Trauma-Informed Psychiatric Care in Maryland & DC | MJB Holistic

MJB Holistic provides trauma-informed psychiatric evaluation and medication management for Maryland and DC residents via secure telehealth, plus in-person care at our Upper Marlboro, MD office. Care is delivered by a board-certified PMHNP-BC. We work alongside trauma-focused therapists to support whole-person healing.

If you have lived through something that still affects how you sleep, how you feel, or how you connect with others, you are not alone. Trauma takes many forms — childhood adversity, accidents, medical events, loss, abuse, combat, intimate partner violence, or sustained chronic stress. The body and mind remember it, and that's not a sign of weakness. It's a sign that you survived.

What We Mean by Trauma

Trauma is broader than the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many people carry the weight of difficult experiences without meeting full PTSD criteria but still live with anxiety, depression, sleep problems, irritability, intrusive memories, or a sense of being constantly on edge.

We use a trauma-informed lens, which means we assume that what happened to you matters and shapes how you show up today — not as something to push through, but as something to understand and work with.

Common Ways Trauma Shows Up

No two people respond to trauma the same way. Common patterns include:

• Difficulty sleeping, nightmares, or restless sleep
• Feeling on edge, easily startled, or constantly scanning for danger
• Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or distressing dreams
• Avoidance of places, people, or topics that bring up the experience
• Feeling numb, detached, or like you are watching yourself from outside
• Mood swings, anger, irritability, or sudden tearfulness
• Difficulty trusting others or feeling safe in close relationships
• Physical symptoms: headaches, stomach issues, chronic pain, fatigue
• Substance use as a way to cope

How We Approach Trauma Care

Our role as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner is medication evaluation and management combined with collaborative care. We rarely work alone on trauma — the evidence base for trauma recovery centers on therapy, especially trauma-focused approaches like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and somatic approaches.

What we offer that complements therapy:

• A psychiatric evaluation that takes your full history into account, including trauma history when you are ready to share it
• Medication management for conditions trauma frequently brings: anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, hyperarousal
• Coordination with your therapist — we believe in shared treatment plans
• A pace that respects your nervous system; we do not push you to share details before you are ready

Coordinated Care with Trauma-Focused Therapists

If you do not yet have a therapist, we can help you find one. We have working relationships with trauma-trained clinicians in Maryland and DC. Telehealth has expanded the pool considerably — you do not have to limit yourself to providers within driving distance.

Insurance Accepted

We accept the following insurance plans:

• Aetna
• Cigna
• Blue Cross Blue Shield (CareFirst MD, FEP, out-of-state BCBS)
• UnitedHealthcare
• Maryland Medicaid (Priority Partners, Aetna Better Health, Maryland Physicians Care, MedStar Family Choice, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, Wellpoint, CareFirst Community Health Plan)
• DC Medicaid (AmeriHealth Caritas DC, MedStar Family Choice DC, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Community Health Plan DC)
• TriCare Prime, TriCare Select, Humana Military
• Johns Hopkins Health Plans (USFHP, EHP, Priority Partners, Advantage MD)
• Peach State Health Plan (for Georgia residents)

We verify your benefits before your first visit. To check coverage, call (301) 381-3622.

About the Provider

Care is provided by Melveena Johnson-Bolden, PMHNP-BC — a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. A Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner is an advanced-practice nurse trained to evaluate, diagnose, and treat mental health conditions, including prescribing and managing psychiatric medications, within state scope-of-practice rules.

How to Schedule

Getting you seen quickly matters to us. We do our best to accommodate each patient's needs as soon as possible — same-day and next-day appointments are often possible, subject to availability. Call or book online and we'll find the soonest opening that works for you.

You can book online through our scheduling portal or call our Maryland office:

• Book online
• Call: (301) 381-3622
• Office: 1300 Mercantile Lane, Suite 129-14, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 (Georgia residents are seen by telehealth only)

We work to meet at a frequency that works best for each client. It's common to meet every 4 weeks at the start, then every 1-3 months once stable.

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Related Topics

Other resources from MJB Holistic that may be helpful:

• Anxiety Treatment
• Depression Treatment
• ADHD Testing & Treatment
• PTSD Treatment
• Bipolar Disorder Treatment
• Psychiatric Medication Management
• What to Expect at Your First Visit

Frequently Asked Questions

I had a difficult childhood but I was never abused. Does this still apply?

Yes. Trauma includes experiences that overwhelmed your capacity to cope at the time. Emotional neglect, growing up around chaos or addiction, loss, medical experiences, and sustained stress all count. You do not need a "big T" trauma to deserve trauma-informed care.

Will I have to talk about what happened on my first visit?

No. The first visit focuses on what is going on now — symptoms, sleep, mood, what you want to feel different. Trauma details come up only when and if you choose to share them.

Do I need to be in therapy already?

It helps, but it is not a requirement. If you are not in therapy yet, we can talk about whether to start, what kind, and how to find someone.

Are there medications specifically for trauma?

There is no single "trauma medication." Some medications can ease specific symptoms — sleep disruption, hyperarousal, depression, anxiety — and reduce the load while you do the deeper work in therapy. We talk through options together and discuss likely benefits and side effects.

What if I am not ready to do anything yet?

That is okay. Information-gathering visits are valid. You can decide what to do next at your pace.

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Care provided by Melveena Johnson-Bolden, PMHNP-BC. MJB Holistic & Therapeutic Services, LLC. 1300 Mercantile Lane, Suite 129-14, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774. Phone: (301) 381-3622.