Now hiring rockstar licensed therapists!
Our Leonardtown location is looking for sparkly, awesome clinicians! Flexible schedules, excellent pay, admin support, and free mentoring are just some of the perks of being part of the EC team.
Interested? We’d love to connect with you!
Send your resume and cover letter to hello@empoweredconnections.net and we’ll be in touch!

Now seeing clients in Maryland via video sessions.
Maryland Operations Manager.
Laryssa was born and raised in the Midwest and moved to Maryland 18 years ago for an internship and never left. Dr. Creswell earned her Masters Degree in Music Therapy from Loyola University New Orleans and a Doctor of Education in Counseling Psychology from Argosy University/NOVA. She is licensed in Maryland, the District of Columbia and is Board Certified in Music Therapy. She has worked in the field of mental health in various settings for nearly 20 years and spent the last 12 years in a clinical and administrative role in a psychiatric hospital providing treatment for adult women and men civilly and forensically committed. She is also an adjunct professor teaching emerging counselors. Dr. Creswell has a wealth of knowledge in trauma, substance use disorders, individual and group therapy. She has published research on women’s perspectives of treatment in the psychiatric institution and continues to conduct research on best practices for women with mental illness, substance abuse and trauma histories.
Because women thrive on relationships good or not so good, she creates a warm environment for women to explore themselves and their relationships in order to assist them in creating an atmosphere to be their best self. She also believes in creating a safe space for women to move through their traumatic experiences in a thoughtful and nurturing manner at the pace of the client.
Dr. Creswell adores quiet days with her husband and two children. She loves music, reading a good book, journaling, teaching, traveling, window shopping, and trying new restaurants. One of her guilty pleasure is binge watching all things reality t.v.! She will be working with women 19 and up in the Dunkirk office. You reach her email at laryssa@empoweredconnections.net or call her directly at 301-690-0779, ext. 707.
When you know better, you do better. – Maya Angelou

Now seeing clients in Maryland and DC via video sessions only.
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 reach her email at francesca@empoweredconnections.net or call her directly at 301-690-0779, ext. 709.
Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time. – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Deborah Duley, MSW, LMSW.
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 6 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 7 year old Corgi brother Toby.
“She was unstoppable. Not because she didn’t have a painful past, doubts or failures, but because she lifted herself up despite them.”
― Leslie Cassidy