Jennifer Brooks, MD, LCSW-C

Jennifer Brooks is a licensed clinician in Maryland with 20 years of experience supporting people through grief, depression, low self-esteem, and major life changes. She focuses on practical help for compassion fatigue and related strains that come from caregiving and illness.

She aims to make sessions straightforward and down to earth. Conversations are held with honesty and, when appropriate, a little humor. Her style centers on listening first and then working with each person to set clear, realistic goals.

Jennifer uses approaches that include cognitive behavioral therapy and client-centered work to help people change unhelpful thoughts and build daily routines that feel manageable. She also draws on psychodynamic ideas to look at long-standing patterns that affect mood and relationships.

In sessions she helps people cope with loss, process feelings like guilt and shame, and find ways to reconnect with purpose and motivation. She supports those facing chronic illness, hospice and end-of-life concerns, and the stress of being a caregiver.

Her work typically emphasizes small, doable steps - skills to try between appointments and simple ways to track progress. People who prefer a direct, warm approach that balances practical tools with time to talk about deeper issues often do well with her style.

Approaches used in online care and how they help

Jennifer often draws on cognitive behavioral therapy to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and build different daily habits that improve mood and functioning. CBT is useful for depression, low self-esteem, and many problems that benefit from clear, practical strategies.

She also uses client-centered therapy, which focuses on listening closely and helping people find their own answers. That approach supports those who need space to process grief, guilt, or life transitions while feeling heard and respected.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about symptoms, goals, and preferences and then try methods that fit. Treatment evolves based on how a person responds, with adjustments made collaboratively.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make care flexible. Video is helpful for full conversations and visual cues, phone can work when bandwidth is limited, and text or chat can be a shorter check-in between appointments. These options help people fit sessions into busy lives and keep continuity of care when travel or scheduling is difficult.