Clinical Staff

Andrea G. Batton, LCPC | Clinical Director

Ms. Batton received her Master of Science in Counseling and completed her post- graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. She completed her psychotherapy internship at Key Point Health Services, also in Baltimore, while treating severe and chronic mental health problems.

Ms. Batton is a graduate of the Behavior Therapy Institute of the International OCD Foundation. There she attended an intensive and specialized training program in State-of-the-Art cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (obsessive-compulsive & related disorders).

Ms. Batton completed over two years of advanced training as a post-graduate fellow at the nationally recognized Behavior Therapy Center of Greater Washington (BTC) where she specialized in the treatment of anxiety disorders from a cognitive behavioral perspective. At BTC, she provided individual, in vivo, group and intensive therapy for anxiety and a variety of clinical disorders. Ms. Batton played a key role in the development and expansion of the compulsive hoarding program at BTC and participated in group and educational opportunities.

As a native resident of Baltimore, Andrea left BTC to work closer to home as an associate clinician at CBT Solutions of Baltimore, a private group practice located in the Lutherville/Towson area.

At CBT Solutions of Baltimore, Ms. Batton continued to specialize in the treatment of anxiety and related disorders for over 4 years. There she utilized the same treatment modalities as she did at BTC (individual, in vivo, group & intensive therapies), attended weekly peer case consultations, headed group therapy sessions, provided supervision and led presentations to educate Baltimore County school personnel on anxiety disorders in youth and to the general population, students, clinicians, sufferers, their friends & families on the nature of hoarding disorder at an event held at Towson University.

Currently, Ms. Batton is the director and practicing clinician at The Maryland Anxiety Treatment Center (MAC). While continuing to provide treatment for individuals suffering from anxiety, related disorders and depression, a further mission of MAC is to build awareness of such conditions and to end the associated stigma regarding mental health problems. Ms. Batton, actively serves on the board of and participates in events hosted by the OCD Mid-Atlantic, an official affiliate of the International OCD Foundation that serves the Maryland, DC & Virginia areas.

Andrea maintains her expertise in the treatment of anxiety & related disorders by attending and participating in frequent & regular professionally affiliated continuing education presentations and conferences, advanced training institutes and offering APA approved presentations to psychologists, licensed professional counselors and licensed clinical social workers in the areas of anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders.

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John Donahue, Psy.D | Clinical Associate

Dr. Donahue is a licensed clinical psychologist in the State of Maryland who specializes in anxiety and mood disorders, trauma-related disorders, and emotion regulation difficulties. He provides cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to adults, with a specific emphasis on mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches to problems in living. His practice philosophy is to work with clients in fostering greater awareness and tolerance of difficult thoughts and emotions while promoting behavior that is more in line with their values. At the first visit, clients can expect to collaborate with Dr. Donahue in assessing and understanding the issues that brought them into treatment. A treatment plan will be developed based on that understanding with regular progress monitoring occurring throughout the course of care.

Dr. Donahue received a B.A. in psychology from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and a Psy.D. from La Salle University. He completed a predoctoral clinical internship at the Bureau of Prisons Federal Medical Center in Devens, MA and a postdoctoral fellowship in PTSD research and treatment at the Portland VA Medical Center. In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Donahue is presently an assistant professor at the University of Baltimore, where he teaches in the Division of Applied Behavioral Sciences, supervises counseling psychology graduate students, and conducts scholarly research.

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Alexandra Wykowski, LCPC, PMH-C | Clinical Associate

Alexandra has more than 15 years of experience working in the mental health field. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Western Connecticut State University in Psychology, her Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in Clinical Community Counseling. She is certified in perinatal mental health from Postpartum Support International.

Her experience includes working with adolescents, transitional age youth, adults, and families. As a certified perinatal mental health specialist, she works with moms and dads dealing with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, OCD and birth trauma. Her work has included Multi-systemic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, DBT and trauma focused treatment with a focus on whole person wellbeing.

Her approach to therapy includes that of a partnership between therapist and client. She uses a client’s own personal expertise, knowledge about their history, and established goals as a guide to creating mental wellness. “I no longer feared the darkness once I knew the phoenix inside me would rise from the ashes” – William C. Hannan

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Eva “Annika” Backstrom, LGPC | Clinical Associate

Annika graduated with a Bachelor of Education in Child and Youth Education from Malmo University in Sweden. After working as a nanny for over 10 years in the U.S., she continued her educational journey at Loyola University in MD. Annika received her Master of Science in Clinical Psychology at Loyola University in Baltimore, MD, where she completed two externships at John Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Preschool Clinical Programs and at a Mental Health Clinic where she administered cognitive and social-emotional evaluations.

Annika has experience providing individual therapy supporting clients who are dealing with depression, anxiety, ADHD, relationship struggles, and daily stress utilizing a variety of modalities including CBT and DBT-informed therapy. Over the years Annika found anxiety disorders increasingly intriguing and is eager to collaborate with individuals who are struggling with anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders and related disorders by offering evidence based treatment.

Annika is currently practicing as a Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor under the supervision of Andrea G. Batton, LCPC.

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Olivia Sinicropi | Clinical Graduate Intern

Olivia Sinicropi is a current McDaniel College student, where she is completing her coursework for the Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Having completed her clinical practicum externship in December, Olivia is excited to begin her clinical internship with the Maryland Anxiety Center. During her practicum experience, she provided tele-phonic crisis intervention with a solution-focused treatment orientation. She has been with the Maryland Anxiety Center since 2020, where she underwent extensive training in evidence-based treatment protocols and continued her learning through a year undergraduate internship.

Olivia has clinical interests in anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders including body-dysmorphic disorder and with an in-depth understanding and focus on suicidality, self-harm, and borderline personality disorder. Her approach within the therapeutic relationship includes one that fosters a non-judgmental and meeting clients where they are. This approach allows her clients to feel empowered and embracing the power of change to achieve their goals.