Desiree Gharakhanian, LCSW-C

Desiree Gharakhanian is a Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical in Maryland who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, anger, and low self-esteem. She supports those navigating life changes and people who want clearer direction and purpose. Desiree aims to create a calm, nonjudgmental space where clients can talk through problems and try new ways of coping.

Her style is straightforward and supportive. She listens for what matters most to each person and helps identify small, practical steps to try between sessions. Conversations often focus on improving communication, managing strong emotions, and rebuilding motivation and confidence.

Desiree also works with concerns linked to guilt and shame, isolation or loneliness, forgiveness, and women’s issues. She brings experience with veteran and armed forces issues and post-traumatic stress into sessions when relevant. In those cases she helps people organize their thoughts and prioritize manageable goals.

Clients can expect a collaborative approach. Desiree draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques and adapts tools to each person's needs. Sessions emphasize clear goals, doable skills, and regular check-ins on progress.

She has six years of professional experience and holds the LCSW-C credential for Maryland. Sessions are conducted in English. To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule according to the therapist’s availability.

How evidence-based techniques guide online work

Desiree uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to help people change unhelpful patterns and build coping skills. One common approach focuses on teaching practical emotion-regulation and stress-management skills so clients can respond differently to anxiety, anger, or low mood. This helps with day-to-day functioning and managing difficult moments.

Another frequently used method centers on improving communication and relationship habits. Sessions look at how people express needs, set boundaries, and repair misunderstandings so interactions feel clearer and less fraught. That work often links directly to concerns around forgiveness, guilt, and isolation.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to pick techniques that match goals, personal style, and the issues at hand, and will adjust the plan as progress is tracked.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the session formats available before booking since the biography does not list specific options. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow for shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time so people can meet during a lunch break or between appointments. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises and worksheets to virtual sessions to keep momentum between meetings.