meet our team

•  As an experiential and strategic family system therapist, I view my role as walking with you, accepting you where you are, and working with you to pursue your goals. I will help you in your process of change and will encourage and challenge you. I specialize in treating individuals with PTSD, anxiety, depression, anger, family and marital conflict, and physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. I know choosing a therapist is an important decision and I value your trust and look forward to partnering with you.  

• Change can be scary and it can be difficult; it can also be empowering. Staying stuck in current patterns of thinking, in the negative beliefs we have about ourselves, or in feelings of anxiety, depression, and shame, can rob us of our joy, energy, and life. My specialized training and therapeutic approaches are designed to help you process and change these beliefs that have kept you stuck.

•  On July 1, 2019, I opened DPPC -  a collaborative team of like-minded mental health counselors, working together in a professional and positive work environment that allows clinicians the freedom to focus on their clients and deepen their sessions. Serving Jacksonville, Camp Lejeune, Swansboro, Richlands, and surrounding areas.

• I am a Marine veteran, experienced in treating veterans, active duty military service members, and their families who are experiencing the effects of combat, service and military family related issues, and military sexual trauma. 

• My Website:  https://virginiadiazcounseling.com/ 

• EMDR – Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Level 1, EMDR Consulting
• IFS – Internal Family Systems, Level 1, IFS Institute 
• CPT – Cognitive Processing Therapy
• PE - Prolonged Exposure
• Prepare/Enrich - Marital Counseling
• AAMFT Fundamentals of Supervision, AAMFT

• Began counseling as an intern in private practice from Jan 2015 to May 2016, where I provided individual counseling and worked with children, adolescents, families, and couples, and provided individual and group counseling at PEERS.  
• Counseled veterans, active duty service members, and their families at Jacksonville Readjustment Counseling Center, specializing in treating combat trauma, military sexual trauma , and readjustment issues.
• Started private practice in August 2017, specializing in the treatment of trauma/PTSD, mood disorders, family issues, and premarital/marital counseling. 
• Opened Doctors Park Psychological Center, July 2019
• Feb 2020 AAMFT Supervisor Candidate

• MA, Professional Counseling - Liberty University 2016
• Clinical Fellow, American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy
• National Certified Counselor (NCC), National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist, a Registered Nurse,  a Duke Certified Integrative Health Coach and a level II iRest Yoga Nidra practitioner. I have worked in the Healthcare field for 25+ years, now providing compassionate psychotherapy to help you find peace & happiness. 

I am trained in many evidence-based, empirically supported therapeutic modalities to include Gottman Couples Therapy,  Discernment Counseling, EMDR/Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing,  EMI/Eye Movement Integration,  TRM/Trauma Resiliency Model, Ego States,  CBT/Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Ericksonian Hypnosis, i-Rest Yoga Nidra, & Solution Focused Therapy to name a few. Additionally l trained in Mindfulness and Meditative based modalities.  

Psychotherapy i.e  Therapy or counseling is a collaborative process ... a partnership with a HOLISTIC APPROACH.  You have identified the need for help & have courageously taken the first steps of making & keeping your first appointment.  My job is to provide a safe, confidential relationship in which you can explore your concerns & hopes , as well as to help you grow with integrity in your relationships with others and yourself. Integrative therapy is a progressive form of psychotherapy that combines a variety of therapeutic tools & approaches to fit your individual needs. With an understanding of normal human development, an integrative therapist modifies standard treatments to fill in developmental gaps that affect each client in different ways. By combining elements drawn from different schools of psychological theory and research, integrative therapy becomes a more flexible and inclusive approach to treatment than more traditional, singular forms of psychotherapy. 

Couples Counseling 

Couples counseling is talking , listening, understanding & learning.  You & your partner, along with your therapist will talk about your problems, together we will learn how to deal with these problems. We will learn more about your partner & how to help them by giving them the love they need in the way that they need it. In return, you will learn about what you need in your relationship & then communicate that to your partner, so that you both feel heard , connected , loved & validated. I utilize Discernment Counseling, the Gottman Method as an approach to couples therapy that includes a thorough assessment of the couples relationship & integrates research-based interventions based on the Sound Relationship House Theory, AND Emotion Focused Therapy developed by Sue Johnson.  

EMDR & Trauma Treatment 

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences and optimize your mental health and wellbeing. EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma. Additionally, I utilize other approaches in conjunction with EMDR, such as  Ego States/IFS, Mindfulness, Yoga Nidra , and Somatic Integration dependent on the individuals needs.  

Mindfulness Meditation and Yoga Nidra

iRest is a meditation practice based on the ancient tradition of Yoga Nidra and adapted to suit the conditions of modern life. When practiced regularly - a little and often - iRest enables you to meet each moment of your life with unshakable peace and wellbeing, no matter how challenging or difficult your situation.

Integrative Health Coaching

Integrative Health Coaching (IHC) empowers you to make lasting health behavior changes that are the cornerstones of lifelong well-being in both your physical and mental health. It bridges the gap between medical recommendations and your abilities to successfully implement those recommendations into your complex life. Integrative health coaches work with the whole person, take time to listen to your concerns, and ask powerful questions to help motivate you to make changes.

• Coaches utilize the Duke Integrative Medicine Wheel of Health to facilitate inquiry and personal discovery.
• Coaching helps facilitate behavior change in a structured, supportive partnership between you and your coach.
• Coaches can help you to identify obstacles to change and create strategies for forward movement.
• Coaches provide additional resources for making healthy behavior changes.
• Sessions can take place over the telephone, or in person

My Website:  https://ipwcounseling.com

I provide an integrative approach that focuses on the whole person utilizing cognitive, experiential,

somatic, and mindful practices. Whether it is trauma weighing you down, grief, career transitions,

relationship issues, or sexual dissatisfaction, I am here to lend a compassionate ear. We can navigate

toward the best version of you and where you want to be in life. I offer therapy to individuals, couples,

and teens. Specializations include anxiety, relationship issues, and life transitions.

Sometimes you need an advocate that is there for you. Friends and family don’t always understand. Or

maybe they are not safe to talk to about what is bothering you. That’s where I come in. I provide a

sound space for you to discuss your deepest feelings and worries.

I invite you to take the next step in finding mental wellness. I provide a non-judgmental space that

imparts respect and a willingness to help you grow and evolve.

I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate, under the supervision of Natasha Nunes, LCMHC. I hold a Master of Science degree from

Hodges University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from High Point University. In addition, I

am a Certified Meditation Practitioner and Life Coach. I am a member of the American Association of

Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) and a member of the North Carolina

Counseling Association (NCCA). 

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate who is committed to ensuring my clients feel seen, heard, and cared for within the therapeutic relationship. I believe post-traumatic stress symptoms are not only a normal response to an abnormal event, but also incredibly pervasive and often overlooked in our society. Too many are living in a chronic state of fight, flight, or freeze, yet it does not have to be this way due to the body’s amazing capacity for psychological self-healing. It is my passion to help people pursue this healing through a mind-body approach. I do this primarily through the modality of EMDR, along with the integration of other modalities, and I am also trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach, and Trust-Based Relational Intervention. My professional experience includes working with PTSD/CPTSD, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideations, managing anger, issues of self-worth, relational conflicts, life transitions, military, foster and adoptive youth, and people of Christian faith. Spiritual interventions can be integrated into treatment as desired by the client. I am intentional about creating a warm, safe, and nonjudgmental environment for my clients to work through life’s challenges, crises, and transitions. 

• Agape Counseling Associates, Private Practice Therapist, 2022
• Horizon Behavioral Health, Outpatient Mental Health Clinician, 2021-2022
• The Bair Foundation, Therapeutic Foster Care Case Manager, 2020-2021
• Horizon Behavioral Health, Mental Health Case Manager, 2019-2020
• Impact Living Services, Student Intern/Mentor for Independent Living Program, 2018

• Master of Social Work, Campbellsville University, May 2021
• Bachelor of Science in Social Work, Liberty University, December 2018
  • Phi Alpha Honor Society, Liberty University
• EMDR, EMDR Institute