Meet the Staff

Counseling Services Staff

 

Meet the Staff

Allana Taylor MSW, LCSW

Director

Allana is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  She has worked in both private practice as well as community based mental health settings for over 20 years, having rich experiences working with folks from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. She believes that a successful therapeutic experience should focus less on the bad choices one has made in the past and more on the right choices that one decides to make going forward. Her approach is skills based and practical, relying on Cognitive Behavioral and Solution Focused approaches. Allana’s areas of speciality include trauma, depression, anxiety, adjustment related issues, general life stressors, and family conflict.

She appreciates the value of engaging both the individual and their community. As a proud member of the Marymount community, she is committed to offering programming that promotes wellness and that is fun! Allana values a healthy work life balance and makes sure to engage in activities that nurture her spirit and promote her overall well-being.  She loves to travel with family and friends. An Alaskan cruise is the next adventure to check off on her bucket list!

Credentials: Masters of Social Work Degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Wake Forest University

Meet the Staff

Yessenia Arias, MA, LPC

Psychological Counselor

Yessenia Arias is a Bolivian American licensed professional counselor in Washington, D.C. and Virginia.  She attended the College of William & Mary for her undergraduate degree and Boston College to obtain her Masters in Mental Health Counseling.  She was born and raised in Arlington VA and throughout her career has worked in the D.C. and the Northern Virginia area providing therapy in Spanish and English.  For the past years she has specialized in working with the immigrant community, survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse, anxiety, depression, PTSD, bullying, and stress with adults, teens, and children as young as 8 years old.  Her work with different non-profits has allowed her to gain extensive experience working with trauma, issues of acculturation and identity, and the LGBTQ community.  Her therapeutic approach is eclectic, pulling from various treatment modalities to best fit the needs of her clients.  She strives to build a strong and trusting relationship from which to generate honest and open spaces to explore and strengthen skills.  Her priority is the client, allowing them to create the space to feel heard and respected.

Yessenia is a strong advocate for her clients.  As a therapist of color, her hope is to break down the stigma within brown and black communities around seeking mental health support.  Within her work with clients, she strives to empower individuals to recognize the value of their voice even when the rest of society does not.  For her, therapy is the tool with which people cannot only address difficulties and barriers in their lives but also find the pathways to thrive and grow as individuals.

Credentials: M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Boston College in Boston, MA and B.A. in Psychology and English from College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA.

Meet the Staff

Natanya Marcus Levine, MA, LPC

Psychological Counselor

Natanya is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She uses an integrative approach to tailor treatment to the unique needs of each client, drawing from modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral, Psychodynamic, Narrative, and Expressive Arts therapeutic approaches. Natanya enjoys working with young adults from diverse backgrounds who are in phases of transition. Her areas of focus include anxiety, depression, identity development, body image, self-esteem, interpersonal difficulties, and general stressors of daily life. Natanya believes that everyone can benefit from counseling and is passionate about de-stigmatizing mental health. Additionally, she enjoys drawing, reading, practicing yoga, and spending time with friends and family.

Credentials: M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and B.S. in Psychology from Union College in Schenectady, NY.

Meet the Staff

Ahren Grebner, MA, LPC

Psychological Counselor

Ahren is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia.  He uses a variety of modalities to help students understand themselves, their stresses, and healthy ways to address problems.  In his 8 years as a mental health therapist he has learned to incorporate skill building with a psychodynamic approach to help his clients address a variety of concerns ranging from anxiety, depression, social problems, wrestling with identity, stress management, autism, and ADHD.  Ahren has worked in a wide range of settings from in-patient, residential, community, college, and private practice.  At the moment he splits his time between Marymount Student Counseling Services and a private practice in Arlington.

Credentials: M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Saint Mary’s of Minnesota and B.A. in Sociology, and Religion from Iowa State University.