Offering therapy services for adult, senior, young adult in and around Catonsville, Maryland (in-person) and virtually in the states of Maryland, Maine, and Massachusetts

Services: Pathways to Autonomy & Collective Liberation

Healing at the Big Orange Oasis is an act of resistance. My services are designed for the “outsiders”—BIPOC folks, queer and transmasculine individuals, community organizers, doctoral students, and entrepreneurs. If you are looking for a direct partner who will push you to go deep and face the “head trash” of systemic harm, you are in the right place.

I. The In-Person Sanctuary (Catonsville, MD)

While I serve a broad community via telehealth, my physical office is a site for the non-linear, tactile healing that requires “being in the room.”

  • Sandplay Therapy: Most people have never heard of this, but it is the focus of my in-person work. For the “unspeakable” trauma and the neurodivergent mind, sand is the language. We use miniatures and sand to create a physical container for your internal world.

  • Embodied Focusing: Grounded in the work of Eugene Gendlin, I am a practitioner of “Focusing.” This somatic process involves attending to the “felt sense”—that subtle, physical awareness of a situation that lives below the level of words.

“Focusing is about finding the place where the body knows what the mind hasn’t named yet.” In my conversation with Serge Prengel for the International Focusing Institute, I discuss how this practice allows us to move out of the “head trash” of the system and into the truth of our own lived experience. We don’t just talk about your problems; we listen to how they live in your body.

II. Specialized Clinical Care (Telehealth & In-Person)

I serve adults (ages 18+) who are ready to do the heavy lifting of transformation.

  • Radical Addiction & Recovery (LCADC): I provide non-carceral, harm-reduction counseling for substance use and process addictions. I reject moralistic shame. We focus on your safety, your goals, and your agency.

  • Testimony & Text (Bibliotherapy): For the writers, the poets, and the non-linear processors. We integrate music, poetry, and radical texts (Baldwin, Lorde, Davis) into your healing plan. If you find your truth in the “Word,” we use it to write your next chapter.

  • Relational Liberation (Couples & Partnerships): Specialized care for couples and Queer, Transmasculine, Poly, and Kink relationship structures. We dismantle patterns of power and control to build love that is actually free.

  • Neuropsychological Assessment: I provide expert-level diagnostic evaluations for ADHD, Autism, and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). These are available as standalone services for outside referrals. For current therapy clients, these assessments are woven into an integrated treatment plan to guide our somatic and narrative work.

III. For the Community: Training & Consultation

  • Emotional CPR (eCPR): I am a local trainer for eCPR—a public health program that teaches people how to assist others through emotional crisis using C (Connection), P (emPowering), and R (Revitalizing).

  • Expert Consultation: I am available for speaking engagements, expert witness testimony, university teaching, and clinical consultations regarding the Black prophetic tradition and social justice in mental health.

IV. The Future of the Oasis: 2026 Expansion

We are growing to meet the needs of our community. In 2026, we are launching:

  • Georgia Telehealth (March/Spring): Dedicated care for the Black and queer communities of the South.

  • Clinical Supervision (Fall): Specialized supervision for the next generation of LCADC practitioners.

  • Prophetic CEUs: Social-justice-informed continuing education for clinicians who want to do the deep work.

  • 2026 Therapeutic Groups: 

    • The Transmasculine Processing Collective

    • Addiction in the Activist Community

    • The Prophetic Word: A Bibliotherapy & Poetry Circle

V. Trauma of the State & The System

My practice is a soft place to land for those dealing with:

  • Political violence, police trauma, and histories of mass incarceration.

  • Racial trauma and systemic disenfranchisement.

  • Attachment wounds born from unstable systems.

 

Emotional CPR (eCPR)

I am one of the few local Emotional CPR trainers. eCPR is a public health education program designed to teach people how to assist others through an emotional crisis.

Learn more about my eCPR work here

The Professor’s Bookshelf

I work with the deep-sea divers—the outsiders, the organizers, and the seekers who know that ‘getting by’ is no longer enough. If you are tired of performing for systems that seek your erasure, we will work well together. During our initial consultation, we will assess if we are the right fit. From there, we move into the heavy, holy work of your personalized liberation plan.

Schedule an Appointment

“Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.”

– James Baldwin

The Big Orange FAQ for Deep-Sea Divers

FAQ: Is the Big Orange Oasis Right for You?

  • How direct are you? I am a “plain-spoken” clinician. I won’t just sit back and nod. I will push you, challenge the stories you’ve been told, and act as a coach in your liberation. If you want someone to jump into the deep end with you and hold a mirror to your strength, we will work well together.

  • What is your stance on religion? I grew up in the United Methodist Church and am a theologically trained pastor, but I now identify as spiritual. I lead from the Black prophetic tradition, not dogma. This is a sanctuary for everyone—especially those who have been harmed by religious institutions. Your faith (or lack thereof) is respected here.

  • Do you work with teens? My practice is exclusively focused on adults (18+). I specialize in the unique challenges of doctoral students, entrepreneurs, activists, and those navigating mid-life or later-life transitions.

  • What states do you serve? I am currently seeing clients in Maryland, Maine, and Massachusetts. I am expanding to serve the Georgia community in Spring (March) 2026.

  • Why ‘Big Orange’? The “Big Orange” Oasis represents a sanctuary that is large enough to hold all of you—your trauma, your kinks, your brilliance, and your neurodivergent processing. It’s a warm, expansive space where you don’t have to shrink to fit in.

The Financial Philosophy (Rates & Insurance)

Rates, Insurance, and Sacred Reciprocity As an integrated behavioral health practice, I accept most major insurance panels (Aetna, Cigna, CareFirst, etc.). My standard individual session fee is $125, reflecting my doctoral-level expertise and role as a faculty member at Columbia University.

However, I believe that high-quality healing should be a right, not a luxury. I offer a Pay-What-You-Can model rooted in Sacred Reciprocity. We have clients engaging at various financial levels to ensure that the Oasis remains accessible to the marginalized and disenfranchised. If you are in need of a sliding scale or reciprocity-based session, let’s discuss this during our consultation.

Please note the cancellation policy. If you do not show up for your scheduled therapy appointment, and you have not notified us at least 24 hours in advance, you will be required to pay the full cost of the session.