About
Hi, I'm Allison! I'm a licensed clinical professional counselor in Maryland and I specialize in working with moms navigating many complex parts of motherhood (pregnancy, postpartum, change in identity, beyond the first year of motherhood, and also those grieving loss in their mothering journey). I also specialize in working with children, adolescents, and young adults who are struggling with anxiety, perfectionism, or adjusting to life changes. I'm so glad you landed on my page and are interested in learning more about Tree House Therapy!
Mission
My mission as a therapist is to support you on the journey towards self-improvement, discover ways to cope with life's stressors, and
nurture your strengths and supports
while providing compassionate, nonjudgmental, humor (when appropriate), and an empathetic therapeutic space.
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There is no "one size fits all approach." While I believe that building a solid therapeutic relationship is top priority, I also incorporate evidenced based treatment types, including: mindfulness, ACT, DBT, CBT and solution focused techniques. When working with perinatal clients, I incorporate the work of Karen Kleiman, LCSW (the Art of Holding) and the Fair Play method created by Eve Rodsky. I always approach treatment from trauma informed, culturally responsive, and socially inclusive values.
Vision
When creating the idea of a "tree house" for a therapy office, my goal was to provide a safe, comfortable, relaxed space for myself and my clients. This "she shed turned home office" was uniquely designed and built on my property, hidden amongst a little forest of tall trees. The Tree House office is a place to relax, escape, learn, grow, heal, connect, and explore parts of yourself that you may have not been able to in other environments in your life.
More About Me
I graduated from James Madison University in 2009 with a major in Psychology and minor in Kinesiology. I had dreams of becoming a sport psychologist at the time and went to grad school for Sport Psychology at Temple University (graduated 2011). After working as a health & wellness counselor for a few years, I decided to go back to school to become a therapist. I earned my degree in Counseling Psychology from Towson University in 2016. My internship was completed through Villa Maria as a school-based therapist in an elementary and middle school in West Baltimore City. I began my career as a therapist working in community mental health and as a school-based therapist in Carroll County, Md.
From there, I transitioned into a group private practice, Anchor Counseling Centers, and was Clinical Director of the Eldersburg location for three years. Being a part of a supportive and thriving group practice allowed me space to grow as a therapist and refine my niche to focus on the perinatal population, while continuing to work with children and families.
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In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband, daughter, and dog. And I also enjoy being outside, listening to live music, and cooking new recipes. I'm a DC area native, but love living in Carroll County.
