About Us

Mr. Schuyler C. Cunningham, MSW, LICSW (DC), LCSW-C (MD), LCSW (VA), Board Certified Diplomate, is an expert ADHD practitioner and award winning Social Worker. He specializes in assessments, evaluations, and treatment.  He also trains other mental health providers in ADHD assessment, Brain Maps/qEEGs, and treatment at the Center. In addition to founding the Center for Neurocognitive Excellence, he practiced at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, where he was a Principal Investigator investigating traumatic stress in people with cancer, chaired the Research Committee for the Social Work Department and provided counseling to people being treated at the Clinical Center. While at NIH, Schuyler was awarded two Director’s Awards and the Deborah Dozier-Hall Award for Excellence in Social Work Education. Additionally, he is certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and uses brain mapping and neurofeedback as well as a variety of other approaches to create safe and individualized care for each client. Mr. Cunningham is a sought after speaker and has published on various aspects of mental health counseling. Mr. Cunningham obtained his Masters in Social Work from the National Catholic School of Social Service at the Catholic University of America and holds advanced social work licenses in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Illustrative List of Publications and Presentations:

• Cunningham, S., and Norman, T. (2022). Treatment Planning for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.In Rapp-McCall, L., Corcoran, K., & Roberts, A.R. (Eds.), Social Workers’ Desk Reference. Oxford University Press.
• Cunningham, S., Norman, T., & Warner, S. (2022). Neurofeedback: An Evidence Based Nonmedication Intervention. In Rapp-McCall, L., Corcoran, K., & Roberts, A.R. (Eds.), Social Workers’ Desk Reference. Oxford University Press.
• Cunningham, S. & Norman, T. (2021) ADHD and Neurofeedback Explained. Self-Published.
• Cunningham, S., Wakim, P., Hendricks, J., Cassidy, Q., Teigen, E., & BrintzenhofeSzoc, K. (2020). Influence of psychosocial distress on traumatic stress symptoms among oncology patients in clinical trials. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research and Practice, 2(2). doi: 10.1097/OR9.0000000000000021.
• Cunningham, S. C., Aizvera, J., Wakim, P., & Felber, L. (2018). Use of a self-reported psychosocial distress screening tool as a predictor of need for psychosocial intervention in a general medical setting. Social work in health care, 57(5), 315–331. https://doi.org/10.1080/00981389.2018.1437499.
• Trauma Matters Fall 2019 Connecticut Women’s Consortium
• Fight Colorectal Cancer  – Webinar on Cancer Related Traumatic DistressCunningham, S. & Felber, L. Psychosocial Distress Screening in a General Medical Population. National Institutes of Mental Health, 2018.
• Cunningham, S. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. National Institutes of Health Clinical Center Social Work Department, 2013.

Ms. Lauren Horton is a, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and National Certified Counselor (NCC) in Washington D.C. She uses a culturally aware pluralistic approach when helping clients progress towards their therapeutic goals and helping clients increase awareness, harmony and balance in their lives. Lauren uses a variety of techniques from Afrocentric, Attachment, and Solution-Focused theories. Lauren also currently practices at The George Washington University Student Counseling Center and has worked at Fairfax County Anger and Domestic Prevention Treatment Program and Harrisonburg’s Batterer’s Intervention Program. She has advanced training in Mindfulness and Motivational Interviewing as well as is a Certified Ambassador for the Virginia Department of Veterans Services. Lauren also has experience leading psychoeducational groups that focused on healthy and interpersonal relationships, regulating emotions, and teaching mindfulness. Lauren has a serious interest in resilience, self-compassion, and mental toughness.  She received her Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marymount University and her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from James Madison University and is proficient in Spanish.

Ms. Sophia Gruden, LGPC is a counselor and life coach who trained with Martha Beck Institute. She is also trained in neurofeedback with a specialty in infra-slow fluctuation training. Before becoming a therapist she was an Art Director and designed projects for HGTV, TLC, Style, and Discovery channels.  Ms. Gruden is currently pursuing her Doctor of Psychology at George Washington University. Her research interests include personal trauma and the physiological and somatic manifestation. She incorporates the works of Drs. Bessel Van der Kolk and Peter Levine and the expressive arts as therapeutic mechanisms for healing trauma in to her practice. Mr. Gruden obtained her Masters of Science in Counseling at Johns Hopkins University. In her free time, she enjoys painting, sculpting, and nature walks with her family. Mr. Gruden speaks French and enjoys engaging with different languages and cultures.

Ms. SamanthaJo Beatty (SamJo) is a certified Director of Clinical Quality and national EHR government guidelines trainer who has been working in healthcare for 16 years. She began her career as a paramedic, then moved into a medical front and back office setting as a Certified Medical Office Manager and Registered Nurse working her way through each position until she reached Operations Management.  Ms. Beatty prides herself on knowing our  practice inside and out so she can jump in at any time to help staff members and clients.  Ms. Beatty’s passion and knowledge of the mental health and medical fields makes her a sought after Director of Healthcare Operations throughout the United States.

Ms. Calli Bianchi, M.Ed., LGPC is a therapist and a certified nutrition coach. Ms. Bianchi’s experience includes providing assessments and counseling with adults and adolescents. Most recently she worked at the Sheltercare Program of Northern Virginia where she provided counseling and curriculum development for adolescents in short and long-term residential settings including psychiatric units and court-ordered programs. Ms. Bianchi assisted in teaching an Introductory Research Methods course at the University of Tennessee, where she obtained her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She is a co-author of a pending publication focusing on the influence of prosocial motivation on prospective memory. Ms. Bianchi is a Certified Nutrition Coach by the National Academy of Sports Medicine. She is also the past President of the University of Tennessee’s chapter of The International Honors Society in Psychology (Psi Chi). Ms. Bianchi utilizes a client-centered approach combined with cognitive solution-focused interventions to help her clients make progress toward their psychological and nutritional goals.

Mr. Siddarth (Sid) Mathur is a senior undergraduate student at the George Washington University. He is majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Exercise Science and Biology. Before joining DCNE, Sid worked as a Psychiatric Counselor at the Psychiatric Institute of Washington (PIW) and as a Medical Scribe. Sid is a Nationally Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist. At PIW, Sid led psychoeducational groups with people in recovery that focused on the mechanism and treatment of addiction. He has also held jobs as a Laboratory Technician and Line Cook. Sid’s goals are to pursue a medical degree with a concentration in psychiatry and to help further advance our knowledge of mental health.

Ms. Sacorra B. Hepburn, Psychology Associate, specializes in counseling and mental health assessments with children, teens, emerging adults, and adults. Throughout her career Sacorra has developed skill sets in ADHD, mental health assessments, trauma informed care, Africentric therapy, psychodynamic therapy, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral therapy and has worked with people who experience ADHD, executive functioning challenges, depression, anxiety, PTSD, self esteem/self awareness difficulties and, bipolar disorder. Her ultimate goal is to serve abused, neglected, and exploited persons from marginalized communities who are also underserved and underrepresented in mental health service delivery systems and mental health related research. Sacorra completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Women’s Studies and Psychology as well as a minor in Child Development at Florida State University. She obtained a Masters in Community Psychology at Florida A&M University and was a member of the Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society. Sacorra is currently pursuing her Clinical Doctorate (Psy.D.) from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Mr. Brendan Hines is a post-baccalaureate intern at the National Institute of Mental Health, where he studies the neural basis of learning and memory. He received his BS in neuroscience from SUNY Geneseo, where he assisted in research on human cognition and addictive substances. Brendan has performed pharmacology research on opioids at the University of Texas San Antonio and led several organizations dedicated to educating youth about neuroscience. He has also tutored children as a psychoeducational tutor for several years, helping students improve their reading ability and psychological skills. Brendan hopes to attend medical school in the near future and pursue a career in psychiatry to advance research on addictive substances and treatments for mental disorders.