Turning Pain into Purpose, and Purpose into Joy.

Healing doesn’t mean changing who you are — it means coming home to yourself.

Your feelings aren’t too much — they’re just asking to be heard.

Growth starts the moment you choose to face what you once avoided.

Joy isn’t found — it’s remembered.

Turning Pain into Purpose, and Purpose into Joy.

Welcome to Bring Out the Joy Counseling Services,

Reclaim Your Peace. Rediscover Your Joy.

Hi, I’m Aaron Footman, LCPC, and I help compassionate, high-achieving individuals and couples move from burnout to belonging through trauma-informed therapy, emotional healing, and authentic connection.

Life can be demanding—even the most resilient hearts can grow tired from carrying so much for so long. Whether you’re hoping to feel grounded again or rebuild trust and closeness in your relationship, healing begins when you explore what’s beneath the surface—the parts of yourself you’ve hidden, silenced, or outgrown.

At Bring Out the Joy Counseling Services, you’ll find a safe, supportive space to understand your story with empathy and curiosity—so you can release old patterns, find balance, and reconnect with the fullness of who you are.

Here, you don’t have to shrink, perform, or pretend. You can simply be.

Schedule Your Free 15-Minute Consultation

Our Services

You deserve a life filled with meaning, connection, and joy.

Yet the weight of constant giving, unhealed wounds, and life’s disappointments can slowly dim your inner light. When you pour so much into others, it’s easy for hope to feel far away.

You deserve a space to exhale — a space where your story is honored, your progress is nurtured, and your healing is celebrated.

At Bring Out the Joy Counseling Services, you’ll find the support and guidance to transform pain into purpose, reconnect with yourself, and move from merely surviving to fully belonging in the life you’re meant to live.

Individual Therapy

Life can feel heavy—whether you’re navigating anxiety, trauma, or the quiet ache of loneliness. We’ll unpack your pain, heal what’s beneath it, and help you rediscover lasting peace, purpose, and joy.

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Couples Counseling

Relationships are meant to bring connection and safety, yet even loving couples can lose their way. We help partners rebuild trust, deepen understanding, and rediscover the joy of being truly connected.

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Family Counseling

Families can be our greatest source of love—and at times, our deepest source of pain. Family therapy offers a safe space to heal old wounds, rebuild trust, and restore genuine understanding and connection.

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What Clients Are Saying

"My husband and I are grandparents who’ve been together for 54 years. We both have strong personalities, and before coming to Aaron, we fought almost every day and were considering divorce. Through Aaron’s guidance, we learned that our partner wasn’t the problem—it was the unhealthy cycle we were stuck in. He helped us see the emotions driving our reactions, understand each other’s needs, and replace blame with empathy and curiosity. Aaron taught us how to express our feelings more vulnerably, listen with compassion, and lead with understanding rather than emotion. We now know how to break negative patterns and reconnect from a place of safety and love. Our marriage feels renewed, and we’ve rediscovered peace, friendship, and joy with each other."

— M.S., Maryland

"Aaron reaches me in ways no one else ever has. He challenges me to see myself and the world differently, helping me unlearn harmful beliefs and unhealthy patterns of behavior. As a Black gay man, that kind of care and insight has been life-changing. He has helped me grow, stabilize, and see my own worth again."

— A.S., Maryland

" I have been thoroughly equipped with resources and skills that I can use to help myself heal and grow through our sessions, so I’m grateful to God for using you to help me with that."

— A.A., Maryland