Psychologists
Professional Counselors and Clinical Social Workers
Residents
Adult Psychiatrist
Tara Reynolds, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 10 years of experience working with individuals, couples, adults, and children of different cultural backgrounds. She believes everyone experiences difficulties at times and sees the decision to begin psychotherapy as a powerful first step that often leads to personal growth and positive life changes. She provides a safe place to talk about anything from life transitions, relationship turmoil, emotional upheaval, and crisis to simple, everyday concerns. Dr. Reynolds likes to work collaboratively, exploring both the past and the present, to figure out what is preventing you from feeling more fulfilled. Working together with her, clients develops strategies to remove these obstacles.
Dr. Reynolds received a B.A. in Psychology from Huntingdon College in Alabama. She graduated with both her masters and doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the American Psychological Association (APA) accredited Argosy University School of Professional Psychology in Virginia. In addition, she completed an internship at Park Place Behavioral Healthcare in Kissimmee, Florida and completed her postdoctoral residency at the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute in Falls Church, Virginia. Dr. Reynolds has worked in a variety of settings including private practice, public school, outpatient mental health, and acute psychiatric hospital. She has extensive experience working with individuals dealing with depression, anxiety, addiction, couples and family relational issues, and gender identity issues.
Clinical Population: Individual therapy, Adults
Primary Theoretical Orientation(s): Cognitive behavioral therapy
Areas of Clinical Interests: depression, anxiety, relational issues, gender identity issues
Jade Rubino, Psy.D., PMH-C is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 10 years of experience working with older adolescents and adults with depression and anxiety in a variety of settings including private practice, inpatient and outpatient mental health, specialized clinics, and research settings. Dr. Rubino works in collaboration with each client to identify and understand the problems they are facing in their lives, and tailors her therapeutic approach to meet the client’s specific needs and treatment goals. She provides a supportive and safe environment where clients can feel open to express and explore feelings and thoughts. Additionally, she believes a present-focused and active approach to therapy is most effective and encourages clients to engage in research-based strategies outside of therapy sessions in order to progress towards their goals.
Dr. Rubino received Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. She graduated with both her masters and doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology from the American Psychological Association (APA) accredited Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) at Rutgers University. She completed her clinical internship at The Reading Hospital & Medical Center in Pennsylvania. While she is primarily a cognitive-behavioral therapist, she is also trained in several evidence-based treatments including interpersonal psychotherapy, exposure and response prevention, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy. She is a certified perinatal mental health clinician by Postpartum Support International and has completed extensive training in reproductive and perinatal mental health from Postpartum Support International and the Seleni Institute. Dr. Rubino has experience and clinical interests in helping adults address depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, perinatal mental health, relationship issues, and life transitions.
Clinical Population: Individual therapy, Adults
Primary Theoretical Orientation(s): Cognitive behavioral therapy, Interpersonal Psychotherapy, principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness
Areas of Clinical Interests: maternal mental health, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, reproductive psychology, obsessive-compulsive disorder, psychological testing
Sylvia Hanna, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 10 years of experience working with adolescents and adults from diverse cultural backgrounds. Dr. Hanna believes that everyone experiences challenging times in life and that making the decision to engage in therapy can be one of empowerment that leads to growth and healing. She provides a warm, open, and supportive space for her clients to explore their thoughts and emotions. Dr. Hanna views the therapy process as a journey and works closely with her clients to set goals and support individuals in finding the solutions that are best for them. Dr. Hanna believes that treatment should focus on the whole person, so she values exploring an individual’s emotional, mental, and physical well-being, while also being attuned to one’s cultural, spiritual, and social experiences and needs. Dr. Hanna approaches therapy from the lens of helping clients gain insight into their current experiences, by exploring past experiences, while also supporting them in making concrete, meaningful changes that lead to personal growth.
Dr. Hanna earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Tech. She graduated with both her masters and doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University Maryland. Dr. Hanna completed her doctoral internship at James Madison University’s Counseling Center in Harrisonburg, VA. She has worked in various clinical settings including university counseling centers, private practice, and community mental health. Dr. Hanna has extensive experience and clinical interest working with individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, grief and loss, relational and family of origin issues, life transitions, identity exploration, and body image concerns.
Clinical Population: Individual therapy, Adults
Primary Theoretical Orientation(s): Interpersonal Process, Psychodynamic, Mindfulness
Areas of Clinical Interests: grief & loss, life transitions, anxiety
Kati Hutchinson, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 10 years of experience working with older adolescents through older adults of diverse cultural backgrounds and intersecting identities. She strives to create a welcoming, supportive, and safe environment that fosters a relationship in which her clients feel accepted, empowered, and able to express and gently explore vulnerable and painful feelings and thoughts. Dr. Hutchinson’s strength-based approach, infused with mindfulness, metaphors, creativity, humor, expressive arts, and experiential activities, balances exploration of current and past influences on one’s concerns with research-based practical strategies and action steps to helps her clients in living the life they want to live. Dr. Hutchinson uniquely tailors treatment to each client based on their presenting concerns, readiness for change, and evidence-based approaches. She is trained in several evidence-based treatments including Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and she primarily utilizes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. While Dr. Hutchinson enjoys working with a variety of concerns, she has extensive experience and clinical interest working with individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, and life transitions (including pregnancy and birth, parenting, women’s issues, and health issues).
Dr. Hutchinson earned her B.A. in Psychology from Notre Dame College in Ohio. She graduated with both her masters and doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Akron. Dr. Hutchinson completed her doctoral internship at Brigham Young University’s Counseling and Psychological Services in Provo, Utah, and sought out specialized training in trauma and behavioral health by completing a post-doctoral fellowship at the Dayton VAMC in Primary Care with an emphasis in Primary Care Integration, Women’s Health, and Behavioral Medicine. She has worked in a variety of settings including an outpatient child and family therapy clinic, several college counseling centers, domestic violence shelters, a Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center, and private practice.
Clinical Population: Individual therapy, Adults
Primary Theoretical Orientation(s): Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Areas of Clinical Interests: anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, maternal mental health, health issues
Mary Sedrak Bissada, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist focused on individual therapy with adults and adolescents as well as couples therapy. Dr. Bissada earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Spanish Language and Literature from the University of Delaware and her Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University Maryland. Her specialties include relationship issues, life transitions, and identity.
Dr. Bissada has acquired a diverse range of clinical experiences in both therapy and assessment, including community mental health, hospital, university, and private practice settings. In therapy, Dr. Bissada works with individuals and couples experiencing various issues, including anxiety, depression, adjustment concerns, gender and sexual identity concerns, cultural identity concerns, religious identity concerns, interpersonal challenges, and trauma.
Dr. Bissada’s therapeutic approach is integrative. She values developing a strong therapeutic relationship with clients, and she uses a multicultural lens and a framework that considers the systems in which people exist to contextualize their presenting concerns and to support the unique needs of each client.
Clinical Population: Individual and couples therapy, Adults
Primary Theoretical Orientation(s): Psychodynamic, Integrative
Farah Alnajar, MA, LPC, CCTP obtained her Bachelor’s in Microbiology from the University of Baghdad and received her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She has extensive experience in substance abuse treatment, multicultural approaches, and trauma informed interventions.
As a bicultural counselor, Farah is especially passionate about helping immigrants and first-generation Americans thrive. Having to always navigate between two different cultures is difficult. She specializes in treating the identity crisis that stems from the constant push and pull between two cultures. Additionally, as a certified clinical trauma professional (CCTP), Farah specializes in trauma informed therapy that integrates mind and body interventions to achieve optimal results. Farah previously held the position of Multicultural Chair for Northern Virginia Licensed Professional Counselors (NVLPC) from 2017-2020. She is also an international mental health consultant for the non-profit Iraqi Children’s Foundation (ICF) and the Iraqi Health Access Organization (IHAO).
Clinical Population: Individual Therapy, Adults
Primary Theoretical Orientation(s): Cognitive behavioral therapy, Dialectical behavior therapy, Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), trauma-informed interventions
Areas of Clinical Interests: trauma, multicultural issues
Erica Cornelius, MA, LPC, RPT is a licensed professional counselor with over 10 years of experience working with children, teens, and young adults in diverse settings including residential treatment homes, hospitals, outpatient private practices, and public schools. Erica graduated with her Masters in counseling from a CACREP accredited program at The College of New Jersey. She is a registered play therapist with the Association for Play Therapy. Additionally, she was a nationally certified counselor with the National Board of Certified Counselors and certified school counselor with the state of Virginia.
Erica has trained in multiple modalities of therapy including experiential (ie. child-centered play therapy and directive play therapies) and cognitive behavioral therapy. She has clinical experience helping individuals address anxiety, depression, attachment issues, identity development, and behavior concerns. She completed intensive training for the evidence-based practice, MATCH-ADTC (Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety and Depression).
Erica believes that psychotherapy can be a sense of relief for those who are going through hardships they may not quite be able to make sense of or even verbalize. Individuals can release stress and process difficult emotions in a safe environment whether through therapeutic talk or experiential activities. Individuals learn effective strategies for coping outside the therapy room. Working with families no matter who is exhibiting symptoms is key to successful psychotherapy progress and continued growth.
Clinical Population: Individual therapy, Children, Adolescents, Young Adults
Primary Theoretical Orientation(s): Experiential therapy (i.e., play therapy) and cognitive behavioral therapy
Areas of Clinical Interests: anxiety, depression, attachment issues, identity development, behavior concerns
Anabelle Hwang, MSW, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in outpatient and in-home settings. She received her Masters degree in Social Work from George Mason University. Her background includes treatment of individuals with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and severe mental disorders from diverse backgrounds. She works with individuals to learn skills, feel better, and heal through cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions.
Anabelle believes therapy is a collaborative process centered on a secure and trusting relationship between client and therapist. As such, she focused on tailoring therapies to the needs of each individual in a supportive, nurturing, and nonjudgmental environment.
Clinical Population: Individual Therapy, Adults, Adolescents, Children
Primary Theoretical Orientation(s): Cognitive behavioral therapy, Dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness-based interventions
Jane Slomski, MSW, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 10 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and young adults. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from James Madison University and her Masters in Social Work with a clinical concentration from The Catholic University of America. She is a member of the National Honor Society in Psychology.
Jane has worked extensively in community health, outpatient mental health care, and school settings, treating anxiety, depression, and trauma in diverse populations. She believes that the purpose of psychotherapy is to partner with you to create a place where you can feel safe to explore your deepest emotions and solve the problems that are keeping you from happiness and success. She specializes in providing person-centred cognitive-behavioral interventions to children, adolescents and adults, addressing relationship problems, family concerns, peer pressure, social anxiety, work/school stress, parent-child relationship difficulties, and improving self-esteem. Jane recognizes that no two people are the same and everyone responds to life’s challenges in their own way. Believing that the key to counseling is the relationship that is built between therapist and client, Jane meets every person where they are, honoring the unique history and life experiences that each person brings to the counseling relationship, and tailoring her interventions to meet their needs.
Clinical Population: Individual Therapy, Adults, Young Adults, Adolescents, Children
Primary Theoretical Orientation(s): Cognitive behavioral therapy, Person-centered/humanistic, Insight-oriented
Areas of Clinical Interests: anxiety, depression, trauma, adjustment disorders/life transition stress, parent coaching/parent skills training, veterinary social work (i.e., compassion fatigue and burnout among veterinarians and staff, animal related grief and bereavement)
Alissa Wulff, MA, LPC is a licensed professional counselor with years of experience working with a diverse population of children, adolescents and adults in various settings. These settings include: community counseling centers, therapeutic day schools, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs, and university clinic settings. Alissa received her Bachelors degree in Psychology from Indiana University and worked in the human resources field for years before returning back to higher education in behavioral health. She received her Masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from George Washington University.
Alissa approaches therapy from a client-centered and systemic approach with extensive experience using evidenced-based interventions in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills (DBT). She views the patient as their own expert and addresses various aspects of individual wellbeing throughout treatment. She believes in the importance of addressing the mind and body connection, as each individual has their own life story and navigation of life experiences. Her areas of focus include anxiety, depression, personal identity, life changes, relationships, family and loss. Creating a safe space with clients is a very important factor in the therapeutic relationship, in order to allow individuals their own space to work through any challenges that are keeping them from feeling their best self.
Clinical Population: Individual Therapy, Adults, Adolescents
Primary Theoretical Orientation(s): Cognitive behavioral therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Areas of Clinical Interests: anxiety, depression, identity development, adjustment disorders/life transition stress, relationship issues, loss
Jo-Ann Schaaf, MHR, MS, Resident in Counseling obtained her Bachelors degree from the University of Maryland University College and her Masters degree from National Louis University. She also has a Masters degree in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma. Jo-Ann has experience in school guidance and counseling, job training program, intensive in-home counseling, and outpatient counseling. She utilizes a variety of integrative approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, person-centered, acceptance and commitment therapy, and solution-focused brief therapy to provide a flexible and holistic approach. Her goal is to help her clients fully embrace their experience and empower them to take an active role in changing their perceptions, emotions, and behaviors.
Jo-Ann is passionate about helping minority groups and others who feel marginalized by society; being an ethnic minority, she is able to empathize with their lived experience as well as the process of negotiating or navigating between two or more cultures.
Clinical Population: Individual Therapy, Adults, Adolescents, Children
Primary Theoretical Orientation(s): Cognitive behavioral therapy, Person-centered, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, solution-focused brief therapy
Sanskruti Upasani, M.D. is a licensed adult psychiatrist with over 20 years of psychiatry and behavioral health experience in the United States and India. Dr. Upasani earned her medical degree and post-graduate diploma in psychiatric medicine from B.J. Medical College in Pune, India. She later completed her residency training in Adult Psychiatry and was Chief Resident for Psychiatry at the Albany Medical Center in New York. She served as an Adult Psychiatrist at the Outpatient Clinic of the Fairfax Behavioral Clinic of Fort Belvoir Community Hospital for over four years. In addition to medication management, Dr. Upasani utilizes supportive therapy and cognitive-behavioral principles in practice and has significant experience in the treatment of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and bipolar disorder.