Emma Brown, LCSW-C

Psychotherapist

Specialties & Passions:

I am passionate about supporting children, teens, and their families in learning to experience and allow difficult feelings, communicate their needs clearly and effectively, and treat themselves with compassion.

Drawing on mindfulness and self-compassion, we will work together to become aware of strong feelings and unhelpful thoughts without judgment. I most often blend skills from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to approach experiences with openness and curiosity.

Many of the clients I work with struggle with anxiety, perfectionism, OCD, or disordered eating — especially high-achieving adolescent girls who often feel overwhelmed by internal and external pressures.

I have specialized training in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD and often incorporate emotional exposure and skill-building into all of my sessions, regardless of diagnosis. To paraphrase Steven C. Hayes, “Instead of trying to feel better we need to get better at feeling.”

I also support women navigating the transition to motherhood and the daily stressors of parenting. Many of the parents I work with are managing ADHD, anxiety, or executive functioning challenges themselves, and I help them build strategies to cope while showing up for their families.

I’d love to support you in building your skills and facing your fears—so you can show up for life as the person you want to be.

Education & Experience:

I graduated with a Bachelors degree from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in Human Studies with a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. After graduation, I worked for a year as an in-home behavioral therapist for children with autism before returning to graduate school at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. I earned a Masters in Social Work (MSW) with a concentration in clinical social work and a specialization in Children and Families. I also completed a 200 hour yoga teacher training program from the Kripalu School. (We have yoga mats at BFT if that is something you’d like to incorporate in sessions!)

While in graduate school, I interned in a Baltimore City High School for a year and then in a non-public/level 5 school for students with behavioral and emotional disabilities. I continued working at the non-public school after graduation, refining my clinical skills and furthering my passion for working with children and adolescents.

Then, I moved to working for a local Department of Social Services in the family preservation unit. Here, I was able to work with the entire family, not just the individual child or student. I have remained with the Department in various capacities since 2017. I have supported parents through the process of entering substance abuse treatment and this is an area in which I am passionate. Most recently, I have worked in adoption services, assisting foster youth and their adoptive families in finalizing their plan and achieving permanency. I have attended national conferences and participated in training in adoption competence and am comfortable working with and supporting the challenges of all parts of the adoption constellation (birth families, foster parents, youth, and those that love them).

Not-So-Specialties

I would not be a good fit for anyone facing issues involving end-of life, grief, or terminal illness. However, I am happy to refer you to other excellent therapists that are skilled in those areas!