Grief counselors and therapists in Columbia, MD

You may look like you're handling everything on the outside while feeling anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, or stuck on the inside. Maybe you know you're safe, but your body doesn't always feel safe. Or perhaps you keep finding yourself caught in the same relationship patterns, overthinking everything, shutting down, or wondering why experiences from the past still affect you today.

Hi, I'm Jennifer Friedman, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker-Certified (LCSW-C) in Maryland. I work with teens and adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship challenges, major life transitions, and those times when you simply don't feel like yourself. My approach is warm, collaborative, and trauma-informed. Together, we'll work toward understanding what's underneath what you're feeling—not just managing the symptoms—so you can begin to feel safer, more connected, and more like yourself again.

Therapy should feel real, honest, and worth your time. I work with adults navigating anxiety, trauma, fertility, pregnancy and postpartum struggles, first responder life, and all the messy in-betweens. As a trained EMDR therapist (and a mom of two and a fire wife who knows this world personally), I offer direct but compassionate support. You’ll get practical tools, honest feedback, and space to do the hard work, not just vent and leave. If you're ready to finally break old patterns, I’m here to help you get unstuck.

Welcome

Hello, and thank you for considering me as your therapist. My name is Tarianda Ruston, and I have more than 25 years of experience working in the helping profession. I am a licensed clinical social worker in both Maryland and the District of Columbia, with a diverse background that has allowed me to support individuals and families through many of life's challenges.

Throughout my career, I have worked in child welfare, foster care and adoption, inpatient mental health, custody cases, special education, and school mental health. These experiences have provided me with a deep understanding of the unique challenges people face across different stages of life. My passion is helping individuals discover their strengths, overcome obstacles, and build the tools needed for lifelong emotional wellness.

I believe therapy is a partnership built on trust, respect, and authenticity. My role is not to tell you what to do or make decisions for you. Instead, I provide a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental space where you can explore your thoughts, emotions, and experiences openly. Through thoughtful questions, compassionate reflection, and evidence-based strategies, I will help you gain insight, clarify your values, and make choices that align with the life you want to create.

I believe in the power of language, culture, and genuine connection to make therapy work. As an LCSW-C fluent in English and Yoruba, I bring both clinical depth and cultural understanding to my practice — creating space for clients from diverse backgrounds to feel truly seen and heard without having to translate themselves first.

Since 2016, I've worked across community mental health, schools, residential settings, and partial hospitalization programs, supporting adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, grief, OCD, domestic violence, and life transitions. I consider myself an agent of hope — helping clients build resilience, find healing, and rewrite the narratives of their lives one session at a time.

I'm trained at the University of Maryland and take a holistic approach — considering how physical health, relationships, culture, community, and spirituality shape each person's well-being.