Dr. Ventura is a licensed professional counselor and President of Associates in Counseling & Wellness. She has been practicing clinically since 2004. She received her doctorate from Duquesne University in 2010 and has been clinically trained at the University Hospitals in Cleveland, OH, The Cleveland Clinic, and Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. Dr. Ventura also a professor at Walden University in their Graduate Counseling Department, and serves as Part-time Faculty in the Undergraduate Psychology Department at Robert Morris University. Dr. Ventura has presented at numerous local, state, and national conferences, including the professions flagship professional conference, The American Counseling Association on counseling related topics and she is published in several texts regarding trauma work and clinical issues in therapy.
Professionally, Dr. Ventura adheres to the professions code of ethics and maintains active continuing education credits required for licensure. Dr. Ventura has had extensive
experience treating adults and children, couples and families struggling with various mental health and developmental conditions. She has specific training in cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, EMDR, and other trauma specific interventions, however, believes completely in meeting the needs of each specific individual and therefore utilizes an eclectic approach to enhance the strengths of each client. Dr. Ventura believes in the inherent strength that each person embodies and therefore, uses therapy as a place to enhance the inner experiences of each client from a holistic perspective.
She has spent a majority of her training working across the lifespan from childhood to adulthood, and within family systems. In addition, Dr. Ventura has specific training in addiction, anxiety, eating disorders, trauma, self- esteem, impulse-related conditions, self-injury, and mood disorders.
Dr. Ventura also has training in treatments specific for individuals with neurobehavioral conditions, such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, Tourette’s Syndrome, ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Early Childhood Developmental Delays, and Anxiety Disorders and can provide resources for psychological testing in conjunction with therapeutic support within the practice.
Lastly, as a clinician, educator, and avid researcher, Dr. Ventura believes in the value of continuing education and professional organizations in the field of counseling. She is an active member of the American Counseling Association and participates in the associations’ trauma division. Dr. Ventura remains active in her research and writing and is currently in the process of authoring a casebook for mental health providers and counselors-in-training. She consults for local attorneys regarding conduct and behavioral assessments as part if the PA Bar Examination and she serves as a consultant to attorneys and as an expert witness on child abuse and trauma related cases.