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Dr. Cowan is a Ph.D.-level Licensed Professional Counselor with over 15 years of experience in the mental health field. She holds dual master’s degrees in counseling and forensic psychology, with a specialization in terrorism. Dr. Cowan is a faculty member at Walden University in the College of Social and Behavioral Health and an adjunct associate professor at Old Dominion University in the Department of Counseling and Human Services. She opened Anchor Counseling and Wellness, LLC in 2017, where she provides specialized care to individuals who have experienced trauma. Dr. Cowan has numerous professional publications and conference presentations. Additionally, she serves as a peer reviewer for several professional journals and is an associate editor for Trauma Counseling and Resilience journal. Dr. Cowan is the recipient of the American Counseling Association’s Gilbert and Kathleen Wrenn Award for a Humanitarian and Caring Person, Old Dominion University’s Top 40 Under 40 Alumni award, the Inside Business Top 40 Under 40 award, and the Inside Business - Women in Business award. She has also been awarded Diplomate status by the American Mental Health Counseling Association. Dr. Cowan volunteers as a Disaster Mental Health (DMH) supervisor with the American Red Cross and regularly deploys to national disaster relief operations. When in steady state, she provides DMH coverage across Virginia, where she works with individuals who have been displaced from their homes due to fires or other disasters.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
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CHRONIC ILLNESS & WOMEN'S HEALTH
Before establishing Anchor Counseling, Dr. Cowan served as an assistant professor and program director within the Department of Family Medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School and held hospital privileges at Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center. She understands the emotional impact of illness and has provided care to individuals experiencing a variety of acute and chronic health issues. Dr. Cowan has a special interest in women’s health and nutrition and is a Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist and a Certified Mental Health Integrative Medicine Provider. She is skilled in working with women experiencing mood disorders, anxiety, trauma, disordered eating/weight concerns, intimate partner violence/relational issues, and narcissistic abuse. Dr. Cowan has completed continuing education in Complementary and Alternative Medicine approaches and functional medicine.
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TRAUMA/CRISIS
Dr. Cowan is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP-II), a Certified Traumatologist, and an EMDRIA-approved Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist. She is skilled in working with clients who have experienced traumatic events such as sexual assault, mass casualty incidents, natural disasters, child maltreatment, domestic violence, developmental/complex trauma, and unexpected loss. Dr. Cowan is aware of the complexities of trauma and how to sensitively assist clients who have been impacted. She collaborates with clients to develop personal and attainable goals so that balance may be restored in their lives.
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MASS CASUALTY
Dr. Cowan has clinical and research expertise in mass casualty incidents (MCIs) and has responded to and worked with survivors of several mass shootings, including the Route 91 Harvest Festival (Las Vegas, NV), Robb Elementary School (Uvalde, TX), Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, FL), the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, and the 2023 Lewiston, ME shootings. She also served on the Commission to Investigate the May 31, 2019, Virginia Beach Mass Shooting. Dr. Cowan is board certified in forensic mental health evaluation and forensic behavioral analysis through the National Board of Forensic Evaluators. She is trained in the Terrorist Radicalization Assessment Protocol-18 (TRAP-18) and the Workplace Assessment of Violence Risk (WAVR-21), and has also completed specialized training through the American Association of Suicidology in psychological autopsy, a postmortem investigative procedure to determine proximate and distal causes of an individual’s death. She has expertise in targeted/intended violence, public mass shootings, school shootings, crisis intervention, and disaster mental health, including the unique needs of survivors of MCIs. Dr. Cowan is a member of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP).
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