Our Team.
About
Sarah Haberbosch, LCSW-C, LCSW
Sarah graduated from University of Maryland, Baltimore with her MSW in May 2017 and obtained her LCSW-C in May 2020. Sarah has been in the field of suicide prevention and crisis intervention since 2011, starting with her course work and externships in her undergraduate psychology program at Shippensburg University. Sarah worked as a crisis hotline, crisis chat and mobile crisis assist counselor where she was also able to assist the local Police and Fire Departments with training their staff in crisis response and their own mental wellness. Sarah has worked with military Veterans on an inpatient psychiatry unit, inpatient medicine unit as well as in outpatient mental health. She has also worked with Veteran Caregivers; building a program to support their needs.
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Sarah is trained in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) through ICISF and has utilized these skills in debriefings with community agencies and first responders. Sarah also has specialized training in crisis intervention and the spectrum of suicide risk. She is a trainer for first responders working with veterans in crisis and advanced safety planning interventions. Sarah has a unique perspective as she brings personal experience as a first responder to the table. She was a volunteer firefighter and an EMT for nearly 10 years. Sarah has numerous family members and loved ones that are first responders, in the military or are veterans. These lived experiences influence Sarah’s passion to work with such individuals and to bring specialized training to the community.
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Sarah is a licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Maryland and Pennsylvania. She currently accepts the Maryland insurance companies below and is working on extending that coverage to PA.
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​Contact Sarah at (443) 589-8964
About
Kaitlin Merli, MHA
Kait is Roots of Strength, LLC’s Administrative Coordinator. Kait received her B.A. in Psychology from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania in 2014 and commissioned the same day as an Officer in the U.S. Army. She served nearly 8 years as a Logistics Officer with units in Colorado, Virginia, and South Korea earning several accolades and Demonstrated Logistician.
After the birth of her daughter, Kait transitioned from the U.S. Army and pursued her Master’s of Healthcare Administration with a specialization in Human Resources. She earned her MHA from Colorado State University in 2023. She now resides in Northern Virginia with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. Kait brings with her a creative mind (as seen in our social media posts) and a breadth of knowledge. We are so thankful to have her.
About
Breena Antonelli
Breena received her degree in Elementary Education from St. Petersburg College in 2010. Shortly after receiving her degree Breena met her husband, Shawn, who is an active duty member of the Coast Guard. Right away they knew they would be moving often and Breena’s role quickly changed to making sure the family transitioned well from place to place.
During their time stationed in South Florida, Breena spent 3 years working in a fast-paced Psychology Office as an administrative assistant where she found a passion in Mental Health. She is excited to bring her experience to Roots of Strength!
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Breena is currently residing in Southern Maryland while her husband is stationed at USCG Headquarters. She has 3 children who she devotes her time to. She loves to cook, spend time outdoors, and be creative.
About
Kristan Scott, LCSW-C
Kristan graduated from University of Maryland School of Social Work in 2016 with her MSW and obtained her LCSW-C in 2019. Kristan has worked with children and their families in since graduating in 2016 as a school based mental health therapist in Baltimore City. She began working in Baltimore County Public Schools at the start of the 2019-2020 school year as a school social worker.
Throughout her career Kristan has had trainings in trauma-informed care ; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Motivational Interviewing and several other therapy interventions. Kristan has experience working with children and young adults with Autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression and various other mental health needs. Kristan has worked with students ranging in age from 4 - 21 years of age. Through her work in the school system Kristan understands the struggles of navigating the world of Special Education Services (504 and IEPS).
Kristan enjoys helping children and adolescents work towards reaching their fullest potential socially and emotionally. Kristan is able to provide group, individual, and family therapy.
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About
Amanda Richardson, LCSW-C
Mandy Richardson is a Licensed Certified Social Worker–Clinical (LCSW-C) and Board-Approved Supervisor with more than a decade of experience providing mental health services across outpatient, school, and crisis settings. She earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland School of Social Work in 2012 and obtained her LCSW-C in 2014. Currently, Mandy serves as a Clinical Supervisor, providing guidance and mentorship to social workers, counselors, and upcoming mental health professionals, helping them develop the skills and confidence to succeed in the field.
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Throughout her career, Mandy has worked in a variety of clinical and school-based settings, providing individual, family, and group therapy. She has extensive experience working with children, adolescents, families, first responders, and veterans, and has collaborated with first responders on numerous cases involving student populations. Her work has spanned trauma intervention, crisis management, suicide prevention, and substance use disorder treatment, allowing her to support clients through complex life challenges.
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Mandy is trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Interventions in Schools (CBITS). She integrates these and other evidence-based modalities into her practice to provide care that is tailored to each client’s unique strengths, goals, and experiences. Whether in outpatient therapy, school settings, or crisis response, Mandy emphasizes collaboration, adaptability, and practical strategies that empower clients to build resilience and improve overall well-being.
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In addition to her clinical work, Mandy is passionate about mentorship and professional development. She currently supervises social workers, counselors, and other emerging mental health professionals, helping them navigate the challenges of the field while fostering their clinical skills and confidence. Her approach to supervision mirrors her approach to therapy: supportive, collaborative, and individualized to meet the needs of the professional she is guiding.
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Mandy believes that therapy is most effective when it is personalized, flexible, and responsive. She works to create a safe, supportive environment where clients feel heard and understood, and where they can explore strategies for managing stress, improving relationships, and achieving personal growth. Her goal is to empower clients and professionals alike to navigate life’s challenges with resilience, confidence, and hope."
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About
Dr. Cheryl Lowman
Dr. Cheryl Lowman attained her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Delaware and her doctorate in psychology from the State University of New York at Albany in 1990. She has been practicing as a licensed psychologist in the state of Maryland since 1992. Dr Lowman’s interest in working with Veterans began with the stories and experiences of her family members and was further confirmed during her clinical internship at the VA Maryland Healthcare system in Baltimore, MD. She began working for the VA in 1990 and enjoyed a meaningful 35-year career.
Throughout her VA career, Dr. Lowman has worked in all VA service areas from inpatient psychiatry, outpatient, the homeless domiciliary and primary care settings. She provides cognitive behavioral therapy for adults presenting with trauma, suicide prevention, crisis intervention, LGBTQ+ concerns, smoking cessation, and weight loss. Dr. Lowman has extensive experience treating general mental health issues presenting in adults including coping with and adjusting to major life transitions, interpersonal challenges, and grief.
Dr. Lowman is excited to join Roots of Strength and continue her work with Veterans. She is a passionate and engaged clinician who deeply values building a strong therapeutic relationship with her clients based on trust, respect, and autonomy. Dr Lowman provides effective, empirically supported treatment while making therapy a collaborative and flexible process to meet each individuals’ unique needs and goals.
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Accepts:
About
Kelly Kiefer, NCC, LAPC, LGPC
Kelly graduated from Shippensburg University with her Master in Mental Health Counseling in 2017, she earned her NBCC upon graduation and is currently working towards her LCPC in MD and LPC in PA. She completed her undergraduate at Shippensburg University as well with a degree in psychology, while working with individuals with intellectual developmental disabilities and autism. Kelly worked as a chemical dependency case manager, and inpatient adolescent mental health tech. During graduate school, she worked as a family based mental health therapist. She continued her work in drug and alcohol by working in prevention and continues to work with families and individuals with intellectual developmental disabilities and autism.
Kelly is a CISM team member, Mental Health First Aid trainer, and Emergency
Behavioral Health certified. Throughout her career she has obtained many additional trainings in trauma informed care for first responders, veterans, families and children. She has over 15 years of experience working in the mental health/substance abuse field and clients with intellectual developmental disabilities and autism. She enjoys learning, writing and continuing education in the field.
Licensed in Pennsylvania and Maryland​.
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Accepts:
*MD & PA
*MD
*MD & PA
*Clinician is supervised by:
Maryland - Amanda Richardson, LCSW-C & Madison Elie-Thompson, LCPC
Pennsylvania - Sarah Haberbosch, LCSW & Madison Elie-Thompson, LCPC
About
Sheena Anthony, NCC, LCPC
Sheena graduated with her Master's in Counseling Psychology from The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology in 2021. Sheena earned her license as a Clinical Professional Counselor in 2024. Her work has centered around adolescents and adults with experience ranging in emotional and behavioral disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, and personality disorders.
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Sheena's counseling approach is informed by humanistic psychology, psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapy. Specifically she works alongside her clients in an eclectic, holistic and client-centered therapeutic way. Her therapeutic methodology takes into consideration factors such as unconscious process, functioning of the ego, defenses, structure and development of personality, self-awareness and the influence of one’s past.
Sheena has vast experience with those who feel stuck, focusing on the development of empathy towards oneself, as well as exploring the fundamental components of healthy development and inner growth. She offers clients a safe space to be seen and heard, to receive validation and empowerment, and for honest expression of emotions.
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About
Candie Schwartz, NCC LGPC
Candie embarked on her new career as a trauma informed counselor by graduating from National Louis University (NLU) in 2024 with a Master of Science in Counseling. Candie was inspired to pursue her Counseling Masters as a natural progression of her professional and personal experiences while working as a Crisis Chaplain, FEMA Community Emergency Response Team Coordinator (CERT), and K9 handler of PTSD service dogs for herself and the disaster community.
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Candie is described as a collaboratively focused, accomplished professional with four decades work experience in various roles within the Emergency Services and Emergency Management disciplines. She is seen as an empathetic, compassionate, and proficient resolution development facilitator and creator. This ability to discover and develop remedies for life’s challenges developed by building, training, and leading cross-functional teams with diversified skill sets and resolving her own personal trauma experiences. Candie appreciates individual perspectives and each person’s inherent creativity. Her philosophy focuses on meeting the person where they exist since each one of us is the expert about our self.
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Candie’s extensive experience includes working multidiscipline roles with time serving as a Crisis Chaplain, Disaster Behavioral Health Services provider, First Responder & PTSD Support, Community Resource Planner, Trauma Informed Care Provider, Guardian Ad Litem, Case Management, Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Integration Management oversight, PTSD Service K9 Trainer/Handler, and Community Critical Care Response.
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Accepts:
*Clinician is supervised by: Amanda Richardson, LCSW-C & Shelby Feddon, LCPC
About
Theo, PTSD Service K9
Theo is the fourth service dog that Candie selected and socialized for personal and client acute stress, adjustment, and PTSD service work. This K9 works with clients of all ages and in response to all forms of incidents impacting a community, helping counselors screen individuals for the presence of acute and chronic stress dysregulation that often leads to further life disruption. Theo also co-regulates and socializes foster and domestic pets during incidents and as part of post-incident stress management. He has worked extensively with socializing foster dogs for the local animal shelter foster program.
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Theo works well within Emergency Services and Emergency Management response scenarios on-scene with disaster workers and community disaster survivors. Additionally, he supports the Incident Command Post, Emergency Operations Center, emergency shelters, and pet-friendly shelters. Theo enjoys working in an office environment with groups, families, couples, and individual clients on a daily basis. He has worked with Candie since 2019.
About
Haley Bishop, NCC LGPC
Haley recently earned her LGPC in Maryland and transitioned from an intern with Roots of Strength to a Professional Counselor. She holds a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Liberty University and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Tampa. Haley’s therapeutic approach integrates cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing to support clients in achieving meaningful growth and change.
With four years of experience in the public school system and three years as a mental health professional, Haley has worked extensively with children navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, self-harm, substance use, and suicidal ideation. Her work with underrepresented populations has strengthened her ability to connect with and advocate for marginalized communities, helping them address their unique needs with compassion and understanding.
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Haley is also trained in restorative practices and group facilitation. As a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), she incorporates breathwork, mindfulness, and gratitude into her sessions—integrating movement and flexibility to promote a holistic approach to healing and wellness.
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Accepts: *Pending Insurance Panels*
*Clinician is supervised by: Amanda Richardson, LCSW-C & Sarah Haberbosch, LCSW-C
Call
443-589-8964
Address
2028 Liberty Rd.
Suite 103
Sykesville, MD 21784