Therapy at Joining with Empathy offers INTEGRATIVE THERAPY, LGBTQIA+ AFFIRMING THERAPY, and MEDICATION MANAGEMENT in a steady, supportive space to slow down and make sense of what you are carrying. We work with teens and adults seeking emotional support, healing, and a deeper sense of calm as they navigate stress, anxiety, identity questions, relationships, or life transitions.
Care is relational, trauma-informed, and evidence-based, shaped by careful listening and respect for your pace. Services are primarily insurance-based, helping make care more accessible, with additional options available as needed. Therapy here is not about fixing or rushing change. It is about feeling understood, supported, and gently guided as you reconnect with yourself and move forward with greater steadiness.
Our approach to therapy is grounded in trauma-informed, relational, and evidence-based practices. Sessions focus on understanding your emotional experience and how it has been shaped by relationships, stress, and life experiences over time. Care is collaborative and responsive, with attention to safety, pacing, and what feels most supportive for you.
These approaches are used thoughtfully and flexibly, guided by your needs rather than a one-size-fits-all model.
A Steady Space to Slow Down and Reconnect
Integrative Therapy for Individuals
INTEGRATIVE THERAPY offers a supportive space for individuals to explore their inner world with care and support. Many people begin therapy feeling overwhelmed, emotionally stretched thin, or unsure how to make sense of what they are experiencing. Sessions provide a calm, supportive environment to slow down and reflect without pressure.
Clients can expect a collaborative process focused on self-exploration, personal growth, and groundedness. Over time, therapy can help foster a greater sense of calm, emotional clarity, and steadiness, supporting an enhanced quality of life both inside and outside the therapy room.
This work may support you with...
Anxiety, stress, and emotional overwhelm
Feeling disconnected from yourself or your emotion
Life transitions and periods of uncertainty
Relationship stress and emotional patterns
Building emotional awareness and groundedness
Cultivating a greater sense of calm and clarity
Over time, therapy can support emotional steadiness, self-understanding, and an enhanced quality of life.
Format & Fees
$160 per session with a fully licensed clinician (LCPC or LCSW-C) $125 per session with a provisionally licensed clinician (LMSW or LGPC)
Inclusive Care
LGBTQIA+ Affirming Therapy
Joining with Empathy offers AFFIRMING THERAPY FOR LGBTQIA+ TEENS AND ADULTS in a space where identities are welcomed, respected, and valued. We understand the unique stressors LGBTQIA+ individuals may face, including minority stress, internalized stigma, family dynamics, and experiences of discrimination or marginalization.
Affirming therapy means your identity is not just accepted, but honored as an important part of who you are. Care is grounded in respect, inclusive language, and attention to safety and attunement. You do not need to educate, explain, or defend yourself in order to feel understood.
This work may support you with...
Exploring and affirming your identity
Navigating the coming out process
Managing anxiety, depression, or emotional stress
Processing experiences of discrimination or marginalization
Strengthening relationships and communication
Feeling safer, more grounded, and more fully yourself
Affirming therapy supports the whole person. While identity may be part of the work, sessions also address the full range of emotional, relational, and life concerns you may be navigating.
Format & Fees
$160 per session with a fully licensed clinician (LCPC or LCSW-C) $125 per session with a provisionally licensed clinician (LMSW or LGPC)
Integrated Support
Medication Management
MEDICATION MANAGEMENT is offered as a supportive option for individuals seeking additional mental health support. This service centers understanding the whole you, including emotional experience, daily functioning, and overall wellbeing, rather than focusing on symptoms alone.
Medication is never the only answer and is not required to receive care. When used, it is approached thoughtfully and collaboratively, with attention to your goals, concerns, and preferences.
Medication management may support...
Evaluation of whether medication could be helpful
Clear education about options, benefits, and potential side effects
Ongoing monitoring and adjustment as needed
Integration with therapy when appropriate
Collaborative decision-making that honors your pace and choice
When helpful, medication management can complement therapy as part of a balanced, individualized approach to care.
INTERN THERAPY SESSIONS offer a supportive and affordable way to begin or continue therapy in a space that feels collaborative, grounded, and non-judgmental. This option is well-suited for individuals who are navigating stress, transitions, or emotional overwhelm and are looking for thoughtful support at a more accessible rate.
Intern sessions may support you with...
Feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or burned out
Anxiety, stress, or low self-confidence
Life transitions such as school, career, or relationship changes
Exploring identity, boundaries, and relationship patterns
Building clarity, balance, and self-understanding
Our intern therapists are advanced graduate-level clinicians completing the final stage of their training at Loyola University. They are thoughtfully selected and closely supervised by fully licensed clinicians, ensuring care that is supportive, attentive, and grounded in evidence-based practice.
Format & Fees
$40 per session private pay (not available for insurance billing)
Yes. Joining with Empathy is in-network with several major insurance providers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, United Healthcare, and Johns Hopkins EHP and USFHP. After you complete the intake packet, we bill insurance directly. Depending on your plan, you may have a copay or deductible.
If you are unsure about your coverage or have questions about using your benefits, our team is happy to help you navigate the process. If we are not in-network with your insurance, self-pay options are available. We can also provide superbills upon request to support out-of-network reimbursement.
At Joining with Empathy we offer a steady line of communication.
If something feels off, unclear, or important to revisit, you can reach out between sessionsthroughsecure messaging on our patient portal. Care here is collaborative and responsive. You are not expected to carry uncertainty by yourself.
Yes. Self-pay options are available for therapy and medication management. Rates and availability can be discussed during the intake process or when you reach out to get started.
You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. If your thoughts, emotions, or stress levels are interfering with your sleep, relationships, work, or overall sense of well-being, therapy can help. Many people seek therapy not because something is “wrong,” but because they feel stuck, overwhelmed, or exhausted from managing everything on their own.
You might consider therapy if you:
Feel anxious, low, or irritable more days than not
Struggle with overthinking or self-criticism
Notice recurring relationship patterns
Feel burned out or emotionally numb
Have difficulty setting boundaries
Want support navigating a transition or decision
Therapy is also appropriate if you simply want a structured space to better understand yourself and build healthier coping tools.
If you’re in Maryland and unsure whether therapy is the right step, scheduling a brief consultation can help clarify your goals and determine fit.
Yes. Joining with Empathy offers integrated therapy and psychiatric services in Maryland with coordinated treatment planning with both virtual and in person appointment options.
Yes. We offer in-person therapy at our Baltimore location and secure, confidential online virtual therapy for clients anywhere in Maryland. Virtual sessions allow you to receive the same quality of care from the comfort of your home while meeting licensing requirements within the state.
Yes. Joining with Empathy provides LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy for teens and adults. Affirming care means your identity is respected, valued, and supported in every part of the therapeutic process. Our clinicians use inclusive language, honor pronouns, and create a space where you do not need to explain or defend who you are.
LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy supports the whole person. While identity may be part of the work, therapy can also help with anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, family dynamics, trauma, and life transitions, all through a lens that understands how identity and lived experience shape emotional wellbeing.
Yes. Joining with Empathy provides therapy for adolescents ages 13 and older. Our clinicians are experienced in working with teens and use age-appropriate, supportive approaches to help with concerns such as anxiety, depression, self-esteem, peer relationships, and navigating life transitions.
Care for adolescents is collaborative and thoughtful, with attention to creating a safe, non-judgmental space where teens can express themselves and build healthy coping skills. When appropriate, we also involve parents or caregivers as part of the support process.
You can begin by completing our get started form. Once it is submitted, our team will follow up with next steps, answer any questions you may have, and help guide you toward care that feels like the right fit.
We work with teens and adults who are seeking emotional support, healing, and greater steadiness in their daily lives. Our care is inclusive, trauma-informed, and designed for people who want a space where they feel understood, supported, and not alone with what they are carrying.
The best approach depends on your symptoms, goals, and history. Some individuals benefit from therapy alone, others from medication, and many from a combination of both. A collaborative assessment helps determine the right path.
Navigating the continuing education requirements for social workers in Maryland can feel overwhelming, whether you're new to the field or a seasoned professional. However, understanding these requirements is crucial for successful license renewal. Let's break down what you need to know.
The Basics
Maryland-licensed social workers must complete 40 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) every two-year renewal period. 20 CEUs must be Category 1 and completed in live time, meaning either in-person or via a live online webinar.
Specific Content Requirements
Within those 40 CEUs, you also need to fulfill specific content requirements:> Ethics: 3 CEUs (Category I or II)> Supervision: 3 CEUs (Category I or II) - Only required if you are a Board Approved Supervisor.> Anti-Oppressive Social Work Practice: 3 CEUs (Category I)CEUs must focus on race, culture, or equity, and cover topics such as Cultural Humility, Social Justice, Racial Equity, Implicit Bias, or Anti-Racism Practices.
This specific 3-hour requirement must be completed live (in-person or online).The Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners recommends that the title of these anti-oppressive practice programs includes one of the specified topics and that the CEU certificate explicitly states it meets this requirement.Important Note: All CEUs must be obtained from board-authorized sponsors.
Maryland Department of Health Implicit Bias Training Requirement:
In addition to the Board's CEU requirements, new licensees, as well as those reinstating or reactivating their licenses, have a one-time requirement to complete an Implicit Bias training provided by the Maryland Department of Health (MDH). This MDH Implicit Bias training does not need to be from a board-approved CEU provider (though it can be). During license renewal, you will simply need to confirm that you have completed this one-time training.
