Laura J. Winton
MSW, LICSW, LCSW-C
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Adults
4545 42nd Street NW #300
Washington, DC 20016
Experience:
I have over 35 years of experience in providing mental health treatment. I have specialized in, and developed an expertise for, working with people who have anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, substance use disorders and trauma histories. I work primarily with young adults and adults. I offer individual and specialized targeted skills training.
I began my career by volunteering in high school on a suicide hot line and was later awarded a scholarship by the Mental Health Association to intern at Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital Baltimore, where I worked in the recreational therapy department.
In my professional career, I have done a wide variety of activities. I began in a Partial Hospitalization Program working as a Mental Health Therapist and Art Therapist. It was there that I began to specialize in the treatment of Co-occurring Disorders of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse and the treatment of Depression and Borderline Personality Disorders. I then went on to become a Team Leader/Supervising Case Manager. Next I developed and implemented a CBT Outpatient Program for Co-occurring Disorders while continuing to specialize in the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorders. After which, I became the Clinical Director for a Residential Treatment Center for Women in Early Recovery from Addiction. Prior to relocating to the Washington DC/Maryland area, I was Director of Mental Health Services and received multiple state recognitions for Program of the Year Excellence. These included treatment programs for Co-occurring Disorders, Chronic Mental Illness, and Young Adult DBT Program. More recently, I have continued with my work of directing Co-occurring Treatment programs and providing individual and CT/DBT Skills Training.
Education:
I attended The Philadelphia College of Arts (now The University of the Arts) and received a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with a Specialization in Art Therapy. It was one of just three schools in the United States at the time that was certified to offer an undergraduate program in Art Therapy. There I learned Art Psycho-Therapy, which utilizes the person’s creativity for the expression of emotions and thoughts as a therapeutic process. In turn, the creative process is utilized to provide new understandings, problem solving and skill enhancement to improve life functioning.
After working for some years using my talents as a therapist, I obtained my Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh with a concentration in Direct Practice. During my studies at the University, I received specialized training in Brief Treatment, Cognitive Therapy, and the treatment of Anxiety Disorders. I later received intensive DBT training through Behavioral Tech and the Linehan Institute and assisted in the development of an APA Gold Standard Awarding winning DBT Residential Program for Young Adults.
