Title: Director of Clinical Services
Company: Diakonos Counseling & Consultation Services LLC
Location: Hagerstown, Maryland, United States
Rhonda Bradley-Shabazz, DSW, Director of Clinical Services at Diakonos Counseling & Consultation Services LLC, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Healthcare Professionals for dedication, achievements and leadership in Mental Health Counseling.
Dr. Bradley-Shabazz has established herself as a leading expert in trauma, grief and loss, earning recognition for her unwavering commitment to supporting individuals and families through some of life’s most challenging circumstances. Since 2007, she has served as the director of clinical services at Diakonos Counseling & Consultation Services LLC in Hagerstown, Maryland. In this capacity, Dr. Bradley-Shabazz manages program development and oversees all clinical services, acting as the primary therapist for clients seeking support.
Dr. Bradley-Shabazz’s responsibilities include supervising interns to help them meet clinical requirements, providing individual therapy focused on trauma, grief and loss, conducting telehealth sessions and outreach counseling, and performing comprehensive intake assessments to determine the appropriate frequency and level of care for each client. She is known for her ability to adjust service levels based on clients’ progress, ensuring that each individual receives tailored support.
From 2016 to 2024, Dr. Bradley-Shabazz served as the family support coordinator and program manager for Arlington County, Virginia. In this role, she supported social workers engaged in family engagement initiatives, often involving investigations of abuse and neglect, as well as facilitating reunification for children in foster care. Dr. Bradley-Shabazz’s work frequently intersected with trauma-related contexts, where she addressed situations involving children in high-risk environments or those placed out of the home.
Additionally, between 2011 and 2024, Dr. Bradley-Shabazz served as a social worker and licensed professional counselor for Arlington County. Her responsibilities included direct engagement with families affected by abuse or neglect, supporting both adult and child welfare initiatives within state and local government frameworks. Dr. Bradley-Shabazz was instrumental in developing strategies to reduce the disproportionality of children of color within the child welfare system, a focus that became central to her doctoral research.
Dr. Bradley-Shabazz’s academic achievements have been foundational to her professional success. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1995, followed by a Master of Arts in mental health counseling from Spring Arbor University in 2006. These academic credentials provided Dr. Bradley-Shabazz with a robust foundation in psychological theory and therapeutic practice, equipping her with the skills necessary to address complex emotional needs within diverse populations. Additionally, Dr. Bradley-Shabazz acquired a Doctor of Philosophy in social work from the University of Southern California in 2020. Her doctoral research focused on strategies to reduce racial disparities in the child welfare system.
Adding to her expertise, Dr. Bradley-Shabazz’s professional qualifications include licensure as a professional clinical counselor through the Maryland Department of Health and licensure as a real property appraiser with the commonwealth of Virginia.
In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Bradley-Shabazz is an accomplished author whose publications reflect both personal insight and professional expertise. She wrote “The Song of the Mosquito and the Butterfly” in 2024, “When Granny Goes to Glory” in 2025 and “Living Beyond the Loss” in 2026, each exploring themes of grief, healing and resilience.
Dr. Bradley-Shabazz attributes her success to resilience and the values instilled in her by her parents, as well as the acceptance, support and personal growth fostered by her late husband. Her journey into the helping profession was inspired by firsthand experiences growing up in a home marked by domestic violence and witnessing its impact led her to pursue social work and psychology from an early age. Throughout her career, Dr. Bradley-Shabazz has confronted challenges related to engaging families affected by domestic violence, particularly recognizing how personal biases could affect interactions with all family members involved. This self-awareness has informed her inclusive approach, emphasizing the importance of involving every member of a family system in therapeutic interventions.
Looking ahead, Dr. Bradley-Shabazz intends to expand Diakonos Counseling & Consultation Services into a thriving practice with a larger team of clinicians while also launching innovative therapeutic options, such as a hydrotherapy grief and loss spa at multiple locations. Through these endeavors, Dr. Bradley-Shabazz remains dedicated to advancing mental health care access and providing transformative support for individuals navigating trauma and loss.
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