Our Counselors

Amara Toure, PMHNP

Philosophy of Care

Amara Toure is a board certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP-BC) with experience conducting psychiatric evaluations, diagnosing and treating individuals with psychiatric disorders across the lifespan. He has experience providing care to patients of different populations (adolescents, adults, geriatrics and veterans), in different settings (inpatient, outpatient and homecare), with the goals of restoring, improving and stabilizing patients’ mental health. He completed his Master of Science in Nursing (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program) at Eastern Kentucky University. Prior to becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner, he received his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from University of Maryland school of Nursing. He worked as a psychiatric nurse and a medical surgical nurse at different private and public hospitals, and long-term care facilities, in the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia. His practice philosophy emanates from his nursing background that emphasize providing safe, compassionate, and empathetic patient-centered care. He strongly believes in a holistic approach to promote mental health and well-being, and he takes pride in delivering the best evidence based psychiatric care that is individualized to the needs of each patient.

Education

Eastern Kentucky University
Master of Science in Nursing (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner )

Specialties

•  ADHD/ADD
• Mood disorders (depression, bipolar disorder)
• Anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder)
• Psychotic disorders (schizophrenia, brief psychotic disorder)
• PTSD

Binta Bojang, MSN, PMHNP-BC

Philosophy of Care

Binta Bojang is a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) with over 20 years of clinical experience. She specializes in medication management to treat schizophrenia, anxiety, mood disorders, dual diagnosis, and mental health disorders across the spectrum. She will work with your mental healthcare team to collaborate and develop a plan to achieve your goals.

She received her Bachelor’s degree from Coppin State University and a Master’s degree from George Washington University in DC. She completed her post-masters certification in Mental and Behavioral Health from the University of Cincinnati.

Education

George Washington University, University of Cincinnati
Master's in Science

Specialties

• Medication Management

Bolanle Saba, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC

Philosophy of Care 

Bolanle Saba is a Licensed Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Family Nurse Practitioner in the state of Maryland and Virginia who has 2 years experience with adults seeking treatment with pain management in addition with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and women's mental health. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Pennsylvania State University, second Bachelors of Nursing from George Washington University and her Masters of Nursing in Family Nurse Practitioner from George Washington University as well. Bolanle realized after treating acute and chronic pain that most of her patients with behavioral comorbidities needed more care and collaborative treatment, it is this that inspired her to then receive her Post Master Certificate in Psychiatric Mental Health from Liberty University. 

Bolanle believes in offering a warm, compassionate, holistic and collaborative approach to treatment and therapy. She utilizes her experience, knowledge and evidenced based practice to create a treatment plan that best meets the needs of every unique individual. Bolanle believes that each individual knows themselves best and in order to be a great provider one must first be a great listener. 

Bolanle seeks to establish a genuine and meaningful relationship with you in order to assist in helping you live a quality lifestyle. Bolanle believes that if you look good, you will feel good and in return you will do good to others. All of this starts with your mental health and trickles down to your emotional and physical well being. 

Education

George Washington University & Liberty University
Master's of Nursing

Specialties

• Pain Management
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Women’s mental health
• ADHD
• Adjustment Disorder
• Alzheimer’s Dementia

Ebun Akinyemi, PMHNP

Philosophy of Care

Ebun Akinyemi is a board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) in Maryland with seven years’ experience working with individuals with depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges; first, as a nurse, and now as a psych nurse practitioner. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and has a Master of Science in Nursing from Walden University, specializing in psychiatric-mental health nursing.

Ebun collaborates with clients to ensure individualized care for clients with mental health challenges. She utilizes evidence-based practice to assess, diagnose, and treat clients.

Ebun seeks to create a caring partnership with clients, ensuring that the client has the support they need through their journey to wellness.

Education

Walden University
MSN

Specialties

• Medication Management

Francine Kamhoua, CRNP-PMH

Philosophy of Care

Education

Walden University
Master's in Nursing

Specialties

Francis Oduah, PMHNP

Philosophy of Care

Francis Oduah MSN, FNP-BC, PMHNP, is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who provides comprehensive client-focused mental health care to individuals and their families. He has managed several psychiatric conditions including anxiety, depression, mood disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. He completed his Master of Science in Nursing at Concordia University Wisconsin and received his Certification as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from Washburn University.

Francis utilizes reflective practice and therapeutic use of self as a core to his practice. He is committed to building and establishing a therapeutic relationship with you, identifying your mental health concerns and providing appropriate treatment. Furthermore, Francis performs client assessment, develops treatment plans and provides recommendations to community resources when appropriate.

Francis seeks to ensure you achieve health and wellness by identifying your psychiatric disorder and focuses on treatment that meets your mental health care needs – allowing you to live a meaningful life you value and desire.

Education

Washburn University
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner-Master of Science in Nursing

Specialties

• Depression
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Bipolar Disorder and Other Mood Disorders
• Postpartum depression
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• social Anxiety
• Panic disorder

Joyce Shephard, LCPC

Philosophy of Care

Joyce is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Maryland, and a Licensed Professional Counseling in Texas. She has over 20 years of experience counseling adolescents, adults and seniors dealing with mood disorders, recovery from abuse (physical, emotional/verbal, spiritual), guilt, grief/loss, and pain inflicted by others. She has also worked with clients coping with chemical dependency, codependency, women’s issues, life transitions and relationships. She graduated from Texas Woman’s University with a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with a family systems emphasis. She also obtained her Bachelor of Arts from Asbury University with a Masters in Psychology and a Minor in Bible.

Joyce also has experience in helping clients and/or their loved ones live their best lives while dealing with Autism, Traumatic Brain Injury/Stroke, or chronic illness/pain/disability. For those who are seeking a Christian/spiritual dimension, Joyce is able to bring a wealth of training and experience specifically applying Christian/Biblical principles to client’s stated needs and goals.

Joyce focuses on meeting people where they are, building a warm, trusting therapeutic relationship, and focusing on their goals in a practical, down to earth manner as they work together. Her approach includes CBT, positive, strength-based, and solution-focused approaches. If you are or would like to be on such a journey, Joyce would love to work with you!

Education

Texas Woman's University
Master's in Counseling Psychology

Specialties

• Mood and Anxiety Disorders
• Recovery from Abuse (Physical, Emotional/Verbal, & Spiritual)
• Grief/Loss
• Guilt / Forgiveness
• Chemical Dependency
• Life Transitions
• Autism
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Chronic Pain/Illness/Disability
• Christian / Faith-based Counseling

Maureen Tabansi, PMHNP

Philosophy of Care

Maureen Tabansi is a licensed Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner in Maryland who has over 13 years experience as a nurse; she is a caring, people oriented, optimistic, empathetic and enthusiastic person. She completed her Masters in Science from Walden University and graduated as a Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner in 2019. Since her graduation, she has worked as a clinician in both outpatient and inpatient facilities to provide care to both adults and children seeking help with Bipolar, anxiety, depression and adjustment issues.

Maureen employs a non-judgmental innovation in problem solving, she possess good communication skills, she has great stamina, acquires a good sense of humor, and her commitment to client advocacy makes her strive to take her clients to their highest functional level.

Maureen uses her critical thinking skills acquired through her years of education and training to build a caring environment and relationship which her clients in other to map out an individualized treatment plan in collaboration with the client to achieve a desired common goal.

Education

Maryland
Masters Degree

Specialties

• Anxiety
• Schizophrenia
• PTSD
• Bipolar
• Depression
• Adjustment issues
• Conduct issues
• Personality issues
• ADHD

Nadine Kakanou, PMHNP

Philosophy of Care

A psychiatry nurse practitioner is tasked with evaluating a patient’s mental health status by assessing their relevant medical background, conducting comprehensive psychiatric evaluations, and identifying potential issues that might negatively impact a patient's mental health. The primary concern of individuals suffering from mental health problems is accessing mental health care professionals equipped with the knowledge and skills to provide comprehensive care and offer preventive strategies. Although psychiatry nurse practitioners receive intense training to meet mental health patients' needs, their roles are poorly understood because regulatory barriers have limited the entire scope of the practice. Therefore, this paper will explore their philosophy of Care.

Due to the complexity of human beings in understanding their lives and illness experience, PNP requires the ability to access situations from different perspectives, not only through a psychological lens but also from a biological and development view, while recognizing the perspective of stakeholder affected. Besides, Mental health disorder affects the ability to communicate experiences, and its symptoms may not conform to conventional diagnostic criteria. Therefore, PNP needs to have a high tolerance of uncertainties and a willingness to frequently re-evaluate assessments upon discovering new information.

In addition to diagnosing and treating disease, PNP natures resilience, and growth capacity because of psychiatry disorder on patients' growth and development abilities. The existing healthcare system may fail to address the complexity of problems suffered by patients completely. Consequently, PNP needs to effectively advocate for patients to acquire all the services needed to meet their mental health needs. They also need to push for the development of more effective services.

In conclusion, psychiatry nurse practitioners are well prepared and equipped to provide independent and effective psychiatric care and treatment to effectively meet the needs of mental health patients.

Education

Walden University
PMHNP

Specialties

• Medication Management

Shane Kelsey, LCPC

Philosophy of Care

Shane’s ideal client is someone who believes they are ready to change.
He understands that clients come from all walks of life, backgrounds, and
experiences. Shane believes that the most important person in the therapeutic process is the client and not the therapist. It is the job of the therapist to help the client to facilitate their progress and support them in ways that best fit who they are as a person. A good client is anyone willing to take the first step by asking for help.

Through over 8 years in mental health Shane have made a concerted effort to constantly find ways to expand his professional experience. Over this time he has worked with a variety of teams in group & individual settings. Using DBT, CBT, Person-centered therapies. Shane works to put myself in positions to learn useful information from both my colleagues and clients.

Shane is well aware of how difficult it can be to take the first step to come to therapy or engage with a new therapist. He encourages potential clients to reach out with any questions they may have. He knows that therapeutic fit is the most important part of therapy and is always available to answer questions/concerns even if he may not be the best fit for them.

Education

University of Baltimore
Master of Science

Specialties

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Substance Abuse
• Teen and Adolescent Therapy
• Family Issues

Tolulope Lawson-John, PMHNP, CRNP

Philosophy of Care

Tolulope Lawson-John is a board certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner licensed in Maryland, who specializes in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating various mental health conditions not limited to Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar, PTSD, Psychoses, and Substance abuse disorders. She has over ten years of clinical experience working in diverse clinical practice and settings (including hospital, long term care, primary practice and Corrections) which have tutored her to be empathetic and compassionate while still providing evidence-based practice in treating patients.

Tolulope believes in removing the stigma from mental illness, thereby making treatment and recovery possible. She is proficient in conducting thorough psychiatric evaluation and evidence-based medication management. She believes in holistic, patient-centered approach to psychiatry, with individual touch.

Tolulope obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Master of Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN, FNP) from Coppin State University. She completed her Post Masters in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) at Washburn University. Besides English, she speaks Yoruba fluently.

Education

Specialties

• Ages 18+
• Medication Management

Victorine Ngang, PMHNP

Philosophy of Care

Victorine (Vicky) Ngang is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner specialized in treating patients with mental illnesses in Washington DC and Maryland. She is board certified with the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She completed her undergraduate degree from American Sentinel University and pursued her Master degree as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner from Walden University. After working as a registered nurse in several settings, she decided to further her education with specialty in mental health. Her inspiration was driven from the stigma associated with mental health illnesses in the communities. She is a community advocate of mental illness and her grit is to bridge the gap between physical and mental health as well as reduce the stigma about mental health

Victorine (Vicky) is proficient in her role to intervene with vulnerable populations and promote mental health across the lifespan. Her scope of practice include: being an active listener, collaborating and coordinating care, performing a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation, obtaining labs and interpreting results as well as prescribing psychotropic medications that are Evidence Base for diagnosis.

Victorine is goal directed towards partnering with you to uncover your unique strengths. She is focus on providing empathic, compassionate, respectable, and acceptable care through assessment, diagnosing, planning, implementing and evaluating.

Education

Walden University
Masters

Specialties

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Panic Disorder
• Attention deficit hyperactive disorder/Attention deficit disorder (ADHD/ADD)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Eating disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Bipolar disorder
• Psychiatric medication review
• And many more

Duarte Aguiar, LCPC

Philosophy of Care

Duarte Aguiar is licensed in the state of Maryland as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and is a National Board Certified Counselor (NCC). He is a graduate of Loyola University with a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Duarte has 5 years’ experience providing therapy in Maryland to a diverse client-base in a variety of clinical settings including school-based (adolescent and adult), substance abuse/recovery clinic, marriage and family, individual, groups, and psychoeducation. Duarte specializes in the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Trauma-Focused CBT, Motivational Interviewing, Person-Centered Approach, and Pastoral Counseling to treat various diagnoses. 

Duarte’s philosophy of care as a spiritually oriented therapist consists of a holistic perspective of the person(s) present in therapy. Inspired and informed by the person-centered approach, Duarte believes in the value of being present in a non-judgmental, therapeutic relationship while helping to challenge the client(s) to live up to THEIR own expectations. With that said, Duarte believes in bringing the client’s own beliefs, aspirations, and values to the forefront and using those unique aspects of the client’s virtues to guide the development of a trusting and open therapeutic atmosphere. 

Duarte is committed to providing a safe space where the client can feel heard, accepted, encouraged and even challenged. 

Education

Loyola University Maryland
Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Specialties

• Anxiety
• PTSD 
• Grief/loss
• Depression
• ADHD
• Substance use/abuse/recovery
• Anger and stress management
• Oppositional and conduct disorders
• Marriage and family issues
• Catholic Counseling

Mohammed Abdullah, LCPC

Hello, my name is Mohammed Abdullah and I am a licensed clinical therapist and board approved clinical supervisor.  I am happy to be speaking with you today and wanted to provide an introduction about myself.  I also wanted to give you an idea of how I operate and what we can expect working together.  

I have been working in the mental health field for almost two decades. My clinical orientation within psychotherapy is integrative with extensive experience in and leanings towards humanistic, cognitive, psychoanalytic, and behavioral approaches. 

What does all of that mean in terms of our work together?  Well, I appreciate the differences in everyone and center my treatment around the specific needs of each person I work with. Additionally, the foundation of my work with a client is the strength of our therapeutic relationship. I put a lot of emphasis towards building trust and fostering a healthy and open line of communication. My goals during each session are to promote growth and to build upon the strengths that my clients already have.

Through the course of trust and relationship building in our first few sessions, I would like to spend time hearing in your words why you choose to engage in therapy, what issues/experiences have been causing you concern/discomfort and what you would like accomplish and/or receive from therapy.  In doing so, I would like to emphasize that these sessions are geared around exploring, identifying and working towards what is best for you.  To use a common analogy, you are the captain of this ship, meaning that you are in control of your therapy sessions.  My role is to take the experiences and insight you provide and guide you towards where you’d like to go.

Lastly, I would like highlight that our therapeutic relationship and sessions feature a no judgement zone.  Therapy should be a service/place where people feel safe and comfortable with sharing thoughts, feelings, experiences, etc. without fear of being judged.  During our work together, open communication is not only encouraged, it is an essential ingredient towards the success you deserve.  

If you like what you have read so far, you are more than welcome to contact me for a consultation at your convenience. We can briefly discuss your concerns and you can begin your personal journey towards a happier, healthier, and more balanced you!

Cristine Werneck, LCPC

***Christine Speaks Brazilian Portuguese***

I am a trauma informed Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with over 10 years’ experience in working with clients aged 6 years to adulthood. Particularly talented at helping individuals carve their true selves out of their life situations, my work often begins a journey through which you will identify and build upon your unique strengths and gifts. Where spirituality in any denomination is part of your healing journey, I am well-equipped to walk alongside you, guiding you in your fulfillment of your spiritual goals. I employ existential psychotherapy strategies and developmental constructs to guide adolescents in redefining themselves in terms of their values, away from defining themselves by a harmful culture. With younger children, I employ play therapy techniques, while working with their caregivers to facilitate processes that will lead to positive behavior change.

I have met amazing people throughout my life, from the man who taught himself four languages selling popsicles on the beach to the woman who knew at five years of age that her sexual abuse was not her fault. I learned a great deal from those I have served as a mental health practitioner, and I consistently draw from these experiences when working with clients on their personal goals. From addressing issues faced by children of caregivers addicted to drugs, to teaching women how to identify relationships that are threatening to their sexual safety, my experience with trauma is extensive. I enjoy working with individuals, families, couples and groups specializing in issues related to trauma, anxiety, depression, relationships, domestic violence, substance abuse and immigration.

Eric Yenchi, NP

My name is Eric Kowshoh Yenchi, I was born in Cameroon central Africa, I grew up in a small village in the North West region of Cameroon known as Babungo. Growing up in Cameroon, life was very tough, especially when it came to health care .There was just 1 health center in my village which was staffed with 1 nurse and a medical doctor who visited once every two months. This meant people who were very sick and could not wait till the arrival of the medical doctor had to drive for about 5 hours to the closest hospital in the town of Kumbo to get health care. This meant that many people who made the journey died due to bad roads, and sometimes the long waits that it took to see a medical doctor at the hospital.

The poor state of the health sector in my native country cost the lives of many of my family members, resulting in my resolve to become a medical professional so I could one day change the situation and help my community. With this in mind when I arrived the United States in 2006, I decided to study nursing. After graduating with my BSN in 2010, I decided to start my nursing career in a long term care facility taking care of geriatric patients with various illnesses confined to a nursing home. In January 2011, I visited my native country Cameroon for the first time, volunteered at the only clinic that was in my village. This time around they had more staff (4 nurses, and 1 medical doctor), which made my experience less tedious than I had anticipated. However, during this visit, I noticed that many of the people that were coming into the clinic with a mental illness were being turned away to traditional healers as the clinic did not have any experience dealing with mental illness.

With my observation, I decided to do a little research about mental health in Cameroon .What I found was not only shocking but was also very scary. I found out there were only two government hospitals in the country providing mental health services to 22 million people. Cameroon has 0.03 psychiatrists per 100, 000 of the population, and 0.2 psychiatric nurses per 100,000 of the population (psychology in Africa, 2013).Initiatives by private organizations in recent years have seen the creation of Mental Health hospital in Kumbo and BIMEHC, a mental health clinic in my village of Babungo.

With the acute shortage of these facilities and personnel, my focus changed. I realized there was not only a need for personnel but leadership to transform the mental health sector and sensitize the population about mental illness, as many attribute mental illness to witchcraft and spiritual curses. With this in mind, in 2011 I became a psychiatric nurse, enrolled and earned an MSN in Nursing Leadership in 2013.In 2015 I went to Cameroon, this time around I volunteered at Babungo Integrated Mental Health Care (BIMEHC) as a psychiatric nurse. During this service the main problem was the lack of a qualified practitioner for mental health. There was 1 psychiatrist coming from the capital every 6 months to meet with patients and prescribe medications for them. This acute shortage of mental health practitioners, has led me to believe that I can make a difference in the lives of those suffering from a mental illness by becoming a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.

Since becoming a psychiatric nurse , I have had various positions in the Mental health filed , from Charge nurse to , supervisor , and to Director of various mental health clinics in the Washington DC area .In November 2019  I passed my Boards to become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner  and I am loving every minute of it .My short term goal is to continue providing services to those in need in and around my community , while my long term goal will be to someday own my own practice.

Tori-Lyn Mills, LCPC

Have you been in search of discovering the “new you” where you feel empowered and on a positive path to growth and well-being? Ever been frustrated trying to find the right person to talk to without feeling rushed or judged? 

With over 20 years of experience in mental health, my goal is to provide a safe, calm and compassionate opportunity to help you uncover your true potential and lead a life that is worth celebrating. 

Hi, my name is Tori Mills, LCPC and I invite you to book an appointment with me to begin your journey of self discovery. During our initial meeting, we will identify your personal needs and goals so that I can be your GPS as we work together to explore different routes to your own self-empowerment and personal growth. 

Tori partners with clients to increase self-awareness, cultivate empowerment, encourage positive change, and most importantly to work toward achieving the goals that clients set forth for themselves. The framework of her approach is developed from cognitive behavioral therapy and infused with components of rational emotive behavior therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. She is experienced with diverse cultures and populations in a wide variety of life situations, which includes experience working with individuals with dual diagnosis and dual sensory impairments. 

Tori enjoys spending time with loved ones, reading, kickboxing, attending sporting events and crafting. 

Tori works as a clinical therapist providing a variety of mental health services to adolescents, adults and couples. Some of her experience includes Needs Assessment, School Therapy, Partial Hospitalization, and Care Coordination. She has also completed the Level 1 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Her specialties include:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 
• Individual Therapy 
• Family Therapy 
• Depression & Anxiety 
• Grief & Loss 
• Parenting Issues 
• Codependency 
• Self-Esteem / Awareness 

Tori has a B.A. in Psychology from Hampton University and a Master's Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Coppin State University.