Trauma Recovery Center

Mika Uematsu serves as the Program Director of the Trauma Recovery Center which is dedicated to providing clinical services to those individuals who have been impacted by traumatic life experiences. She received her Masters in Social Work from UMAB in 1997 and has been a practicing psychotherapist for the last 25 years. She is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional who is fluent in American Sign Language. During her career, Ms. Uematsu has provided mental health services for those individuals who have been diagnosed with chronic mental illness and survivors of complex trauma. In 2001, Ms. Uematsu provided crisis intervention and ongoing clinical support to the students, parents and staff at Winterstown Elementary School after 11 kindergarteners and several school personnel were attacked by an intruder wielding a machete. Two years later, she would assist those same students, who were now enrolled at Red Lion Middle School, after they were again re-traumatized when a fellow classmate shot the Principal and then himself in the student-packed cafeteria. Mika Uematsu works with an incredibly talented team of trauma professionals who are dedicated to assisting individuals heal and recover by utilizing evidence-based practices along with a focus on self-resiliency, respect, empowerment, and hope.

Helen Ding, LMSW, received her Masters of Social Work from University of Maryland Baltimore in 2020. Helen works with adults with trauma and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. Her background as an immigrant and her personal experience with neurodiversity inform her cultural humility. Helen's theoretical model is Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), which believes that it's more helpful to understand difficult emotions and beliefs rather than feeling ashamed and suppressing them. Her methods include exploring the reasons behind behaviors, sharing mindfulness skills to sit with difficult emotions, identifying goals and values, and encouraging commitment to behave in ways that support clients' values.

Jomar McFarlane, LGPC, prides himself on being a growing, compassionate, and knowledgeable individual who embraces the needs of the people he serves to want to feel whole again. Jomar has learned, through his interactions with various individuals from different walks of life, the destructive nature of trauma that is passed down from generation to generation. His hope is that by exploring these traumas an individual can learn to break the cycle and build, maintain, and pursue healthier relationships. Over the years, Jomar has learned that the goal of therapy is simply finding new ways to disrupt the transfer of our pain and trauma to the ones we love the most, and along the way pursuing the complex rebuilding of one's emotional, psychological, and spiritual wellness.

Joshua is a licensed social worker who specializes in working with adolescents and adults. He has been with MPB Group since 2013. He received his Bachelor's of Science Degree in Social Work from Morgan State University and his Master of Social Work Degree from Stony Brook University. Prior to joining MPB Group, he worked in the foster care system for 13 years as a case manager and clinical coordinator. Joshua also has provided group therapy services to at risk youth in the community and juvenile justice system for the past 20 years.

Rachel received her Masters of Social Work from Wurzweiler School of Social Work in 2022 with a certification in trauma-informed practice. Rachel believes that relational trauma can be healed within the context of the therapeutic relationship. Rachel has a background in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, which utilizes the belief that two opposites can be simultaneously true- such as the balance between acceptance and change- to help individuals suffering from personality disorders, PTSD, and suicidality. Rachel also takes a strength based approach with her client’s, helping them to find their own power in the midst of pain and confusion. Rachel is passionate about treating individuals from underserved communities and helping clients be the “cycle breakers” of intergenerational trauma. Rachel understands the long lasting impact of early adverse childhood experiences, and aims to help individuals find their own unique path toward healing.