Alex Skarzynski, LMSW
Therapist
Alex is an individual therapist who believes in working collaboratively with youth and adults to identify and utilize their inherent skills and strengths in addressing mental health challenges. He believes that therapy works best when tailored for the individual and knows that clients are the experts of their own experience. Alex is passionate about working at the intersections of masculinity and mental health
through empowering clients to make the changes they want to see in their lives.
Alex completed his Master’s Degree in Clinical Behavioral Health Social Work at the University of Maryland where he focused his education on supporting youth and adults who have experienced trauma. He has experience supporting individuals from across a wide variety of identities and settings including mental health for veterans and school-based social work. He has deep experience in working
with survivors of sexual violence, trauma, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.
Alex’s career in mental health and social work began in the fields of sexual violence prevention
education and crisis services. These experiences have guided and informed his development as a therapist, by reinforcing the importance of connection. He believes that taking the time to connect through learning about clients’ experiences and identities is crucial in order to utilize their strengths and capacities to design solutions for their challenges. He brings in evidence-based therapeutic tools from Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Somatic Experiencing (SE) throughout the
therapy process. His goal in therapy is to welcome clients into a supportive environment that prioritizes trust and rapport so that clients can feel more empowered to handle life’s challenges.
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How much does therapy cost?50 minute Therapy Sessions: $200 - $220 75 minute Intake Assessments: $280 - $290 60 minute offsite “walk and talk sessions”: $250 - $270
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Do you take insurance?At this time, The Calming Mind is not in-network with any insurance carriers.
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How long can I expect to be in therapy?To be effective, therapy must be goal driven and time limited. Length of treatment is dependent on factors that are specific to each person and what they're going through. At the beginning of treatment, we work together to mutually agreed upon goals that help to guide us in therapy. We also use validated scales throughout treatment to measure and track symptoms. Our clients typically begin seeing progress by their sixth session.
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Can I do both in-person and virtual sessions?Therapy is meant to be "client-centered", meaning that it should help support each person's goals and in the way that they feel most comfortable. At The Calming Mind, we provide both teletherapy and in-person therapy out of our Bethesda office. We can adjust your treatment plan to utilize the benefits of both teletherapy and in-person sessions to aid in your progress. We recommend discussing your preferences with your therapist to help create the most effective treatment plan for you.
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Do you use evidence-based interventions?Yes! Our staff is extensively trained in the most effective evidence-based therapy models for adolescents, adults, and their families. Each therapist has his/her speciality that they use to best help their clients accomplish their goals. Some of the therapy models that we use at The Calming Mind include, ACT, CBT, EFT, and EMDR.
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What is different about your approach?Therapy is meant to be transparent and useful, and that is why The Calming Mind is dedicated towards using evidence-based interventions and teaching each client the necessary skills and strategies so that they can use them on their own. Our goal is for you to become your own therapist over time, by becoming better attuned with yourself, learning what strategies work for you, and engaging the resources that we create together. Therapy is not meant to be a one size fits all approach and this is why our staff has dedicated itself to being life-long learners to provide the best care to our clients.