Trauma
What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing. It is a scientific form of therapy that is used to help people heal from traumatic experiences. EMDR helps the brain to process painful memories and feelings. Often when a person goes through a traumatic event such as the death of a loved one, divorce, witness a violent incident, experienced a natural disaster, sometimes the brain cannot adequately process the enormity of the tragedy. This might cause the person to experience nightmares, flashbacks, difficulty moving on, anxiety, depression, and other symptoms. EMDR is a therapeutic technique that helps the brain to properly ‘file’ the trauma. Once the trauma is ‘filed’, it no longer causes distress.
EMDR Treats:
• Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and Phobias
• Chronic Illness/Medical Issues
• Depression & Bipolar Disorders
• Dissociative Disorders
• Eating Disorders
• Grief & Loss
• Pain
• Performance Anxiety
• Personality Disorders
• PTSD & Other Trauma-/Stress-related Issues
• Sexual Assault
• Sleep Disturbance
• Substance Abuse & Addiction
• Violence & Abuse
Our Trauma Specialists
Sunyana Benjamin, LCSW
Sunyana has a Master’s obtained from the University of New England and a Bachelor’s degree from Temple University. She specializes in working with children and families and has previously worked in an intensive outpatient therapy setting. Sunyana is experienced working with children and adolescents with various diagnoses including, but not limited to, Anxiety, Depression, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD), and trauma.
Sunyana is well versed in various Art Therapy techniques used to best engage children at their level of readiness. She utilizes evidence based practices including, Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Diadatic Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness Approach, and Play Therapy. Sunyana is also a military spouse, which allows her to be insightful and supporting of the military lifestyle, which can lead to difficulties transitioning in new settings.
Sunyana Benjamin
LCSW
Kimberly Boulden, MSW (Pre-licensed Professional)
Kimberly Boulden
MSW
Ruth Cain, MS, LMSW, JSOCC (Pre-Licensed Professional)
Ruth is a graduate of Delaware State University and Wilmington University. She is JSOCC (Juvenile Sexual Offending Certified Counselor) for children and adolescents with inappropriate sexual behaviors. She has worked with children and adolescents for over 10 years in the mental health field. She has been trained as a multisystemic therapist working with at-risk adolescents and as a mobile therapist for intensive outpatient. Ruth has worked with depression, self-esteem, ADHD, anxiety, and mood disorders. She likes to work with children, adolescents, and adults.
EMDR Specialist
Ruth Cain
MS, LMSW, JSOCC
Melissa Clendaniel, LPCMH
Melissa Clendaniel is a native Delawarean born and raised in Kent County. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science from Wilmington University in 2014, she pursued her Masters of Clinical Mental Health Counseling also from Wilmington University, graduating in 2017. After passing the National Counselors Exam, she became a Nationally Certified Counselor through NBCC in May 2017.
Melissa is a Licensed Professional Counselor of Mental Health. She provides client-centered therapy to children, teens, adults, and families. Melissa has experience with a variety of issues including trauma, addiction, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, psychosis, grief, and suicidal ideation.
Throughout Melissa’s career as a therapist she has gained experience and training in a variety of specialized areas including Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and Cognitive Behavior Therapy For Psychosis (CBTp).
Melissa most recently worked as a Mobile Outpatient Therapist on the Delaware CORE Grant. In this position she provided therapy services to teens and young adults who were experiencing their first episodes of psychosis. She has also worked as an Outpatient Therapist at an inpatient substance use residential facility. Melissa is passionate about providing the most effective and genuine counseling experience for clients and their families. She especially believes unconditional positive regard for all clients and meeting the individual where they are at is at the core of any therapy relationship.
Melissa Clendaniel
LPCMH
Casey Graney, MSW (Pre-Licensed Professional)
Casey Graney
MSW
Olivia Iaquinto, MSW (Pre-licensed Professional)
Olivia Iaquinto
MSW
Melanie Klosiewicz, MSW (Pre-Licensed Professional)
Melanie is a Delaware native who received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Washington College in Chestertown, MD, in 1998. After graduating, she started her career in Child Welfare working with children and families experiencing the trauma and loss associated with abuse and neglect. Melanie obtained her Masters in Social Work from Delaware State University in 2001. After taking some time off to raise six children of her own, she returned to her work with Delaware’s children and families and is currently working toward becoming a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW).
Melanie believes in coming alongside clients and giving them the tools they need to achieve their goals. These tools come from a variety of evidence-based treatment modalities. Melanie uses a whole person approach in therapy acknowledging the relationship between spiritual health, physical health, mental health, and environmental factors.
Melanie provides school based services in lower Delaware and virtual services.
Melanie Klosiewicz
MSW
Kelly Lackey, MSW (Pre-Licensed Professional)
Kelly is a graduate of the University of Delaware where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2004. After working directly with children and families for many years, she obtained her Masters in Social Work with an additional Trauma Certificate from Widener University in 2019.
She has spent her career serving children and families touched by trauma. She has spent 15 years working in child welfare, striving to keep children safe, strengthening at-risk families, and supporting adoptive children and families. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the About Child Trauma Foundation, a not-for-profit agency in Pennsylvania that provides advocacy and education about childhood trauma.
Kelly feels that true healing occurs within safe, supporting relationships. She believes in meeting each client where they are, and building upon every individual’s existing strengths. She has experience working with children, adolescents, and families and is currently working toward obtaining her Clinical Social Work license.
Kelly Lackey
MSW
Sandra Lopez-Villicana, LCSW
Sandra is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where she earned her BA in Criminology and her Master of Social Work degree. She has lived in Delaware for most of her life but has worked with children, teens, and families in Boston, MA, Camden, NJ, and Philadelphia, PA. Sandra has supported many individuals with various needs and adjusts treatment accordingly. Sandra is trained in EMDR, PCIT, TraumaPlay, Play therapy, Sand Tray Therapy, and CBT.
Sandra conducts sessions in English and Spanish. She is licensed in both Delaware and Pennsylvania and provides school-based services, in office, and through telehealth. As Program Manager for Bilingual Services, Sandra is eager to expand the availability of services for every individual throughout Delaware.
Sandra Lopez-Villicana
LCSW
Program Manager for Bilingual Services
Marisa Maguire, MS (Pre-Licensed Professional)
Marisa is a raduate from Wilmington University where she earned her Bachelors in Psychology and her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Marisa is devoted to continuing to refine her skill and specialty training in a wide-range of therapeutic interventions including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and Mindfulness. She is currently working to become certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Marisa is a Pre-Licensed Mental Health Counselor who provides client-centered therapy to children, teens, and young adults. Marisa has experience treating a range of issues including, trauma, anxiety, depression, and more.
Marisa is passionate about providing the most effective and compassionate counseling. She believes in empowering individuals to live their most authentic life by utilizing strength-based approaches to increase resilience of those whom she works.
Marisa Maguire
MS
Shea Marriott, LMSW (Pre-Licensed Professional)
Shea Marriott MSW graduated from Widener University with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work. She has been working with children and their families for over ten years. She received her Bachelors in Psychology from Wilmington University in 2007. After graduation, she worked at the Diakon Lutheran Ministries/The Brandywine Program Intensive Outpatient Services as a Community Interventionist. Shea conducted community-based services, including individual, family, and group counseling. She also develops and initiates support group for John Hopkins Tova program that supports individuals with sickle cell. Shea approaches psychotherapy from a tradition of healing and utilizes a variety of orientations. These include Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Client Centered, Functional Family Therapy, Emotional Focused Therapy, Solution Focused and EMDR. She challenges clients to accept and GROW through psychological and emotional challenges and become the best versions of themselves. Ms. Marriott is a Licensed Master Social Worker and serves as the Director of Marketing and Promotions for CCD.
EMDR Specialist
Shea Marriott
LMSW
Director of Marketing and Promotions
Rebecca Roebke, LCSW
Rebecca specializes in working with children and families using strengths to overcome challenges. She has worked with children for over 15 years. Her interest is in helping children and adults who have experienced trauma with the goal to empower families to make the necessary changes in order to create strong, loving environments where children can thrive.
Rebecca is trained in and practices the following modalities:
- PCIT: a specialized therapy that helps oppositional/defiant children ages 2-7 learn to listen to their parents. PCIT improves behavior while also strengthening the parent-child relationship.
- EMDR for children and adults (certification 1/2023): 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. Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference. For children, Rebecca is trained to integrate EMDR into play therapy.
- Trauma Play (certification 12/22): an attachment-based play therapy model for healing the wounds of trauma with children and families.
Rebecca enjoys teaching and training others on the effects of trauma on the brain and integrating art and other creative modalities into the therapy process. When not providing therapy in the outpatient office, you can most likely find Rebecca on the beach with her husband, two children, and her pups.
EMDR Specialist
Rebecca Roebke
LCSW
Director of Staff Training & Development
Pam Seals, PhD, LACMH, NCC (Pre-Licensed Professional)
Pam has a passion for helping people. She has strived to build on that passion by earning her Bachelor’s degree in Human Services from Springfield College, Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Walden University as well as her Ph.D. in Philosophy with a focus on Adult Behavior from Capella University. Pam has gained certification as a Trauma Professional and is currently working toward licensure as a LMHC. Her primary focus is working with teens, young adults, and adults. She has experience treating symptoms of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, grief, and trauma.
Pam is trained in the following therapeutic modalities: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), while also continually working to increase her clinical approach by training in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT). She utilizes a person-centered approach and believes in working to build a strong therapeutic relationship with her clients to assist them on their journey.
EMDR Specialist
Pam Seals
PhD, LACMH, NCC
Rosa Sutton, Ed.D, LPCMH, NCC
Rosa is a native Delawarean who earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology from Villanova University. After spending four years abroad supporting the military, she returned to Delaware to earn her Master’s in Human Services Administration from Wilmington University, followed by her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, also from Wilmington University. Rosa completed her Ed.D. in Community Care and Counseling with a focus on Traumatology/Trauma Studies from Liberty University. Rosa is a Nationally Board Certified Counselor and is a Licensed Professional Counselor of Mental Health. Rosa has a background an intensive outpatient provider and has experience providing therapy services to children, adults, and families. Rosa holds a certification in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and is also trained in Functional Family Therapy (FFT). Rosa predominantly uses traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and for her younger clients includes elements of play therapy. Regardless of modality, Rosa prefers a strengths-based approach, focusing on the strengths that her clients bring with them and building upon that foundation.
EMDR Specialist
Rosa Sutton
Ed.D, LPCMH, NCC
Shannon Tarolli, LPCMH
EMDR Specialist
