Clinical Staff

Profession: Psychotherapist

Practice Description: Anne Aja, Ed.D. is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has been providing psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, marriage, family and sex therapy since 1982. Dr. Aja is a partner at Rock Landing Psychological Group.

Practice Specialties or interests: Dr. Aja works with individuals, couples and families. She is an AASECT certified sex therapist and is certified by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. Dr. Aja provides a full range of psychotherapy services to include:

Helping individuals heal wounds from the past and achieve a stronger sense of self or identity

Empowering individuals to create the life they want for themselves

Hypnosis as a means to expedite change

Helping couples create more intimacy and passion in their lives

Sex Therapy to deal with the problems of sexual functioning, low desire, sexual identity, sexual addiction, painful sex or the lack of sexual confidence.

Ages treated: Adults and some adolescents under special circumstances

Session Format: Individual, Couple and Family

Treatment Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal, Developmental, Hypnotherapy and Sex Therapy

Demographic Specialties: Dr. Aja works with individuals and couples of all races and sexual orientations.

Education:

Temple University BS 1969

Syracuse University MS 1975

College of William and Mary Ed.D. 1982

License:

Licensed Professional Counselor

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Links:

Psychology Today Therapy Directory

Profession: Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Practice Description: I am licensed to practice psychology independently in Virginia, a Certified Christian Life Coach, Certified Christian Therapist and hold a Certificate of Proficiency in the Treatment of Alcohol and Other Psychoactive Substance Use Disorders.

I use my clinical skills to empower and improve the mental/emotional well being of my clients so that they can live happier, healthier and more productive lives.

Therapeutic approach includes: Supportive Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Client Centered Therapy.

Practice interests/specialties include: Stress/Anxiety, Parenting, Women’s Issues, Depression, Anger Management, Self Esteem Issues, Substance Abuse/Use.

Ages treated: adults (30 years and up)

Education: I received my undergraduate degree in Psychology from Virginia State College and graduate degree in Clinical Psychology from Pennsylvania State University. I have provided clinical services to populations in various settings including: corrections, outpatient and inpatient for 25 + years. In addition to direct service, I have provided workshops, trainings and taught on the graduate level.

Ms. Cecelia Clarke, NP-C,MD is a United States Air Force veteran who is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner in Hampton Roads Virginia. She has a Master of Science in Nursing and received her Post Master Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate in 2005, having over 16 years of diverse Nurse Practitioner experience.

She, additionally, has completed her medical doctorate in 2018 and will be applying for a psychiatry residency in 2022. She is a member of the American Association a Nurse Practitioner‘s and the American Medical association and is a member of the Nursing Honor Society, sigma theta tau.

Practice Description: Bonnie Griffith is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has worked in a variety of settings for 36 years, including 8 years as a therapist for military family service centers and 22 years as a School Social Worker. She provides psychotherapy to adults, adolescents, couples, and families.

Practice Specialities: Ms. Griffith has an interest in helping individuals build healthy relationships in all areas of their lives. This may include helping couples improve their communication skills, and parents enhance their parenting skills, to create a more positive family life. She has researched and presented on the impact of abuse and uses trauma-informed practice. Her knowledge base includes understanding the challenges of military life and navigating school-based problems and disabilities. She teaches life skills and self-care so that clients learn to cope with their problems. She helps clients address multiple issues to include depression, anxiety, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, grief/loss, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, separation/divorce, anger, focus/attention, decision-making, and life transitions.

Ages Treated: Adolescents ages 14+ and adults

Treatment Approaches: Psychodynamic, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Family Systems, mindfulness practices, and psycho-education

Demographics: All

Session Format: Individual, couples, and family therapy

Education: University of Virginia, BA, 1978
Arizona State University, MSW, 1985

Licenses: Licensed Clinical Social Worker, 1993
Pupil Personnel Services License, School Social Worker, 2000

Profession: Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Practice Description:  Cara is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who treats a wide variety of issues, including anxiety and mood disorders, relationship difficulties, sleep issues and insomnia, adjustment problems and life transitions, stress management, family conflict, and communication difficulties.

Cara entered this field in order to enrich the daily lives of people, to help them develop more satisfying interpersonal relationships, assist them with the obstacles they face in life, and guide them toward making the changes they desire to accomplish their goals.  She has diversified experience, working with people of all ages, from a variety of cultural backgrounds and currently treats a broad population of clients, including adolescents, adults, individuals, families, couples, and parents.   Cara has a special interest in working with the young adult population.

Cara utilizes a client-centered treatment approach that is suited to each client’s specific needs.   By helping to determine a client’s motivation for change in their lives, a unique treatment approach is developed.  Cara offers a supportive and encouraging environment in which treatment takes place.  Her style incorporates skill building, prioritization, development of insight, and is supportive and accommodating.

Ages Treated:  Adults and Adolescents 18+

Session Format: Individual, Couples, Family

Treatment Approaches: Psychodynamic, Cognitive Behavioral, Solution-Focused, Mindfulness, Supportive

Education:

The American University, BA in Psychology, 2001

New York University, MSW, 2008

License: Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Profession:  Psychiatry

Practice Specialties:  Dr. Jafri provides psychiatric evaluation and medication management to adolescents and adults.  Dr. Jafri specializes in the treatment of Mood Disorders, Depression, Anxiety and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Dr. Jafri has a particular interest in therapy based approaches and Psychodynamic Therapy.

Ages treated:  Adolescents and Adults

Session Format:  Psychiatric Evaluation and Medical Management

Profession: Psychotherapy/ Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Practice Description: Ms. Mills-Desroches has more than 25 years of experience working with individuals, families and groups. She has provided therapy to clients in medical, in-patient, out-patient, residential and in-home settings.

Specialties/Interests: Mood Disorders, Depression, Anger Management, Anxiety, Stress Management, Trauma and Abuse, Behavioral & Emotional problems in children and adolescents, ADHD, Parenting, Self Esteem, Grief and Loss, Aging

Treatment Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Family Systems, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy

Ages Treated: Age 5 to seniors

Session Format: Individual and Family Therapy

Demographis Specialties: Persons of all nationalities, colors, faiths, and LGBTQ friendly.

Education:

Christopher Newport University B.A. 1993
Virginia Commonwealth University M.S.W. 1994

License: Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Member of the National Association of Social Workers

Profession: Psychotherapist

Practice Description: Kristyn joins Rock Landing Psychological Group with diversified experiences, having been a Mental Health Practitioner in multiple Clinical settings in the Tidewater area for quite some time. She has worked within a Behavioral Sciences Acute Care Hospital setting, in local Community Services Boards providing Therapeutic Day Treatment Programs, Private Residential Settings, Intensive In-Home Agencies, has Supervised QMHP’s in Community Mental and Rehabilitative Services, oversaw ARTS/Substance Use Disorders services, and worked in a Managed Care Organizations. Most importantly, Kristyn has been providing Outpatient Psychotherapeutic Services to Individuals, Couples, and Families for nearly 30 years. She also has provided Group therapy where groups were either Processing of Emotions and/or Opportunities for Education in areas such as Self Esteem, Anger Management and Coping with Chronic Pain related to Fibromyalgia.

Practice Specialties: Expertise include utilizing brief, structured interventions and therapeutic approaches in which to begin to build insight and to explore new perspectives to enhance the healing process. (CBT, DBT, Trauma Informed Treatment, Relaxation Techniques, Rogerian and Erik Erikson’s Developmental Crisis) It is hoped that in working together, within a supportive environment and within a non-judgmental partnership with patients, exploring improved coping on issues such as Adult Survivors of Childhood Trauma and Abuse, Grief, Acute Stress, PTSD, Mood Disorders, Thought Disorders, Women’s Issues, Men’s Issues, Military Life Contentions, Occupational Distress, New Mother Concerns, Blended Families and LBGTQ matters, progress, resolution, self-awareness and triumph will prevail.

Ages Treated: Young Adults (aged 16 and up) to 116.

Session Format: Individual, Couple and Family Therapy

Education: I received both my Bachelor’s Degree (1991) and my Master’s Degree (1993) in Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University. I have been Board Certified by the Virginia Department of Health Professions to practice as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 1997.

Profession: Psychotherapy

Practice Description: Since becoming a licensed professional counselor (LPC), Susan had the opportunity to work in a variety of settings with various populations. Susan provided in-home services to adults with serious mental illness and supported them as they navigated their daily lives. Susan provided outpatient counseling services to members of the community at New River Valley Community Services as well as students at Christopher Newport University.

Practice Specialties or Interests: Individual therapy with adults, women’s issues, couple’s, depression, anxiety, stress reduction, trauma/ PTSD, and perinatal mood & anxiety disorders.

Ages Treated: 18+

Treatment Approaches: Transitions and adjustments can be difficult. At times we can feel wonderful, while other times we are left wondering “what happened?”. In those moments, it can be difficult to know what to do or how to navigate the next steps in our life. The journey can be painful, overwhelming and just down right exhausting. I will help guide you and support you during your journey by tailoring treatment to fit you and your experience(s). While many of us experience similar situations, no one experience is the same; which is why I want to help find what benefits and helps you the most.

I utilize a humanistic approach, emphasizing one’s own strengths and building off of them. If needed, I will pull from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), brief solution-focused therapy, and trauma informed care to provide you with skills along the healing path.

I also specialize in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. As a mother of two sons, I became acutely aware of postpartum depression and the effects of birth trauma through my own experiences. I understand the anxiety and fear of asking for help. I also understand how it feels to ask for help and not receive it. I will provide a safe, supportive, and empathetic environment for processing, growing, and healing.

Demographic Specialties: All

Session Format: In-person and telehealth

Education:
Radford University, MS, Counselor Education: Clinical Mental Health 2015
Sweet Briar College, BA in Sociology, 2008

License: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

Profession: Marriage and Family Therapist

Practice Description: Dr. Tighe is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has extensive experience in providing treatment for individuals and families in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Practice Specialties or interests: Dr. Tighe’s research, training and experience are reflected in her interest in treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD, domestic violence, and adult survivor of childhood abuse. In addition to her psychotherapy practice she has conducted anger management groups for civilians and the military and provided conflict management training for the Air Force. She now specializes in the treatment of women’s issues, depression, grief and loss, unresolved childhood trauma, adult parent/child issues, trauma/abuse survivors, anxiety/panic, conflict management and workplace issues.

Treatment approaches: Cognitive/Behavioral supportive and Psychodynamic

Ages treated: Adults

Session Format: Individual and Family

Profession: Psychotherapist

Practice Description: Full range of psychotherapy services

Practice Specialties or interests: Anger, grief, loss, trauma, substance abuse, anger management and depression

Ages treated: Ages 11 through adults

Session Format: Individual and Family

Treatment Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Hypnosis, Solution Focused Therapy, Mind/Body and Bio-psychological approaches

Demographic Specialties: All races, religions and sexual orientations

Education:

Old Dominion University BS

Virginia Commonwealth University MSW

License: Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 1993