About…
Ms. Fay has a Bachelors degree in Psychology and Child and Family Studies from Syracuse University, and a Masters of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Maryland at College Park.
In addition to being licensed (Maryland License #LCM167) as an LCMFT in Maryland, she is also a Clinical Member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), a Professional Affiliate in the Stepfamily Association of America (SAA), and a past Member of the Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment (ACME).
Ms. Fay has worked extensively with families and children, particularly around marital and intimacy issues, and has given workshops on family relationships to several organizations, including the Maryland Psychological Association (MPA). Her articles have been featured in “Your Health” magazine (2001) and the Montgomery County Mental Health Association’s (MHA) newsletter (“Clinical Corner”, MHA News, Summer 2003).
As a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist, I am specially trained to work with couples and families, as well as individuals. I approach therapy from a systemic perspective, which means that I look to the dynamics between people rather than solely focusing on the internal workings of one person. Even in individual work, this approach can be helpful and empowering.
My approach is eclectic. I have various tools that I use in therapy to customize to the uniqueness of the people I aim to help. Some of these tools include cognitive-behavioral techniques, experiential exercises, homework assignments, and family-of-origin work.
I am committed to providing you with a safe, caring environment in which we can address your unique situation. By carefully listening, I work to get behind the everyday surface of a situation to the underlying meaning. I often use humor to gently but skillfully pinpoint specific issues and highlight areas of growth.
The mission of my practice is to help individuals, couples, and families realize and achieve what is possible. The image of a person reaching over a ledge to touch or grab hold of a shining star exemplifies every person’s struggle: that all things are possible, but sometimes it means a person must leave the comfort of what is familiar in order to reach one’s goal. My job is to be the safety net for you while you strive to better yourself and your situation.
Small business owners may be curious about the development of this site. It doesn’t cost a fortune to create and manage a site like this, but it does take time to think about the organization of the site and the content to be disseminated.
Here are some basic steps I took to create this site:
- I decided on a domain name (laurelfay.com) and reserved ownership (annual fee) of the name from GoDaddy.com;
- I decided on a provider, Hostingplex, to host (keep my web site files that people will access) my domain. They provide a lot of free tools that can easily be installed and used on any site (web site template systems, email forms, email addresses, image galleries);
- I chose to install a free content management system (cms) called WordPress. Installing the system was rather easy (one-click), but I needed a person with intermediate technical skills (my husband) to tweak templates so that my site would have a unique look and feel. Fortunately, WordPress (or another content management system) allows me to add and edit information on my website without having the technical skills my husband possesses.
If you have any questions about the practical aspects of my site, feel free to contact me for additional information.
