James Barden, LCSW-C

Practicing Since: 1986

What Clients Can Expect: James has been trained clinically to provide Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Crisis Management Counseling, and Pastoral Counseling. James seeks to facilitate an atmosphere of acceptance, compassion, and forgiveness during the counseling process which allows spiritual growth and transformation to occur.

About: James Barden was awarded a Master of Divinity Degree in 1976 and the Master of Social Work Degree in 1986. James has been ordained to the ministry and more recently has practiced as a Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW-C) and Circuit Court custody evaluator, as a mediator, and as a therapist. James’ career experiences to date cover the areas of child welfare, child abuse and neglect, adult abuse and neglect, emergency services and crisis management, clinical assessments of family systems, extensive testimony as a qualified expert in the area of child custody matters, and the provision of both short-term counseling, as well as longer term treatment for individuals and couples.

As both a Christian and a Clinical Social Worker, he approaches time with each person from a “dual perspective” while always acknowledging that it is God’s Holy Spirit who directs, convicts, and reveals to each of us our true identity and path in life.

James has been trained clinically to provide Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Crisis Management Counseling, and Pastoral Counseling. As a Christian individual, James continues to strive to more deeply understand the presence and direction of God’s Spirit in his own life, and firmly embraces the scripture from Philippians 1:6, “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion…” In this good sense, James seeks to facilitate an atmosphere of acceptance, compassion, and forgiveness during the counseling process which allows spiritual growth and transformation to occur.

James was born in Richmond, Virginia, has lived in Tennessee and Texas, and in Maryland since 1977. He enjoys time with his German Shepherd named “Kaiser.” James is an active member of Heritage Community Church in Severn, MD.

James is licensed in the state of Maryland (#05986).