Central Valley Counselors Association A Professional Chapter of the Virginia Counselors Association
Central Valley Counselors Association Board
2020-2021
Central Valley Counselors Association Board
2020-2021
President: Jonathan Huffman
President-elect: Sabrina Burress
Secretary: Katie Baird
Treasurer: Olivia Gillies
Webmaster: Austin Mikolin
Social Co-Chairs: Amanda Francis and Rachel Tysinger
EMU Graduate Student Liaison: Katie Dolieslager
President: Jonathan Huffman, LPC
President: Jonathan Huffman, LPC
I'm Jonathan Huffman, and I am the President of CVCA for the 2020-2021 year. I previously served CVCA as the Treasurer for the 2015-2016 year. I am a native of Harrisonburg/Rockingham County. I completed my undergrad at Bridgewater College, and my Masters in Counseling at Eastern Mennonite University. I became a Licensed Professional Counselor in August, 2020. I provide Outpatient Counseling in the school setting for Elk Hill Farm, Inc., and am based in schools in the Stuarts Draft, VA area. On the side, I provide Outpatient Counseling to adults in a private practice setting through Rocktown Counseling in Harrisonburg. I work from a theoretical approach of a combination of person-centered, Cognitive-Behavioral (CBT), play therapy, and trauma-focused care. I live in Harrisonburg with my wife and two boys (ages 4.5 and 1).
President-elect: Sabrina Burress, MS, MA, Resident in Counseling
President-elect: Sabrina Burress, MS, MA, Resident in Counseling
In addition to being the president-elect for CVCA, I am also the co-founder and Executive Director for the ARROW Project. The ARROW Project is a community-focused health and wellness organization that aims to alleviate barriers to accessing mental health services in the Shenandoah Valley. A native of Staunton, Virginia, I felt the draw to come back home after having worked in a myriad of places since the start of her professional journey in 2001. It wasn’t until 2011 that I felt called to make the change from working in the business administration sector to the human services sector. This transition was a profoundly affirming decision within my professional career and brought me back to the roots of concepts deeply important to me: Ideas of activism, advocacy, collaboration, and innovation, which are the core components to providing comprehensive mental health services. In professional and personal development, I honor the importance of connections between community engagement, strengths-based learning, and a holistic approach to needs-based client support. As a clinician this shows up through my family-systems approach, with specific interest in attachment-focused treatment. Additionally, I utilize more behaviorally based methods as appropriate for the client.
Treasurer: Olivia Gillies, LPC
Treasurer: Olivia Gillies, LPC
Hi! My name is Olivia Gillies, and I am currently the treasurer and secretary elect of CVCA. I have had the pleasure of being a member of CVCA since 2013 and I joined the board in 2017. Since 2013, I have worked in a variety of roles, including providing Mental Health Skill Building and Intensive In-Home services. I have also provided counseling to university students for about 4 years at the JMU Counseling Center and through a private practice in Charlottesville. I am now employed at Valley Community Services Board, where I have worked primarily as a Same Day Access (Intake) clinician since February 2019. I obtained my LPC in November 2019. While I mostly do intakes now, most of my experience is working in a brief, solution focused setting with underlying CBT and humanistic theories. I believe that every client has the internal resources and skills they need to thrive, and they can identify and utilize these resources through the help of counseling. When not working I enjoy spending time with family (including my husband and cats), watching True Crime documentaries, and learning new crafts!
Webmaster: Austin Mikolin, LPC
Webmaster: Austin Mikolin, LPC
My name is Austin Mikolin, and I joined the board of CVCA in 2020 to be the webmaster for CVCA. I am originally from Buffalo, NY. I moved to the Shenandoah Valley for an undergrad internship in 2013, and I never left! I completed my master's degree in 2016 and obtained my LPC in 2019. I am currently working as a mental health counselor in equine assisted psychotherapy for Cross Keys Equine Therapy, private practice outpatient counseling for Aurora Counseling & Well-Being, and school-based outpatient counseling for Valley Community Services Board. I particularly enjoy working with teenagers, as I feel they need the most support in learning about relationships, identity, and building a healthy sense of self as they move into adulthood. My approach to counseling is trauma-informed and relationship- focused. When I am not working one of my three jobs, I am spending time with my horse, Slate, with my friends, and with my girlfriend who supports me in all of my career and personal goals!
