Colleen Kobus, MS, LCPC

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I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in private practice in Towson, MD, and the Owner of HERO Mental Health & Wellness.  I work with individual adults as well as couples.

My education includes a Master of Science degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Science and have engaged in post-graduate trainings earning the title "Certified Clinical Trauma Professional I."  I think of myself as a lifelong learner and engage in continuing education trainings throughout my career as a therapist.  

I am absolutely humbled and honored to walk beside my clients and support them through challenging times when they are not feeling as emotionally and/or mentally as well as they would like .  To sit with my clients in this sacred and confidential space is an indescribable honor and I am deeply thankful and grateful for my client's trust. 

In my 40+ years on this beautiful and sometimes confusing planet, I have personally experienced countless life-altering experiences, tragedies, traumas, grief and major losses.  It is these life experiences which has allowed me to be empathetic, understanding, and supportive in my role as a therapist.  However, while I may have been in similar trenches as my clients; I also understand that everyone has a unique story and I don't pretend to fully understand how you feel (no one can)- but I am here to listen and help you to feel better.

MY APPROACH TO THERAPY

My client-centered therapeutic focus offers clients a comfortable and safe environment to confidentially explore and process worries, negative thoughts and unpleasant emotions which often accompany a stressful life, general anxiety, depressive episodes, relationship issues, and grief & loss.  

I incorporate evidence-based treatment interventions including cognitive behavioral techniques, ACT techniques, psycho-education, and positive psychology to increase well-being and reduce symptoms throughout therapy.   

When and where appropriate, I will respectfully identify and acknowledge unhelpful thoughts, behavioral patterns, beliefs and assumptions that show up in session and that may cause your symptoms.  I respectfully and gently will encourage you to further explore and consider healthier alternatives that you may not have considered before, but that may lead to increased well-being and a reduction in symptoms.   Ultimately, the client is always the expert in their own life.  The therapist is just a supportive guide to help you identify, analyze, and sort through all available options for solving the issues at hand, and to offer support through your journey and in making whatever decisions about your life and circumstances that you feel are best for you.

A WORD TO FRONTLINE & HEALTHCARE HEROES

I love working with first responders and healthcare professionals as I come from a long line of them and understand the culture, stressful work demands, secondary/vicarious trauma, and daily stressors that affect them physically and emotionally, and that often manifest in difficulties with interpersonal relationships, irritability, low mood and motivation, reduced self-care, and sometimes self-destructive behaviors such as excessive drinking, emotional eating, substance abuse, or other self-sabotaging behaviors such as procrastination and avoidance.  It is important to maintain one's own sense of well-being while caring for others.  I am here to help support you as you carry out your purposeful work and live your best life. 

WHO SHOULD SEEK THERAPY?

I believe EVERYONE should see a therapist (even therapists themselves) in order to reap the mental and emotional benefits that come from feeling supported and having a neutral third-party to consult for emotional support and guidance, to learn new coping strategies and skills, to have a safe space for further self-discovery, and to support a more healthy perspective and increased  resilience and well-being throughout life.  

BENEFITS OF THERAPY

In therapy, clients will feel heard and supported and may also learn how to adopt strong self-care practices, maintain lifelong healthy habits, reframe negative unconscious thought patterns, increase self-awareness, better understand the underlying psychological factors affecting their mental health, decrease self-destructive behaviors, improve communication in relationships with both themselves and others,  increase their resiliency skills, and arm themselves with healthy coping strategies to increase (and then maintain) physical, mental, and emotional well-being throughout life.

Make an appointment with Colleen