Dr. Alissa Putman, MD

Dr. Alissa Putman helps people who are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or uncertain about next steps. She focuses on clear goals and practical steps, checking in often to make sure therapy is useful for each person. With kindness and straightforward guidance, she aims to create an environment where clients feel heard and respected.

Dr. Putman draws on 20 years of experience to address stress, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and relationship and identity concerns. She also helps with career questions, burnout, parenting strain, grief, and issues around intimacy and communication. Her work includes attention to multicultural concerns and challenges like body image, abandonment, and midlife transitions.

Her approach centers on the person in front of her. She uses Client-Centered Therapy to listen and respond to what matters most. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is used to identify patterns of thinking and try different behaviors that may help day-to-day functioning.

Dr. Putman trained and practiced in higher education and healthcare settings and has volunteered on suicide prevention education with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. She brings practical coaching ideas alongside therapeutic work to help clients set and reach realistic goals.

Sessions are offered from Maryland and conducted in English. She values the fit between therapist and client and often checks in about progress and direction so time spent in therapy aligns with each person’s goals.

How these approaches work online

Dr. Putman uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people spot unhelpful thoughts and try small behavior changes that can ease daily stress and mood problems. CBT is practical and goal-focused, and it can help with anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and feeling stuck.

She also practices Client-Centered Therapy, which means listening closely and shaping sessions around each person’s priorities. This approach helps build trust and makes room for identity, relationship, and self-esteem work. Internal Family Systems is used to understand different parts of a person's inner life and to reduce internal conflict that can underlie shame and anger.

Choosing the best approach happens together. The therapist will ask about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before, and then recommend a blend of methods that fit the person and their situation. This is a collaborative process that can shift as needs change.

Online sessions are offered by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make scheduling easier. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is low, live chat suits quicker check-ins, and text messaging can be useful for ongoing support between meetings. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy life and to continue work from different locations.