Grace Dushatinski, LCSW-C

Grace Dushatinski is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW-C) based in Maryland who focuses on helping children and their caregivers through stressful transitions. She has a calm, patient presence and aims to make sessions feel comfortable for young people and their families.

Grace has about 13 years of experience working in school and clinical settings with children and adolescents. She helps young people handle anxiety, strong emotions, behavior challenges, social difficulties, and changes at home or school. She also supports parents with practical strategies they can use day to day.

In sessions she uses conversational work, play-based techniques, and simple skill-building activities. These methods help children practice naming feelings, managing big emotions, and trying new ways of coping. The goal is steady progress through doable steps rather than quick fixes.

Caregivers are invited to be part of the plan. Grace offers guidance and coaching so parents can reinforce skills between sessions and address challenges that come up at home or school. This collaborative style helps what happens in therapy carry over into everyday life.

Her additional focuses include stress, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, ADHD, postpartum depression, and challenges young adults face. Grace aims to meet each child where they are and work at a pace that fits the family.

Approaches that guide online child and family work

Grace uses evidence-based techniques adapted to children and caregivers. Play-based methods let children express emotions with games, drawing, and movement, which helps when words are hard to find. Skill-building focuses on simple, repeatable tools for managing anxiety and big emotions, such as breathing, naming feelings, and step-by-step problem solving.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Grace will collaborate with you and your child to choose methods that match your goals and comfort level. She checks in regularly and adjusts techniques as progress and needs change so families can see what helps most.

If you are considering online sessions, confirm current session options before booking since formats were not specified. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into busy days and can support consistent check-ins without travel. It also lets caregivers join conversations when helpful for coaching and skill transfer between sessions.