About
Tiffani Smithson, LCSW-C, LICSW
Founder/Lead Clinician
Licensed in MD, DC, & VA
Tiffani Smithson is the founder of Embraced Strength Therapy Services, LLC providing services in Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, and South Carolina. Tiffani earned her bachelors from Bowie State University and her master's in social work from Howard University.
While Embraced Strength Therapy Services, LLC serves the Black and Brown community, she specializes in working with busy moms who may be struggling to or with prioritizing their own needs and wants, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, rejection, attachment and abandonment issues. Tiffani also loves working with couples (pre-marital and marital) who are wanting to strengthen their relationship. Tiffani utilizes an integrative approach to meet clients where there at, is EMDR trained, and is currently in the process of obtaining her Certification in Perinatal Mental Health, PMH-C. Tiffani has more than 14 years of experience, including children and families, child welfare services, medical social work, and school social work.
As an active mental health practitioner who also believes in giving back, Tiffani serves as a mentor to other social workers and is a board approved clinical supervisor.
Tiffani is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., who looks forward to opportunities to become more active in the community. Tiffani enjoys working out (her way of laying some heavy things down), traveling, spending quality time with her husband and two sons as the "queen" of the household, and activities that bring a sense of thrill to life.
Tiffani accepts: Carefirst/BCBS, Johns Hopkins, Cigna, and United Healthcare (Out of Network)
EAP: LifeWorks, BHS, and Ulliance
Bria Turner, LMSW
Licensed in MD
Accepting New Clients (Teens/Adults)
Bria Turner earned her master’s degree in social work from Marywood University. Bria is pursuing a Doctorate in Social Work from Capella University and plans to finish in 2025. Bria’s background includes an educational studies degree and a psychology minor from Cedar Crest College. Bria has worked clinically in various settings, including school-based behavioral health, substance use, and outpatient mental health care. Bria has a solid clinical background in counseling and therapy for individuals with anxiety, substance abuse, depression, and low self-esteem.
Bria is passionate about working with adolescents, young adults, and older individuals. She believes a solid educational foundation is essential and develops a strong rapport with her clients, leading to meaningful growth. She knows therapy can be a struggle, but it is also a beautiful personal journey full of compassion and support. Bria believes therapy is a continuous learning exchange between the client and the therapist. Bria loves to share stories and have a good laugh with the clients because therapy does not always have to be serious. Some topics that have come up for Bria in the therapeutic setting are Beyonce, football, education, cooking, and dogs!
In Bria’s downtime, she loves to spend time with her partner and service dog in training, Murphy! For self-care, Bria enjoys her crystal collection, listening to music on vinyl, shopping, reading, watching the family dogs, and having coffee or tea at a local cafe. She can’t wait to be apart of your therapeutic journey!
Bria accepts: Carefirst/BCBS, Cigna, & Self-Pay
Alexis Bell, LMSW
Licensed in MD
Alexis is a Licensed Master Social Worker in Maryland. She earned her undergraduate degree in Social Work from Salisbury University and Sociology with a Minor in English from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She earned her Masters in Social Work from Salisbury University.
Alexis has years of experience working with children, youth, families, and adults in a variety of settings to include an inpatient setting, substance abuse/addiction, DHHS, foster and kinship care. She provided individual therapy and organized and facilitated groups. She worked with children and families with a goal to keep them together using a strength-based approach.
She is an Eastern Shore native with a bubbly personality, that's transparent, and takes a holistic approach incorporation of the mind, body, spirit (soul) in her work with clients. She has a passion for working with adults who may struggle with adjusting to new life situations, relationships, anxiety, depression, trauma, spirituality, self-esteem issues, substance abuse/addiction, and beyond!
Alexis accepts: Carefirst/BCBS, Cigna, & Self-Pay
Shawntae Chase, LMSW
Licensed in MD, VA, & UT
Shawntae Chase earned her Master’s degree in Social Work from East Carolina University, and her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Central Missouri. Shawntae has over 5 years of clinical experience providing individual, family, and group psychotherapy to youth and their families. She has worked with children, teens, and adults within the school, community, and outpatient settings. Shawntae has experience with special needs families, adoptive and kinship families, transracial adoption, behavioral challenges, and trauma. Shawntae enjoys coaching parents to improve communication and their relationships with their children and adolescents.
Shawntae integrates her challenging and nurturing side to collaborate and work alongside of clients with a strong emphasis on the relationship as clients grow. She is trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) with a passion working with those affected by trauma who are older adolescents, young adults, and adults.
Shawntae accepts: Self Pay, Cigna (MD & UT), Carefirst/BCBS, and United Healthcare (Out of Network)
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Shanice Harris, LMSW, LGSW
Licensed in MD & DC
Shanice is a Licensed Master Social Worker in Maryland. She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in Children and Youth Studies from the City University of New York (CUNY) at Brooklyn College with a Masters from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Shanice received a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace and Human Services Management Graduate Certificate.
Shanice has extensive experience working with children and youth and has over six years of experience in Applied Behavior Analysis working with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Shanice is a Usui Reiki Master, Zumba Instructor, and trained doula. She believes in a holistic approach to healing - that humans are made up of mind, body, and spirit and that they all play a significant role in the way we feel and move through the world. This approach to therapy supports the integration of spirituality, energy medicine, religious beliefs, metaphysical beliefs, nutrition, and physical activity to help those seeking services become the healthiest version of themselves.
Shanice is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a first-generation Caribbean-American from New York City, who identifies her sexuality as “not straight,” and an active pursuer of social justice which she encompasses anti-oppression and anti-racism in every aspect of her work.
Shanice accepts: Carefirst/BCBS, Cigna, United Healthcare (Out of Network), & Self Pay
Tangalia Williams-Garcia
Tangalia is Embraced Strength Therapy Services, LLC office manager/admin. She was born and raised in Oakland, California. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, East Bay in May 2018 where she was awarded the Renaissance Scholars and Stan Herbert Bridge Builder Leadership and service award.
Tangalia has a huge heart and strong passion for serving others. She has years of experience managing an office and in mental health. She serviced as a Mental Health Counselor and Family Support Specialist for youth and their families at Mental Health Systems Inc in California for the past two years. She has stepped down from that position to prioritize her household and focus on furthering her education. Tangalia is a wife, a stay-at-home mother to an almost one year old, and pursuing her MSW from Florida State University-expected to graduate in 2024. Tangalia will be completing her first-year internship providing services to woman of color who had experienced pre-term births. We can't wait for Tangalia to join us soon as a clinician.