Diane Adlestein, PH.d.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
The demands of daily living can compound and easily cause one to feel anxious, depressed, or just generally overwhelmed. Difficulties managing stress can result in disruptions to one's mood, eating or sleep, relationships, and school or job performance. Strategies to cope with stress and engage in "self-care" are important in maintaining one's physical and emotional health. Dr. Adlestein helps individuals enhance their capacities for coping through various approaches including cognitive therapy, mindfulness, relaxation techniques, and hypnosis. A psychodynamic approach to therapy, which involves addressing how one's past may influence one's present day thoughts, emotions, and relationship problems, is often indicated to help individuals affect change.
Studies show that as many as 89% of Americans will be exposed to traumatic events sometime in their life (National Center for PTSD). Post-traumatic responses include intense anxiety, fear, intrusive thoughts, images or flashbacks of the traumatic event, nightmares, and problems with concentration. Most of the time, these symptoms resolve within several weeks. However, a significant number of individuals exposed to trauma (10 - 20%) experience much longer sustained difficulties and develop PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Individuals with PTSD may experience long-term problems in their emotional, cognitive, social, and occupational functioning. In these cases, treatment is needed to facilitate coping and enable healing.
If trauma is interpersonal in nature (such as a violent assault, rape, or physical or sexual abuse), the negative impact on one's self-experience and one's capacity for intimacy can be profound. "Complex PTSD" may result from interpersonal trauma that begins early in life and is prolonged and severe. Complex PTSD is often unresponsive to or even worsened by traditional treatments for PTSD (such as prolonged exposure therapy). A longer, more gradual approach to therapy is needed which is implemented in stages and in which the initial focus is on helping someone to safely manage emotions and control PTSD symptoms prior to processing trauma. Trauma processing involves developing skills to manage difficult memories and emotions in order to be able to integrate one's past experiences. Dr. Adlestein helps clients process trauma in order to lessen distressing symptoms and decrease the impact of trauma on one's sense of self and one's experience of others and the world.
PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR STRESS , ANXIETY,
AND GENERAL DIFFICULTIES WITH COPING
PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR GRIEF/LOSS
PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR TRAUMA
Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Miami, 1994.
M.S., Clinical Psychology, University of Miami, 1992 .
B.A., Psychology, Haverford College, 1989.
Director of Postdoctoral Training & Staff Psychologist, The Trauma Disorders Program, Sheppard Pratt Hospital, 1997 - 2015.
Attending Psychologist, The Dissociative Disorders/Trauma Disorders Inpatient Unit, Sheppard Pratt Hospital, 1996 - 2000.
Faculty, Postdoctoral Institute in Trauma, Maryland Psychological Association, 2007 - 2008.
Certified in Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, Sheppard Pratt Hospital, 1999.
Trained in Clinical Hypnosis, American Society for Clinical Hypnosis, 1996.
Certified in Grief Counseling and Treatment, Evergreen Certifications, 2023.
CREDENTIALS
Dr. Diane Adlestein is a licensed psychologist with over 25 years of experience in providing specialized care for individuals with histories of trauma. She served as The Director of Postdoctoral Training of The Trauma Disorders Program at Sheppard Pratt and has extensive experience in providing training, supervision, and consultation to clinicians working with trauma-related conditions, including Complex PTSD and dissociative disorders.
Regardless if one suffers from anxiety or trauma disorders, daily living (including sociopolitical events) in itself can also prove to be very stressful. In addition to her specialty practice in trauma, Dr. Adlestein helps individuals struggling to cope with anxiety, depression, and problems managing difficult emotions and stress.
about
Grief is a normal response to loss. It can take many different forms, varying from a normal process that gradually improves with time to one that is more complicated or prolonged. As bereavement is a highly individualized experience, numerous varied responses are considered normal. Individuals may experience reactions ranging from intense distress to emotional numbness, from self-blame to feeling anger at others, and from rumination about loss to wanting to avoid any thoughts or reminders. Reactions might also include depression, suicidal thoughts, and/or substance abuse. Treatment can be beneficial in providing support in negotiating this difficult process and in helping individuals to eventually integrate experiences of grief so they may resume meaningful engagement in one's present day life.