what a great team!

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Cynthia (Cathy) Clay is the Practice Director and a Licensed Professional Counselor. Cynthia conducts individual and group therapy with youth and adults.  She also serves as the Practice Director for Rawles Psychological Services. Cynthia has obtained her certification as a National Certified Counselor (NCC), which is the national licensing credential for the counseling profession.

Cynthia received her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from South University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, a CACREP accredited program. She received her bachelor’s degree from Arcadia University.  During her time at Arcadia University, Cynthia lived and studied abroad in Sicily, completing her thesis on the immigration challenges facing the nation of Italy and the EU, with an emphasis on unaccompanied minors. 

This experience inspired Cynthia’s interest and passion for serving and advocating for vulnerable communities and individuals impacted by trauma.  It also provided Cynthia with a global, multicultural perspective, which continues to inform her work as a counselor.  

Cynthia is passionate about helping youth and young adults heal from various traumas and life challenges. Out of this passion, Cynthia founded the Next Generation Youth Empowerment Group for young men and women ages 7-17. Also, Cynthia served from 2014-2017 as a Court Advocate Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer for Virginia Beach.  

Currently, Cynthia is pursuing her Ph.D. in Transformative Social Change to further her understanding of capacity building, advocacy, and social justice and its relevancy to helping vulnerable communities.

Before pursuing a Master’s degree in counseling, Cynthia worked many years in corporate America for one of the major insurance companies in the United States. This experience provided Cynthia with the leadership and management skills that she continues to utilize in her counseling career and advocacy work. 

Congratulations and thank you for initiating the first step in achieving a healthy state of well-being. This journey can be a difficult one on your own, but I look forward to being the one to assist you in accomplishing your goals in treatment. I will assist you to feel the rewarding benefits of therapy and the balance that you have been looking for. My professional experience is varied and unique which allows me to meet the needs of a diverse population.

I have a wide range of knowledge and expertise in various levels of care that enables me to work with you in managing crisis intervention or coping with everyday stressors that are interfering with life. Please allow me the opportunity to work with you to achieve your goals in treatment.

With over 16 years of clinical experience, I have helped individuals explore their fears and find strength in vulnerability. Specializing in anxiety, depression, and mood disorders, I use a variety of approaches to help you learn skills and to find the root causes of your struggles. 

I firmly believe that there isn’t a “one size fits all” approach to therapy.Bio coming Soon.

I am passionate about working with children, adolescents, and individuals seeking to fulfill their personal goals. My goal is to create a safe and nonjudgmental environment to support healing, encouragement, and growth. 

Everyone has unique strengths that can we can build upon to handle challenging life circumstances such as depression, anxiety, trauma/loss, anger, and sexual violence. I value the relationship connections developed through the counseling process and I am passionate about empowering my clients to identify and build upon their strengths to reach their fullest potential. 

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, and Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor that enjoys using a Person-Centered approach with other evidence-based therapeutic techniques such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, and Mindfulness techniques to meet my clients’ needs. 

I also have experience working with adolescents/teens, college students, and adults in both individual, group, and family settings. Sometimes in life we may experience pain and challenges that are too difficult to navigate alone. 

I am an empathetic listener committed to understanding my client’s needs and building a strong relationship so that we can collaboratively work together to bring clarity, healing, and growth. No issue is too big or too small to discuss.

  Ms. Iszard is the Intake Coordinator at Access Behavioral Health Urgent Care and a Graduate Intern at Rawles Psychological Services. She conducts clinical intakes for clients in acute crises who are seeking urgent care for their behavioral health concerns.  She aims to work with clients who are struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, discrimination, relationships, self-efficacy, self-worth, and self-esteem.

Ms. Iszard is a graduate of Virginia Wesleyan University and received her dual Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology & Criminal Justice in 2021. Nailah plans on receiving her Master of Education Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the College of William & Mary in 2024, and going on to earn her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Nailah also completed her undergraduate internship at In Faith Psychological Services in 2020. She has previously worked in educational settings and conducted her undergraduate research in the concepts of listening/learning styles of students and teaching styles of instructors.  

There are two quotes that I live by:  

"People will never forget how you made them feel." -Maya Angelou

"Life isn't about getting through storms; it's about learning how to dance in the rain." -Vivian Greene

BIO IS COMING

BIO IS COMING.....

BIO IS COMING.....