Embark at Cabin John

John Pelletier is a graduate of University of Maryland, College Park with a BA in English. He has a long history of management and administration in companies both large and small in various industries including big box retail, local grocery and veterinary medicine. A former veterinary assistant, John continues to spend time volunteering with animals and enjoys gardening, meditating and reading.

Atira has worn many hats since she joined Embark Behavioral Health in 2016. Hired as the clinic’s Compliance Officer, she then served as the Director of Operations for three years before stepping into her current role. Prior to that she had years of experience managing and leading retail businesses. She also spent more than a decade providing care and tutoring to children and teens with trauma, anxiety, depression, and ASD. As a teacher in the Palyul tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, Atira is passionate about connecting people to the therapeutic, spiritual and creative tools that help them befriend their own minds and the world around them. She offers classes on how to develop wisdom and compassion through meditation and mind-training. Atira is a strong proponent of the healing power of the arts and has been leading poetry workshops in schools since 2004. In her spare time, Atira enjoys reading, writing poetry, creating art, and exploring the great outdoors with her husband.

Dr. Gill is the Medical Director of Behavioral Health Services, Suburban Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine and MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center. Prior to his appointment with Suburban Hospital, Dr. Gill has served as the Medical Director, Behavioral Health Services, of Providence Hospital in Washington, DC. He is presently also Clinical Assistant Professor at George Washington University Department of Psychiatry as well as St. Elizabeth’s Psychiatry Residency Training Program. Originally from Croatia, Dr. Gill came to the United States to pursue study and research of the brain function. After obtaining his double-major Doctorate degree in Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience from Iowa State University focusing on brain mapping of visual imagery process, Dr. Gill served as Chief Medical Officer with the State of Iowa Department of Human Services Medicaid Agency. He has worked closely with (then) Health Care Financing Administration (presently Center for Medicare Services) on the development of quality of care measures for Medicaid and Medicare Managed Care. His continued interest in quality of care as well as providing optimal care to patients needing psychiatric care led to founding of the AXIS Healthcare Group that attracted a team of experts sharing the same mission. Dr. Gill also completed training in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy with the Washington Center for Psychoanalysis where he also chaired and taught in the Neuroscience and Psychotherapy course. In his private practice Dr. Gill provides psychiatric and therapeutic services. His interest in education of both professionals and lay audiences led to developing the educational branch of the AXIS Healthcare Group. He continues to promote psychotherapeutic intervention as essential component of treatment both through his clinical work as well as his ongoing teaching.

Grant Gamble, CADC-II started working in dual-diagnosis treatment in 2015 as a primary case manager for Sober College’s residential young adult program. He is a certified drug and alcohol counselor and is in the process of completing his Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology. Grant has experience working with young adults diagnosed with both substance abuse and mental health diagnoses. He has a great interest and understanding of the recovery process for young adults with substance abuse dependency. Grant believes in an entire mind and body connection in order to maintain long-term recovery. He focuses on helping steer client’s focus on their individualized treatment plan by supporting them in five major competencies he believes are essential to the life long recovery process (Life Skills, Sobriety, Fitness, Productivity, and Emotional Well-Being). Grant is an avid swimmer, frequent live music attendee, and lover of all things ocean related! Grant is a Washingtonian by birth, but loves to incorporate the positive California vibes he inherited during his time in Los Angeles!

Christopher Hodgson received a BA in psychology from the University of Georgia in his hometown of Athens. He has a diverse background in administrative, customer service and management roles with various businesses ranging in size from “mom and pop” through an NYSE mutual fund corporation. After relocating to Maryland, Christopher met his partner in 1997 while living in Baltimore and they now reside in Western Montgomery County surrounded by the lush greenery of the Maryland Agricultural Reserve. During his personal time he enjoys audio books, cooking, learning about American Sign Language and deepening in the practices of Vajrayana Buddhism.

Benjamin Zeoli has many years of facilities management in primarily holistic settings. He has also worked very closely, as a technician, alongside doctors in the fields of human holistic health care and holistic veterinary care. Seeing to a clean, safe, healthy and properly functioning work environment will be Benjamin’s focal points at Potomac Pathways. For the past 33 years, Benjamin has been a practicing Buddhist. He enjoys gardening, decorating, music, cooking, spending time with family and friends and has a tremendous love of animals.

Julianne has worked in outpatient, home and community-based, and residential settings. She has experience working with individuals and families presenting with a range of mental health concerns- including eating disorders, co-occurring mental health disorders, and autism-spectrum disorders. Before pursuing mental health counseling, Julianne received her B.S. in Biobehavioral Health at Penn State University. While working as a research assistant in a Counseling Psychology lab, she became especially interested in the interplay amongst one’s family, relationships, and behavioral health. After graduating and working in homes with special needs clients and their families, Julianne went on to earn her Masters in Couple and Family Therapy from Drexel University. She is currently working toward licensure as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). Julianne strives to provide clients with a safe therapeutic environment, utilizing Dialectical Behavior Therapy and a variety of family systems approaches, such as Contextual and Structural Family therapy. Julianne approaches her work with individuals in the context of their relationships, with the ultimate goal of helping them gain self-love and compassion. In her free time, Julianne enjoys being active outdoors, spending time with friends and family, and reading.

Sheryl Walden is a Clinical Licensed Social worker with a Master of Social Work from Boston University. Sheryl has experience working with adolescents, adults, couples and families in office, home, hospital, and community-based settings. As a professional and a parent of grown children, Sheryl understands the adolescent years and knows the challenges of parenting. Sheryl has experience helping families balance the tension between a teen’s need for greater independence, a secure home- base and parental adjustments and flexibility toward ongoing changes. Sheryl believes each family is unique but all experience times when therapy can provide added support, increased communication and greater understanding of family dynamics. Sheryl is a fan of Motown, movies and Mexican food. She has been married for 30+ years and a native to California.

William “Will” Hughes holds a Master of Science in Counseling Degree with a specialization in Clinical Mental Health from Prescott College. He is currently working towards his LGPC licensure in the state of Maryland. Will specializes in mindfulness-based counseling techniques and psychoeducation for young adults experiencing challenges commonly associated with the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: attention-seeking; substance use; guilt; avoidance; depression; executive functioning; ect. Empowering teens and young adults with scientific knowledge of why they feel, behave and react in ways that don’t serve them and offering skills to help them maintain vigilant awareness of their symptoms and choices of response is his focus. He believes strongly in experiential and adventure-based learning, often taking clients into nature, where they may experience their immediate mental reactions to subtle stimuli. Will’s other passion is counseling adults through difficult career and life-stage transitions, utilizing the Pro Discovery assessment tool as a foundation. Clients experiencing feelings of identity loss, diminishing self-worth, hopelessness and catastrophic thinking respond well to the authentic personal reflection and Positive Psychology perspective Pro Discovery provides them. He is Founder and Director of the Family Legacy Project (on-going), an adaptation of this instrument for application with multi-generations of families seeking unity, purpose, identity and flourishing. Will is a Cancer survivor, adventure travel enthusiast, professional-level Chef and avid skier.

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.

Jeanni, a native of Racine, WI, is a woman of purpose and defender of the disenfranchised. She has worked with the some of the most vulnerable populations locally and internationally. She recognizes the importance of civic engagement as a tool to impact change. She is a champion of education, having earned a bachelor’s in communication and two master’s in education and social work. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in social work at Howard University. Jeanni is a 2015 graduate of the Women’s Campaign School at Yale University and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., an organization with a longstanding reputation for advocacy, change, and societal progress. She served as the co-chair for the Inaugural Social Work Student Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, raising awareness around the Social Work Reinvestment Act. In the summer of 2014, she served as a White House Intern in President Barak Obama’s Administration. Jeanni believes in striving forward while reaching back to cultivate strong leaders in future generations. In her spare time, she is an avid traveler, enjoys cooking, crafting, live music, and spending time with her family, friends. and dogs (Riley and Rocco).

Lee Lovett III, LMSW, holds a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, where he concentrated in clinical, behavioral health, and sub-specialized in Employee Assistance Programs. He is also a Certified Consulting Hypnotist, and believes that Hypnosis is an effective way to promote long-lasting behavioral changes. In his work with clients, he utilizes a range of therapeutic interventions from theoretical orientations including but not limited to: mindfulness-based stress reduction, psychoanalytic, dialectical and cognitive behavioral therapies, and motivational interviewing. Lee has always been fascinated with people and their stories.  He comes from a humanistic, person-centered approach, believing that the storytellers are the experts in their lives.  He strongly believes in the cathartic value that creative endeavors bring and likes to help people tap into that inherent part of themselves. He is a very active person, enjoys being outside for hikes and runs, and has a good sense of humor.  While he takes his work seriously, he doesn’t take himself too seriously; he likes to have a good time and joke around, when appropriate.