PuttingFamilyFirst

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SH Portrait of Samuel Howden
Online therapist

Samuel Howden

Compassionate, practical support for life challenges

Credentials
LICSW, MD, LCSW-C
Experience
12 years
Licensed in
Maryland, District of Columbia
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Samuel

Samuel Howden is a licensed clinical social worker practicing in Maryland. He holds LICSW, MD, and LCSW-C credentials and brings 12 years of experience in mental health work. He focuses on stress, anxiety, anger, low self-esteem, depression, ADHD, relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, grief, bipolar disorder, and compassion fatigue.

Samuel uses straightforward, respectful language and aims to make the first step easier for people seeking help. Samuel shapes sessions around each person’s needs.

Background and approach

He listens first, then helps set small, practical goals. Conversations are direct but warm, and he avoids labeling people. Techniques are chosen to match what matters to the client and the situation.

His background includes social work training and long experience across mood, trauma, and behavioral concerns. That history helps him notice patterns that keep problems going and then pick doable ways to change them. He often combines thought-focused strategies with motivational interviewing and psychodynamic ideas to understand deeper patterns.

In sessions Samuel uses exercises and discussion to reduce distress and build clearer choices. He helps people handle panic, manage impulsivity, and cope with shame or isolation. He also addresses process addictions and fatherhood or family problems when they come up.

Samuel works with English-speaking clients in Maryland. He offers several remote formats so people can choose what fits their life. To begin, someone completes a short matching questionnaire and schedules sessions based on availability.

Therapeutic approaches that translate to online care

Samuel commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and trying different behaviors to reduce symptoms. CBT is often useful for anxiety, depression, panic, and impulsive patterns. Motivational Interviewing is another method he uses to help people find internal reasons to change; it is brief and practical for ambivalence about habits or addiction.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will listen to your goals and preferences, explain options, and together decide which methods to try first. Adjustments are made along the way based on what helps most for the individual.

Online sessions can include video calls, phone appointments, live chat, or text-based messaging. Those options let people fit therapy into busy lives, manage care from home, and use shorter check-ins when needed. Samuel uses these formats to maintain continuity and flexibility so therapy can move forward even when schedules are tight.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Motivational Interviewing

A way of working through mixed feelings about change without being pushed. The therapist helps you weigh things up and find your own reasons, which often makes a difficult decision feel less stuck.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Exploring how earlier relationships and patterns still shape the present, often over a longer stretch of time. It relies on conversation and reflection rather than exercises.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Samuel work with?
He works with stress, anxiety, anger, low self-esteem, depression, ADHD, relationship and family issues, trauma and abuse, grief, bipolar disorder, and compassion fatigue among other areas.
What is his general approach in sessions?
Sessions are practical and person-centered. He listens first, then uses conversation and exercises to set achievable goals and make changes.
How much clinical experience does he have?
He has 12 years of experience working in mental health settings and with a range of mood, trauma, and behavioral concerns.
What credentials and location information should I know?
He holds LICSW, MD, and LCSW-C credentials with licence details DC LICSW LC200001886 and MD LCSW-C 17397, and he practices in Maryland.
Can I work with him if English is not my first language?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
He offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to meet different scheduling needs.
How are costs and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What is the first step to begin therapy?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.

Next step

Talk to Samuel

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