Embark at Tysons Corner

Alex earned her undergraduate degree in Social Work from James Madison University and her Master of Social Work from George Mason University with a concentration in Community Practice. She is passionate about fostering community partnerships to ensure the well-being and success of youth in our communities. Alex has previous experience raising awareness in education, foster care and adoption, and affordable housing, and is excited to bring her passion for community building to Embark to serve families in the DC Metro. Outside of work, you can find Alex embarking on long road trips, whipping up new recipes at home, or escaping to the mountains to reconnect with nature.

Alexandra “Ali” Smith, MSW holds a Clinical Master’s degree in Social Work from George Mason University. Ali has worked extensively with adolescents as part of a youth leadership conference where curriculum focused on Conflict Resolution, Public Speaking, Diversity and Communication Skills and other future readiness skills. Ali is passionate about helping others and has held a variety of volunteer positions which include working in the child life department at a children’s hospital, a Guardian ad Litem working with children in the foster care system and as a reading partner with Reading Connection in Washington, DC. Before becoming a social worker, Ali worked for a non-profit focusing on bringing like-minded entrepreneurs together for experience sharing from all over the world. During grad school, she worked with families experiencing poverty empowering them to achieve their financial, career and education goals. She also worked in a school setting. Ali is an avid traveler and loves learning about different cultures. When she is not working, Ali is happiest when outside hiking, playing soccer and being near the water. She loves learning and growing and has recently taken up (indoor) rock climbing and learning to play the piano. She is excited to be a part of the Embark at Tysons Corner family working as both Case Manager and Therapist.

Donovan Holloway is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Masters Degree in Social Work from George Mason University. Before coming to Embark Donovan worked at the INOVA Behavioral Health Ambulatory Services where he performed Emergency Psychiatric Evaluations for individuals of all age ranges for 11 different Emergency Rooms and Care Centers throughout Northern Virginia. While going through his masters in Social Work, Donovan interned at the City of Alexandria Child Protective Services Unit and did his clinical internship at the Ft. Belvoir Community Hospital where he worked with adolescent clients and their families. Donovan has his certificate in DBT, TF-CBT, and SMART recovery, utilizes motivational interviewing and aspects of Somatic Experience Therapy to help his clients. Outside of Embark Donovan enjoys spending time with his family, cooking, and finding ways to give back to the community.

A native of northern Virginia, Hannah Watts returned to the area after receiving her Master of Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Hannah is excited to work as a therapist at Embark Behavioral Health, and is eager to draw on her experiences and skills from years of working in primary care and inpatient behavioral health settings. She has a passion for working with adolescents and their families, and hopes to help them learn and grow alongside each other as the experts of their own experiences. Hannah explains that working with adolescents is especially rewarding because they are perceptive, resilient, and have a fun sense of humor. Her authentic style and use of humor has sharpened her ability to quickly develop rapport with patients and families. Outside of work, she enjoys playing video games with her friends, caring for her plants, and walking and training her five-year-old black pitbull mix, Nyla.

Coming from the largest medical provider in northern VA, Jamie recognizes the great need for accessible, amazing treatment Having worked in the medical field for over 15 years, she believes in providing the best care service possible to students and families.   From transitioning from a licensed massage therapist for over 10 years into office management, Jamie takes great pride in the relationships she has built along the way.  She cherishes building strong connections and being a resource for those in need. She takes great pride in improving clients’ quality of life, even in a small way. Her hobbies include learning the guitar, reading, traveling, and finding the next thrill-seeking adventure.

Position: Director of Professional Relations Jennifer Murphy is the Director of Marketing and Outreach at Embark Behavioral Health in the DC Metro area, and has a Bachelors in Education. Jennifer has a passion for working with children and young adults and helping them lead happy and healthy lives. She believes in the saying “ It takes a village to raise a family” and that it takes all of us to help children grow in a safe and healthy family. Prior to her career at Embark Behavioral Health, Jennifer had experience in working in Pharmaceuticals and in the mental health field. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family at the beach, exercising, reading non-fiction, and volunteering at dog adoption events.

Lynn Otto was raised in a military family and has lived in several countries, including Bahamas, Iceland, United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada, as well as several states. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature at Memorial University Newfoundland and a Master of Arts degree in Community Counseling at Argosy University, Washington, D.C. She is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and approved licensure supervisor in the state of Virginia. She is certified by National Acupuncture Detoxification Association as an Acupuncture Detox Specialist (ADS). She has trained in IFS, CPT, and EMDR therapy and uses a trauma-informed approach to assist clients to address both simple and complex trauma. She has extensive experience working with clients struggling with substance use disorders, process addictions, co-occurring disorders, mood disorders, depression, anxiety and stress management using modalities including, but not limited to, EMDR, CBT, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing. Lynn likes to read, bake, and spend time with her family. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, son, three very furry cats and one silly pup.

Melissa Myers has a Masters in Community Counseling with extensive experience working with teens and families. She comes from a military background working with military families with transitions and having lived in various parts out of the country. Melissa’s main area of experience is working with teens with anxiety, depression, and trauma. Her theoretical approaches includes Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Prior to returning back to the DMV area, Melissa worked as a residential counselor in Memphis, TN specifically working with problematic sexual behaviors in teens. Her biggest loves in life are family, travel and good eats.

Ranya Eid is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Virginia who holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She focused her education on psychotherapy with youth and families and is also qualified to provide clinical supervision to social workers obtaining licensure in Virginia. During her career, Ranya has gained considerable experience serving the adolescent population in a multitude of settings including group homes, schools, and inpatient hospitals. She has focused on engaging clients in psychotherapy, utilizing mindfulness, strengths-based, and solution focused modalities. Prior to joining Embark, she directed an adolescent unit at an inpatient psychiatric hospital and assisted with employee development and training, expanding and implementing best practices, and curriculum development. She is passionate about leadership and views it is an opportunity to serve and empower others. Ranya grew up in the Northern Virginia area and enjoys yoga, hiking, and spending quality time with her friends and family. She is thrilled to be part of the Embark team and looks forward to serving clients at the Tysons Clinic!

Sabrina Hansen is the Director of Marketing and Outreach at Embark Behavioral Health- DC Metro. Her passion for creating a culture of helping through communication and outreach can be traced back to her pre-professional days, whether it was as a member of her high school student council or through serving as a university ambassador during her undergraduate studies where she served as a student liaison for prospective students. While earning her Master’s in Social Work, Sabrina joined a telehealth pilot program serving vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Sabrina has also served as a volunteer for the American Cancer Society for over 7 years. In her professional career, Sabrina has had opportunities to spread her mission of compassion and well-being in her work as a people and business leader for a leading global cosmetics company, a 4-diamond luxury destination spa focusing on wellness, nutrition and fitness, and most recently, a leading nonprofit healthcare organization. Sabrina enjoys exploring new running, hiking and adventure paths both locally and internationally. She is happiest when she is making memories with her husband, friends, family and her two cats.

Sharon Dietsche, LISCW, LCSW-C joined Embark in 2021 as Executive Director of the Tysons Corner clinic. Sharon has dedicated her 30-year career to creating healthier families and communities. Her endeavors started in the child welfare field in Orlando, Florida, as a foster care and adoptions counselor. After receiving her Masters, she began her clinical work at Edgewood Center for Children and Families in San Francisco where she led clinical treatment teams serving children and families with severe trauma histories. Then, as Director, Mental Health, she served as one of the creative forces in the development of Our Second Home, an early childhood family resource center south of the city. From California, Sharon’s career brought her to the national capital area, where she joined the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) in 2009 as a Senior Practice Associate. Her work focused on school social work, behavioral health, and child, adolescent, and family issues. Among other accomplishments, she led the development of the NASW standards for social work practice with clients with substance use disorders and the NASW policy statement on adolescent and young adult health. Sharon then served as Director, Prevention & Early Intervention at the DC Department of Behavioral Health. There she oversaw early childhood, school-based mental health, and substance use prevention programs. She transitioned to her next position in 2020 as Director, Program Operations for the Center for Adoption Support and Education where she oversaw all direct services for the organization. Sharon holds a Bachelors and Masters in Social Work from the University of Central Florida and in 2020 earned certification in Leading Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Northwestern University. Since 2004, she has served as a subject matter expert in the development of the professional social work licensing exams in California and with the Association of Social Work Boards. Sharon and her husband Tom are parents to three children. Their youngest joined their family in 2018 through international adoption. They currently reside in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Shavonne is a Texas native who received her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at The University of North Texas at Dallas. Shavonne has experience with working with teens and families and have provided her clinical skills to inpatient, PHP, and IOP programs in NOVA. Outside of work, Shavonne enjoys skating, hiking, dancing, and hanging out with friends. She is happy to serve the community in the DMV and connecting with teens in such a meaningful way.