Robyn Pashby, PhD
Dr. Pashby's clinical focus is the psychological and behavioral treatment of obesity, binge eating disorder, emotional eating, and other chronic health conditions. She has extensive clinical training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT).
Dr. Pashby is licensed in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia.
Dr. Robyn Pashby is a licensed clinical health psychologist, a certified health coach, and the founder of DC Health Psychology. She is the co-creator of the popular online wellness coaching program called "Health Gains." Dr. Pashby earned her PhD in a dual-track Medical and Clinical Psychology program at the federal military medical school USUHS and completed her internship at the Washington DC Veteran's Affairs Medical Center. She has advanced clinical training from the Benson Henry Institute and the Harvard Medical School in Mind Body Medicine. Throughout her career, she has specialized in individual and group therapy, training and teaching graduate & medical students, physicians & other healthcare practitioners, as well as coaching for individuals, groups, and organizations.
Dr. Pashby has worked with numerous local organizations including the George Washington University Medical School, the National Center for Weight and Wellness, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F Edward Hebert Medical School. She has been featured by My Fitness Pal, WW (formerlyWeight Watchers), WTOP radio, the Obesity Action Coalition's Obesity Social Media account, the DC Psychological Association, the Everyday Wellness podcast, and more. She has authored or co-authored numerous publications including peer-reviewed scientific articles, book chapters, and blog posts. She previously served as the Vice President of Professional Affairs on the DC Psychological Association Board.
Dr. Pashby primarily works out of our Bethesda, MD office. She also offers telehealth appointments when appropriate.
Kelly Donahue, PhD, NTC
Dr. Donahue is a mind-body health practitioner, researcher, author, consultant, and speaker. She has extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), which she integrates with her nutrition and mind/body training for the holistic treatment of chronic illness and chronic pain, as well as the treatment of obesity, binge eating disorder, and emotional eating.
Dr. Donahue is licensed in Maryland.
Dr. Kelly Donahue, NTC is a licensed clinical health psychologist and certified health coach who obtained her PhD in clinical psychology and behavioral medicine from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, completed her clinical internship at the Palo Alto VA, and did her post-doctoral work in community health at Uniformed Services University. Dr. Donahue has worked for the military stateside and abroad at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany. Dr. Donahue's passion for health and wellness led her to seek advanced training as a Nutritional Therapy Consultant (NTC) with the Nutritional Therapy Association. She has also completed advanced Clinical Training in Mind Body Medicine at the Benson Henry Institute and the Harvard Medical School Clinical Training and the Food As Medicine Clinical Training from the Center for Mind Body Medicine.
Dr. Donahue has lived the power of the mind-body connection in her own life and learned the necessity of self-care. Her individual clients include entrepreneurs, executives, working moms, physicians and other health care providers, and empty-nesters ready to overcome overwhelm and regain their health and purpose in life. Her mission is to share that knowledge and translate the insight to action to help overstressed women and men thrive and reach their personal, professional, and health goals.
Dr. Donahue primarily works out of our Bethesda, MD office. She also offers telehealth appointments when appropriate.
Michelle O'Brien, LPC
Michelle uses a variety of clinical techniques to work with clients on managing anxiety, anger issues, life transitions, body image, health behavior change, self confidence, mindfulness, weight management, relationships, as well as struggles with clutter and disorganization.
Ms. O'Brien is licensed in Washington DC and Virginia.
Michelle O'Brien, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Mind-Body Specialist who has been helping clients improve their quality of life for over 20 years. Prior to her work as a psychotherapist, she worked as a health coach and fitness consultant. Her approach merges these fields as she take a strengths-based and solution-focused approach to addressing anxiety, relationship challenges, and behavior change. With an existential lens, Michelle utilizes narrative therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and mind-body techniques to identify unmet needs and change dysfunctional patterns. Her therapeutic style is collaborative, friendly, informal and warm. She uses creativity, humor, attentiveness, and compassion to cultivate a healing environment.
Michelle is involved in therapists’ education with a focus on curriculum development as well as counselor supervision. Her current research focuses on the identification of weight bias, its effects, and interventions to help remedy these effects. She presents locally and nationally on this topic and is passionate about community involvement and changing the culture around fitness and weight management.
Michelle primarily works out of our Richmond, VA office. She also offers telehealth appointments when appropriate.
Jennifer Bakalar, PhD
Dr. Bakalar’s clinical focus centers on the impact of stress, trauma, life transitions, and experiences of loss on psychological and physical health, emotional eating, binge eating, weight-related concerns, relationship difficulties, and overall quality of life. She applies an integrative treatment approach, grounded in Relational theories and Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) with an incorporation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques.
Dr. Bakalar is licensed in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia.
Dr. Jennifer Bakalar is a licensed psychologist in the District of Columbia. She earned her Ph.D. in the dual-track Medical & Clinical Psychology program at the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda, MD. Her doctoral research examined the association between early adversity, eating concerns, and weight among U.S. military personnel. Dr. Bakalar completed her clinical training at sites including the National Institutes of Health, the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center Health Psychology Program, and the American University Counseling Center’s APA-Accredited Internship Program. After graduate school, she completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Victims of Violence Program at the Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Dr. Bakalar’s treatment philosophy is rooted in a core belief in the transformative potential of meaningful, authentic connections both within and beyond the therapeutic relationship. From this foundation, she is committed to balancing evidence-based treatment with a personalized approach that fosters a collaborative understanding of each client’s concerns in the context of their life story, their intersecting identities, and their sociocultural environment. Her clinical style is warm, caring, non-judgmental, and welcoming of humor, metaphor, writing, and other forms of creative expression.
Dr. Bakalar works primarily at the Dupont Circle office and offers telehealth appointments when appropriate.
Catalina Badessich
Catalina Badessich is recent graduate from the Catholic University of America with a BA in Psychology. She started as an intern with DCHP while finishing her college degree and now continues to play an essential role on the DCHP team and with the Healthy Change School with their social media presence, building comprehensive patient-facing resources, and more. She is in the pursuit of an advanced degree in the field of Psychology.
Catalina is also working as a coach with the RVA Health Online team, where she leads online groups on topics like ‘healthy behavior change’ and ‘building self-image’. Catalina is positive, clear-minded, and brimming with common sense. Her coaching and personal style is holistic as she emphasizes an awareness of mental health and its connection with wellness, fitness, and nutrition. Catalina lives in Washington DC.