Our Story

Risa co-founded NFRC with Barbara Mandell to create a center where parents remain decision-makers about their children's wellbeing. She specializes in developing child-focused parenting plans and works with couples, individuals, blended families, and teens. Risa has served on the Maryland Child Custody Commission and trains professionals in child-focused approaches to family transitions.

I work with children, teens, adults, and couples who are seeking counseling to support concerns they have, make decisions about their present and future, and most importantly, strengthen relationships. I have had the opportunity to develop all of our programs at NFRC with a strong belief that parents need to remain decision makers about their children, and can, when given the opportunity to work as co-parents with child development experts. I specialize in helping couples develop parenting plans that focus on the child and are based on developmental needs and challenges for everyone in the family. I believe children benefit from a loving and healthy relationship with both parents and caregivers. I work with grandparents as caregivers, step parents and significant others in addition to birth or adoptive parents.

I work with individual adults or groups, provide marriage counseling and therapy, and offer blended family counseling. I enjoy working with teens and specialize in individual or group sessions for adolescents. Many of the teens I work with are initially hesitant about counseling. Through joining with them in their lives, we develop trusting relationships where teens can grow, gain confidence and cope with family and peer relationships

I continue to learn from our clients and work to develop new programs and services to better support and advocate for all families. I was a member of the recent Maryland Child Custody Commission, Howard County Public School Student Services Committee, and I serve on the board for the Maryland Association of Families Conciliation Courts.

My philosophy is to help families or individuals to achieve their goals by working together using a variety of techniques to help my clients feel comfortable, while building a trusting relationship through humanistic, cognitive and behavioral therapy.

My best rewards are hearing from clients about how they are doing, working with them as they return with new challenges and celebrating their achievements in life.

I am honored to work as a team with a highly professional staff.

With 25 years at NFRC, Susan specializes in guiding families through separation, divorce, and remarriage. She helps newly single parents balance personal rediscovery with parenting responsibilities and is passionate about keeping divorce out of the courtroom through creative, child-centered parenting plans.

Some of my specialties:

I enjoy helping newly single parents re-discover themselves and figure out what they want their future to look like, and how to mesh that with being a single mom or dad. Sometimes it means changing jobs, re-training or joining the workforce after many years. Sometimes it's reconnecting with their child or children in a new way.

Working with teens has been an especially enjoyable part of my work. Creating a safe and trusting connection with the teen allows me to be a "guide" in their journey to find their way in the world. Discovering their truths, developing a sense of confidence using their voice and practicing new skills all help in dealing with the social challenges, relationship issues or family conflict they face.

Helping healthy parents find a way to keep their divorce out of the court room has been one of my most important career goals. In a safe space, parents come together to creatively develop parenting plans. Without the pressure of lawyers or the court, parents can make the most creative and flexible arrangements for their children. Using a Child and Family Focused Model, the parents decide together what each of their children need and how they can each be a part of making that happen.

Gina brings 25 years of experience working with individuals, families, and couples. She offers both short-term therapy for navigating immediate crises and longer-term therapy for addressing communication patterns. Gina specializes in family therapy, grief counseling, anxiety, depression, and trauma concerns.

“Life goes on, within you and without you.” George Harrison

Crisis prompts change. It disrupts our status quo and offers a window into new ways to live life, though at the time it is rarely welcomed.

Short-term therapy helps to navigate a crisis, provides necessary skills and helps you to find your balance.

Longer-term therapy helps you to understand patterns in your communication or behavior that could contribute to potential problems in the future and offers skills to change those as well.

“My dear, you’ve had the power all along.” Glinda, to Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz

If you are experiencing low level dissatisfaction right now, or if a larger life crisis event has occurred, talking with a trained counselor may help you to sort through your feelings.

Please call or contact me to see if working together with me is a good fit for your needs. I have been actively involved in professional trainings over the years in family therapy, complicated grief counseling, anxiety and depression disorders and trauma concerns. I incorporate mindfulness practices with a practical skills approach to my work with clients.

Specializations in adult group therapy, step-family adjustments Ready? Or not? People generally think for some time on their own before contacting a counselor. While you are waiting here are some tools that may be of some use to you.

A certified school counselor, Carolyn co-authored NFRC's online parent plan program and KidsConnex children's education program. She takes a strengths-based approach to helping families create thoughtful parenting plans and teaches professionals how to present NFRC's educational programs throughout Maryland.

For the past sixteen years, Carolyn has coordinated educational programs at the National Family Resiliency Center, Inc. (NFRC). Carolyn has co-authored NFRC’s on-line parent plan program and KidsConnex, a children’s education program. Carolyn teaches professionals in other jurisdictions the curriculum and guidelines for presenting each of the educational programs around the state and country. Carolyn currently works full-time for the Howard County Public School System as a School Counselor at Deep Run Elementary School. Carolyn assists in writing school counseling curriculum for Howard County and mentors first year counselors. She was awarded “School Counselor of the Year” by the Howard County Association of Professional School Counselors in 2015.

Denise Adams is a licensed clinical professional counselor with extensive experience supporting families through the challenges of separation, divorce, and family restructuring. At the National Family Resiliency Center, she provides therapy for individuals, facilitates reunification work, and supports co-parenting efforts to foster healthy, developmentally appropriate relationships during times of transition.

With a background in trauma-informed care, Denise previously worked with survivors of intimate partner violence at HopeWorks and served on county school crisis teams for 10 years , offering immediate support to individuals and families in crisis. Her approach is rooted in compassion, collaboration, and a deep understanding of the emotional complexities that accompany family change. She integrates evidence-based practices to help clients build resilience, strengthen communication, and move forward with clarity and care.

Pam joined NFRC after retiring as Director for Student Services in Howard County Public Schools. She serves as a Parent Facilitator and Co-Coordinator for Student and Parent Educational Programs, bringing 39 years of public education experience to her role at the center.

Pam graduated from the American University in Washington, DC, with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education (Cum Laude) and completed her Master of Education Degree in Guidance and Counseling at Bowie State University, with additional certification in Administration and Supervision, Yale University Leadership Development and Crisis Response Training. Pam is a Licensed Certified Professional Counselor (LCPC).

Ellen is a clinical therapist licensed in both Maryland and DC with 20 years of early childhood education experience. She specializes in assessing and treating children of all ages using play therapy, family therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, mindfulness, and parent education and coaching.

Julie is a full-time school counselor for 7th and 8th graders at Cradlerock Middle School in Columbia. At NFRC, she works with individual clients, co-facilitates youth therapy groups, and facilitates Co-Parenting Seminars. Julie began at NFRC as a volunteer peer counselor before returning as a professional counselor.

Trish is an elementary school counselor in Howard County who joined NFRC in 2014. She provides support through Co-Parenting Seminars and co-facilitates KidsConnex programs. Trish brings both professional knowledge and personal understanding as a current co-parent and past child of a two-home structure.

Tricia joined the NFRC team in 2014. She provides support for parents through the Co-Parenting Seminars and co-facilitates the KidsConnex psychoeducational programs. Tricia not only brings her professional knowledge and experience to her work, but also a genuine understanding as a current co-parent and past child of a two-home structure.

In her free time, Tricia is typically making fun, and usually messy, memories with her two children (7 & 9) and pup, "Nina SiBONE" (Any 1960s musical enthusiasts out there to catch that reference?). Together, they enjoy music, puns, books, good food, fun friends, laughing, new experiences, and art. You can even find Tricia's artistic influence within KidsConnex, as she is responsible for designing our recently updated program materials!

Kevin has 20 years of experience as a school counselor with the Howard County Public School System and 9 years of concurrent work with children and families. He specializes in engaging and empowering those experiencing family transition, depression, anxiety, and ADHD.

Julianne specializes in children's mental health, trauma, and play therapy. She is passionate about helping children express themselves through play when they may not yet have the vocabulary to do so and has worked with individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and family situations.