About Katherine E. Scharff, LCSW-C, LICSW
Kate Scharff, MSW, LCSW-C, LICSW is a clinical social worker with over 20 years of experience working with individuals, couples, and families. She maintains a clinical practice in both general psychotherapy and specialized divorce services (including mediation, parenting coordination, divorce consultation, and Collaborative Practice), and has offices in Washington, DC and Bethesda, Maryland. Ms. Scharff received her graduate degree from the Columbia University School of Social work in 1989, and her psychotherapy training from the Institute for Child, Adolescent, and Family Studies in New York City and the International Psychotherapy Institute in Washington, DC (where she is on the faculty). Ms. Scharff is a founding board member and President-elect of the DC Academy of Collaborative Professionals, a founding faculty member of the Collaborative Practice Training Institute, and a founder and Principal of the Collaborative Practice Center of Greater Washington. She is a member of several other professional organizations, including the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, The Maryland Collaborative Practice Council, and the Montgomery County Divorce Roundtable (of which she is President-elect). Ms. Scharff has taught widely on such topics as psychodynamic psychotherapy, divorce, parenting, and Collaborative Practice, and is the author of several articles, book chapters, and the books Therapy Demystified: A Guide To Getting the Right Help, and Navigating Emotional Currents in Collaborative Divorce: A Guide to Enlightened Team Practice.
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DC OFFICE: 1630 Connecticut Ave, NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20009
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MARYLAND OFFICE:
9802 Inglemere Dr
Bethesda, MD 20817
Telephone: 301-641-3211
Email: katescharff@katescharff.com
Website: www.katescharff.com
Maryland License: 09391
District of Columbia License: LC0302926
Tax ID: 20-2294371
Current Positions
September 2010-Present: Founder and Principal, Collaborative Practice Center of Greater Washington
June 2010-Present: President-Elect, Montgomery County Divorce Roundtable
1989-Present: Private Practice of Psychotherapy/Divorce Services
Provide psychodynamic psychotherapy to individuals (children, adolescent,
and adults), couples, and families; mediation, parent coordination,
divorce consultation, Collaborative Practice.
1997-Present: Founder/Director, The Center for Relationships in Transition
(CRT) , Bethesda, MD
Private agency providing both general psychotherapy and specialized clinical
services to families involved in separation, divorce, including custody evaluation,
mediation, parenting coordination, and Collaborative Divorce.
Have provided expert testimony in Montgomery Co., MD, Washington, DC, and Fairfax County, Virginia, on matters related to child/adolescent development, parent/child relations, parent effectiveness, and custody and visitation.
2008-Present: Faculty Member, Collaborative Practice Training Institute
(CPTI)
Develop curricula and present nationally on topics related to
Collaborative Divorce (as a part of multidisciplinary tri-state
organization).
2004-Present: Director, Metro Washington Center of the International
Psychotherapy Institute (IPI Metro), Bethesda MD
Responsible for program and curriculum development and implementation,
conference planning, marketing/outreach, supervision of faculty and students; liaison
to IPI National.
2002-Present: Faculty, International Psychotherapy Divorce Institute
2006-Present: Founding Member, President-Elect, Board of Directors, DC Academy of Collaborative Practice (DCACP)
Publications
A sampling of my publications:
Navigating Emotional Dynamic in Collaborative Divorce: A Guide to Enlightened Team Practice (ABA, 2010)
“Working with Families of High-Conflict Divorce,” chapter in Treating Relationships, Jill Savege Scharff and David E Scharff, Editors. Lanham, Maryland: Rowan and Littlefield , 2007.
Therapy Demystified: An Insider’s Guide to Getting the Right Help (Without Going Broke), Marlowe and Co., New York: December, 2004.
“Therapeutic Supervision with Families of High Conflict Divorce,” article in Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies, Jan. 2005.
“The Mother as the Desired Object,” chapter in Tuning the Therapeutic Instrument, Jill Savege Scharff and David Scharff, Editors. New York: Jason Aronson, 2000.
Presentations
My practice include substantial ongoing teaching in the areas of individual, couple, and family therapy (child and adult), demystifying the field of psychotherapy, separation and divorce, high-conflict divorce, Parenting Coordination, and Collaborative Law. Among my presentations have been:
October 2010: “Not your Average Parenting Planning Workshop; Working with the Dynamics in the Room”: A workshop at the IACP symposium in Washington, DC
May 2010: “Creating a Deep and Durable Parenting Plan”: One-day workshop for attorneys and mental health professionals held in Bethesda, Maryland
October 2009: Navigating Landmines in Collaborative Practice: A workshop at the IACP symposium in Minneapolis
Three Day Basic Mutli-Disciplinary Team Training in Collaborative Practice, May 22- 24, 2009. Acted as lead mental health trainer; event sponsored by Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers (MICPEL).
Montgomery County Divorce Roundtable Symposium: “Parenting Together After Divorce,” May 8, 2009, participated on multi-disciplinary panel on the topic of “Parent Coordinators: What are they and How Can they Help?”
Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers (MICPEL), Feb. 8, 2008. Family Law University Winter Term: Participated in two panel presentations: “Mental Health Professionals and Evaluation of Children,” and “Parenting Coordination,” “The Art of Clinical Supervision,” taught a monthly course for mental health supervisors at the National Association of Social Workers, 2005-8.
“The Unconscious Phantasy in the Couple,” chaired week-long summer institute, IPI, July 2007.
“High-Conflict Divorce; An Integrated Model,” presentation at the NASW Metro Chapter annual conference, March 8, 2007.
“Play Therapy,” workshop at the Networker Symposium, March 17, 2007.
“The Last Taboo: Money in the Clinical Setting,” organized and chaired this one-day conference, cosponsored by IPI Metro and NASW Metro, October 14, 2006.
“Sexual Attitude Reassessment: A Two Day Workshop for Mental Health Professionals,” organized and chaired for IPI Metro, September 2006.
“Love and Sex: A One-Day Conference for Mental Health Professionals,” organized and chaired this event, cosponsored by IPI and NASW Metro, February 2006.
“Psychodynamic Clinical Supervision,” Organized and chaired this two-day conference co-sponsored by IPI and NASW Metro, September 2006.
“Toxic Passivity: Working with Victimized Parents in High Conflict Divorce,” paper presented at the International Psychotherapy Institute’s conference “Applications of Object Relations Family Therapy” October, 2005.
“Working with Families of High Conflict Divorce: An Integrated Model,” paper presented at the American Family Therapy Association/International Family Therapy Association Conference, June 2005.
“Sexuality in Contemporary Psychotherapy,” Organized and chaired this one-day conference cosponsored by IPI and NASW Metro, June 2005.
“Psychodynamic Clinical Supervision,” Two-day conference co-sponsored by IPI and NASW Metro, September 2005.
“Working with Families of High-Conflict Divorce,” workshop at the Annual Conference of the Metro Washington Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, April 2005.
“Working with Families of High-Conflict Divorce: Therapeutic Supervision,” workshop conducted at Psychotherapy Networker Symposium, March 2005.
“Families of High-Conflict Divorce,” paper presented at workshop on New Advances in Divorce: Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work and the Catholic University School of Social Work, Jan. 2005.
“Clinical Supervision,” Two-day conference, co-sponsored by IPI and NASW Metro, Sept. 2004.
“Working with Families of High-Conflict Divorce,” workshop conducted at Psychotherapy Networker Symposium, March 2004.
“Therapeutic Supervised Visitation with Families of High-Conflict Divorce,” paper presented at International Psychotherapy Institute Conference: Working with Traumatized Patients, New Orleans, Jan. 2003.
Training
Since opening my practice in 1989, I have completed many years of intensive training in child, adolescent, and adult psychotherapy (individual, couple, family). In addition I have been trained extensively in the areas of separation and divorce, Collaborative Law, and psychotherapy. Among my relevant training experiences have been:
October 2010: International Academy of Collaborative Practice 3-day Forum, Washington, DC
October 2009: International Academy of Collaborative Practice 3-day Forum, Minneapolis, Minn.
October 2008: International Academy of Collaborative Practice 3-day Forum, New Orleans, LA
May 17-19, 2007 Team Training in Collaborative Law, Gaithersburg, MD
Trainers, George Richardson, Andy Hoffman, Vicki Carpel-Miller, Nancy Ross
December 4-7, 2006: 40-Hour Divorce Mediation Training, Bethesda, MD
Trainer: Carl Schneider, Mediation Matters
October 29, 2006: Intermediate Collaborative Law Training, Washington, DC
Trainers: Stu Webb and Ron Ousky
March 29-30 2006: Conducting Child Custody Evaluations, Washington, DC
Trainer: Marc Ackerman, Ph.D.
April 26-27, 2006: Collaborative Law Basic Training, Washington, DC
Trainer: Sue Brunstig, J.D.
December 5-6 2005: Parenting Coordination: A Two-Day Workshop for Professionals, Baltimore, Maryland
Trainer: Christine Coates, J.D.
2001-2002 International Institute of Object Relations Therapy (now IPI), Chevy Chase, Maryland
Post-graduate year, Fellows Training
1997-2000: International Institute of Object Relations Therapy (now IPI), Chevy Chase, Maryland
Certificate training in Object Relations theory and therapy of individuals, adults, couples, and families
1991-1995 Institute for Child, Adolescent, and Family Studies (ICAFS), New York, New York
Certificate training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy of children, adolescents, and families
1987-1989: Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, New York
Master of Science in Social Work
1986: Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Bachelor of Arts, with Honors
Professional Affiliations
- Collaborative Practice Center of Greater Washington
- Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
- DC Academy of Collaborative Professionals
- International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
- Collaborative Practice Training Institute
- Greater Washington Society of Clinical Social Workers
- National Association of Social Workers
- Maryland Collaborative Practice Council
- International Psychotherapy Institute
Previous Positions
2006-2007: Member At-Large, Board of Directors of the Metro DC Chapter, National Association of Social Workers
2004-2006: Secretary, Board of Directors of the Metro DC Chapter, National Association of Social Workers
1993-1994: New York University School of Social Work Work Adjunct Clinical Professor
1991-1993: Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, Brooklyn, New York Clinical Social Worker/Psychotherapist
1989-1991: Federation Employment and Guidance Services, New York, NY
