About Lacey
Lacey Gaters, MD, LCSW-C welcomes parents and individuals feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to start. She uses a straightforward, respectful approach to help people clarify goals and tackle the things that get in the way of progress. Lacey listens closely and offers practical tools rather than telling people what to do.
She often uses cognitive behavioral techniques to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and change the behaviors that follow. Mindfulness and solution-focused methods are also part of her toolbox for quick problem-solving and building everyday coping skills.
Background and approach
When trauma is part of the story, she draws on trauma-focused practices to address the impact of past events on current life. Lacey has an MD and is a Licensed Certified Social Worker in Maryland. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in psychology at James Madison University and a Master of Social Work at the University of Maryland.
Over 11 years she has worked in hospitals and outpatient clinics, gaining experience with a broad range of concerns. She supports people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, anger, addictions, low self-esteem, compassion fatigue, parenting strains, and ADHD. Her background includes work with adoption and foster care, autism spectrum concerns, caregiver stress, mood disorders, post-traumatic stress, self-harm, and young adult issues.
Sessions are built around respect, active listening, and a nonjudgmental stance. Parents who worry about behavior, attention, or family conflict will find concrete strategies and steady guidance. Lacey invites open conversation about each person’s situation and helps shape therapy to individual needs.
Therapeutic approaches for online care
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and meeting people where they are, helping them set goals and feel heard during sessions. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps identify unhelpful thoughts and teaches practical steps to change behaviors that keep problems going. Trauma-focused therapy pays attention to how past events affect current feelings and functioning, using gentle strategies to reduce trauma-related symptoms and improve daily coping.Choosing the right approach is a team effort. The therapist will talk with each person about symptoms, goals, and preferences, then suggest one or more methods to try. Progress is reviewed regularly and the plan is adjusted so the work stays useful and relevant.
Online therapy offers flexibility for busy schedules and different needs. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited, and live chat or text messaging can be used for brief check-ins or to fit therapy into a busy day. These options can make it easier to keep appointments, practice skills between sessions, and maintain continuity of care when life gets busy.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
Also listed
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Adoption and foster care
- Anger management
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Depression
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Family problems
- Grief
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 11 years
- Licensed
- Maryland
- Languages
- English
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