Ariana Varzandeh is a Mental Health Primary Therapist at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center. As a member of the MARC clinical team, Ariana works with patients in the MARC Mental Health IOP who are dealing with mental health only issues or receiving co-occurring treatment with a primary mental health diagnosis.
Passionate about providing compassionate, trauma-informed care that empowers individuals to heal and thrive, Ariana is a Baltimore native who earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Communication Studies from West Virginia University. She started working in the behavioral healthcare field after undergrad as both a case manager for a local nonprofit organization and a vocational rehabilitation counselor for the State of Maryland. She later earned her Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Towson University. During her graduate training, Ariana completed her clinical internship at Shepherd’s Clinic in Baltimore City, where she provided individual and group psychotherapy for adults experiencing depression, anxiety, trauma, substance use disorders, and significant life transitions.
Ariana implements an eclectic, client-centered approach to therapy, drawing from multiple modalities including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), attachment-focused therapy, and somatic approaches. She believes that meaningful healing occurs when clients feel safe, understood, and empowered through the therapeutic process.
Outside of work, she enjoys practicing yoga, knitting and crocheting, spending time with family and friends, and cuddling her cats.
