PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Mark Lancet, NCC, LADC, LPC

Mark joined CFD in 2019 and with it both passion and energy. He has over forty years of experience in the behavioral health and fields of addictions leading facilities at all different levels of care. Mark received his Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from New York University, and holds credentials as an NCC, LADC, and LPC. In addition to his passion for his role in assisting others at Fairfax, his other passions are his wife Denise and their four grown sons, and two grandsons- and of finally, the New York Jets and New York Mets.

PRIMARY THERAPIST

EmiLeigh Whitehouse

EmiLeigh Whitehouse is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Virginia. She earned her bachelors in psychology at Florida State University in 2013 and then graduated with her masters in counseling in 2015 at Radford University. She has clinical specialities in working with trauma, eating disorders, and children/adolescents. She is a certified clinical trauma professional and a trauma focused-cognitive behavioural therapist. When she’s not working she enjoys being with her loved ones, hiking, or playing board games.

REGISTERED DIETITIAN

Mary Frances Hartley, RD

Mary Frances Hartley earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Auburn University and her Masters in Nutrition from East Carolina University. She is a Registered Dietitian with the Commission on Dietetic Registration. Mary Frances has been with Center for Discovery since 2020. Her previous experience working with eating disorders includes private practice work as well as in a family medicine clinic. She works from a model that all foods fit. She is passionate about helping others to heal their relationship with food in order to enjoy all that life has to offer us.

PSYCHOLOGY ASSOCIATE

Raquel Grigera, Psy.D.

Dr. Grigera is a psychology associate who specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, self-injury, suicidal ideation, trauma, family counseling for communication or relationship difficulties, identity concerns, interpersonal difficulties, self esteem concerns. She provides individualized evidence-based therapeutic services to children, adolescents, young adults, and families. She has extensive experience in conducting individual, group, and family therapy. Dr. Grigera has worked in a variety of settings, including private practices, public school systems, medical centers, and residential treatment centers. Dr. Grigera is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for eating disorders. She typically works with children, adolescents, and young adults from a variety of backgrounds.

Dr. Grigera places value in the therapeutic relationship and believes it is the strongest predictor of effective therapy. She believes in providing a safe, non judgmental, and supportive environment to empower her clients to take control of their lives. Through her empathetic and genuine demeanor, she provides a space where clients feel comfortable with being open and honest. Through a collaborative approach, Dr. Grigera aides her clients in identifying goals for treatment. She also guides her clients into gaining insight into their struggles, as well as helps her clients establish and practice adaptive coping skills to manage their distress. She places importance on providing culturally competent, individualized, and evidence-based treatments to her clients. Dr. Grigera helps her clients recognize their potential and capacity to overcome their own struggles as well as she instills hope in her clients by helping them believe that change is possible.

Dr. Grigera received her B.S. in psychology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her M.A. in general psychology from American University. She received a second M.A. in clinical psychology and her doctoral degree from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

REGISTERED DIETITIAN

Maureen Gately, MS, RD, CEDRD

Maureen Gately, MS, RD, CEDRD is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist with nearly a decade of experience in treating individuals with eating disorders. Maureen got her start in the field by completing her undergraduate degree at James Madison University and her dietetic internship at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. She received her Masters degree in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine in December of 2018 from the University of Western States. Maureen became interested in treating eating disorders during one of her dietetic internship rotations when she realized human connection and individualized counseling can make a huge impact on the treatment of these diagnoses. Maureen has worked at several local treatment facilities at various levels of care. Having worked in each level of eating disorder treatment, Maureen has a wealth of knowledge and is able to use her experience to tailor treatment for each individual. Maureen is also passionate about community engagement and is a founding member and current president of the IAEDP Alexandria chapter.

PSYCHIATRIST

Tatiana Menick, MD

A Board-certified psychiatrist, Tatiana Menick, M.D. completed her four-year residency training in psychiatry in the St Elizabeths Hospital Psychiatry Residency Program, Washington, DC,

Dr. Menick has more than ten years’ experience conducting pharmacotherapy and individual and group psychotherapy in community mental health clinics.

She provides psychiatric consultation for Center for Discovery Virginia and also maintains a thriving private practice. She is the first author of multiple articles appearing in the International Journal of Child Health and Human Development and Environment, Mood Disorders and Suicide and other books.

PHYSICIAN

Natalie Irvin, MD

Dr. Irvin is a board certified family physician with expertise and experience in the management of medical complications of eating disorders. For over 6 years, she has worked exclusively in the eating disorders and weight management field. She has experience with managing eating disorders for adolescents and adults in the outpatient, partial hospitalization, residential, and inpatient level of care.

Dr. Irvin earned her undergraduate degree in Psychobiology B.S. at the University of Southern California. She obtained her medical degree at the University of Texas in San Antonio. She is looking forward to utilizing her skills and working closely with the treatment team at Center for Discovery for improved health and healing of adolescents with eating disorders.

Dietitian

Cat Saffarinia, MS

Cat earned her Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition and dietetics from the University of the District of Columbia and her master’s degree in nutrition from George Mason University. Cat worked as a diet technician and counselor at Center for Discovery, then went on to complete her dietetic internship through the University of Maryland, College Park. During that time, she worked in an outpatient setting for eating disorders during one of her dietetic internship rotations. Now that she’s back at Center for Discovery, Cat is passionate about helping patients through individualized nutrition counseling to understand the importance of hunger and satiety cues, rejecting the diet restriction mentality, making peace with food, honoring feelings with and without using food, and respecting their bodies. This goes along with the mindfulness and Intuitive Eating technique, which rebuilds relationships with food, mind and body.

PRIMARY THERAPIST

Amy Fowler, MSW

Amy Fowler earned her Bachelors in Social Work with a minor in Psychology from George Mason University in 2015 and her Masters in Social Work with a clinical focus in trauma from Simmons College in 2019. She is currently a Supervisee in Clinical Social Work in the state of Virginia. Amy has been with Center for Discovery since August 2020 and has experience working with trauma, children and adolescents, families, and using multiple different interventions. When she is not at work, Amy enjoys hiking and kayaking, spending time with her loved ones and her cats, and dabbling in playing guitar.