Teresa Maria Giral, JD, PhD

Managing Director

Dr. Teresa Giral holds a doctorate in Cinical Psychology from Columbia University and a JD from Georgetown. Interested in the interplay between law and psychology, she completed her pre-doctoral internship at the DC Superior Court Child Guidance Clinic, where she trained in forensic assessment and psychotherapy with court-involved youth. She then worked with child and adolescent victims of abuse at Safe Shores, the DC Children’s Advocacy Center.
In 2010, she opened Bethesda Chevy Chase Counseling & Assessment, a group practice in Maryland that provides counseling and psycho-educational testing. Her principal areas of interest are the impact of learning challenges on social-emotional health, the long-term effects of trauma on academic performance, and psychotherapy and spirituality. She is a member of the DC, Maryland, and Virginia Bars and is licensed to practice psychology in Maryland and Virginia. She is a Board member for several nonprofits that serve children and youth.
In 2020, the Goyen Foundation awarded Dr. Giral a grant to examine the prevalence of undiagnosed learning challenges among middle school students. The results of that study provide the basis for this article.

Stefanie Footer, PsyD

Psychology Associate

Dr. Footer earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Adler University in Chicago, Illinois, in 2015. She completed her predoctoral internship at Appalachian Psychology Internship in Gallipolis, Ohio. She has ten years of experience working with children, adolescents, and families in different settings that include an infant mental health intervention center, the private school system, and outpatient behavioral health practice. Dr. Footer has worked with children, adolescents, and adults experiencing various symptoms and diagnostic presentations of emotional and behavioral difficulties including anxiety, depression, adjustment disorders, medical diagnoses, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and issues with self-esteem. She approaches treatment from a Person-Centered and Solution-Focused orientation.

Dr. Footer was born and raised in the Washington DC area and moved back to provide quality mental health treatment. She presently resides in the District.

Jenna Sadan

Counselor

Ms. Sadan earned her BA from St. John Fisher College, in Rochester, NY, and her MA in Forensic Counseling, from Argosy University – Washington, DC Campus. She has over eight years of experience in the community mental health setting, working with adults in both the Washington, DC and Northern Virginia regions. Her background spans from supporting clients who are experiencing symptoms related to adjustment disorders, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder, to those who have co-occurring substance use disorders. She also specializes in working with individuals who have been involved with the criminal justice system, as it relates to their mental health.

Ms. Sadan strives to help individuals hone in on their strengths while utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and mindfulness to support the therapeutic process. Within the past year, she has also earned her personal training certification through NASM, which has allowed her to incorporate her belief of treating the whole self in therapy, to achieve optimal mind-body wellness.

Ms. Sadan resides in Rockville, MD, with her husband.

Dr. Briana Bobbitt, PsyD

Psychology Associate

Dr. Bobbitt earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Washington, DC, in 2019. She completed her predoctoral internship at Pennsylvania Counseling Services in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Dr. Bobbitt has worked with children, adolescents, and adults with various mental health and substance abuse disorders including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorders, alcohol dependence, opioid dependence, and co-occurring disorders. In addition, Dr. Bobbitt has experience in providing group therapy to children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders and intensive outpatient group therapy for those struggling with addiction.

Dr. Bobbitt utilizes a strengths-based and collaborative approach to therapy, utilizing different interventions from various modalities of treatment. Her goal is to work with clients to identify their strengths and teach skills that the client can utilize to better manage the difficulties that they face.

Dr. Bobbitt is native to Washington, DC and resides in Silver Spring, Maryland. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two sons, her extended family, and friends.