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About our CliniciansCarmen Wolf, LMFT, Owner
In 2015 I opened Atlantic Family and Adolescent Therapy with a goal of helping the Virginia Beach community. This goal continues to grow and I have now added a clinician to help this continue to expand. Education and Experience I received my Bachelors of Art in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Rutgers University in 2008. In 2012, I earned my Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from Alliant International University. Currently, I am enrolled in the last year of my Doctorate program (PSYD) in Marriage and Family Therapy from Alliant International University and plan to graduate in 2018. For the last five years my professional experience includes working with adolescents, families, individuals, couples, and foster youth in a variety of settings. Also, I have extensive experience with dual diagnosis adults that include a variety of diagnostic criteria including Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Substance Abuse. This has included an assortment of clients including self-referrals and mandated individuals. As an added note I was a military spouse for 10 years. I understand how difficult the military lifestyle is and I have also worked with teens and children who needed various support pertaining to deployments, moves, etc. Finally, I am a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in the state of Virginia, license #0717001347, New York, license #001223 and California, license #99926. |
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Maureen Kelleher, ATR, LPC
Education and Experience I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Connecticut College in 2003. In 2012, I earned my Master of Science degree in Art Therapy and Counseling from Eastern Virginia Medical School. While at EVMS, I had the opportunity to examine in greater depth art-based assessment of attachment as related to treating eating disorders. Following this, I completed my 200 hour yoga teacher training and have had the opportunity to develop and lead specialized trauma-informed yoga classes for children. I am a life-long military child as well as a military spouse and have served local military families. As such, I possess an understanding of the unique challenges and rewards of military life. For the past five years, I have served the Hampton Roads community, primarily working with adolescents and young children and their families in a variety of settings including the home, school, medical, and psychiatric settings. My expertise encompasses trauma, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, body-image, grief/loss, behavioral strategies, and stress-management. My approach is holistic and client-centered. I am passionate about empowering the client--through the creative process as well as through traditional counseling techniques--to access their inner source of wisdom and healing to promote wellness and growth and the union of mind, body, and spirit. Art Therapy Art therapy combines the creative process with traditional counseling techniques ("talk therapy") to support healing, self-awareness, and spiritual and psychological growth. In an art therapy session, an art therapist--a master's level or higher trained clinician-- works collaboratively with a client or group of clients to reach a wide scope of therapeutic goals. Art therapy is process-focused; clients need not fear about "not being good at art." No artistic experience is necessary to benefit. Art therapy is appropriate for all ages and is used in a growing number of settings. -Virginia Licensed Professional Counselor #0701006720 |
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Laura D. Brighton, LCSW
Education and Experience I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Virginia, specializing in child and family therapy. I completed my undergraduate degree at James Madison University and my Master of Social Work degree at Virginia Commonwealth University in 1988. I am a Certified Trauma and Loss Consultant and have completed a two-year training program in Poetry Therapy and Play Therapy. I began my career in Northern Virginia working with adolescents struggling with substance abuse, depression, and self-destructive behaviors. I soon expanded my skills to work with school age children, diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, developmental, and behavioral issues. My experience includes using Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) to address symptoms of PTSD and to help children who have experienced abuse, domestic violence, or traumatic loss. I have counseled adults and children in a variety of settings including, family service agencies, and in public schools. In the schools, I helped special education students to build social- emotional coping skills and supported parents in navigating the school system to advocate for the needs of their child. I enjoy working with diverse cultures and learning new languages. I speak Spanish and I am also familiar with military lingo having worked on and off base with active duty military for the past ten years. I am inspired by the resilience that military families demonstrate coping with the “unexpected” on a regular basis. Play Therapy All children can benefit from “floor time” or a special uninterrupted child led play/activity time. I have a special interest in coaching parents in the skills of child directed play, because it is not only fun but also can improve your relationship with your child. In my work with children, I use a combination of child centered play therapy, mindfulness, and cognitive-behavioral strategies to address disruptive behaviors, self- regulation, and coping skills. Because children (and adults sometimes, too) have difficulty using words to explain their experience, they tend to be most comfortable in communicating visually and kinesthetically in their play. Play is their primary language. Toys, creative arts, storytelling, and playing with puppets are the vehicles for children to express their inner world directly and indirectly through metaphor. Play therapy provides an opportunity to develop and practice new perceptions, problem solving abilities, and social skills. Children who have experienced loss or trauma benefit from non-directive play therapy because it allows them to process and re-integrate their experience at their own pace, feeling a greater sense of control. -Virginia Licensed Clinical Social Worker #0904002453 |
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Rachel Policay, Resident in Marriage and Family Therapy Education and Experience I received my Bachelors of Art in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from the University of Virginia in 2014. In 2017, I earned my Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. While at Virginia Tech, I had the opportunity to work with couples and families in their clinic, as well as conduct research. I was a part of Virginia Tech and Michigan State University’s $1.5 million grant-funded research regarding resiliency in military families. I had the honor of interpreting participants’ interviews and analyzing universal themes that highlighted the difficulties of veteran reintegration into civilian life. I was a part of another grant-funded project called the TOGETHER program which was focused on promoting healthy family relationships and employment and financial stability in our communities. In addition, I conducted my own qualitative study regarding working with therapy dogs in couple and family therapy. Currently, this qualitative study is in the process of being submitted to a scholarly journal. I hope to utilize this study’s findings and incorporate my own therapy dog into working with couples and families, particularly with individuals diagnosed with PTSD. I honor the healing nature of the human-animal bond. For the past two years, my professional experience has included working with individuals, couples, families, and adolescents in the Northern Virginia area. I have worked in two different settings: a teaching clinic that offered live supervision and a non-profit organization. My experience includes using Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) and Gottman Method with both couples and families. Also, I have recently completed the first step in EFT training, that leads to certification. In addition, my theoretical framework tends to include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and is overall, a strengths-based approach. My approach is client-centered and I am focused on creating and maintaining the therapeutic alliance with each client, especially when working with couples and families. I believe that each client comes to me with their own strengths and that the therapeutic frame is utilized for unearthing those existing client strengths. -Resident in Marriage and Family Therapist |
Atlantic Family and Adolescent Therapy
1120 Laskin Rd Suite 104
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
1-757-650-5346
1120 Laskin Rd Suite 104
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
1-757-650-5346
