- Guilt and shame
- Communication skills
- Women's issues
About Cortney
Cortney Merritt is a Licensed Certified Social Worker in Maryland (LCSW-C) with five years of clinical experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, low self-esteem, and major life changes. Her practice also addresses communication problems, guilt and shame, impulsivity, loneliness, questions about life purpose, post-traumatic stress, self-love, sexuality, and women's issues.
Cortney uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques and a person-centered style. She focuses on collaboration, helping clients name what matters and find practical ways to cope. Sessions tend to include talking through difficult feelings, learning new coping strategies, and practicing clearer communication.
She pays attention to clients' cultural and personal backgrounds and treats those experiences as important information for therapy. Cortney describes her role as a partner who listens, asks focused questions, and helps people test different ways of handling painful thoughts and memories.
In work on guilt and shame she helps people separate actions from identity and practice responses that reduce rumination. For grief and loss she supports routines and small steps that ease daily functioning while feelings are processed. With anxiety and stress she helps clients spot patterns, try short behavioral experiments, and build steady coping skills.
To begin, clients complete a brief matching questionnaire and arrange an initial session. Cortney notes that sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time, and sessions vary in cost depending on location.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online work
Evidence-based therapeutic techniques are central to Cortney's approach. One common method she uses is cognitive-behavioral work, which focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and testing small behavior changes to reduce anxiety and depressive patterns. This approach is practical and often includes homework between sessions to notice how thoughts affect feelings and behavior.Another frequently used approach involves skills for managing strong emotions and improving communication. These skills teach specific ways to respond during moments of intense shame, impulsivity, or conflict, and they help people practice clearer requests and boundaries in daily life.
Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Cortney works collaboratively with clients to choose techniques that match their goals and preferences, and she adjusts methods over time based on what helps. The aim is to try approaches together and see which feel most useful for reducing rumination, easing distress, and improving day-to-day functioning.
The source biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current online options before booking. In general, online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into work or family schedules, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Licensed professionals can tailor the rhythm and focus of sessions to fit everyday life without requiring long commutes.
Areas of expertise
Additional focus areas
Experience
5+ years
Listed in
Maryland
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she work with?
She works with stress, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem, depression, and coping with life changes, plus related areas such as guilt and shame, communication problems, and sexuality.
How would she approach feelings of shame or guilt?
She uses a collaborative, person-centered style and evidence-based techniques to help separate behaviors from identity, reduce rumination, and try new responses to painful self-judgment.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Cortney has five years of clinical experience working with adults on mood, anxiety, grief, and related concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she located?
She holds LCSW-C (Maryland) and practices in Maryland.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
The biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How does payment work and what does it cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started with a first session?
Choose the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule your initial session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.