As life-long native of Forest, I graduated from Jefferson Forest High School and then went on to study Psychology and Music at Virginia Tech. Later, I went on to earn my Master’s of Education in Clinical & Community Counseling at Lynchburg College. My clinical work focuses primarily on high acuity mental health (mental health crisis and concerns around suicide) and mental health system reform through legislative and practice-based efforts. I also maintain a small outpatient practice in which I treat conditions related to anxiety, depression, and  substance abuse. So much of what troubles us in life is the meaning we assign to events and relationships in our lives, I work with my clients to consciously and purposefully examine those meanings and assist them in keeping the ones that work, scrapping the ones that don’t, and adopting new ones that help them progress towards their goals.

 

When I look at our agency- at our “family of professionals”- I am continually amazed and inspired by the group of people that have come together to join in the mission of improving the mental & behavioral health of others. Our staff is comprised of survivors, educators, achievers, helpers, technicians, supporters, clinicians, and all around excellent people who genuinely care about the work that we do, and most importantly about the clients we serve. 

 

I met my beautiful wife, Leigh, in the band at Virginia Tech and we’ve recently celebrated 10 years of marriage. The best people I know are our two sons, Jack (5) and Callan (2), who routinely keep us guessing, keep us on our toes, and keep us laughing. Leigh and I are both musicians, playing and teaching in the community, and we enjoy SCUBA diving, days at the lake, and going to Hokie games.