Therapy that is engaged, collaborative and direct
I work with adult individuals and couples, and group psychotherapy has been an important part of my practice throughout my career.
what it’s like to work with me
Therapy with me is collaborative and active. I’m empathetic and a deep listener, but I’m not a quiet therapist.
I’ll ask questions. I’ll offer observations. At times, I’ll challenge you to look at something differently or notice a pattern you may not see yourself. And I’ll bring warmth, curiosity and humor into the room when they’re useful.
Together, we’ll identify what you want from therapy and develop an approach that reflects your particular history, circumstances and goals. Our objective is to help you develop greater confidence in yourself, build more satisfying relationships, reduce anxiety or depression, and respond more effectively to the challenges in your life.
The changes that happen in therapy rarely stop at the therapy-room door. As you change how you understand yourself and relate to others, those changes can ripple into your relationships with partners, family members, friends and colleagues.
About Me
I have been a psychologist serving the Washington, D.C., community for more than three decades.
In 1992, Matthew Weissman, Ph.D., and I co-founded the Affirmative Psychotherapy Group to provide affirming individual and group psychotherapy for gay and lesbian clients. I have also served as a provider for Black Men Heal, a nonprofit working to expand access to mental health treatment for men of color.
A therapist who also teaches therapists
My work with other psychotherapists is an important part of my professional life—and an important part of how I continue to grow as a clinician. Since 2017, I have been a member of the faculty at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
I am also a past president of the American Academy of Psychotherapists and have spent many years mentoring, training and supporting fellow therapists. I lead process-oriented workshops designed to help clinicians strengthen the interpersonal, relational and experiential skills involved in facilitating group psychotherapy.
Teaching keeps me learning. Working closely with other experienced therapists continually exposes me to different perspectives, new ideas and evolving approaches to our field.
Education and professional affiliations
I earned my doctorate in clinical psychology from Yeshiva University at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, a B.A. in psychology from Columbia University, and a B.A. in philosophy from the Jewish Theological Seminary.
I have been a member of the American Psychological Association since 1990.
I have also been honored to be selected by my colleagues for Washingtonian magazine’s list of top psychotherapists, including recognition for my work with racial and identity issues and with couples.
I’m also certified by the Psychology Interjuriscictional Compact (PSYPACT) which allows qualified psychologists to provide virtual psychotherapy in most of the 50 states.
After more than 30 years as a therapist, I continue to find this work challenging, interesting and deeply meaningful. Every person brings a different history, set of relationships and way of seeing the world into the room. My job is not to tell you who you should be. It is to help you understand yourself more fully, and use that understanding to create meaningful change in your life.
Gordon Cohen, PsyD
Contact
(202) 328-2035
drgordoncohen@gmail.com
Address
3000 Connecticut Ave NW #400B
Washington DC 20008