Dr. Violeta Luna

Thanks for reviewing this website. I am the owner and founder of Benah Counseling LLC. The word Benah comes from biblical Aramaic, which means /build, rebuild/. Benah summarizes my vision for counseling: helping individuals overcome different situations in life, whether through a life transition or recovering from traumatic events. We may feel like we need to ‘restart’ or just ‘start a new life' in many situations. I am equipped to work with different populations and with an empathic approach. As a professional, ethical, and licensed counselor in Florida (only Telehealth) and Maryland (Telehealth and In-person), I offer evidence-based treatments proven to work with various symptoms and diagnoses (i.e., CBT, EMDR, and others). Please continue reading about my credentials and experience.

I hold a Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision as well as a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Regent University, Virginia. I earned my Master’s degree in August 2015 and completed my PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision in October 2024. I am also a National Certified Counselor by the National Board of Certified Counselors since October 2015. My training in EMDR I and EMDR II was in 2018 through the Trauma Recovery EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Programs. In June 2020, I was trained on EMDR Recent Traumatic Episode & Group Traumatic Episode Protocol through EMDR Connect, Orlando, FL. My Board Certification as a TeleMental Health Provider was completed in July 2020 with the National Board of Certified Counselors. Additionally, I have been a certified chaplain since 2011 and serve as a volunteer chaplain with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team through deployments.

I will use a combination of evidence-based approaches to best suit your needs, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, Rational Emotive Therapy, Solution Focused Approach, Existential Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR). I will also be ready to use Christian Counseling if you request it.

Counseling is a collaborative process in which the counselor and client work together to identify and address issues. As your counselor, I will help you identify your strengths and develop personal insight and self-awareness. Your participation in our sessions is fundamental to gaining maximum benefit from your counseling sessions. As part of the counseling, I may ask you to do homework assignments, exercises, or journals. We will work together to set goals and an orderly approach to reaching those goals. We will evaluate our progress, and if necessary, we will redesign our treatment plan accordingly. During our time together, we will use diverse tools, including psychological assessments, to help us determine any changes in our treatment plan.

Many benefits and risks are associated with any intervention or approach to counseling and psychotherapy. You may experience different uncomfortable feelings, such as sadness, guilt, anxiety, anger, or frustration. However, knowing the possible consequences could help you immensely during treatment. Many counselors use a holistic model that includes discussions of each dimension of the human being: body, mind, and spirit. As part of our collaborative work, we will discuss each one of these areas.