Janet is a clinical social worker in Maryland. She has spent most of her career working with youth, from residential care, crisis counseling, and case management with homeless and runaway youth in North Carolina to providing school-based therapy to students from elementary school to college. She has also coordinated resources for clients working with legal assistance clinics, conducted research with alternative and problem-solving courts in Maryland, and supported pregnant and postpartum women in Baltimore. She believes firmly in the power of play; in fact, a friend once called Janet the most playful person they had ever met. She took this as a great compliment. 

Janet grew up in North Carolina and found her way to Baltimore during a year of volunteer service after college. The city captured her heart, and after a few years back in NC, she returned to Baltimore and decided to stay put. She dreams of owning a therapy yarn farm one day, but for now, she’s content sharing a home with her husband, daughter, cats, and dog. She loves to read, knit, hike, and draw. 

Training and Education

Janet received her MSW from the University of Maryland, Baltimore and is an LCSW-C. She has been trained in a variety of modalities, including non-directive and directive play therapy, sand tray, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, Advanced Skills Systems, Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Attachment, Regulation, and Competency (ARC). Janet has experience working with neurodivergent folx and with members of the LGBTQ+ population. She is always seeking new education and training experiences, and she is now working towards her Registered Play Therapist (RPT) credentials. Janet earned her BS in Sociology with a concentration in Special Education from Western Carolina University. Through a study abroad program, Janet lived in Oulu, Finland, studying education and Northern Cultures and Societies at the University of Oulu (Oulun Yliopisto). Those experiences cemented Janet’s love of travel, learning, sharing stories, and very cold weather. 

Therapeutic Approach

Janet recognizes that therapy is hard work. As such, she works to make sure that the therapy space feels comfortable, relaxing, and safe to clients. Therapy can be intense, but it can also be fun. Janet incorporates a variety of modalities into her practice, and she particularly enjoys non-directive work that allows the client to discover and develop the skills and tools they need to heal and to grow. 

Awards

• Children’s Guild DEI Award recipient 2023
• Children’s Guild Monarch Award recipient 2022
• Children’s Guild Braveheart Award recipient 2016