Mary Alice Reilly, LMSW

Individual Therapist
Silver Spring, MD & Telehealth in MD & DC
Supervised by Sara Westendorff, LCSW-C

Mary Alice uses warmth, humor, and empathy to create a space where clients feel safe enough to be real and supported enough to grow. Her approach balances compassion with practical tools, helping clients explore what’s not working and build new strategies for living with more clarity, connection, and resilience. Mary Alice is especially passionate about working with adults who experience anxiety, OCD, and perfectionism, particularly when these challenges are linked to neurodivergence or identity-based stress. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or just unsure where to start, Mary Alice offers therapy that’s proactive, affirming, and tailored to your pace.

Mary Alice’s Clinical Focus
Mary Alice helps clients understand and navigate the mental and emotional patterns that keep them stuck—especially when rooted in generalized anxiety, interpersonal distress, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or autistic or ADHD neurotypes. She specializes in treating:

• Generalized and social anxiety, particularly where perfectionism, self-doubt, or masking are present
• OCD and related symptoms using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
• Identity- and values-based distress linked to neurodivergence, chronic illness, or marginalization
• Burnout, self-criticism, and emotional dysregulation that interfere with relationships or daily life

She is deeply committed to providing LGBTQIA+ affirming, kink-aware, and sex-positive care. She welcomes clients who are exploring gender identity, sexuality, or relationship structures—and offers a culturally responsive space where all parts of your identity are seen and supported.

Mary Alice’s Approach
Mary Alice’s therapeutic style is proactive, relational, and strengths-based. She draws from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Narrative Therapy, and ERP to help clients reduce distress, build resilience, and develop effective tools for navigating difficult emotions and life transitions. She brings a deep awareness of how race, gender, sexuality, class, body size, ability, and sociocultural background shape each client’s lived experience—and the therapy space itself. Her work is collaborative and empowering, helping clients move from self-blame to self-compassion, and from survival to alignment.

You might benefit from therapy with Mary Alice if you are:

• Seeking an LGBTQIA+ affirming, sex-positive, and kink-aware therapist who honors the whole of who you are
• Living with OCD, social or generalized anxiety, and seeking evidence-based tools to manage symptoms
• Neurodivergent (ADHD, autism) and navigating stress, burnout, or identity-based overwhelm
• Struggling with self-worth, perfectionism, or shame that affects your relationships and daily life
• Dealing with chronic illness, a new diagnosis, or trying to stay regulated while living with a health condition
• Feeling stuck, isolated, or emotionally dysregulated in your relationships or day-to-day functioning

Education & Credentials
Mary Alice earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Behavioral Health Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Her experience includes working with children and adults of diverse backgrounds across the DC metro area. She provides individual therapy both virtually and in-person at our Silver Spring, MD office.

Mary Alice is licensed in Maryland and Washington, DC, and receives Board Approved Clinical Supervision from Sara Westendorff, LCSW-C, in accordance with state licensure requirements.