Loriann Oberlin
Loriann Hoff Oberlin (born June 2, 1961) is an American writer and author as well as a licensed clinical professional counselor. She has co-written Overcoming Passive-Aggression: How To Stop Hidden Anger From Spoiling Your Relationships, Career and Happiness as well as The Angry Child: Regaining Control When Your Child Is Out of Control with Congressman Tim Murphy, Ph.D. She is also the author of Surviving Separation and Divorce, in addition to several other non-fiction books.
Early writing career
Oberlin was born in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and identified her passion for books and writing during her high school years.[1] She is a graduate of Montour High School and went on to earn a B.A. from Westminster College, in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania in 1983. During her collegiate years, she worked on the college newspaper, at the campus radio and television station as a broadcast major, and interned at KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh.
Oberlin's early career focused upon public relations, freelance writing and teaching writing in various lifelong learning programs at community colleges in Western Pennsylvania. She contributed regularly to regional parenting publications across the country and to national magazines including Elegant Bride, Bridal Guide, The Saturday Evening Post, First for Women, Parenting, Parents, Woman's World, US Air Magazine, and Hemispheres. She wrote a column for the Pittsburgh Business Times on work/life balance and contributed to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Oberlin also taught non-fiction book and magazine article writing classes through Writer's Digest Online Workshops.[2]
Her first book Writing For Money was published by Writer's Digest Books (F&W Media) in 1995, followed by Working At Home While The Kids Are There, Too (Career Press) in 1997. She was an initial contributor to the Insider's Guide to Pittsburgh (2000, first edition) the same year that Surviving Separation and Divorce: A Woman's Guide to Making It Through the First Year was published. During her writing career, she also contributed to the Everything series published by Adams Media and later revised the second edition of the Compass American Guide to Pennsylvania.[3]
Collaboration with Congressman Tim Murphy
It was during their work as contributors to a regional parenting publication that Tim Murphy, Ph.D., a practicing psychologist in Pittsburgh, sought help for his first book. The two collaborated producing The Angry Child: Regaining Control When Your Child Is Out of Control (Random House), published in 2001. The Angry Child won the National Parenting Publications Award. Murphy went on to serve in the Pennsylvania State Senate and was elected in 2002 to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 18th Congressional District. Congressman Murphy began serving in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2003.[4]
Following a move to Maryland in 2001, Oberlin continued her writing and teaching at Montgomery College and at the University of Pittsburgh's Informal Program.[5] She also taught online through Writer's Digest Workshops and Barnes & Noble. In 2004, she published Writing For Quick Cash: Turn Your Way With Words Into Real Money. In 2005, she revised Surviving Separation and Divorce (F&W/Adams Media), a book that was seen in the motion picture and DVD The Other Woman, starring Natalie Portman. This book was also published in Spanish.
Also in 2005, Oberlin and Murphy published their second collaboration choosing to write about passive-aggression, which is little understood. In what Publisher's Weekly called a work that provides ample opportunity and exercises for personal growth, Overcoming Passive-Aggression: How To Stop Hidden Anger From Spoiling Your Relationships, Career and Happiness became the only consumer book discussing passive aggression as a type of concealed, indirect anger in both genders and of all ages. The book was initially acquired and published by Marlowe, which became subsumed by Perseus/DaCapo and Perseus Academic Publishing.[6]
Counseling and mental health career
During this time Oberlin enrolled in a graduate program at Johns Hopkins University, and in 2006, earned her MS in Counseling, followed by a post-master's certificate in clinical counseling later that same year. After meeting the clinical requirements for state licensure, she began work as an LGPC and later as a fully licensed LCPC. In 2008, she began Loriann Oberlin Counseling & Mediation, LLC in North Potomac, Maryland and added another office in Easton, Maryland, in 2012.[7]
Oberlin's counseling career focuses upon helping individuals (elementary age children through seniors), couples, and families. She has also offered group counseling and mediation services after obtaining the 40-hour state divorce mediation training and 20-hour child access training. Her Easton, Maryland office is now her primary practice location though she sees clients in North Potomac weekly as well. Oberlin helps children and teens, men and women through life's stressful moments such as school, bullying, attentional and learning challenges, relationship and health problems, parenting, job stress, death or other anxiety-ridden times. The Star Democrat reported in January 2013 that Oberlin will add a women's support group to her Easton office because "women tend to put their selfcare last," she said. Oberlin has also contributed to to Blogs on Divorce through Divorce Magazine.[8]
Loriann Oberlin resides on Maryland's eastern shore with her husband Robert and her two sons, enjoying Chesapeake living, boating, reading, and travel while also writing and working in the mental health field. She speaks in community settings such as at the Talbot County Public Library and other venues.[9]
Oberlin is a member of the Eastern Shore Writers Association.
References
1. ˆ"Author Bio, Loriann Oberlin, Insiders Guide to Pittsburgh" (http://books.goo.gle.ca/books?id=ripBcLHQhwoC&pg=PA451&lpg=PA451&dq=Loriann+Oberlin,+Insiders+Guide+to+Pittsburgh&source=bl&ots=gJx-Hc8zwx&sig=-YKquvr7Y8B03FsbU1K_bjvTUjM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=pxLHUoL9OZTEsASK8IG4DQ&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Loriann%20Oberlin%2C%20Insiders%20Guide%20to%20Pittsburgh&f=false), accessed 1/03/14
2. ˆ"Mary Jo Rulnick Real Tips When Living Life in the Fast Track..." (http://www.maryjorulnick.com/about.html), accessed 1/03/14
3. ˆ"Contemporary Authors, January 1, 2007" (http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G2-2588000251.html), accessed 1/03/14
4. ˆ"Timothy F. Murphy: biography" (http://www.fampeople.com/cat-timothy-f-murphy), accessed 1/03/14
5. ˆ"Pittsburgh Author Loriann Hoff Oberlin, a teacher in Pitt's Informal Program..." (http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19980506&id=CXgxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=328DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4651,6192164), accessed 1/03/14
6.ˆ"Overcoming Passive Aggression, book review 10/31/2005" (http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-56924-361-9), accessed 1/03/14
6.ˆ"Passive Aggressive Behavior" (Passive-aggressive_behavior|Passive-aggressive behavior - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
7. ˆ"Counselor opens new women's support group" (http://www.stardem.com/life/article_0fa355f6-568a-11e2-a25e-0019bb2963f4.html?_dc=226869336096.5699), accessed 1/03/14
8.ˆ"Blogs on Divorce" (http://blogsondivorce.com/author/therapist-loriann-oberlin), accessed 1/03/14
9.ˆ"Dealing with Difficult People Over the Holidays" (http://www.goo.gle.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CEIQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tcfl.org%2Fnewsletter%2Ffall_2013.pdf&ei=GR_HUuOHMJOssQTBpICYDQ&usg=AFQjCNHxCA9xiVeRgOqFzsn75Vz7Mg8u2Q&bvm=bv.58187178,d.cWc), accessed 1/03/14