School Team
Lisa Lam, LCSW, RPT
Lisa Lam is the Executive Director and co-founder of The Heart Leaf Center (THLC), a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), and a Registered Play Therapist (RPT) with a specialization in working with children, adolescents, and military-connected families. Proven by her experience, she is a strategic thinker who excels at developing innovative mental health programs to meet the evolving needs of individuals, families, and communities. Her track record demonstrates her ability to envision the future of mental health services and implement proactive interventions accordingly.
During her tenure as Clinical Director of THLC, Lisa has played a pivotal role in the growth and development of the organization’s outpatient services and training programs. Notably, she spearheaded the creation of The School and Community Mental Health Access Partnership, which successfully integrated play-based services into Fairfax County Elementary Schools.
Previously, Lisa served as a Lead Therapist in the School Behavioral Health Program (SBHP) at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. In this role, she demonstrated exceptional clinical and administrative leadership, effectively coordinating program functions and driving program development. Lisa’s ability to forge strong partnerships within the military-connected community was evident through her contributions as the Chair and co-Creator of the Fort Belvoir Community Collaboration Team. Additionally, she served as the Co-Facilitator and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital (FBCH) Representative for the garrison Process Action Team (PAT). Lisa’s dedication and strategic planning related to these initiatives earned her recognition, including Civilian Achievement Awards and ACE Awards for Excellence.
Lisa earned her Master’s in Social Work from East Carolina University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her educational background, coupled with her diverse leadership experiences, enables her to bring a strategic, comprehensive and multi-disciplinary approach to her work at The Heart Leaf Center.
Contact: lisa@heartleafcenter.org, 571-601-2822
Mariam Abdelwahab, MEd
Mariam Abdelwahab is a Resident in Counseling, and received her M.Ed in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at George Mason University. She is passionate about providing holistic mental health care to children and families through a person/child centered, collaborative and multicultural approach. She is eager to join The Heart Leaf Center Team, to learn more about the unique modality of Play Therapy, and provide meaningful care for children, adolescents and families.
Prior to pursuing her masters, Mariam spent 5 years facilitating self advocacy and development programs for immigrant adolescents. While this is her first experience in a clinical setting, Mariam is eager to bring in her multicultural competencies and experiences into a counseling setting to connect with diverse clients and families.
Mariam holds her Bachelors of Science in Communications, and certificate in Global Studies from the University Pittsburgh. Mariam is passionate about travel and has studied abroad in multiple continents. She enjoys hiking, cooking, exercising and volunteering in the community. Mariam also has her Zumba teaching certification and looks forward to providing empowering and fun wellness opportunities for women in her community.
Contact: mariam@heartleafcenter.org, 412-559-1529
Matt Beebe, MEd
Matt Beebe is a Resident in Counseling, and received his Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree from George Mason University. He focuses on working with youth and their families. Matt used to be a special education teacher with Fairfax County Public schools. He strives to use his knowledge of clinical therapy combined with his knowledge of the school system to support families and children/adolescents.
Matt believes that the therapeutic relationship is the most important factor in counseling sessions. Connecting with and validating clients is Matt’s biggest strength.
He also strives to acknowledge and discuss racial, cultural, and societal issues that occur with clients, especially those from marginalized populations. Matt believes that Counseling with a multicultural focus is critically important.
Matt is originally from Western New York. He is a graduate of SUNY Fredonia and holds a B.S. in Childhood Inclusive Education.
Contact: matt@heartleafcenter.org, 703-646-1189
Samantha Renner, MS
Samantha earned her M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy at Virginia Tech. She enjoys working with children, adolescents, parents, and families to address varying concerns, including anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, and school/home behavioral issues.
Samantha Renner (she/her) earned her M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy at Virginia Tech and is currently a resident in Marriage and Family Therapy. Samantha comes from a background that looks at all parts of a family system and believes in the importance of looking beyond the individual into how their relationships with others and themselves shape who they are. Samantha believes in creating space for families, children, adolescents, and couples to explore their experiences in a safe, supportive environment that is open to all.
Samantha enjoys working with young children utilizing play-based therapies such as child centered play therapy, CPRT and theraplay to provide a voice for the child to share their experiences. She believes in including the family in every step of the process, so there is transparent dialogue and collaboration on how to best support the family system.
Samantha also works with families and couples to address family based issues, parenting, and parenting during divorce. Samantha pulls from models such as EFT, Narrative and strength based approaches to help families share their story and be heard among one another.
Further, Samantha specifically works with suicidal ideation, self-harm concerns, depression, anxiety, exploration of identity, and ADHD. Samantha believes in including family members in these processes and focuses on how best to support her clients in navigating difficult life experiences.
Samantha values transparency and authenticity in the therapy room. She believes that awareness and exploration of life experiences and skills allows the opportunity for change. Samantha aims to create a safe environment to walk along clients in their journey to better understanding of themselves and their relationships.
Contact: samantha@heartleafcenter.org, 757-525-2715
Kate Clark
Kate Clark is a student intern working toward her Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at George Washington University. She enjoys working with children, adolescents, and families experiencing grief and loss, self-esteem challenges, interpersonal/family conflict, anxiety, and depression. Kate believes the relationship between client and counselor is of utmost importance, and strives to create a warm, safe, and empathetic environment for her clients to explore. She uses a client-centered approach, and enjoys integrating play, art, sand tray, and other expressive counseling interventions.
Kate received her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from the University of Virginia, and subsequently received her Masters’ in Public Policy and Leadership from the University of Virginia’s Frank Batten School of Public Policy and Leadership. Prior to pursuing counseling, Kate spent several years as a contractor within the federal government. She is passionate about pursuing change and advocating for her clients at not only an individual level, but also at a systemic level. Upon graduation, Kate looks forward to pursuing full licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).
Contact: info@heartleafcenter.org, 703-397-8163
O'neil Nation
O’neil is a graduate student working towards his master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at George Mason University. He is passionate about helping kids learn to better cope with life, relationship issues, and mental health conditions. O’neil is currently an ABA therapist which applies behavioral analysis to help clients decrease maladaptive behaviors and promote helpful behaviors. His goal is to provide the best services for kids in need so they can function in their daily life and increase their well-being.
O’neil’s theoretical approach centers around cognitive behavioral therapy which involves the connections between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. He believes our negative thoughts can lead to problems in our behaviors. He also believes it is important to build a therapeutic relationship so that it promotes positive change for the client.
O’neil has lived in northern Virginia his whole life and was raised in a Jamaican and black household. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is a Registered Behavioral Technician. He has a mentor in the counseling field who guides him to grow as a person and be the best version of himself.
Contact: info@heartleafcenter.org, 703-397-8163