Terri Pargot

Terri Pargot, D.O.

Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist for Individuals and Marriage/Couples

Office Location:

Bethesda

Call Dr. Pargot directly at 202-629-1949 ext. 8

Terri Pargot, D.O. is a Psychiatrist (doctor of osteopathy) who has been treating patients for over 27 years. Trained as both a psychotherapist and psychopharmacologist, Dr. Pargot (rhymes with target) feels fortunate to be able to treat her patients with a combined approach to their symptoms—often using talk therapy, and medication as an adjunct, when needed. She is experienced treating depression, anxiety and panic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), self-esteem, adult ADD/ADHD, bipolar disorder, PTSD and trauma, body dysmorphism, and eating disorders.

In addition to providing individual treatment, Dr. Pargot is a skilled couples therapist that treats relationship issues.

Couples seeking relationship therapy will benefit from Dr. Pargot’s ability to help you gain insight from your past family and relationship history to increase connection with your partner and improve communication skills. Her treatment orientation is a combination of insight-based (cognitive) and emotion-based (learning emotional awareness and acceptance of your body’s full range of sensations).

EDUCATION AND TREATMENT APPROACH:

I am Board Certified by the American Osteopathic Association and received my medical degree from Des Moines University. I’ve practised medicine in hospital and outpatient settings in New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Montana, before settling here in Bethesda.

Many of my patients seek treatment when they are in emotional pain, struggling with work or school or relationship issues. Often they feel their distress has become unbearable and wonder how long it might be before they can feel some relief. I’m very active in our sessions to review your history, learn from you about your symptoms, and offer clear guidance and support to meet goals.

I share a healthy scepticism about prescribing medication too quickly or to avoid the more challenging, and more rewarding work, of learning new emotional habits or making lifestyle changes. Yet I also appreciate how psychotropic medication can ease suffering and create remarkable biological and behavioural changes, when needed. I’m thorough in discussing whether or not medication might be beneficial, what the potential side effects of these medications might be and how they are used in conjunction with therapy.

AREAS OF FOCUS:

Mental Health:

• Treating depression, stress, and anxiety
• Treatment and diagnosis of bipolar disorder
• Healing trauma or PTSD and moving towards a life not dominated by negative symptoms
• Helping clients clarify and form self-identity or sexual identity
• Body dysmorphism and eating disorders
• Adult ADD/ADHD
• Caregiver support for a family member with autism
• Navigating life transitions
• Support for ongoing recovery from substance abuse
• Family of origin concerns and current family issues

Relationships:

• Improving communication
• Expressing needs and getting needs met
• Managing and diffusing conflict
• Navigating family conflict and expectations
• Learning and managing cross-cultural conflicts
• Negotiating traditional gender roles with your partner

THE PROCESS OF THERAPY

I’m passionate about working psychodynamically with my patients. I’ll draw on my observations about how we relate to each other to help test out ideas that can lead to changes in how you see yourself in the world, or changes in how you relate to emotional patterns of your inner life.

You’ll experience me as warm, attentive, and engaging, since I believe that our relationship is critical in the healing process. I recognize that we all have areas of difficulty, patterns we can’t seem to break on our own, frustrations and communication breakdowns. We’ll work together to help you gain insight into your fears and behaviours, challenge unneeded or outdated beliefs, and find courage and confidence within yourself and with others.

Call Dr. Pargot directly at 202-629-1949 ext. 8

Important note about CIGNA clients: Dr. Pargot is in the process of transitioning from working in-network with Cigna and is only accepting private-pay clients at this time. If you are using Cigna insurance, at the moment, we recommend that you consult a Cigna-based provider.