Chasitiy Smith is a native of Long Beach, California. She moved to West Virginia to attend West Virginia State University and graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. Chasitiy began her career in Behavioral Health working in the community for ResCare and Prestera Centers while in Undergraduate. She moved back to California to pursue her Master’s and began working at a BHC Alhambra, an acute stabilization Hospital in Assessment and Case management department. Chasitiy obtained her Master of Science in Counseling, Specializing in Marriage, Family and Child Therapy from University of Phoenix in 2016 and transitioned into a Case Manger position on SkidRow in Los Angeles working with the Homeless population. In 2017, Chasitiy journeyed back to West Virginia and Worked with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and Highland Hospital as an Intake Manager. Chasitiy has served in various roles in the field, including case management, therapy, and program management. She now is the Clinical Director here at WVFSRS. Her passion is ensuring the deliverance of quality care to all who seek help. She enjoys football, travel, and quality time with her family.
Holly Radford, MA has been working as a Therapist with West Virginia Family Support & Rehabilitation Services since September 2020. Holly received a Master’s Degree in Counseling (with an emphasis in Addictions) from Marshall University Graduate College and also has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. Holly has several years of experience working with individuals with substance use disorders and is able to use both her personal experiences, as well as her advanced education, to help others. She also has experience working with individuals dealing with mental health disorders. Holly is from Charleston, WV and has spent most of her life in the area. She enjoys helping others, spending time with her husband & teenage daughter, traveling, the outdoors and reading.
Mikhaela E. Young MA – Lead Therapist – Charleston, WV
Mikhaela earned a BA in Psychology and a BA in Religious Studies from Marshall University in 2011. In 2018, she went on to pursue graduate studies and earned a Dual Master’s degree in Psychology and Humanities from Marshall University in 2020. After working with youth in residential care and in the community for several years, Mikhaela joined WV FSRS as a therapist in November 2022 to serve those in recovery as well as in the community for mental health treatment needs. Mikhaela understands addiction from personal experience with family who have overcome addiction, as well as herself (her sobriety date is March 20, 2018). Mikhaela is a foster parent, enjoys spending time with friends, family, going to church and community events, spending time with her kitty cats, cooking, reading, writing, hiking, playing video games, has a passion for depth psychology and the humanities, and is planning to pursue her PsyD in the fall of 2023.
Ash Schade graduated from Marshall University in 2018 with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology. He has taught college psychology courses at Marshall University and Mountwest Community and Technical College. His experience in the field includes four years working in inpatient psychiatry and social work. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in behavioral health with a concentration on management at Arizona State University. He was trained as a generalist and his academic interests are broad. These include healthcare access for special populations, psychometrics, developmental psychology, gender-affirming therapy, post-traumatic stress disorder, and minority stress theory. The theories he employs in a clinical setting include cognitive behavior therapy, humanistic therapies (existential, Gestalt, and client-centered), and rational emotive therapy techniques.
Traumatic experiences, divorce, struggles with children, substance use, work stress, life…sometimes as human’s we get to a point where our lives may begin to unravel.
I like to think of myself as that extended hand, reaching out, to help someone refind their balance.
I like to help my client, which may include children, adults, couples and families step back from the edge and find healthy and positive ways of coping so they can put the threads of their lives back together.
Just like we are all different, there is no one size fit all approach, in therapy, that works for everyone. I have been trained in a wide range of modalities, but I find that to help an individual change, it begins with them helping understand that change may begin with a new way of thinking. I lean towards the cognitive/behavioral approaches including dialectal behavior therapy, reality therapy and mindfulness.
My educational background includes a MA in counseling with an emphasis in school, as well as a BA in business. I have training in Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I am a WV Licensed Professional Counselor and a National Board-Certified Counselor. I have experience working with troubled children, and individuals in recovery. I also conduct motivational workshops for women on a journey of rediscovery.
“Today you are you, that is truer than true…There is no one alive who is Younger than You.” — Dr. Suess
I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University in 2015, and a master’s degree in Forensic Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University in 2017. I then received my Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Miami in 2019. I hold certifications in Advanced Forensic Social Work, Drug & Alcohol Treatment, Trauma-Focused CBT, EMDR, and I am a Certified Trauma Services Specialist. In what little spare time I have, I serve on a couple of international search & rescue teams, train search K9s, and enjoy traveling.
My primary specialties are trauma, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and substance addiction. I am trained in, and utilize several psychotherapy theories including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and Holistic/Integrative Therapy. I also work with individuals, couples, and families in all aspects of mental health needs.
Holistic/Integrative Therapy involves integrating various elements of different theories to the practice. In addition to traditional talk therapy, holistic therapy may include nontraditional therapies such as hypnotherapy or guided imagery. The key is to use the techniques and psychotherapy tools best suited for a particular client and problem. EMDR is a structured therapy that encourages the patient to briefly focus on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements or tapping), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories.
EMDR therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and PTSD symptoms. Ongoing research supports positive clinical outcomes showing EMDR therapy as a helpful treatment for disorders such as anxiety, depression, OCD, chronic pain, addictions, and other distressing life experiences. DBT when utilized to treat substance abuse is a well-established, comprehensive treatment that is designed to encourage abstinence and reduce relapses. Several randomized clinical trials have shown that dialectic behavior therapy is effective in decreasing substance abuse. When properly executed, talk therapy is one of the most effective methods of treating drug abuse in the long-term.
Tonia Fortune graduated with an Associates in Business Administration from the University of Charleston in 1986. In addition to operating her own restaurants, Tonia’s career has been devoted to helping some of West Virginia’s most vulnerable populations. Although her career has been focused on individuals with Developmental Disabilities, Tonia has a passion for her community and has been known to lend a helping hand to anyone in need.
Bachelor’s degree- UCF Psychology
Masters- Saint Leo Social Work
I enjoy working with adults and children. I love working with all different populations. A cool fact about me is that I was a dolphin trainer at Sea World. I plan to combine my worlds of the mental health side and animal side to do animal-assisted therapy one day.
I enjoy spending time with my family and pets at home. I also oddly enjoy cleaning as a coping skill.