Emma Muscari, PhD

I am the founder of Emma Muscari, Ph.D., PLLC, a private practice specializing in evidence-based care for adults. I provide mindfulness and self-compassion informed interventions to support meaningful, values-driven change. Approximately 70% of my current caseload involves providing Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD, with the remainder focused on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for panic disorder, social anxiety, and specific phobias.

In addition to a primary focus on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), my clinical work includes treatment of anxiety-related conditions such as panic disorder, social anxiety, and other specific phobias, as well as insomnia, LGBTQIA+–related mental health concerns, and difficulties in interpersonal relationships.

My training includes East Carolina University’s Clinical Health Psychology doctoral program, predoctoral internship at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, and postdoctoral residency at the Capital Institute for CBT in DC. I have extensive experience treating OCD, anxiety, and related conditions across medical (e.g., primary care, cardiology, urology, sleep medicine, nursing home) and traditional mental health settings, using a collaborative, personalized approach that builds on patient strengths.

I welcome and respect different backgrounds/lived experiences as I care about treating you as a whole and multi-faceted person. I recognize how various identities can overlap and influence your health.

Throughout my clinical career, I have remained dedicated to working with underserved and trauma-affected populations. My lived experiences and perspective as a queer clinician paired with my commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, largely inform my assessment, conceptualization, and treatment practices with patients. One of my main clinical goals is to create an inclusive practice environment in which I incorporate evidence-based research on affirming diagnostic skills.