Robert W Cabaniss, Jr

Founder

As a person who was lucky enough to find recovery for his own addictions, Williamsville Wellness founder and executive director Robert W. Cabaniss Jr. has dedicated his business acumen, resources, experience and energy to bring together the best elements of treatment found under one roof.

With a clinical psychiatrist noted for his expertise in addiction treatment, Cabaniss developed an Advanced Synergized Treatment method that combines five different therapeutic modalities, supported by a highly trained staff of psychologists, counselors and social workers. No other treatment center in the U.S. offers this program.

A graduate of the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce, Cabaniss began a career in real estate before becoming involved in the wholesale beverage industry. Cabaniss went on to expand his business, opening microbreweries in Virginia, Florida, North Carolina and St. Martin, FWI.

Battling both addictions for over three years led to the closing and sale of the businesses in 2005. Having conquered his alcohol addiction in 2002, he realized in 2006 that he needed treatment to stop his gambling addiction.

In 2007, Cabaniss opened Williamsville Wellness in his family’s historic home outside Richmond, Va. Since that time, people seeking to break the bonds of addiction have found Williamsville Wellness to be a fulfilling, whole health experience, treating both mind and body.

“I am pleased and humbled to be able to provide a place like Williamsville Wellness,” said Cabaniss. “It’s a special place where individuals will find the best treatment to begin to recover from their addiction.”

Cabaniss is passionate about helping individuals overcome the darkness addiction brings to themselves, their loved ones and their friends.

Joel Elston

Peer Counselor, CCGC

Joel is a great asset to Williamsville Wellness joining our program as the Operations Director, Peer Counselor and a Personal Trainer. This year he is completing his B.S. in Holistic Nutritional Health from Clayton College Natural Health in Alabama. His life and testimonial as a Pastoral Counselor and recovery from Gambling Addiction for over 12 years makes him a value like no other to our program at Williamsville Wellness. As a personal trainer, recovering gambler and public speaker, his goal is to share his experience and expertise so he can help others to recover. He has spent the last decade dedicating his life to others as he continues to help them and himself through the recovery of gambling addiction.

Lisa Judd

Intake Coordinator

Lisa has been with Williamsville Wellness since 2010. She brings a diverse background of experience, including: Medical Office & Health Information Management, Multi-Unit Management and Financial Practicality. She attended the University of Alaska, Anchorage and is a graduate of Alaska Computer Institute, Medical Office Specialist. She is always available to assist patients and their families with questions about the programs that are offered at Williamsville, insurance inquiry’s and discussion of financial options to facilitate admission to Williamsville.

You can contact her directly at 804-559-9612 or 804-559-9959 x504

Dr. Boyd’s Ph.D. is from The Ohio State University, and he has served as a tenured Professor of Clinical and Counseling Psychology at The University of Virginia. He is licensed by Virginia’s Board of Psychology to offer services in Clinical Psychology, Clinical Hypnosis, and Forensic Psychology.
Traditional values and hard work have driven both his education and Professional Career. Starting out at Milligan College (TN), an early marriage, and a graduate degree from Bowling Green State University (OH) prepared me for two years as a high school counselor and wrestling coach. A scholarship then enabled me to complete a Ph.D. at The Ohio State University, and enter a teaching position at The University of Virginia. I continued academically for an additional 14 years with UVA. Along the way there’s been additional post Ph.D. training in psychotherapy, clinical hypnosis, and forensic psychology. Board certification shows my determination to be the best professional I can be. Yet, family and loving relations with my children and grandchildren remain the meaningful center of my life.

My approach to the practice of psychotherapy and hypnosis has developed across training in psychodynamics, cognitive-behavioral therapy, affective oriented treatment, and existential/humanistic techniques. I call my approach “personalistic” …an integration of methods to serve your unique characteristics and reach your personal goals.

Richard Edelman, LCSW

Anger Management

Richard was the program director for all child and adolescent services at Charter Westbrook Hospital until 1994. Currently he is the program manager of Emergency Mental Health Services for Henrico County. Richard also manages the mental health and outreach services to Police and Fire Department of Henrico County. Richard has maintained a small private practice for 22 years in the Richmond Area seeing adults and children. Richard has specialization is working with trauma, emergency mental health, and men’s issues

Jessica Jennings, MA, LPC

Family Therapist

Jessica Jennings is a Licensed Professional Counselor and has 10 years of counseling experience working with addictions, relationship issues, identity issues and eating disorders. She has experience in psychodynamic theories and therapy with a person-centered approach. In working with addictions and eating disorders, she focuses on a compassionate and acceptance based approach that allows for personal introspection and self-discovery. She also utilizes Dialectical Behavior Theraphy skills that encourage interpersonal effectivess, emotion regulation, distress tolerance and mindfulness. She received her Master’s in Professional Counseling from Richmont Graduate University.

Sherman Master

Director of Psychiatric Services

Dr. Sherman Master has devoted more than 30 years to the treatment of addictions. He has served as medical director for several facilities including the Dual Diagnosis Unit of the Medical College of Virginia, now VCU Health Systems and Virginia Monitoring, the first sole provider for evaluation and monitoring of all of all healthcare providers in Virginia. Most recently, from 1990 to 2007, Dr. Master was medical director of Tucker Pavillion at HCA’s Chippenham Medical Center.

In 2000, he received the Distinguished Service award from the Virginia Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors, and in 2006 he received the Medical Professional Award from the Carron Foundation.

Dr. Master is a graduate of the University of Virginia and received his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia. He presently specializes in adult psychiatry and substance abuse medicine.

Laurie McArthur

Art Therapist

Laurie is a full-time Art Therapist at Williamsville Wellness. She specializes in individual and group art therapy. Laurie works with clients at both the Cabaniss Lane House as well as the Fire Lane House. She attended George Mason University in Fairfax, VA where she received her Bachelors of Science in Psychology. From there Laurie attended Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, VA where she received her Masters of Science in Art Therapy, with a minor in Counseling. Laurie researched the effects of Art Therapy on childhood bereavement for her thesis requirement towards her graduate degree. She has also received outside training on the effects art therapy may have for individuals who experienced a loss in their life. Prior to working at Williamsville Wellness, Laurie worked as a Clinician in the Portsmouth Public School System in Portsmouth, VA where she primarily worked with adolescents diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Laurie is an artist herself and believes that the process of creating artwork can have a therapeutic impact on individuals.

Bill McDowell, MS, CSAC

Group Therapist

Bill is a Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioner and a group and family therapist who specializes in crisis and planned family, attorney and health care professionals intervention. He has undergraduate (English and Journalism) and graduate (Addiction Counseling) degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has been a counselor, supervisor and program director in inpatient and outpatient substance abuse disorders treatment programs since 1981. He is a group and individual counselor at the program’s Fire Lane House extensively renovated for Williamsville Wellness alcohol and drug addiction residents. Bill also has a small private practice in Richmond, VA, where he works primarily with individuals and families who seek addiction evaluation and intervention services.

Nil has joined our therapy team as a full-time Clinical Psychology intern. She is about to complete her PsyD in
Clinical Psychology from American School of Professional Psychology, Argosy University, in Washington
D.C, where she received her M.A. in Clinical Psychology in 2006. Nil received her M.A. in Developmental
Psychology in 2006 from George Mason University, where she also did her B.A. in Psychology in 2002. Prior
to working at Williamsville Wellness, she has completed her practica in two different outpatient psychiatric
multidisciplinary private practices, and in a non-profit agency that provides home-based services for
adolescences. Her responsibilities included therapy sessions with patients presenting with various clinical
presentations; the administration, scoring, interpreting and writing up of various psychological instruments with
children, adolescents, and adults. She is sensitive to diversity issues that may impact relationship building and
clients’ responses to psychotherapy, and is able to respond those issues effectively. Nil describes her
burgeoning treatment style as integrative, based on psychodynamic theory, with added components from
cognitive behavioral therapy. Nil speaks Turkish, French, and English, and loves doing watercolor painting as a
hobby.

Emily is completing her Pre-doctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology here at Williamsville Wellness.

As an intern, her primary functions in the treatment team include providing individual psychotherapy and
conducting psychological evaluations, as well as giving other psychological support as needed. Prior to her
internship, Emily gained assessment and therapy experience completing practica in an outpatient community
mental health clinic, counseling adolescents in a high school setting, and in an outpatient private practice
administering, interpreting, and writing up psychological assessments. She has also received training and
volunteer experience as a hotline counselor for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Her
undergraduate work included gaining clinical experience at an inpatient psychiatric hospital with SM!
population, as well as volunteering to assist running behavior-based therapy groups consisting of children with
emotional and behavioral issues. Though new to the field of addictions, Emily has always had an interest in the
area and is quickly developing the appropriate knowledge since she started her internship here in September
201 I.

Other interests of hers include developmental processes, especially adolescence and emerging adulthood,
trauma, attachment and relationships, and women’s mental health issues. While her style of therapy is still
developing, Emily tends to prefer integrating psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral concepts to fit the
individual needs of the patient.

Emily earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Argosy University, Washington, DC and her
Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Canisius College of Buffalo. She is expected to complete her
Doctorate in Psychology (psy.D.) from the American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University,
Washington, DC in August 2012. As a way of relaxing, Emily enjoys practicing yoga and hula hooping.

David is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 17 years of experience in counseling at
both inpatient and outpatient settings. David has served in past positions of Clinical Director,
Assistant Clinical Director, Family therapist and Primary therapist at Remuda Ranch Treatment
Center for 15 years, a nationally recognized inpatient treatment center and leader in the
treatment of Eating and Anxiety disorders.

David specializes in Eating and Anxiety disorders, individual, marriage and family systems
therapy, trauma recovery, addictions, depression and adjustment disorders. He has worked
with over 500 clients and their families, ages 8 and above and has supervised both doctoral and
masters’ level therapists. He has taught counseling professionals at numerous conferences
across the U.S and into Canada, and trained students at graduate schools in Massachusetts
and Arizona.

David earned his Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Gordon Conwell Theological
seminary and his Bachelor’s degree in Communication from the University of Southern Maine.

Sandra Rasmussen, PhD

Clinical Director, Family Therapist

Dr. Sandra Rasmussen brings 40 years of family therapy experience to Williamsville Wellness. Many of those years were spent counseling gamblers seeking to break their addiction and helping their families better understand and cope with addiction. She is the author of Addiction Treatment.

She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and Public Practice from Harvard. In addition to being a Certified Addiction Specialist (CAS) in alcohol, other drugs and gambling, she is also a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and a Registered Nurse (RN).

A member of the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors, Dr. Rasmussen teaches in graduate programs for counseling, psychology, and public health. She serves on the editorial boards of The Journal of Social Change and the Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Services.

Laura Smith-Lee MS

LPC, Therapist

Laura Smith-Lee is a licensed professional counselor and board certified art therapist. Laura provides a person-centered group therapy experience where clients are challenged to understand how their personal adaptations to life have influenced their existing behavioral patterns. Laura utilizes a theoretical approach that is person-centered which allows her clients to evolve through their hardships and addiction without holding onto judgment and guilt.

Laura earned her Masters of Science degree in Art Therapy from Eastern Virginia Medical School. She has 15 years of extensive experience in treating anxiety, trauma, and mood disorders.

Martha Ann Spruill

LCSW

Martha Ann Spruill is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over eight years of experience working in the field of addiction. Her past experience includes working seven years for the Virginia Health Practitioners’ Monitoring Program as a case manager for impaired health care providers and working several years at Virginia Commonwealth University Counseling Services. She has an undergraduate degree in Spanish and a Master of Social Work degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. Martha Ann uses mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in her work with clients. She maintains a private practice in Richmond, VA. Her interests include working with individuals experiencing issues related to anxiety, ADHD, addiction, pet loss, and sexual orientation.

Evelyn Zak

Evelyn Zak, BA, CSAC
E-RYT500, ACSM

Evelyn has been on staff at Williamsville Wellness since June, 2008, and provides education and guidance in a number of areas. Her work in continuous recovery since 1986 empowers her to share that experience, strength and hope.
Additionally, Evelyn is a certified yoga educator and yoga therapist who received training at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in 1993. Williamsville Wellness offers a weekly group yoga class combining active poses with deep relaxation (yoga nidra), and individual instruction is also available during your stay. The positive effects of yoga as a recovery tool have been studied by many well known institutions, including Harvard Medical School. Evelyn has produced a relaxation cd which is available for those who wish to continue this practice at home.
She has also been certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a Health/Fitness Instructor and offers personal training in our gym. Many people report that developing a fitness routine while in treatment (or reigniting an old routine) is just one more aspect of a holistic, healthy lifestyle.
She completed coursework in addiction counseling at the University of Rhode Island and is a graduate of the University of Richmond. She is a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and the Kripalu Yoga Teachers Association. You can find more information on her website, www.evelynzak.com
Evelyn acts as our outpatient support liaison and is available by phone, email or through an online support network for alumni. She also works on our newsletter, assisting with education and contact with the recovery and treatment communities.