Eric Slaughter

Eric Slaughter is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Washington, D.C., who specializes in depression, trauma, including PTSD, separated families, domestic abuse, and childhood abuse, anxiety, and couples counseling. He also has extensive experience working with individuals who may be losing a spouse and or are feeling isolated as they get older. He works with teens, families, and adults across the lifespan. He welcomes all lifestyles, ages, races, religions, and sexual orientations.

When Eric first meets clients, he conducts a full assessment to get to know the individual(s) sitting across from him. He also establishes trust and a therapeutic alliance to help clients feel comfortable and safe. He frequently utilizes Narrative Therapy and feminist theory, along with some elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). In sessions, he and his clients will address topics such as attachment history, coping skills to help them regulate, and development of competences in balancing their daily lives.

Eric is also certified in Attachment Recovery and Competence, which is the approach he uses when working with families and/or individuals with a history of trauma. Using this approach means identifying important childhood skills that show to be negatively affected by traumatic stress and/or attachment disruptions. His sessions are solutions-focused and collaborative and in nature. He helps his clients connect with other medical providers if necessary as well as equip them with healthier coping tools.

When working with couples, Eric utilizes a similar approach but also incorporates elements of Emotion Focused Therapy. He will also employ a number of techniques in the room to help increase communication, including role-playing and calming techniques.

Eric cares deeply about his clients and the work he does. He’s done a lot of research on PTSD, veterans, and couples. Outside of private practice, he is a hospital chaplain and does a lot of volunteer work with the geriatric community. Formerly, he worked at a substance abuse clinic and as an in-home family therapist, primarily working with children and adolescents. His office is located in Northwest DC, near Gallaudet University.