Brenda Kijesky, LCMFT, specializes in the treatment of OCD and related anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety, social anxiety, phobias, panic, and body dysmorphic disorder. Treatment modalities employed include mindfulness-based CBT, exposure with response prevention (ERP) emphasizing inhibitory learning, and cognitive restructuring along with a systems-informed approach from her training as a marriage and family therapist. In addition to providing outpatient care in The Center for OCD and Anxiety, Brenda treats OCD and related disorders for residential patients at The Retreat and The LifeLaunch. Brenda is also a trained RO DBT Practitioner (Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy).
Trained at the OCD & Anxiety Center of Greater Baltimore, Brenda has specialized treating OCD, obsessive-compulsive related disorders, and anxiety since 2016. Prior to becoming an OCD specialist, she worked with children in residential treatment for trauma, mood, and behavioral disorders.
Brenda believes that a relationship built on mutual respect and trust is the foundation for successful therapy. She approaches therapy with warmth and compassion, tempered with humor and tough-love. She believes that asking for help shows bravery and resilience and that just walking through the door to therapy indicates that a client has the capacity for change.
Prior to her career in mental health, Brenda worked for 13 years in the marketing field. She received her M.S. in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from Chestnut Hill College and her MBA in Marketing from LaSalle University’s School of Business, both in Philadelphia, PA.
She is a professional member of the International OCD Foundation and a Clinical Fellow with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
