Public Schools

I value working with a wide variety of individuals including adolescents, teenagers, and adults.  I worked in after school programs for 5 years implementing individualized plans to help students succeed.  While working in the public school system I trained a quarter of the education staff at a school in communication strategies with kids who normally did not respond well in a traditional learning environment.

Community Work

In the community, I have provided workshops regarding crisis intervention, parenting strategies, and communication strategies.  In addition, I have provided mental health treatment for 13 years in multiple venues.  I have worked with Service Coordination and the ARC of Frederick County holding meetings with my clients to ensure their voices were heard to reach the goals they wanted.  In addition, I have a long history working closely with the Department of  Rehabilitation Services (DORS) to help people with a range of impairments find meaningful work.  On a more personal level, I have also worked with families in their homes to help them make important changes in their lives so home is more peaceful and family members are more accepting of each other.  Additionally, I have facilitated groups for graduate students at Hood College who are in the counseling program, and have also taught the group counseling course.

I always welcome working with people who are willing to make changes in their lives, and I want you to feel comfortable knowing my level of experience and care that I put into my work.

Individual Therapy

When working with people in my office, I like to listen to them and hear where they are and how they are doing.  If I do not understand what is said I will ask for clarification, which helps in multiple ways.  First, it lets you know that I am listening to you.  Second, it can clarify for both you and I what issues may be occurring that are preventing you to have the outcomes you want in your life.  When working with people, I am honest, but gentle with my feedback.  Also, due to the variety of people I have worked with, I feel comfortable customizing different therapeutic strategies to give help facilitate growth during our sessions.  Additionally, I believe people learn in multiple ways, so we may just talk, or we could illustrate concepts on a dry-erase board, write down statements to test their validity, or use many other options to help you grow.

If you or your child would like to meet, please call me at 240-409-4596, complete the form, or e-mail me at southerscounseling@gmail.com.  Also, please keep in mind that if you use this form or e-mail, I cannot guarantee privacy since this website is unencrypted so only type what you’re comfortable with in vague terms.  Otherwise, feel free to call me.