Heather McQuay, MD, LCSW-C
Compassionate clinician for practical parenting support
Book with Heather- Years in practice
- 20
- Credentials
- MD, LCSW-C
- Licensed in
- Maryland
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Trauma and abuse
- Focus
- Anger management
About Heather
Heather McQuay is a Maryland-based clinician with two decades in human services and more than ten years practicing as a licensed therapist. She holds an MD and is a Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical, and she focuses on helping people who are stressed, anxious, or facing mood and trauma-related challenges.
Her work is straightforward and practical, aimed at helping people make changes that fit their daily lives. Her style is warm and person-centered.
Background and approach
She listens first, then works together with each person to set goals that matter to them. Sessions are collaborative and paced to match what someone can manage between visits. Heather draws on therapies that teach skills and shift unhelpful patterns, including cognitive behavioral methods and acceptance-based approaches.
She also uses client-centered and motivational techniques to build strength and confidence. These tools are adapted to the client rather than applied the same way to everyone. Many people come for help with parenting strain, relationship stress, grief, or job and life transitions.
She also supports those managing chronic illness, burnout, compassion fatigue, or attention challenges. Heather pays attention to past trauma and how it affects current relationships and coping. If someone wants a practical plan, Heather offers concrete steps and coaching alongside therapy.
Her goal is to help people feel more capable of handling day-to-day demands and making clearer choices about what matters to them.
What Heather works with
Everything Heather lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Heather helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Anger management
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Heather lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Existential Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How therapeutic approaches work online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without letting them drive every choice. It focuses on clarifying values and taking small committed actions that match those values, which can help with anxiety, depression, parenting stress, and trauma-related avoidance.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches practical skills to change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. It breaks problems into manageable parts and uses experiments and practice to reduce symptoms like anxiety, low mood, and anger.
Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes empathy and respect. The therapist follows the person's lead, reflecting concerns and helping them find their own solutions, which supports self-esteem and clearer decision making.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn't helped in the past. Then she will suggest methods to try and adjust them based on how things are going, keeping the process collaborative.
Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video works well for in-depth conversations and skill coaching, phone can fit a short break at work, and text or chat can be useful for quick check-ins or ongoing support between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to try different formats to see what feels most helpful.
Questions people ask about Heather
What kinds of problems does Heather help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting concerns, relationship stress, and mood disorders among other issues.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her approach is person-centered and collaborative, focusing on listening first and then setting practical goals together. Sessions mix skill teaching with supportive coaching.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She brings 20 years in the human services field and over a decade as a licensed therapist, working across a range of mood and trauma-related concerns.
Where is she based and what are her credentials?
She practices in Maryland and holds an MD and the LCSW-C credential as a Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats does she offer?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.
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