Dr. Susan Robison in Baltimore: PhD-Level Individual and Couples Psychotherapy

Dr. Susan Robison is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Baltimore offering individual psychotherapy, couples counseling, and specialized treatment for anxiety, depression, and relationship conflict. Her practice operates independently and accepts most major insurance plans; she maintains a selective caseload and does not maintain walk-in hours.

Who Dr. Robison is and what she offers

Susan Robison holds a PhD in clinical psychology and is licensed to practice independently in Maryland. Her work emphasizes psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral approaches, meaning she draws on both insight-oriented work and skills-based interventions. She sees adults and couples; her practice does not serve adolescents or children. She manages a small caseload, typically requiring a 2 to 4-week wait for new-patient intake depending on the season. Her office location is within Baltimore city limits.

Services and pricing

Individual psychotherapy runs at a typical private-practice rate. Most sessions are 50 minutes. Insurance copays vary widely based on plan type; patients with high-deductible plans should expect to meet their out-of-pocket maximum before coverage begins. Dr. Robison does accept assignment from major carriers including Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, and BCBS (the Blue Cross Blue Shield plan available in Maryland), which simplifies billing significantly. If you have a plan outside that group, contact her office to confirm acceptance. For patients without insurance, a self-pay rate exists; ask about this rate in the initial phone consultation, as it is not published online. No sliding scale is offered.

Couples work follows the same session length and insurance policy. Dr. Robison does not offer intensive couples retreats or a fixed package model; treatment duration and frequency emerge from an initial assessment.

Comparisons within Baltimore mental health and counseling

Individual therapy at the PhD level is less common in Baltimore than master's-level counseling. The Baltimore County Health Department operates Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services, which serves uninsured and low-income clients on a sliding fee basis and accepts Medicaid; wait times often run 4 to 8 weeks. That resource suits patients for whom insurance does not work or who require immediate, low-cost access.

For privately insured patients, licensed clinical social workers (LCSW) and licensed professional counselors (LPC) represent a larger portion of the therapy market in Baltimore than PhDs and are often available on shorter notice; an LPC or LCSW typically costs less out-of-pocket than a PhD-credentialed therapist but operates from similar theoretical orientations. Dr. Robison differentiates through her doctorate-level training and her track record; patients who specifically seek a PhD-credentialed provider often do so because they have attempted master's-level care and sought a different training approach or because their insurance coverage or referral source recommends a higher credentialing level.

Couples work in particular fills a niche: many Baltimore therapists list couples as a secondary specialization, not a primary focus. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health operates training clinics that accept couples for assessment and therapy at research-based rates; these clinics operate on a fixed-fee basis and serve a training function, meaning supervision and student involvement are built into the model. That setting suits couples for whom cost is the primary factor and who are comfortable with less-seasoned practitioners. Dr. Robison's private practice suits couples who seek a seasoned, doctorate-level clinician and whose insurance will cover the cost.

Who this suits and who it does not

Dr. Robison suits adults seeking long-term, insight-oriented therapy for depression, anxiety, or relational patterns. She also suits couples who want an experienced therapist and have insurance that covers the cost. Her approach typically requires that clients engage in reflection and self-examination; a patient seeking crisis stabilization or immediate symptom relief may benefit more from a structured, modular approach. She does not prescribe medication (she holds a PhD, not an MD); patients needing medication evaluation and management should be co-treating with a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner. She does not serve adolescents or provide parent coaching.

Her selective caseload means she fills up and may not accept new patients for several months at a time. During those periods, she occasionally maintains a referral list of comparable practitioners in Baltimore; ask during the consultation whether she can recommend another therapist.

First appointment and how it works

The first contact is a brief phone consultation, typically 15 to 20 minutes, during which Dr. Robison gathers basic information about your concern and asks preliminary screening questions. She discusses her fee, your insurance coverage, and her availability. If mutual fit seems appropriate, she schedules an initial 50-minute intake session. The intake covers history, current functioning, previous treatment, and initial diagnostic impressions. She then discusses her assessment and recommends a treatment plan (frequency of sessions, likely duration). Insurance authorization happens during or shortly after the intake; if prior authorization is required by your plan, she handles that coordination.

Hours, location, and logistics

Dr. Robison's office is located in central Baltimore. Regular office hours are Tuesday through Thursday afternoons and early evenings; she does not maintain Friday, Saturday, or Sunday hours. Limited Monday availability exists for established patients. Parking is street parking; the office is accessible by the MTA light rail from downtown and midtown Baltimore. Verification of current office hours is important, as she occasionally adjusts availability; confirm by phone during business hours.

She does not offer virtual telehealth sessions as a standard option. During the pandemic she briefly offered remote sessions; check with her office directly to confirm whether that option is available now.

Dr. Robison's established reputation and doctoral credentials make her a substantive choice for adults seeking depth-oriented therapy in Baltimore. Her selective practice and long lead times reflect sustained demand, which signals both competence and professional consistency in a city with many part-time and over-extended practitioners.