Grief counselors and therapists in Roanoke, VA

Do you feel overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted by life’s challenges? Are those challenges affecting your day-to-day life? Do you think you “should” be happy but can’t figure out why you’re not? These are all normal thoughts and feelings and navigating them shouldn’t be so hard! Processing the struggles and transitions we face with a professional can help. It might mean learning to set boundaries, working through a life transition or changing a pattern that is keeping you stuck.

As a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, I believe mental health care should be collaborative and centered on who you are as an individual. I support adolescents and adults navigating anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD, OCD, mood disorders, and more. Through trauma-informed care, evidence-based practices, individualized treatment plans, comprehensive medication management, and therapeutic support, I create a judgment-free space where we can show up authentically and work together toward meaningful progress. My background includes experience as an outpatient psychiatric provider, inpatient psychiatric registered nurse, and in community reproductive health, allowing me to bring a broad and well-rounded perspective to the care I provide. I hold a Master of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology, which have shaped my understanding of the many varying factors that impact mental health.

I want to provide an environment where you feel like you can be your best self. This happens by providing a safe space for you to feel cozy, welcomed and heard. When you are in the right space and with the right person, it gives you the ability to be open to discuss any issues or concerns to improve and become the best version of you.

Welcome to Headway! I am Zarinah, a Licensed Professional Counselor currently licensed in Virginia, Texas, and Iowa. I have fourteen years of professional counseling experience working across settings with a diverse population and wide range of presenting problems. My passion is helping clients adapt healthy ways to cope with stress and intense emotions related to family or relationship issues, anger, depression, anxiety, trauma and many others stressors. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques to guide clients towards awareness of how thoughts and feelings impact behaviors and can often lead to undesired outcomes.

I have more than 25 years of experience assessing and treating adolescents, adults, and families. While I appreciate numerous approaches, my patients have stated that I provide a melding of both direct and indirect styles. In other words, my standard of care is challenging and supportive. More often than not, you won’t leave a session wondering what’s next.

I believe therapy begins with feeling safe enough to be honest and being heard without judgment. I want my clients to know that you don't have to have all the answers before coming to therapy. Sometimes taking the first step is the hardest part.

I earned my Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Maryland and am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW-C) licensed in Virginia and Maryland. I have worked in behavioral health for many years, with a particular focus on substance use, co-occurring mental health concerns, and trauma. My experience includes working with adults from diverse backgrounds and supporting individuals through residential, intensive outpatient, and outpatient levels of care.

I genuinely enjoy helping people recognize strengths they may have forgotten they have. I believe that your diagnosis, substance use, trauma, or past experiences are only part of your story—they do not define who you are. I will meet you where you are and work with you to identify where you want to go next.