About  - Terry Northcutt, Ph.D.

I am a Psychologist. I earned my undergraduate degree and my doctoral degree at the University of Maryland. Providing therapy and psychological evaluations, I have been privileged to work with children and adults facing a variety of challenges: anxiety, depression,  chronic illness, chronic pain, abuse, learning disabilities, Asperger Syndrome, career change, retirement lifestyle planning, and many more issues too numerous to list.

Fascinated by the  stories people tell about their lives and having participated in writing classes for many years, I pursued  certification as a Guided Autobiography Instructor. This training provided me with the knowledge and skills necessary to  teach and support individuals and small groups as they write their life stories. It is important to note that while I am a Psychologist, Guided Autobiography is not therapy.  It was developed by James Birren and is "dedicated to enriching the lives of adults through writing, sharing, and preserving life stories and life experiences." (For more information, click on the Life Stories Tab).

Working with adults and children as well as teachers and schools over the years, I discovered that thoughtfully crafted books often told entertaining stories that spoke eloquently about the joys, humor, dilemmas, pain, and possibilities of life. I have created a Children's Literature blog for parents, teachers, and librarians. It reviews books that are entertaining, engaging, and well-written  for children (K-6). Most of the books have  plot lines that present social and emotional challenges for characters. These challenges require characters to cope with difficult feelings, resolve interpersonal conflicts, struggle with decisions, and explore the good and not so good consequences of their choices.  Some books, though, are reviewed because they are so beautiful or just a lot of fun to read.


*****Please note that I am currently not accepting clients for therapy or psychological evaluations*****