About
Isabel Spoehr, LCSW
Credentials
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
New York #095973-01 · Connecticut #015296 · Virginia
Master of Social Work · Virginia Commonwealth University
Jepson School of Leadership · University of Richmond
Background
For the last decade, I have worked with women across a wide range of settings, including hospitals, safe haven shelters, schools and individual treatment. Currently, I serve as the Women’s Group Clinician for Silver Hill Hospital’s Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), one of the country’s leading psychiatric treatment resources.
I came to this work after years in senior corporate positions, a path that informs how I understand the relationship between performance, identity, and wellbeing.
Style of work
Each client’s work begins with finding the balance: exploring your history to understand the “why,” holding curiosity about where you feel stuck, and incorporating the skills and goals needed to change your relationship to it.
The practice is grounded in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Together, we will draw on the skills and structure of DBT alongside the rethinking and reframing tools of ACT, adapting the approach to what you need.
My style of work is gentle and exploratory, while also direct. Sessions are collaborative from the start, working within a structure that also leaves room for curiosity and exploration.
Who I treat
I work with women across a range of starting points — some struggling with symptoms affecting their quality of life, some caught in patterns or habits that keep them from moving forward, and some who simply want to explore, with intention, what change could look like in their lives. All of this work is grounded in a trauma-informed approach — recognizing, and holding space for, how life experiences shape a person’s whole self.
Areas of expertise include:
What guides the work
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT teaches concrete skills for managing emotions, tolerating discomfort and improving how we relate to others. It is structured, practical and grounded in the belief that change is always possible.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
The purpose of ACT is to help you accept the things you cannot control and shift your focus towards building a life more aligned with your values. In this work, we focus on learning how to hold difficult thoughts and emotions with a new lens.