Loretta Collins (Begg) , MD, LCPC

Loretta Collins (Begg) is a licensed mental health counselor practicing in Maryland who brings both lived work experience and clinical training to her therapeutic work. After a 25-year career in sales, she returned to school and earned a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, then pursued licensure to support people facing complex mental health challenges. Her listed credentials include MD and LCPC; LCPC stands for Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.

She draws on client-centered and cognitive-behavioral methods, treating therapy as a collaborative partnership rather than a one-sided process. Her clinical background includes working with people who have substance use disorders and co-occurring conditions, such as post-traumatic stress, major depressive disorder, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, and anxiety. She also supports individuals dealing with stress, addiction, trauma and abuse, bipolar disorder, depression, anger, career concerns, compassion fatigue, and ADHD, along with related issues like body image, caregiver stress, codependency, and impulsivity.

One motivating principle in her work is reducing the stigma around psychological health and advocating for parity in how society views mental and physical illnesses. Loretta aims to provide practical, evidence-informed care while honoring each personâs experiences and goals, helping clients navigate recovery and improved well-being with respect and empathy.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Client-centered therapy emphasizes empathy, acceptance, and a nonjudgmental stance, focusing on the clientâs perspective and strengths to support personal growth and healing. This approach is often helpful for people coping with trauma, relationship difficulties, caregiver stress, and feelings of emptiness because it centers the individualâs values and goals.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) involves identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and developing practical skills to change them. CBT can be effective for addressing anxiety, depression, impulses, mood disturbances, and patterns that maintain substance use or unhealthy coping strategies.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Loretta works collaboratively with clients to determine which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, adapting techniques over time to suit each personâs progress and circumstances.

Online therapy offers flexibility and accessibility by allowing sessions over video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit care into busy schedules, reduce travel time, and maintain continuity of treatment when life circumstances change. Licensed professionals can use these modalities to deliver structured therapy, skills training, and ongoing support in ways that align with the clientâs lifestyle and therapeutic objectives.