The Dunkirk Team

Tayra was born in Puerto Rico to immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic. She is a first-generation American Citizen and Retired Army Veteran. She recently moved to Calvert County, Maryland, with her daughter and dog. Tayra is currently an MSW Candidate at Howard University, the real HU! (You know!)

She has supported clients who may be struggling with trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, adjustment to life transitions, familial or relational conflict, and intergenerational trauma. She is fluent in Spanish and is excited to offer therapy with Spanish speaking clients as well.

Tayra is passionate about creating a space of grace and connection for her clients to begin their healing journey. Tayra utilizes a holistic approach, incorporating different modalities that best suit each client’s needs.

When Tayra is not serving her clients, she enjoys reading, hiking, and swimming. One of her favorite activities is practicing yoga and sharing her practice with others. Happiness to Tayra is a warm hug, bright sun and salty winds.

You can reach Tayra by emailing her at tayra@empoweredconnections.net, call her directly at 301-690-0779 ext 720, or self-schedule online at our appointment page.

Safety is not an absence of threat… it is the presence of connection. – Dr. Gabor Mate

Rebecca was born and raised in Massachusetts. She recently moved to Calvert County, Maryland with her husband and dog. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of New England and later earned her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at Southern New Hampshire University.

Rebecca has experience working with girls and women ranging in age from 6 to 70 years old.

She has supported clients who may be struggling with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, adjustment to life transitions, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, familial or relational conflict, and trauma. Rebecca is passionate about working with teen girls (ages 11-18) to be a place of support as they navigate their world. She is invested in creating a safe and comfortable space for her clients to begin their healing journey. Rebecca utilizes a holistic approach, incorporating different modalities that best suit each client’s needs. She recognizes that beginning counseling can be an overwhelming process and appreciates each client’s commitment to wellness.

When Rebecca is not working, she enjoys cooking and creating new recipes. One of her favorite activities is practicing yoga. Rebecca also loves spending time outside with her dog and family!

You can reach Rebecca by emailing her at rebecca@empoweredconnections.net, call her directly at 301-690-0779 ext 719, or self-schedule online at our appointment page.

Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are. – Brené Brown

Tiffany is a Maryland girl who has resided in Calvert County the last 10 years. She has 2 children; a spunky son and a fierce daughter. She recently adopted a cat, Nala, to add to the family. As an animal lover, she is lookingto add some more to the family soon.

Tiffany graduated with a Master of Arts in Psychology from American Public University. She then did her clinical hours at a local hospital as well as traveled to Texas for intensive Master courses in Counseling. Throughout her working experience she has worked with people of all ages and populations. She has experience in child welfare and public and private mental health. She has found a passion working with young girls, teenage girls, and adult women as she likes to help them feel empowered through strengths based practice and cognitive behavioral therapy. She is ready to help you conquer your treatment goals and is particularly passionate about working with women & teen girls who are struggling with anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma and domestic violence.

In her downtime, Tiffany enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, cooking, and has found a new passion of gardening (although she admits she doesn’t know much about it). She is known to be a little bit of a risk taker; listing off things anywhere from not following recipes (who doesn’t love more garlic?) to skydiving. However, she does have a calmer side too which involves enjoying a good book or movie on the couch.

You can reach Tiffany by emailing her at tiffany@empoweredconnections.net, call her directly at 301-690-0779 ext 704, or self-schedule online at our appointment page.

We’re here for a reason. I believe that reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark. – Whoopi Goldberg

Clinical Supervisor

Dawn is a Maryland girl and has spent the last 22 years residing in Calvert County with her husband of 20 years, 2 children ages 18 and 16 along with 2 terribly naughty but lovable dogs. She is both humbled and proud to be serving the community she loves.

Dawn received her MSW from the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1996 and brings more than twenty-five years of experience to the practice. Her professional experiences range from child welfare, public and private mental health, and school social work. She has a wealth of experience providing individual and family therapy in various practice settings. Her practice philosophy is one that focuses on empowering client’s to be brave and make positive life choices. She sees the therapeutic process as a partnership and opportunity to help her clients take better care of themselves.

Dawn works with women and high school aged girls (15 and up) as well as the LGBTQ+ community who face challenges such as depression, anxiety, trauma, ADHD, grief and loss, and relationship difficulties. She is passionate about working from a strength’s-based perspective and walking along side each client in their personal therapeutic journey. She believes that emotional wellness is a commitment that women should make to themselves and see as a priority.

When Dawn is not working she enjoys spending time with her family. Her happy place is found in the sunshine and the salty air. She loves taking trips to National Parks and exploring new places with her family and friends. She and her husband can often be found enjoying time on their newest boating adventure. Her most favorite thing is a good cup of coffee!

You can reach Dawn by emailing her at dawn@empoweredconnections.net, call her directly at 301-690-0779 ext 702, or self-schedule online at our appointment page.

Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up. – Brene Brown

Francesca is a Northern Virginia native. She has close ties across the DMV and frequents Maryland and DC often. She received her Masters of Social Work from Columbia University in New York City, NY. Francesca is licensed to practice in both Maryland and Washington, DC. She is trained in a variety of modalities, including TF-CBT, motivational interviewing, mindfulness practices, and play therapy.

Francesca has experience working with children, teens, and adults from all walks of life. She has worked in schools, outpatient clinics, hospitals and residential settings. Francesca has treated clients experiencing a variety of challenges, including anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, mood disorders, among others. Francesca is passionate about working with girls and teen girls (ages 8 to 18) to help them build confidence and emotional intelligence and her years of experience working with this age group has positioned her to be a powerhouse of change for them.

She is super passionate about working with high achieving teen girls who are athletes and/or academic rock stars and are struggling with overwhelm and anxiety. She strongly believes in the power of building genuine connections with girls and teen girls, empowering them through respect, compassion and a strengths-based approach. Francesca strives to be a positive change agent and seeks to empower her clients to be positive forces for change in their own lives.

Francesca enjoys taking road trips and spending time with her family and friends. She enjoys taking hikes and getting lost (but not too lost) in the beauty of nature. Whenever possible, Francesca loves to travel around the world and experience new cultures and worldviews. If nothing adventurous is on the table, Francesca is also more than happy to be a couch potato and enjoy a quiet day at home relaxing and recharging.

You can reach Francesca by emailing her at francesca@empoweredconnections.net, call her directly at 301-690-0779 ext. 709, or self-schedule online at our appointment page.

Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time. – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Practice Manager

Rochelle was born in Ohio but grew up in the Maryland suburbs of Prince George’s county until she moved to Charles county in 2004 with her family.

It is her love for people and her passion for customer service that drives her desire to serve others in a way that ensures that each and every client is well taken care of.

As a former Cosmetologist turned business owner and manager of more than 5 Salons and spas over the past 19 years, Rochelle feels compelled to BE the difference in the lives of those she meets and she is committed to elevating the customer experience for every client, every time!

Her daily goal is to leave our clients better than she found them by giving them more than what they expected!

You can reach Rochelle by emailing her at rochelle@empoweredconnections.net, call her directly at 301-690-0779 ext. 707, or self-schedule online at our appointment page.

Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain. – Vivian Green

Administrative Goddess

Norrisa was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in the Maryland suburbs of Prince Georges County’. Norrisa’s love for family and people lead her to open her own daycare that she owned & operated from 2004-2011.

Being a mom of 3 daughters, Empowered Connections’ core values and mission really resonated with her resulting in her seeking out full time employment with Empowered Connections.

Norrisa has a combined 26 years of outstanding customer service, but what sets her apart is her compassion, empathy and desire to be the very best version of herself possible.

Her daily goal is to intreat everyone who she comes in contact with, the ways she would want her own daughters to be treated, with kindness, understanding and imparting knowledge into them, empowering them to utilize these tools to aspire to greatness!

Not having the best situation, but seeing the best in your situation is the key to happiness. – Marie Forleo

Deborah Duley, LCSW-C

No longer accepting clients

Deborah is the founder and creator of Empowered Connections, LLC. She is a survivor of domestic violence both in her family of origin and in a subsequent marriage: because of these traumatic experiences, she has dedicated her life to advocating for women rights and the empowerment of girls. She is working diligently to provide our communities of women and girls with real therapeutic support and empowerment by opening locations of Empowered Connections across the country. Each location has been specially designed to create a warm, safe place for all women and girls & each therapist has been specially chosen because they embody the mission and values of Empowered Connections. She believes that women and girls have been left out and left behind for long enough: it is her mission and life’s purpose to create those connections that they have always needed and craved in order to empower them to live that life they’ve always dreamed of!

Deborah can be reached at 301-690-0779, ext 701 or deborah@empoweredconnections.net

A girl should be 2 things: who and what she wants. – CoCo Chanel

Our mascot and therapy dog Bailee is a 8 year old Welsh Pembroke Corgi.

She loves lounging, car rides, pettings and Starburst but she hates brushing, baths and bananas (weird).

Bailee also loves to accompany Deborah to the office providing love and affection if needed by clients.

She is from an Amish family in Pennsylvania but enjoys living in the Atlanta area with her family and 9 year old Corgi brother, Toby.