It’s Been Three Years and We’ve Grown!

Just over three years ago we opened our doors and began offering therapeutic services to individuals in and around Frederick. We’ve grown over these years and thought it would be a good time to let you know a little about each of our clinicians and the services they offer.

Elise Abromson, PsyD:

Elise is a Licensed Psychologist whose passion is working with children, teens, and families. Her specialties include Attention Behavior Difficulties, Depression, Anxiety, Issues Related to Divorce, Social Skills Development, and Parenting Skills. . . . Ext 1018

Kiesha Edmonds, RMP, NCTMB:

Kiesha is a skilled massage practitioner who specializes in therapies such as deep tissue, muscle release, myofacial, sports massage, and Swedish massage. She also offers seated massage at corporate or party events. . . . Ext 1016

Kristi Hallman, LCSW-C:

Kristi provides individual and group therapy for children, adolescents and their families using a combination of talk and creative therapies. Kristi has a gift for building relationships and sees this connection with children and their families as essential to the healing process. . . . Ext 1012

Jess Heckerman, NCC:

Jess is fluent in American Sign Language (ASL). She provides individual and group therapy for Deaf/Hard of Hearing/Hearing children, adolescents, and their families. She believes that as a therapist, it is her role to reach out to children and meet them at their current levels and needs. . . . Ext 1024

Marie Kish, LCPC:

Marie brings a diversity of life experiences to her counseling practice. Her own familiarity with living overseas has enhanced her sensitivity to client cultural and relationship challenges. She especially enjoys working with individuals and couples to help them find creative solutions to difficult relationship issues. . . . Ext 1014

Pam McDonald, LCSW-C:

Pam provides individual, couples, and group therapy for adults. Her approach is strengths-based and encourages clients to access their inner wisdom and creativity to create positive, sustainable change in their lives. . . . Ext 1022

Lynne Ramirez, LGSW:

Lynne provides individual group and family therapy for teens, young adults and adults. She believes that therapy is a collaborative process where her role as a therapist is to assist with unlocking the hidden strengths and skills of each person as they rediscover the life they enjoy living again. . . . Ext 1026

Claire Wilhide, LCPC:

Claire provides psychotherapy for adults and older teens. Essential to her approach to therapy is creating a comfortable, safe, and trusting therapeutic relationship in which one can feel heard and understood. She emphasizes developing a curious, compassionate stance toward oneself that allows for greater clarity and deeper meaning to emerge from life’s complexities. . . . Ext 1020

Zoë Worrell, LCSW-C:

Zoë is the owner/creator of Healing Circles Wellness Center and offers individual, couple, and group psychotherapy for adults. Her work and art as a therapist involves creating a safe, supportive setting that allows an individual to explore areas of concern and promotes the opportunity for healing, change and growth. Her areas of experience and expertise are with depression, anxiety, relationship issues, addiction, and trauma. . . . Ext 1301

Helpful Tips When Sending Your Kids to Camp

Summer camps are often a highlight for kids during their school break. However, sending kids off to camp can prove stressful for both children and parents. Here are some tips from Reader’s Digest to help make your family’s experience a good one this summer!

Prepare your child ahead of time:

Talk with your child about his upcoming experience before he leaves. Discuss his concerns. Highlight his strengths, and explain that he’ll be able to build on these skills and develop new ones at camp. Talk about problems he may have had at school and how he can better handle them at camp.

Pack smart:

Most camps will provide a packing list of items your child will need. Work off that list, but also involve your child in the packing process. Allow her to bring a stuffed animal or blanket she may be attached to.

Send in paperwork early:

Most good camps will ask you to fill out forms to let them know how your child reacts to stressful situations, how she interacts with others, etc. Be sure to send these and all medical forms in early to give counselors time to study them.

Keep goodbyes brief:

When you drop your child off, check out his cabin and help him settle in. Then put on a brave face, tell him he’ll have a great time, and leave. Lingering too long will make the goodbye even harder.

Keep communication positive:

Sending a daily letter or email to tell your child about what’s going on at home will only remind her of what she’s missing. Likewise, saying how much you, her siblings, and the dog misses her will make her sad. So limit communication to a few times per week. When you do write, be positive and focus on her experience. Tell her you hope she’s having fun and that you can’t wait to see pictures. It would also help to slip a letter into her suitcase or to mail one ahead of time so it’s waiting for her when she gets there.

Follow the rules:

Many camps have policies about whether family members can call and what can be sent in a care package. Don’t be the annoying parent who breaks the rules—your child will be the one to suffer for it.

Don’t give your child an easy way out:

It’s tempting to tell your child you will bring him home if he’s not having fun after a week or two. But doing so will make him less likely to stick around, even if he is having a great time. Short bursts of homesickness are common, and camp counselors usually know how to handle them. They will contact you if they feel your child really needs to come home.

Research the camp:

If you would still like to send your child to camp this summer, it may not be too late. Even the most popular camps sometimes have cancellations. To find a reputable camp, visit campparents.org, a Web site created by the American Camp Association (ACA). The site lists camps that are accredited by the ACA.

From: Readers Digest Online