Coastal Virginia Counseling

Please welcome Savannah Pierce, our newest LPC! Savannah works with adolescents and adults. We are excited to have her join our team!

Happy International Compliment Your Mirror Day! It's a great day to practice positive affirmations!

Please join us in congratulating our newly licensed LPC, Rachel Sabourin! Rachel joined the team at CoVa in the summer of 2022 as a Resident in Counseling. Throughout her residency, Rachel completed all the requirements to become a Licensed Professional Counselor, including working with clients, participating in supervision, and engaging in continuing education. Rachel also completed specialized training in EMDR during her residency. Congrats Rachel!

June 11th, 2024 is the first International Day of Play, which is a campaign aiming to bring awareness to the idea that every child deserves and has the right to play! COVA stands with this campaign as we utilize Play Therapy to work with our younger clients.

As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, we want to highlight COVA’s mission: to provide mental health services to our community! We strive to provide support and the tools to find wellness, this month and every month.

Happy National Therapy Animal Day! Meet Zeke, Halyn’s therapy dog. Zeke has been assisting Halyn Pearson, LPC in counseling sessions with children and adults for about four years now. Zeke is almost certified as an animal-assisted play therapy animal!

We wanted to kick off the first day of National Counseling Awareness Month with an employee spotlight. Meet Kim Fisher, LPC, Registered Art Therapist, and Supervisor at CoVA!

Yesterday, we celebrated our 10 year anniversary! We are excited to continue serving the community.

Reading is a crucial part of our continued learning in the counseling profession. Here's a favorite book from one of our therapists, Sam!

It was International Play Therapy Week this past week. A few of our clinicians sat down to show us a few reasons why we love Play Therapy for children at CoVA!

As we embark on our 10th year, we will continue to work toward meeting the mental health needs of the Coastal Virginia community at our new office located at 4505 Columbus Street, Virginia Beach. We look forward to sharing our new space with our clients as well as embracing the next decade!

Feeling the love on National Bosses Day! Words of appreciation, flowers, chocolate and Lululemon! I've been in the mental health field for over 2 decades and I am so proud to be on such an amazing team. Have a team so strong you don't know who the boss is represents our team!! Thank you CoVa team for all that you do everyday to provide healing space!

Please call us today to sign up!

Give us a call to sign up today!

Reminder that this wonderful group will be starting next Wednesday! Call to sign up today!

Just breathe, and create! We are starting a new art therapy group for girls ages 7-10 to help cope with anxiety. Please call our office to schedule!

Just breathe, and create! We are starting a new art therapy group for girls ages 7-10 to help cope with anxiety. Please call our office to schedule!

Welcome Alexia! Alexia received a Master of Education degree in Counseling and Guidance at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Alexia has experience with trauma work in multiple populations. Her work includes guiding and supporting children, adolescents, and adults, survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Before moving to Virginia, she worked with unaccompanied immigrant children at the South Texas Border and co-facilitated grief and loss groups with children, teens, and adults. Alexia’s work in the university setting exposed her to different diagnoses and complex trauma cases including domestic violence. Alexia is really passionate about the mental health field and loves to participate in advocacy projects. Her main goal is to provide a safe place for healing and exploration where self-love and self-advocacy become reachable. Alexia’s counseling approach is integrative. She likes to incorporate evidence-based principles from different theoretical approaches including Person/Child Centered, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She enjoys adding Play-Therapy techniques to her sessions to make the counseling relationship more comfortable and expressive.

”It takes courage to say yes to rest and play in a culture where exhaustion is seen as a status symbol.” -Brene Brown

Meet Sam Conlin! Sam is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Virginia. She graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and a Master of Arts in Counselor Education. Sam completed her residency to become a LPC at a private practice in Roanoke, VA, where she has worked with clients ages 2 years old and up. Her work has focused on working with children in foster care, adoptive families, and kinship families, as well as children, adolescents, and young adults with early childhood and generational trauma. Sam utilizes a person-centered approach, while also integrating systems theory, cultural competency, and trauma-aware practices. As a counselor, Sam has continued to learn and grow by engaging in trainings to become a Registered Play Therapy (RPT). She primarily utilizes child-centered play therapy with young clients as she believes play is a child’s language. Through the therapeutic alliance, Sam creates a safe environment for her clients to tap into their inner resources and resiliency to achieve their counseling goals. Schedule online!

Take time for . Here is an excerpt from Matthew Sockolov’s Practicing Mindfulness- May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I be safe. May I be at ease.

"You are capable of doing amazing things."

Just as a reminder, CoVa is closed today!

Have a Happy Labor Day.

It's beginning to look a lot like Fall 😍🍂⁠

"Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes." - Carl Jung

Take a moment to be present today.

Inhale. Exhale. Repeat. 🍃

Excited to be offering an introduction Play Therapy training IN PERSON on September 9th.⁠
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You will be awarded 2 CEs at the end of the training.⁠
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Reserve your spot at the link in bio, or scan the QR code on this post.⁠
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Look out for future trainings!⁠

Alyssa shares her favorite book on self-compassion by .

This book teaches the reader the importance of self-compassion based on research, and stories.

For more information visit Dr. Neff's page!

Did you know?

We offer psychotherapy for teens as well!

For more information, or to book your appointment please visit the link in our bio.

"Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing or EMDR is effective for the treatment of trauma and PTSD symptoms."(EMDRIA.org)⁠
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For an EMDR consultation contact us at the link in bio. 🔗⁠