Meet Your Counselors

Bless Whitaker, a two-time graduate of Bowie State University serves as the Director of Counseling Services for Hood College. Bless has extensive counseling and professional experience, particularly in the Frederick community.  She worked as a Pathways Facilitator at what is now known as Sheppard Pratt where she provided education and assistance to adults with mental illness and developmental disabilities.  Bless has also worked at the Mental Health Association of Frederick County as both a call specialist and a crisis specialist, and at the Austin Addiction and Mental Health Center in Frederick County where she served as a counselor providing adolescents and adults with individual and prevention group therapy.  Bless also has experience working with women and children survivors of domestic violence and working with severely mentally ill diagnosed homeless veterans in Washinton, DC.  

Most recently, she served as a Mental Health/Substance Use Disorder Team Coordinator with the Loudoun County Government where, among other things, she supervised staff in providing community-based case management services, conducted intake assessments, and provided complex mental health and substance use evaluations.  Bless is a licensed clinical professional counselor in Maryland and Virginia and certified in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training.  She is also certified in Psychological First Aid/Critical Incident Stress Management, as well as certified in assisting individuals in crisis and group crisis intervention.

Bless is a compassionate licensed clinical professional counselor dedicated to helping all individuals served with removing challenging obstacles in their lives that are preventing them from reaching their life goals. She works well with individuals to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. Bless is excited to join the Hood College Family and ready to support individuals in their process of seeking a more fulfilling and happier life.