Letizia Fariss, MA, LGPC, Resident, NCC
When people experience trauma or other life stressors, they usually feel like they are losing control. As a Christ-centered counselor, Letizia humbly believes in providing Spirit-guided therapy, meaning that she will allow Christ, through the Holy Spirit, to guide her as she provides counseling for her clients. Rather than approaching counseling as a list of tasks that need to be checked off, Letizia focuses on the whole person in everything she does. Letizia uses an eclectic approach to counseling and can incorporate many different orientations to best suit the needs of a client.
Letizia will go beyond the simple diagnosis and treatment of psychological illnesses by helping clients make sense of their experience and find hope. This will empower the client, enhance quality of life, and improve well-being and function. Letizia sees the profession of counseling as her calling, and it is her desire to fulfill God’s purpose for her life by serving others and letting them see His love through her actions.
Letizia has a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Liberty University. Her educational background also includes almost 9 years of experience in nursing. This training has made her familiar with caring for people with diverse mental health issues, including PTSD, addictions, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and palliative and hospice care.
Letizia has lived in and traveled through many European and Middle Eastern countries, which means that she has been exposed to a wide variety of different cultures and ethnicities. As a result, she knows that people have different attitudes, beliefs, and values, and she knows how to appreciate that uniqueness.
Letizia believes that the experiences of her life have equipped her to show empathy to her clients. She has endured many unique and difficult hardships, including being born and raised in a communist country. Letizia looks back on her life and relies on the verse “she can do all things through Christ who strengthens her,” for that reason, she has profound empathy for her clients and empowers them to overcome the challenges of life.
Counsels: ages 18+, male and female individuals, couples, marriage, premarital and family.
Works with: Parenting, blended families, adoption, foster parenting, suicide, domestic violence - victim (current), survivor (past), eating disorders, drugs & alcohol - addict and family member, sexual abuse - abuser and survivor, childhood sexual abuse - adult survivor, sex addiction - partner of, anxiety, infidelity, grief/loss, anger, divorce, post-abortion, mood disorders, self-mutilation, military issues, terminal illness, end of life issues, OCD, Gestalt therapy, CBT, Narcissistic Personality Disorder - individuals with and partners of, Bipolar, personality disorders, intercultural sensitivity training, life coaching, prepare/enrich, and MMPI.
Specializes in: Trauma, PTSD, domestic violence - victim (current) or survivor (past), and depression.
Letizia sees clients in Upper Marlboro, MD and works with residents of Maryland and Virginia via telehealth.