are normal when you experience loss in your life. Breakups, infidelity, death, loss of something important to you all cause normal feelings of sadness and grief. But, when those feeling overwhelm you and don’t pass in a reasonable amount of time, that’s the signal to you that it’s time to talk to someone like me about them.
Stress and career management: We live in a stressful world. Between our work loads, competing demands on our time and attention, and obligations to the organizations and communities we care about, it isn’t hard to feel stress at times, and know how to channel it effectively. When you find that you’re spending more time stressing about your life than enjoying it, it may be time to reach out for help.
Relationship/marriage conflict: Nothing worries people more than their most personal relationships, and the feelings of connection we all desire. When your spouse or partner cheats, breaks their commitments, fails to live up to their obligations, it’s normal to wonder where the relationship is going. Some conflict in romantic partnerships is normal. But, if you spend more time feeling disconnected or misunderstood by your partner, something isn’t right and that is the sign that your relationship needs some professional care.
Loneliness: As relational beings we long for connection and we struggle when that is missing from our lives. Knowing how to make connections with others isn’t always easy and is something that I help clients with. Whether you’re married, single or in a partnership, the experience of feeling truly alone is one that you don’t have to suffer with forever.
Well-being & Happiness: Nothing stops your life faster than a health concern with yourself or someone you love. And yet it’s so easy to take our health for granted. Wellness is foundational to health AND mental health. Without a regular practice of being attuned to what makes us both healthy and happy, when life throws us the predictable curve balls, we can’t adjust, and worse, we can’t cope.
Parenting: Becoming a parent is one of the most wonderful and stressful events of our lives, and brings with it many challenges. Whether your kids are in diapers or in college, their needs and how well you deliver on your perceived responsibilities as a parent can keep you up at night and stress you out. To be a healthy parent, you have to maintain a balanced perspective, and learn how to manage the needs of your little ones against your own needs as a person. I’m a big believer in putting your own oxygen mask on first and if we work together, I can teach you how to do this yourself.
If you are experiencing any of the following issues and are looking for a therapist to help you, please send me an email to see about working together. Here are a few common issues my clients bring to be at the start of our sessions:
Anxiety: Lots of people experience anxiety, in fact in many cases it’s normal. The big question to deal with is when your anxiety is impeding your ability to live your life in a healthy way. I can help you understand how your anxiety serves you and how to best manage it when it interferes with your life.
Depression: Sadness and emotional pain are normal when you experience loss in your life. Breakups, infidelity, death, loss of something important to you all cause normal feelings of sadness and grief. But, when those feeling overwhelm you and don’t pass in a reasonable amount of time, that’s the signal to you that it’s time to talk to someone like me about them.
Stress and career management: We live in a stressful world. Between our work loads, competing demands on our time and attention, and obligations to the organizations and communities we care about, it isn’t hard to feel stress at times, and know how to channel it effectively. When you find that you’re spending more time stressing about your life than enjoying it, it may be time to reach out for help.
Relationship/marriage conflict: Nothing worries people more than their most personal relationships, and the feelings of connection we all desire. When your spouse or partner cheats, breaks their commitments, fails to live up to their obligations, it’s normal to wonder where the relationship is going. Some conflict in romantic partnerships is normal. But, if you spend more time feeling disconnected or misunderstood by your partner, something isn’t right and that is the sign that your relationship needs some professional care.
Loneliness: As relational beings we long for connection and we struggle when that is missing from our lives. Knowing how to make connections with others isn’t always easy and is something that I help clients with. Whether you’re married, single or in a partnership, the experience of feeling truly alone is one that you don’t have to suffer with forever.
Well-being & Happiness: Nothing stops your life faster than a health concern with yourself or someone you love. And yet it’s so easy to take our health for granted. Wellness is foundational to health AND mental health. Without a regular practice of being attuned to what makes us both healthy and happy, when life throws us the predictable curve balls, we can’t adjust, and worse, we can’t cope.
Parenting: Becoming a parent is one of the most wonderful and stressful events of our lives, and brings with it many challenges. Whether your kids are in diapers or in college, their needs and how well you deliver on your perceived responsibilities as a parent can keep you up at night and stress you out. To be a healthy parent, you have to maintain a balanced perspective, and learn how to manage the needs of your little ones against your own needs as a person. I’m a big believer in putting your own oxygen mask on first and if we work together, I can teach you how to do this yourself.
AREAS OF INTEREST
Though I am a generalist, I have longstanding academic and clinical interests in anxiety, trauma, and the developmental process. (See Publications). More recently I have become interested in the broader impacts of anxiety and depression across the lifespan, and how patterns of interpersonal relationships can substantially affect these experiences.
Recent areas of inquiry include:
- Transforming Anxiety into Action
- Avoidance and its Relationship to Anxiety and Mood Disturbance
- Procrastination, Avoidance and Other Signs of Anxiety
- Fatigue and its Effect on Mood
- The Commodity of Attention
- Managing Distractions
- Neural Pathways formed by Behavioral Habits: How to Avoid the Riverbeds of Our Minds
- Automaticity – Building Healthy Habits
- Behavioral and Cognitive choice – its possibilities and limitations
- Evaluation of Habits – Allowing Distress to Motivate Change
- Mindfulness and its Impact on Attention and Mood
- Forgiveness
- The Critical Role of Empathy and Emotional Expression in Relationships
- Pitfalls of Poor Communication at Home and at Work
- Affairs – Risk factors and Healing
- Navigating Differences in Relationships
- Picking a Mate – the Data Points of Dating
- Social Media and its Impact on Relationships
- Chemistry: How Familiarity and Sex Can Trick us into Love
- Parenting Your Children, or Someone You Love’s
- Navigating Professional Transition
- Coping with Cancer and Serious Illness
- Happiness – its Definition, Elements, and Why its Important
- Lonely Complainer: Effective Venting for the Lonely Complainer.
AREAS OF INTEREST
Though I am a generalist, I have longstanding academic and clinical interests in anxiety, trauma, and the developmental process. (See Publications). More recently I have become interested in the broader impacts of anxiety and depression across the lifespan, and how patterns of interpersonal relationships can substantially affect these experiences.
Recent areas of inquiry include:
- Transforming Anxiety into Action
- Avoidance and its Relationship to Anxiety and Mood Disturbance
- Procrastination, Avoidance and Other Signs of Anxiety
- Fatigue and its Effect on Mood
- The Commodity of Attention
- Managing Distractions
- Neural Pathways formed by Behavioral Habits: How to Avoid the Riverbeds of Our Minds
- Automaticity – Building Healthy Habits
- Behavioral and Cognitive choice – its possibilities and limitations
- Evaluation of Habits – Allowing Distress to Motivate Change
- Mindfulness and its Impact on Attention and Mood
- Forgiveness
- The Critical Role of Empathy and Emotional Expression in Relationships
- Pitfalls of Poor Communication at Home and at Work
- Affairs – Risk factors and Healing
- Navigating Differences in Relationships
- Picking a Mate – the Data Points of Dating
- Social Media and its Impact on Relationships
- Chemistry: How Familiarity and Sex Can Trick us into Love
- Parenting Your Children, or Someone You Love’s
- Navigating Professional Transition
- Coping with Cancer and Serious Illness
- Happiness – its Definition, Elements, and Why its Important
- Lonely Complainer: Effective Venting for the Lonely Complainer.