Dr. Annette Burns Porter, LCPC

Dr. Annette Burns Porter is a licensed clinical professional counselor with 21 years of experience. She focuses on helping people who are facing stress, anxiety, addictions, grief, depression, and major life changes such as midlife transitions. She speaks English and practices in Maryland, offering straightforward, collaborative care aimed at practical change.

Her approach is collaborative. She treats each person as the expert on their own life and helps them clarify goals. Sessions focus on improving relationships, managing difficult feelings, and finding steps that lead to meaningful change.

Dr. Porter draws on several evidence-informed methods to match what each person needs. She uses techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy to address unhelpful thinking. Mindfulness and acceptance-based tools are used to manage distress and increase focus on personal values.

Her background includes work in both inpatient and outpatient settings across the lifespan and with culturally diverse clients. She holds a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology from Bowie State University and a Doctor of Clinical Psychology from Argosy University. Her license is LCPC in Maryland.

People often seek her help for mood disorders, trauma and post-traumatic stress, substance and alcohol concerns, relationship and communication problems, and the challenges that come with aging or blended families. She aims to turn small changes into sustainable routines that fit daily life.

How her approaches guide online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice what matters to them and take small steps toward those values even when emotions are difficult. It is often useful for life transitions, midlife recalibration, and stress that feels overwhelming. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. It is commonly used for anxiety, depression, and problems that respond to skills-based practice.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist collaborates with each person to test methods and adjust the plan based on what actually helps. Goals, preferences, and day-to-day demands guide which techniques are emphasized.

Confirm current session options before booking since formats were not specified in the biography. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when time is tight, and avoid travel time on workdays. It also lets people use mindfulness and skill practice in the moments they’re needed. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises and homework to the online setting so work continues between sessions.