Towson Staff
Kristen McDermott, LCSW-C
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Kristen has been treating clients of all ages (6+) in the outpatient setting for the past 15 years. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in Psychology from Moravian University, and went on to graduate with her Master’s degree in Social Work from Widener University. Kristen specializes in trauma and PTSD, and has extensive experience working with anxiety disorders, mood disorders, behavioral issues, anger management, and adjustment disorders. She has worked with children, adolescents, and their families, as well as the population of those experiencing grief/loss. She is an LGBTQ+ affirming clinician, having attended the TransYouth Symposium by TransFamily Support Services. Kristen has been trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) (tfcbt.org) and Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) (emdria.org), and she is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) informed. Kristen runs a virtual SMART Recovery group on Tuesdays at 7pm. See smartrecovery.org for more info. Kristen is also a Board-approved supervisor for LGPCs and LMSWs.
Therapy is a place to learn about yourself and how you interact with the world around you. Therapy is also a place for acceptance and change. Acceptance can be scary because it means letting go of some expectations of yourself and others. Change can also be scary - changing your relationship with yourself, changing how you communicate with others, changing behaviors and habits, and/or changing how you manage your mental health symptoms. Kristen creates a safe and validating place for you to try out these scary things. Feel free to use the therapy space and the therapeutic relationship to practice feeling and expressing challenging feelings, setting boundaries, problem solving, overcoming avoidance, and trying new things. Kristen is currently available for both in-person and telehealth appointments. She accepts private pay clients, as well as Cigna (Evernorth), United Healthcare, Medicare, Medicaid, Johns Hopkins EHP, and CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance plans.
Jessica Placek, LCSW-C
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Supervisor
Jess has been working in the mental health field for over 13 years. She graduated from James Madison University with her Bachelor’s in Social Work in 2010, and graduated from the University of Maryland School of Social Work in 2013 with her Master’s in Social Work with a specialization in Mental Health. Jess has worked in a variety of settings including a residential treatment facility, inpatient and day hospital settings with teenagers, and outpatient and in-school therapy with elementary and middle school aged children. Jess has spent a majority of her career working with trauma survivors, most recently with child and adult survivors of physical and sexual abuse at the Harford County Child Advocacy Center (harfordcac.org/). Jess is trained in multiple trauma therapy modalities including Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) (emdria.org), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) (tfcbt.org), and is Certified in Instinctual Trauma Response Therapy (ITR) (helpfortrauma.com). She also has training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Jess is a Board-approved supervisor for LMSWs.
Jess focuses her practice on a Person-Centered, Strength-Based approach and enjoys using art to assist clients in expressing themselves! She believes everyone deserves a place to be themself and feel safe sharing their thoughts and feelings. Jess has spent a majority of her career working with teenagers in trauma therapy, and currently sees clients ages 8 and up. Jess is currently available for both in-person and telehealth appointments. She accepts private pay clients, as well as Cigna (Evernorth), Johns Hopkins EHP, Medicare, Medicaid, United Healthcare, and CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance plans.
Alexandra Jackson, LGPC
Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor
Allie studied Psychology at Randolph-Macon College and received her Master’s degree from Loyola University Maryland. She spent 3 years supporting children, teens, and families as a school counselor with Baltimore County Public Schools. Allie is currently a Licensed Professional Graduate Counselor and provides therapy to children (ages 5+), teens, adults, and couples.
Allie has experience supporting clients with trauma, anxiety, depression, emotion regulation, conflict resolution, social/communication skills, grief, self-control, and family changes. Allie primarily utilizes a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and a Person-Centered approach, but strives to find the right treatment for each client as an individual. Allie is dedicated to building rapport with clients in order to foster collaboration, growth, and change. Allie is available for both in-person and telehealth appointments. She currently accepts private pay clients, as well as Cigna (Evernorth), United Healthcare, and CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance plans. Allie is supervised by Shayla LeBlanc.
Colleen McCormick, LMSW
Licensed Master’s Social Worker
Colleen McCormick has her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Maryland School of Social Work. After finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University she began working with children and adolescents in hospitals, schools, and individual settings.
Colleen’s experience includes both inpatient and outpatient mental health counseling. Through internship and work experience, Colleen has worked with children and adolescents of all ages who face depression, anxiety, and ADHD. In her previous internship, Colleen assisted children with various mental health needs in Baltimore City Schools. She created a group specifically geared towards young girls with anxiety. She has a background in crisis intervention prevention, applied behavior analysis, CBT, SHARP framework and relationship building. Colleen is also enrolled in Gottman Institute and learning the method to provide appropriate care for anyone in need of marriage or relationship counseling. She strives to conduct sessions in a comfortable, friendly, and warm environment. Colleen is available for both in-person and telehealth appointments for children and adults. She currently accepts private pay clients, as well as Cigna (Evernorth), United Healthcare, and CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance plans. Colleen is supervised by Jessica Placek.
Leanda Welker, LCSW-C
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Leanda has worked with children and families for over 25 years. After finishing her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Akron (Ohio) in Social Work, she worked in child welfare providing Family Preservation Services and then Child Protective Services. In 2004, Leanda earned her Master’s Degree from the University of Maryland School of Social Work with a specialization in Children and Families and has been a LCSW-C since 2015. Leanda is a trained Forensic Interviewer and was a part of the human trafficking task force for Harford County and Baltimore City. She is also a Board approved supervisor to LMSWs.
Leanda strives to work with individuals and families with light-hearted compassion and empathy, free of judgement. While she is well-versed in working with those struggling with trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders, Leanda is passionate about working with student athletes and their mental health, the LGBTQ+ population and their families, individuals with addiction to pornography, parents of sex abuse victims, and survivors of human trafficking. She is also trained in Instinctual Trauma Response Therapy (ITR), an evidence-based trauma treatment (helpfortrauma.com). Leanda works with children (ages 10+) and adults and is available for evening and Saturday appointments in-person at both Bel Air and Towson, as well as telehealth appointments. Leanda currently accepts private pay clients, as well as Cigna (Evernorth), Medicaid, and United Healthcare insurances. CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, Johns Hopkins EHP, and Medicare insurances are coming soon.
Katie Maniscarco, LCSW-C, PMH-C
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Owner
Katie has been working in the mental health field for over 20 years. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Towson University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology in 2003, and graduated from the University of Maryland School of Social Work in 2005 with her Master’s in Social Work, with a specialization in Clinical Mental Health. Katie has worked in a variety of settings including inpatient care for teens, Special Education for elementary, middle, and high school students as a Certified School Social Worker for 7 years, and with child and adult survivors of physical and sexual abuse at the Harford County Child Advocacy Center (harfordcac.org/) for several years. Katie is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), a leading evidence-based practice in the treatment of trauma for children (tfcbt.org). She is also certified in Perinatal Mental Health by Postpartum Support International (postpartum.net). Katie is a Board-approved supervisor for LGPCs and LMSWs.
In her private practice, Katie is passionate about working with new parents who may be struggling in their adjustment to changing roles, feeling disconnected and isolated, suffering with postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, and/or are lacking in understanding and support from their partners or families. She is a mom and step-mom who understands the complexities of parenthood and blended families. Katie uses a Person-Centered, Strength-Based approach to address these issues so clients may begin to look ahead to positive life changes and find joy in the adjustment. She is available for both in-person and telehealth appointments. Katie accepts private pay clients, as well as Medicaid, Medicare, United Healthcare, Cigna (Evernorth), Johns Hopkins EHP, and CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance plans.
“Anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you.”