VaShonda Eason, LCSW received her Master of Social Work from the University of Arkansas and has served the mental health needs of the Northwest Arkansas area since 2004.
VaShonda is clinically trained in building and maintaining relationships and has years of experience providing counseling services in the Northwest Arkansas and River Valley school districts. She has provided therapy to clients of all ages, maintaining the purpose of “meeting the client where they are at” to ensure a foundation of empathy and a safe place to process through life struggles. VaShonda practices from a person centered framework through training in Solution Focused Interventions and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) Techniques. She is also EMDR certified and can utilize that technique to best assist her clients. VaShonda has been providing counseling services to clients, including college students and adults in a private practice setting since 2012.
VaShonda served as Clinical Advisor and Regional Director for a local agency, training and supervising multi-disciplinary teams to provide ethical and effective services to the community. She is passionate about assisting others to reach their full potential, despite the everyday struggles life may present.
VaShonda is a proud Razorback and continues to live in Fayetteville with her husband and three children.
Emily Brandt, LPC earned her master’s degree in Community Counseling from John Brown University. Emily has been working in the NWA area for the past five years serving children, adolescents, families, and individuals in school-based, outpatient, and private practice settings.
Emily has extensive experience working with individuals with anxiety, depression, trauma, oppositional defiance, ADHD, low self esteem, anger management and adjustment disorders. Emily has additional training in trauma focused CBT, Emotion Focused Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). She is able to utilize all of those techniques to meet the needs of the community. Emily’s approach to therapy is to create a safe space to listen and honor people’s stories. Difficult seasons are a part of the human experience, and therapy can be a vital tool to experience hope, healing, and peace. She is passionate about the journey of restoration in the most broken places of our lives.
Emily and her husband greatly enjoy participating in the local culture and beautiful nature of Northwest Arkansas.
Catherine Valley, LCSW received her Master of Social Work in 2014 from the University of Arkansas. She has spent the last 5 years working in school based, inpatient and outpatient settings for the Northwest Arkansas area.
Her modes of treatment include cognitive behavioral therapy, solution focused therapy and talk therapy. She has a range of experience in working with children/adolescents, adults and geriatric patients. Some of her areas of focus include anxiety, depression, psychosis, PTSD, anger issues, disruptive and oppositional behaviors, bipolar disorder, adjustment issues and trauma. She believes in creating a safe environment for every client to be able to start and/or continue their treatment. Her passion and goal are to meet each individual, couple or family where they are at in their lives and begin the process of support and healing.
In her free time, Catherine enjoys spending time with family, friends and her two dogs.
Lexus Goings, LCSW received her Master of Social Work from the University of Arkansas and has been offering Northwest Arkansas children, adolescents and adults quality mental health services for over five years.
She is clinically trained and has extensive experience with Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and substance abuse counseling. Through those modes of therapeutic treatments, she can provide support and guidance for individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, borderline personality disorder, stress, behavioral issues, low self-worth, difficulty with self regulation, relationship problems, grief, trauma, and many more.
She is flexible, supportive and empowering to her clients because she takes a completely nonjudgmental approach to create a safe space to explore and discover who they are without fear. Lexus has worked in inpatient, outpatient, and school based counseling environments and has been able to find success and growth through all of those different avenues. She is adaptable and prides herself on her deep understanding and connections with each client.
In her free time, Lexus loves kayaking, hiking, and exploring Arkansas with her husband or curling up on the couch with her cat and dog to watch the Cubs play.
Amy Bassarear, LCSW received her Master of Social Work from Colorado State University. She began her career providing mental health and substance abuse services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness and severe mental health concerns. She had the pleasure of working at one of the country’s first youth homeless shelters. Amy is passionate about making quality mental health services accessible to all walks of life.
Amy utilizes an open, calming approach to empower others on their path of healing. She will help maintain a safe space for people to express themselves without judgment. Amy has experience treating individuals, families, and groups with issues related to depression, trauma, adjustment disorders, behavioral issues, ADHD, anxiety, mood disorders, personality disorders, and substance use disorders. She has spent the last five years providing mental health services for children, youth, and adults in a variety of settings including school-based, shelters, primary care, and outpatient clinics.
Amy relocated to NWA three years ago to be closer to family and establish roots. In her spare time, Amy enjoys exploring the outdoors, live music, traveling, cooking, and spending time with her husband, daughter, and dog.
Kristen McCray, LCSW is a graduate of the University of Arkansas Master of Social Work program. She has experience providing mental health services to a wide variety of people including school-aged children, adolescents, and adults. Kristen has worked in various treatment settings including schools, outpatient offices, substance abuse treatment programs, veteran services, the juvenile court system, domestic violence shelters, inpatient treatment programs, and group homes for adolescents. She can provide guidance and support in managing anxiety, depression, inattention issues, parenting, behavioral issues, low self-esteem, mood difficulties, anger management, relationship problems, grief, trauma, stress, and more.
Kristen offers a holistic approach, meeting any client where they are to formulate the best mode of treatment and plan for care with their collaboration. She is clinically trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and has walked alongside many people who have experienced traumatic events. She also has extensive experience in working with people who have struggled with substance abuse and can support clients in exploring dependence on drugs or alcohol in a non-judgmental manner. Kristen is flexible, laid back, and supportive of the people she works with. She takes creating a safe place for her clients seriously and will ensure her office is one where they feel sincerely heard. In her free time, Kristen enjoys cheering on the Razorbacks with her husband, traveling to explore near and far places, crafting, and thrift shopping.
Savannah Zumbro is completing her Master of Social Work with a concentration in Children, Adolescents, and Families through the University of Alabama and will graduate in May of 2021. She received her bachelor’s degree in Family and Human Services from John Brown University. Savannah has had experience working with community members of NWA as a liaison with non-profit community resources. She is excited to continue growing in her education and expanding her skill set as she shifts her focus now to counseling and therapy.
Savannah’s desire for individuals to feel welcomed and heard demonstrates her passion for others in the community. She hopes to bring a therapeutic approach that not only allows individuals to share their pain and difficulties, but to laugh, to learn, and to grow as well. She is excited to work with children, adolescents, and young adults, but also has experience working with adults and families. Savannah understands the importance of collaborative care and is happy to work with teachers, doctors, and other community professionals to ensure individuals receive holistic care when desired.
In her free time, Savannah enjoys reading, sharing meals with friends, baking sweets, and walking with her husband and dog.
Anh Đào Kolbe, LCSW, earned their Master of Social Work from the University of Arkansas and has been a transplant to the Northwest Arkansas area since 2011. From the Far East via the Middle East and the East Coast, AĐK has been a mentor to at-risk youth for over thirty-plus years, specific to LGBTIQAA+, and has served communities of color as a social justice activist. As a published photographer, AĐK uses their creative talents to educate others about privilege, oppression, and fragility. AĐK has also served clients struggling with their identities around being an adoptee/adopted, ongoing challenges around the complexities of intersectionalities, and more recently, adolescent sexual abusers in a residential treatment program, so welcomes anyone who they feel they would make a difference with since as an adoptee themselves, they are adaptable. In their free time, AĐK hides behind their camera as a professional shutterbug, creates delicious tasty dishes as a culinary chef want-to-be, and enjoys the Natural State’s running waters as their meditative practices as an immature Buddhist.