About Stephanie Durnford, PhD, LCPC, NCC

My name is Stephanie Durnford (she/her) and I’m a Licensed Certified Professional Counselor (LCPC) with the state of Maryland (LC8146). This means I’m trained and have worked with people experiencing multiple mental health concerns and desiring mental health wellness. My specialty is working with people to change addictive behavior patterns in their lives. I am also trained to integrate an individual’s faith/spirituality with their psychotherapy experience so that we’re working from a mind/body/spirit perspective.

My approach to counseling is guided by the person with whom I’m working. Together, we stay grounded in explorations of how you talk to (and think about) yourself, work to align your actions with your values, to include compassion for yourself and others, and stay mindful of the present moment using your senses. I’m also known as a celebrator of successes of all sizes; celebrating helpful change is delightful!

I believe in the inherent worth of each of my clients and each one is the expert on their life. This means that I believe Black lives matter and Black, Indigenous, and all people of color are systemically impacted by racist structures that I am committed to dismantling, both personally and professionally. I am an LGBTQ+ affirming provider, and believe that each individual knows their own sexual and gender identities the best and that my job is to help hold space where explorations of those identities can occur.

I completed my Master’s work in clinical mental health counseling and my PhD in counselor education and supervision in the Pastoral Counseling Department at Loyola University Maryland. My dissertation, Mental Health, Sacred Appraisals, and Coping among Yoga Practitioners, focused on how yoga practitioners see their practice as sacred and its impact on mental health and coping, specifically embodiment and spiritual bypass. I completed yoga teacher training in May 2018 and understand the ways movement and connecting with our body can both be a challenge as well as helping us to heal.

I encourage you to reach out if you have specific questions about my clinical practice or if you’re interested in a free 30-minute consultation to see if we might be a good fit to work together toward your goals. Please feel free to contact me via email at stephanie@anintentionalpauseinc.com.

(The NCC in my name above means I have a credential as a National Certified Counselor; this means I’ve met certain educational and supervision requirements, maintain a certain level of continuing education per year, and adhere to the National Board for Certified Counselors’ Code of Ethics. You can learn more at NBCC’s webpage.)