M. Lance Garland

Lance has worked extensively with clients experiencing a wide range of body-focused repetitive behaviors, including trichotillomania, and has seen excellent outcomes in this work. His approach begins with understanding what the behavior is doing for the person — what triggers it, what reinforces it, and what is happening in the nervous system before, during, and after the urge. Rather than treating hair pulling as simply a habit that needs to be stopped, he works with clients to reduce the intensity of the urge, interrupt the cycle, build greater awareness and choice, and address underlying anxiety, stress, trauma, or emotional patterns that may be contributing. The goal is not shame, suppression, or constant self-monitoring, but helping the person feel increasingly able to respond differently and then regain a sense of control.

Matthew “Lance” Garland, MA, LPC, provides integrative psychotherapy for adults in Washington, D.C. and South Carolina, with in-person appointments also available in S.C. He works with people who are tired of feeling stuck in patterns they understand intellectually but still can’t seem to change. Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, trauma, chronic stress, or behaviors that feel increasingly hard to control, Lance helps you understand what’s driving the pattern, reduce the internal struggle around it, and build practical ways to feel more steady, capable, and in control of your life.

• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) — Washington, D.C. and South Carolina
• 17 years of clinical counseling experience
• Extensive experience working with body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), including trichotillomania
• MA Counseling, Webster University
• Clinical Hypnotherapist
• EMDR-informed trauma treatment training
• Internal Family Systems (IFS) training
• Somatic and nervous-system regulation training
• Mindfulness-based therapeutic training
• Trauma-informed psychotherapy training

Telehealth appointments are available for adults in Washington, D.C. and South Carolina, with in-person appointments available in Charleston. Lance offers weekend (Sat & Sun) and evening (Mon) availability and can file claims for out-of-network insurance reimbursement for most major plans.