Archive for: Maryland

Ellen Singer, LCSW-C

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Ellen Singer, LCSW-C


Phone: (301) 444-5135

Locations: Gaithersburg, MD | Columbia, MD | Frederick, MD


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Ellen Singer is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has specialized in helping couples and families for 35+ years. She was able to personally train with Dr. Richard Schwartz in the evidence-based Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapeutic model. She’s also studied and incorporates tools from highly reputable Emotionally Focused Therapy, Gottman Therapy, and Imago Therapy. She sees all couples and specializes in high conflict, infidelity/affairs, intimacy/sexual relationships, ADHD impact, and coping with parent-related concerns. She also specializes in working with couples experiencing infertility, adult adoptees, adoptive parents, expectant/birth parents and blended-families. Ellen welcomes all LGTBQ relationships.


Meet Ellen Singer:

“I have enormous respect for couples who have the courage to embark on couples counseling. Great relationship therapy is a carefully guided journey into layers of vulnerability that open us to what is real: our fears, sadness, pain, needs, wants, hopes, and dreams! As a couples specialist, you’ll find I work to make this journey safe and strengths-based. I’m always looking for what you are doing well and the abilities you have to make change. My style is always gentle, supportive, and kind. I help you grow in your understanding of the underpinnings of your conflict and unhappiness in your relationship. I work to help you change your styles of communicating, relating, problem-solving and interacting with each other to develop the connection, trust and emotional safety you are wanting with each other. Using a combination of evidence-based models including Internal Family Systems, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Gottman research and methods, and Harville Hendrix, couples grow in their self-knowledge of how and why they are upset with their partner. Couples get better when they learn to change their automatic habits of negative thinking about their partner, when they learn to identify their personal triggers, when they learn to respect their partner’s differences and adjust their expectations, and when they learn on their own how to repair their relationship when inevitable conflict or times of disconnect occur. You can do this! It’s a great privilege to walk this path with you and help you reach back out for each other.”

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Christy Van Horn, LCPC

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Christy Van Horn, LCPC


Phone: (443) 275-6343

Locations: Gaithersburg, MD | Alexandria, VA | Frederick, MD


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Christy Van Horn is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with 15+ years of experience serving couples and families. Christy has studied various clinical approaches in marriage counseling as well as “coaching” strategies and protocols. She works with all couples and relationships including couples who have experienced an affair, couples who are “fighting all the time”, and couples who have lost that “spark” for each other.


Meet Christy Van Horn:

“However you come into my office, whether in crisis or stuck or angry and hurting, my commitment is to see and relate to you through the eyes of your potential. The very nature of relationships sets us up for conflict and disillusionment. We change as human beings, and so must our most intimate partnerships. Marriage counseling allows us to discover your strengths and successes and at the same time practice saying the things that are scary and uncomfortable. This is how we rekindle authenticity and trust and hope. You’ll find me to be both supportive and directive. I’m an active therapist who gets in it with you. I help lead you through a variety of avenues for reconnection. For some, this means a shift in perspective. For others, it might mean inviting compassion for yourself or partner. For both of you I work to help increase insight into your role and behavioral patterns that impact your relationship. My hope is to help you find new ways to reimagine and recreate your relationship as life moves forward. ”

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Marissa Josiah, LCPC

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Marissa Josiah, LCPC


Phone: (240) 630-4099

Locations: Bethesda, MD | Columbia, MD | Alexandria, VA


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Marissa Josiah is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with over 15 years of experience serving couples and families. She has studied researched-backed models in the couples therapy field (Gottman, Imago, etc) and has advanced experience treating trauma. Marissa specializes in helping couples who are fighting all the time, have experienced infidelity, past or on-going trauma, and couples who have lost that “spark” for each other.


Meet Marissa Josiah:
“Couples often start to feel their marital tension in a different way as their level of emotional disconnection gets wider and wider. Sometimes it’s simple fights about finances that seem more contemptuous or it can be something shocking like the revelation of an affair. For over 15 years I’ve been helping couples and families find their way back to each other and heal their relationships. My approach is an eclectic combination of some of the best research in the couples therapy field combined with advanced study and experience with trauma and emotional connection. I walk couples through safe ways to emotionally uncover and cleanse past and ongoing resentments. I help couples rewrite their story by discovering meaning and strength you may not have been aware existed. I believe marriage is a crucible for personal growth and self-development and my hope for you is a lasting, intimate, and thriving partnership. I became a therapist because I had the desire to help couples walk this path.”

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Lori Shapiro, LCSW-C, LICSW

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Lori Shapiro, LCSW-C, LICSW


Phone: (240) 600-0175

Locations: Bethesda, MD | Washington, DC | McLean, VA


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Lori Shapiro is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has made helping couples and families her specialty for 20+ years. Her areas of expertise include helping couples overcome infidelity, couples who are “fighting all the time,” and couples who have seen their relationship spark grow stale.  Lori is LGBTQ friendly as well as alternate lifestyle friendly. In addition to being a couples specialist with multiple relationship-focused trainings, Lori is also an AASECT certified sex therapist and is comfortable helping couples explore intimacy and connection.


Meet Lori Shapiro, LCSW-C:
“I like to keep in mind that couples coming in for relationship counseling often arrive both hopeful and fearful at the same time. The distress of our most intimate relationship can cause tremendous anxiety and maybe even despair. I want you to know that whether your relationship has hit a major crisis or just needs a tune up, I’m at home. For over 20 years I’ve been helping families and couples reconnect by rediscovering and building on the strength they make together. Great couples counseling is an art form and I work hard to facilitate an environment that allows for creativity and growth, not a one-size-fits-all approach. My clients describe me as authentic, optimistic, and always fully engaged. I work with you to help relieve the stress weighing on your relationship and help you feel more connected, intimate, and at peace. I’m very passionate about my work and it brings me great satisfaction when people tell me I’ve provided them with a safe place to heal and connect.”

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