Loriann's Bio

Loriann Hoff Oberlin, MS, LCPC is a licensed clinical professional counselor with a private practice in Montgomery County, Maryland. She’s also the author of nine non-fiction books — from health, relationships, parenting, social and psychological issues to writing and working from home. This breadth of material speaks to Ms. Oberlin’s diverse interests and life experience.

Having earned her bachelor’s in liberal arts from Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA, Ms. Oberlin lived and worked in Western Pennylvania before moving to Maryland in 2001. She’s married, the mother of two teenage sons, and has the life experience of separation, divorce, single parenthood, remarriage, and stepfamily formation. In addition, she’s taught many aspiring writers how to achieve their own publishing dreams (see consultation services below).

With this knowledge and research base, Loriann earned her master’s degree in clinical counseling from Johns Hopkins University, and completed the post-master’s program as well. As a therapist, she’s worked in community mental health, at the second busiest hospital emergency department in Maryland, and in a group practice before establishing her own counseling and mediation practice. She has participated in these continuing education opportunities:

group psychotherapy conferences
executive functioning & the disorganized child
marriage, divorce, stepfamilies, and family systems theory
supervision in family systems and expressive therapies
divorce mediation training
research symposium on Alzheimer's and caregiving
play therapy for children & teen social scene & Internet usage

In both her publishing and counseling work, she takes a keen interest in helping families whose children have ADHD or learning disabilities, helping parents to work with children to develop strategies for success, and siblings to cope with the family dynamics of having a special needs sibling. She has an extensive referral list for private schools, tutors, other types of therapies, and can guide parents in obtaining a higher level of care for their child, when it's indicated.

Ms. Oberlin works with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families. She also leads and co-leads various groups, including those for divorce support and therapy, social skills, parent support, and journaling for self-expression. In 2008, she adds divorce mediation to her practice. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and Bowen family systems theory guides much of her work as does a creative base of thinking outside the box and trying new approaches to reach solutions. Ms. Oberlin is also a member of the American Counseling Association and the American Group Psychotherapy Association.

Ms. Oberlin’s latest books include Overcoming Passive-Aggression: How to Stop Hidden Anger from Spoiling Your Relationships, Career and Happiness, Surviving Separation & Divorce, and The Angry Child. She also wrote and teaches frequently from Writing for Quick Cash: Turn Your Way With Words Into Real Money.

Loriann has spoken at many community gatherings, including cluster PTA meetings within Montgomery County, Maryland, at the National Association of Working Mothers event in May 2008, and at the education event October 2008 at Borders Books in Germantown, MD, greeting teachers, school personnel and parents. If you would like her to speak or appear at your event, please contact her through this website.

Ms. Oberlin has also been the guest on Washington Post radio and other radio programs. NBC 4 chose her Washington Parent feature for Sept. television coverage, and she's been contacted for interviews by Psychology Today, US Weekly, Woman's World, and many other publications.

Over the years, Ms. Oberlin has assisted hundreds of writing students wishing to move from the hobby/passion of writing to earning money and recognition from their craft. She taught workshops at the University of Pittsburgh, community colleges in Pennsylvania and Maryland, and through various arts forums. She is the author of Writing for Quick Cash, which was the title of an online class with three times the average enrollment of other courses.

Several former students have gone on to publish their own greeting cards, feature articles, and non-fiction books. If you’re interested in the writing courses she teaches, visit www.writersonlineworkshops.com or contact Ms. Oberlin directly. Ms. Oberlin also serves as a publishing consultant for serious non-fiction writers.