Meet The Team
Clinical Director
Michelle Mays, LPC, CSAT-S
Michelle Mays is a Licensed Professional Counselor and expert in treating sexual betrayal and trauma. She is the author of the new book The Betrayal Bind: How to Heal When the Person You Love the Most Has Hurt You the Worst and she is the founder of the Relational Recovery Institute in Northern Virginia outside of DC. Michelle has created The Attachment-Focused Partner Betrayal Model to address the devastating dilemma that betrayed partners face when their significant other is unsafe to connect to, yet connection is the key to healing.
Michelle is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor in both Virginia and Washington DC, and a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist and Supervisor. She is trained by Pia Mellody in the Post Induction Therapy model for treating developmental trauma and is currently completing her PhD in Clinical Sexology.
Clinical Associates
Bruce Butler, LPC, CSAT
Bruce Butler is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Virginia. He is a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist and is also in the process of completing his certification in Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples.
Bruce specializes in working with couples who are struggling with issues such as communication problems, betrayal or infidelity, and sexual addiction. Bruce works from an attachment perspective helping couples to create emotional safety, deep bonding and connection within the relationship.
Bruce received his Masters in Counseling in 2010 from Liberty University. He is a member of the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals, the Northern Virginia Licensed Professional Counselors Association, the American Association of Christian Counselors, and the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy.
Laurie Barton, LPC, CSAT
Laurie Barton earned her Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology in 2004 at Argosy University in Washington, D.C. Laurie specializes in working with complex trauma, addiction, codependence, anxiety, depression, and relational issues.
Laurie’s passion is to bring healing, renewal, and wholeness to individuals and relationships. She works from psychodynamic, attachment, and humanistic perspectives and also integrates insights from interpersonal neurobiology as it relates to childhood trauma and relational dynamics.
Prior to joining the Relational Recovery Institute, Laurie worked in community mental health, where she specialized in working with adolescents and adults with substance dependence and co-occurring mental illness.
Laurie is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and the Northern Virginia Licensed Professional Counselors Association. She is also a trained facilitator in HeartSync, a faith-based approach to emotional healing, and is a Metro DC Leader for HeartSync Ministrie
Jenna Young, MA, CSAT-Candidate
Jenna Young is a Resident in Counseling at RRI. She earned her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling through Liberty University. Jenna also has a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Administration from James Madison University. Previously, she worked for the federal government in resource management and finance.
Jenna brings a deep empathy for individuals and relationships dealing with betrayal trauma, infidelity, and sex addiction. Her passion is to help individuals and relationships recover and thrive. She is familiar with Internal Family Systems and Emotionally Focused Therapy and utilizes an attachment theory driven approach to understand relationships. She believes a holistic approach is necessary to healing and enjoys helping people foster and create resiliency.
Her experiences provide a unique perspective regarding the challenges working for the federal government and military can create, as well as the stressors of being a stay-at-home/trailing spouse. She is personally knowledgeable about the challenges of relocating and uprooting every few years, living abroad, and the skills needed to adapt to new environments and face significant life changes.
Jenna is a member of the American Counseling Association, the Virginia Counselors Association, the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals, and the Rho Eta Sigma Epsilon Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota. She is a certified SYMBIS facilitator and can integrate a faith-based approach to counseling for those clients who appreciate that perspective.
Administrative Team
Angela Cook, Business Operations Manager
Angela Cook is the Business Operations Manager for the Relational Recovery Institute and PartnerHope. Angela brings over 15 years of Operations Management experience to the team. Prior to joining CRR and PH, Angela served as the Director of Operations for Silver Eagle Group, LLC, Head of Operations for Fundation Group LLC as well as, the Director of Customer Service for E*TRADE Financial.
Angela holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Radford University. She currently resides in Winchester, Virginia where she enjoys time with her husband (Mike), cat (DK), and 2 dogs (Chip, a German Shepherd, and Bella, an Olde English Bulldog).
Shelby Deem, Client Care Manager
Shelby is the Client Care Manager for the Relational Recovery Institute and Braving Hope™.
Shelby dedicated 14 years of her career in the legal field as a legal assistant. Her passion intersected with life experiences and she found herself desiring a change. Shelby joined the team in early 2023, supporting the clinical team and members of Braving Hope™. Shelby is passionate about supporting others however she can, and her dedication shines through the success of every client she cares for.
She lives in Oklahoma with her very energetic son and two dogs, Hope and Patrick.
Melissa Howard
Melissa handles much of the marketing and communications for Michelle Mays and the Relational Recovery Institute. Her range of experience includes roles in higher education, mental health advocacy, and healthcare facilities large and small. Melissa is incredibly goal-oriented and thrives in connecting individuals around the world with important resources to help them grow and heal.
Melissa holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master of Science in Strategic Marketing from Bellevue University. She lives with her husband and two children in Richmond, Virginia.