Dr. Victoria Ranade, PhD, MBA, ABPP

Hi there,
I’m Dr. Victoria :)

I like to tell people that I have the best job in the world: I get to spend time with you talking about life and sitting in complete awe and admiration of who you are.

My job is to see the best in you, especially when it feels hard to see it yourself, because something shifts when you're seen through eyes of genuine unconditional positive regard. You begin to soften and know yourself in a beautifully kind way, and little by little, you start seeing the best in yourself too.

This is where real change and transformation begin.

Clinical Specialties

Depression & Anxiety • High-Achieving Professionals • Attorneys & Big Law • Executives & Entrepreneurs • High-Achieving Teens • Burnout & Chronic Stress • Life Transitions • Existential Psychology • Spiritual/Transpersonal Psychology •

who I work with

I am a Johns Hopkins-trained, board-certified clinical psychologist specializing in evidence-based therapy for high-achieving, deeply reflective teens and adults who may appear successful on the outside but are struggling privately with depression, anxiety, stress, or major life transitions.

Many of the children, teens, and adults I work with appear highly capable and successful on the outside, but are internally wrestling with self-worth, identity, relationships, or deeper existential questions about finding greater meaning and purpose in their lives.

My approach is grounded in evidence-based mental health treatments, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfulness, and acceptance-based approaches, and is tailored to the whole person and what your unique, individualized needs and interests.

One of my favorite quotes is by Jon Kabat Zinn: “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” Much of my work is about helping youlearn to navigate the waves of your inner emotional life with greater understanding, ease, and confidence.

my philosophy

My deepest passion is to help people going through difficult times and life transitions where you feel hopeless, confused — lost. It is important to have a clinician by your side who can help you make sense of such a time, in a way that moves you toward positive healing and growth. I am deeply committed to being that person, that clinician, that support for you. You are not alone. I’m here to help you find your path to life again, to walk with you along your journey toward living a life that is filled with joy and meaning — one that is aligned with your deepest values and personal truths.

I believe that everyone has an inner light within them. My role as a psychologist is to hold a sacred space where you feel safe to be genuinely and authentically yourself, so that you can connect to this inner source of wisdom, strength, and resilience. So often depression and mood concerns can feel insurmountable and leave us feeling profoundly disconnected from ourselves. I love walking with people home to themselves, to a beautiful place within you, where nothing is missing.

Part of the work of therapy is to help you connect to the natural strengths already within you. I believe that one of the true purposes of going through difficult times is to help you make contact with these parts of yourself—as fuel for positive growth, transforming pain into the deep joy of knowing who you truly are.

As a clinical psychologist, I work to passionately and intuitively tailor treatment specifically for you based on your unique, individual needs. I would describe myself as a clinical psychologist who likes to take my time with each client, who genuinely cares. I bring a strong dedication and feel that trust, respect, and care for each client is the highest honor and a calling. I am passionate about helping you build upon your natural strengths, gifts, and abilities to live a life of greater authenticity, hope, and meaning.

Across all of my work, I believe that within each person is a place of wisdom. I help people tune into this voice of inner truth—to find grounding amidst the chaos and stressors of life, and a deeper sense of peace, joy, and healing. Within you is a source of incredible beauty, more vast and powerful than you can imagine. It is peaceful, kind, and deeply compassionate. I help people find their way back to this place within themselves. It’s a place where you are already whole.

Click here to read my CV.

What Therapy with Me is Like

Being yourself — your true self — is not the problem. It is the very path.

My therapeutic style is warm, down to earth, relatable, and genuine — a partnership where we creatively and collaboratively explore ways for you to connect to yourself and with life in a way that feels comfortable, intuitive, and authentic to you. I work to create a safe and supportive, nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship where together, we will navigate what is often an uncertain and challenging time. You are not alone. I will be by your side, challenging and supporting you toward positive growth in a way where you feel safe, understood, and accepted for who you are.

My treatment approach is integrative and grounded in top, innovative evidence-based treatments — drawing from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfulness, and acceptance-based approaches to promote healing, growth, and wellness. I work with each client to highly personalize treatment to your specific concerns, interests, life experiences, and goals. I also bring a holistic perspective that considers the interconnections between your mind, emotions, body, and spirit in supporting your overall well-being.

I believe that relationships are what bring healing — relationships where you feel safe to be yourself, where your life’s pain is met with kindness and compassion, where your inner beauty and truth is mirrored back to you. One of my deepest intentions is for you to feel a strong sense of genuine unconditional positive regard for who you are, where you’ve been, and what you’ve been through.

It is within this foundation of trust, acceptance, and genuine care that healing, growth, and transformation can happen. The best within you arises from this kind of energy and therapeutic relationship, and it’s the kind of experience I seek to provide for each of my clients, as well as each client who is seen here at Hope+Wellness.

My Story

My own family life was significantly affected by bipolar disorder, an illness with multiple members affected.  I understand firsthand the pain and devastation that depression, mood disorders, stress, and anxiety can bring — how difficult it can be to work through periods of suffering and hopelessness, and the critical difference that therapy and support can make in healing.

Given how stigmatized mental health can be in our society, I know how important it is to openly share my story. My personal experiences, together with my training as a clinical psychologist, motivate me. They deeply inform my clinical work with clients, and inspired me to establish this practice to help others struggling with depression, mood, stress, and anxiety know that hope and wellness are possible — that through darkness can come greater light, wisdom, and wholeness.

Education & Training

I am a Johns Hopkins-trained, board-certified clinical psychologist with advanced clinical, research, business, and leadership training from the University of Maryland College Park, Children’s National Health Systems, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Kennedy Krieger Institute, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, and Harvard Business School.

My training has centered on providing evidence-based mental health treatment, behavioral and cognitive psychology, clinical health psychology for children, teens, and adults, as well as business and leadership in service of humanity. I am deeply grateful to have trained alongside exceptional clinicians and mentors who taught me what it means to provide thoughtful, compassionate care of the highest quality.

clinical psychologist training and education

I earned my master’s degree and PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, in a clinical psychology program accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). My doctoral training included pediatric psychology and behavioral medicine at Children's National Health Systems, as well as clinical psychology with children and adults through the University of Maryland Psychology Clinic.

I completed my predoctoral clinical psychology internship at Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where I worked as a clinician at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. My training included evidence-based psychological assessment and treatment and interdisciplinary training through the LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities) fellowship program.

Following my doctorate, I completed a postdoctoral fellowship training at the National Institutes of Health, where I further developed my expertise at the intersection of clinical health, behavioral science, and psychological research at the federal level.

ABPP board certification in behavioral and cognitive psychology

I am board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology, with advanced expertise in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and contemporary evidence-based approaches including dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).

Board certification is a rigorous and distinguished professional credential, which involves an extensive review of professional credentials, training, clinical work, and demonstrated specialty competence. It reflects the highest standards of clinical excellence and a deep level of commitment to providing quality, evidence-based mental health care.

business & leadership education

I hold an MBA in Healthcare Management and Leadership from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and am currently attending Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development. I am passionate about business, leadership, and entrepreneurship and believe that businesses can be powerful forces for good in the world—a dedication I bring to my work as Founder + President of Hope+Wellness.

My background in business and leadership also helps me understand the inner lives of high-achieving professionals, leaders, and entrepreneurs, including the pressures of ambition and responsibility, the pursuit of excellence, and the deeper questions of identity, balance, and meaning that often accompany success.

Clinical Research + Expertise

Before founding Hope+Wellness, I trained and worked rigorously as a clinical scientist and researcher, studying depression, mood disorders, anxiety, stress, child development, parenting, and the biological and psychological processes that contribute to mental health. My background as a clinician-scientist continues to shape how I practice psychology today. I believe the best mental health care brings together compassion and humanity with rigorous psychological science to provide treatment that is effective, innovative, and evidence-based.

I have co-authored 18 peer-reviewed scientific publications across top scientific journals and more than 40 peer-reviewed national conference presentations spanning depression in children, maternal depression, mood disorders, anxiety, irritability, parenting, life stress, child development, sleep, and psychophysiology. My research has been published under my former professional name, Victoria Chialy Smith, in peer-reviewed scientific journals, including:

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology

Psychological Medicine

Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine

Sleep Medicine

Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology

Child Development Perspectives

Developmental Psychobiology

This scientific background informs the evidence-based care I provide today. Research taught me not only how to understand scientific evidence, but how to critically evaluate it, contribute to it, and translate it into thoughtful clinical care tailored to each individual person I meet with.

View my research & peer-reviewed publications on Google Scholar

Press & Media

My clinical expertise and perspective on mental health have also been featured in national media, including Oprah Daily, Psychology Today, Bustle, Medium, and Thrive Global, under my former professional name, Victoria Chialy Smith.

Advanced Training & Emerging Treatments

I am deeply interested in innovative and emerging treatments for depression and mental health, including the growing body of research on psychedelic-assisted therapies for depression, end-of-life distress, existential suffering, trauma, and PTSD.

I have pursued specialized training in psychedelic-assisted therapy & research through the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Science (MAPS) and the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). This advanced training helps me thoughtfully understand and navigate the rapidly evolving science of psychedelic medicine with clients, including its potential benefits, risks, and emerging applications in mental health care.

My additional training includes education through INELDA (International End-of-Life Doula Association) and End of Life Psychedelic Care (EOLPC) specialized training related to psychedelic-assisted therapy, integration, existential distress, and end-of-life care. This training reflects my deep interest in helping people navigate serious illness, existential concerns, and the end of life with compassion, meaning, and reverence—and in supporting what can be a profound and sacred transition.

Certifications & Professional Distinctions

• Board Certified, Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology, American Board of Professional Psychology

  • A rigorous, peer-reviewed professional distinction held by fewer than 4% of licensed psychologists nationwide, reflecting an advanced level of specialty competence and a deep commitment to the highest standards of clinical excellence and evidence-based mental health care.

• National Register of Health Service Psychologists

  • Recognized for meeting comprehensive national credentialing standards for the practice of health service psychology.

• Psychedelic Therapy and Research Certification, California Institute of Integrative Studies

  • Completed specialized training in psychedelic-assisted therapies, psychedelic integration, research, ethics, and evidence-informed care. I care deeply about advancing and understanding innovative treatments that have the potential to be life-changing—and, for some people, life-saving. I am committed to helping clients thoughtfully navigate emerging treatments for depression and mental health with an emphasis on safety, scientific evidence, and ethical care.

Service

I am passionate about serving the mental health community and have supported health and mental health initiatives at the local, national, and federal levels. I previously served as Executive Board Secretary and Governance Chair for National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), Northern Virginia and on the Executive Board of Northern Virginia Clinical Psychologists (NVCP), a professional association of clinical psychologists in Northern Virginia.

My commitment to service also shapes my work as Founder of Hope+Wellness. I believe that people, purpose, passion, and values are at the heart of a business, and that the role of a business is to serve and strengthen the communities around them. I founded Hope+Wellness with a vision of creating a mental health practice where diversity is naturally celebrated and people from all backgrounds can feel genuinely at home and welcome.

Clinical Specialties

Depression, Anxiety, Meaning & Existential Concerns

Many of the people I see are going through difficult seasons in their life and are seeking help and support to adjust and to make sense of it all. Life can be very difficult and bring with seasons of depression, pain, and darkness. I feel a deep connection to people going through times like this and am passionate about supporting people to find meaning and hope again. I believe one of the central questions of life is how to not only cope with pain, but to find ways to transcend it toward a greater sense of meaning and wholeness.

I also work with many people who are wrestling with life's most fundamental questions: Does my life have meaning? What is my life’s purpose? Does my life really matter? I support people in exploring these existential concerns with honesty and courage, creating space to examine these questions deeply to help inform the life you’d like to build for yourself.

Life Transitions, Stress & Adjustment Concerns

Whether you're starting college, entering a new relationship, becoming a parent, changing careers, grieving a loss, or entering a new chapter of life, major transitions can bring stress, anxiety, grief, uncertainty, and questions about who you are and what comes next.

There can be so much to process during these seasons. I believe in taking the time to understand what you're feeling and what this transition means for you, so that you can move forward with greater clarity, awareness, and trust in yourself.

I’m here to be by your side through it all. I’ve supported many people through complex life transitions, helping them make sense of what can initially feel confusing or overwhelming and find their way toward greater meaning, growth, and possibility.

I absolutely love this work of helping people bridge one season of life to another.

High Achieving Teens and Young Adults with Depression and Anxiety

I work with many teens struggling with depression and anxiety. It is one of my greatest passions. The reason for this is because I was once that teen. I understand firsthand how difficult it can be to overcome your own thoughts and moods. I also know how life-changing it can be to discover an inner source of strength and resilience that stays with you long after therapy has ended — for life.

Many of the teens and young adults I work with are bright and high-achieving. From the outside, they may appear to be doing well, while privately struggling with anxiety, depression, perfectionism, self-doubt, low self-esteem, academic pressure, or questions about identity and belonging.

I'm here not only to help your teen manage symptoms of depression and anxiety, but also to help them discover who they are and connect with the resilience already within them. Together, we'll explore their strengths, values, passions, and unique place in the world so they can begin making healthy choices that feel authentic and true to themselves.

My work with teens goes beyond simply treating symptoms. I want to help each young person discover their own inner voice of wisdom — an internal compass they can return to throughout life as they navigate difficult decisions, relationships, and times of uncertainty. I believe developing this inner compass is one of the greatest gifts we can help a young person cultivate. It becomes a source of stability that can guide them through life's inevitable challenges with greater confidence, resilience, and self-trust.

Because every young person is unique, I work collaboratively with parents and families to tailor therapy to your teen's personality, interests, strengths, gifts, and individual needs. Parents often come to me after searching extensively for the right therapeutic fit for their child. I place tremendous importance on developing a genuine, trusting relationship where your teen feels deeply seen, understood, and accepted — while also feeling safe enough to be challenged to explore the heart of what really matters.

In addition to working directly with teens, I collaborate with parents and offer practical guidance for supporting your child outside of therapy. When appropriate, I also collaborate with pediatricians, schools, and other members of your teen's care team so that they feel comprehensively supported.

High-Achieving Professionals, Leaders & Entrepreneurs

I work with executives, leaders, physicians, attorneys, entrepreneurs, and other high-achieving professionals navigating the unique emotional and psychological pressures that can accompany demanding careers and high levels of responsibility, including stress, depression, anxiety, burnout, relationship concerns, and major life transitions.

You may struggle privately while still having to keep it together at the level your work and responsibilities require. There can be very little room to fall apart when so many people depend on you.

The very qualities that have allowed you to excel, including your drive, high standards, persistence, intensity, self-reliance, and deep sense of responsibility, can also leave you carrying an extraordinary emotional burden. You may be exceptionally good at functioning, achieving, and taking care of what needs to be done while your own emotional life and well-being get pushed aside.

Therapy offers a private, confidential place where you don't have to keep holding everything together. My role is to help you understand and work through what may be happening beneath the surface, so that you can feel more like yourself again — with greater clarity, connection, vitality, and a deeper sense of meaning in the life you've worked so hard to build.

therapy for attorneys & lawyers

For reasons I can't totally explain, I work very well with attorneys practicing at elite law firms and at the highest levels of the profession. Over the years, I have developed a specialty in supporting lawyers with their mental health and emotional well-being.

All I can say is that I get it. I understand the relentless intensity it takes to succeed professionally — the long hours, immense pressure and responsibility, demanding clients, high-stakes decisions, and expectation that you continue performing no matter what may be happening in your own life. There's no judgment here — just a deep respect for the work you do and the demands it places on you.

I work with attorneys who may appear exceptionally capable professionally while struggling privately with depression, anxiety, chronic stress, burnout, relationship concerns, life transitions, or the effects of a difficult childhood. When your career requires so much of your attention, your own emotional life can become something you continually push aside. There's always another deadline, client, case, or crisis that somehow feels more urgent than you.

Therapy gives you a dedicated space where the focus is entirely on you. It’s a secure, confidential place to slow down, understand what you're feeling, recognize patterns that may no longer serve you, and make more intentional choices about your relationships, career, and life. My hope is to help you find greater resilience, clarity, connection, and personal and professional fulfillment, while living in greater alignment with what matters most to you.

Areas of Clinical Expertise

depression, Anxiety, mood & Health

• Depression & Mood Disorders

• Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD)

• Bipolar Disorder & Cyclothymia

• Seasonal Affective Disorders

• Generalized & Social Anxiety

• Chronic Stress & Panic

• Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

• Adjustment to Chronic Illness

teens & Young Adults

• Academic Stress

• Perfectionism

• High-Achieving Giftedness

• Adolescent Identity & Self-Esteem

• High Sensitivity, Creativity, & Finding Your True Voice

• Struggling to Launch (Young Adults)

• Quarter-Life Crisis

• Child Anxiety, Depression & ADHD

• Neurodivergence

High-achieving professionals

• Big Law Partner Stress & Burnout

• Corporate & Litigation Mental Health

• Tech Executive & Founder Depression and Anxiety

• High-Stakes Performance

• Identity Crises in Complex Transitions

• Existential Depression

• Mental Health and Leadership

• Creatives & Artists

Existential Concerns, Meaning & Spiritually Integrated Therapy

• Existential Depression & Identity Crisis

• Finding Life Meaning, Purpose, & Values

• Spiritually Integrated Therapy

• Grief, Loss, & Complex Life Transitions

more ABOUT ME

What I Like to do for Fun

In my free time, I enjoy hiking and spending time in nature. As anyone who has visited our offices knows, I LOVE interior decorating and have a passion for interior design. I enjoy creating spaces that promote a feeling of serenity, peace and wellness that is deeply felt, the moment you step in through the doors.

I believe…

light can be found in darkness. that there is a purpose to darkness and it is to help you connect to your inner light. I believe pain can be made sense of, that something meaningful can come from it. I believe there is something beautiful within you and the work of therapy is to help you connect to it. I believe in the power of creativity and voice in healing and transcendence.

What I love about working at Hope+Wellness

the sense of authenticity that everyone brings. The sincere care each person has for clients and the deep relationships that result. The sense of service to something greater. Unconditional positive regard, support provided not only to clients but with people on our team.

thoughts on psychotherapy

we look like humans but inside each of us is an entire universe. As a therapist, I see each client like an unfolding sunset, I can’t help but be in awe. It is with this energy that you will be met, with genuine support and unconditional positive regard. I think when therapists bring these qualities to the therapeutic relationships, as clients, it is like uncovering a dream long forgotten — we remember that place inside ourselves which is a place of security, safety, authenticity, love.

I love working with teens because…

I was once that same teen. I understand and remember what it was like, and yet survived and made it through. It is meaningful to me to now be able to work with teens to help them through the same things I once struggled with. It is like reaching across time. The moment I meet each person I work with, this connection is deeply felt.

Professional Associations and Memberships

American Psychedelic Practioners Association (APPA)
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)
Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)
American Psychological Association (APA)
DC Psychological Association (DCPA)
Maryland Psychological Association (MPA)
National Register of Health Service Psychologists
Northern Virginia Clinical Psychologists (NVCP)
Psychedelic Assisted Therapy and Healing (PATH)
Society for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (APA, Division 53)
Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology (SSCP, APA Division 12, Section III)
Washington Independent Services for Educational Resources

Licensure

Virginia (0810005946)
Maryland (06230)
District of Columbia (PSY1001633)
California (PSY35157)
New York (28202)
PSYPACT Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT). Telehealth is typically limited to the state in which a clinician is licensed. However, I hold a special type of authorization to provide telehealth across 40+ states.

favorite QUOTES

Get ready, because everyone knows I am obsessed with quotes: