- Years in practice
- 20
- Credentials
- MD
- Licensed in
- Maryland
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Self esteem
About Alissa
Dr. Alissa Putman welcomes people who are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure about next steps. She focuses on helping parents and adults manage stress, anxiety, relationship strain, and life transitions.
Dr. Putman uses a practical, down-to-earth style and checks in often to make sure therapy stays useful for each person. She listens first to learn what is working and what needs to change.
Sessions often include goal-setting drawn from positive psychology and coaching ideas.
Background and approach
This helps people move forward with clear, manageable steps instead of vague promises. Dr. Putman holds an MD and brings 20 years of experience in higher education and healthcare settings.
That background shapes a pragmatic approach to problems like burnout, career questions, mood concerns, and coping with competing demands. Her methods include client-centered work that prioritizes the person’s perspective, cognitive-behavioral techniques to shift unhelpful thoughts and habits, and family systems ideas that look at how relationships and roles affect wellbeing.
She tailors those methods to each person’s goals rather than applying a one-size-fits-all plan. Outside clinical work she has provided suicide prevention education through the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and mentored underrepresented minority teens. She aims to make sessions collaborative, respectful, and focused on real-world change.
What Alissa works with
Everything Alissa lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Alissa helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Body image
- Communication problems
- Divorce and separation
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Alissa lists
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care
Dr. Putman uses client-centered work to begin, which means she focuses on understanding each person's experience and priorities before choosing tools. This approach helps people feel heard and shapes goals that matter to them.She also draws on cognitive-behavioral therapy, which looks at how thoughts and behaviors keep problems going and offers practical exercises to change them. CBT can be useful for anxiety, mood challenges, sleep problems, and habit change.
Internal Family Systems is used to notice different parts of a person - like critical or protective parts - and help them relate to those parts with more curiosity and care. That approach can help with self-criticism, shame, identity questions, and complex emotional patterns.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and preferences. That means checking in and adjusting as progress unfolds so the plan stays relevant.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit varied schedules and needs. Video calls allow face-to-face conversations, phone sessions can fit a short break at work or require less bandwidth, and messaging or chat can be used for quick check-ins or to work between calls. These options aim to make starting and continuing therapy more flexible and accessible for busy lives.
Questions people ask about Alissa
What concerns can be addressed in sessions?
Therapy covers stress, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, parenting challenges, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, career and life changes, burnout, and related topics listed in the profile.
How would you describe the therapy style?
The style is client-centered and collaborative, with goal-setting and practical exercises. Cognitive-behavioral and family systems ideas are used when they fit the person's goals.
What experience does the therapist bring?
Dr. Putman has 20 years of experience working in higher education and healthcare settings, supporting people with mood, stress, career, and relationship concerns.
What credentials and location are listed?
The profile lists an MD and notes practice in Maryland.
Which languages are supported and are international clients accepted?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
Work can happen through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on what works best for the person.
How is cost handled?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin therapy?
To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions based on the therapist's availability.
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