Grief Counselor Bios

Shannon Collier, MA, MS

Shannon Collier, MS, MA, is a Grief Counselor in the Washington, DC office. She has served patients and families at end of life over the last 10 year in multiple roles. First, as a hospice and licensed massage therapy volunteer, then as an interfaith chaplain, and now as a Grief Counselor. Shannon has diverse educational backgrounds and applied field and clinical experiences in the physical sciences, wellness, spirituality, and patient counseling. She appreciates supporting grieving individuals and families as they actualize inner knowledge, honor their unique relationships, acknowledge personal gifts, and grow in love, understanding and community.
Outside of work, Shannon revels in time in Nature and enjoys time with her husband, neighbors, extended family, friends, books and houseplants. When possible, she embodies a growth mindset and loves to laugh – mostly at herself! - and savors the simple things in life.

Sabrina St. Clair, M.Div, DMin, GC-C

S. Sabrina St.Clair is a Certified Grief Counselor for Capital Caring Health. Dr. St.Clair holds a Doctor of Ministry a Master of Divinity from Virginia Union University where she graduated with honors with a concentration in Pastoral Counseling. Dr. St.Clair is a certified pastoral counselor and former chair of the Atlantic Region of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. Dr. St.Clair is also a Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor. She served as a guest lectionary commentator with the African American Lectionary publication focusing on addiction and mental health and is the author of Breaking the Cycle of Low Self Esteem. Dr. St.Clair is committed to supporting people suffering grief to develop coping strategies after experiencing personal losses, including the loss of a loved one. Her area of specialization is Faith Based Counseling & care. Dr. St.Clair is a retired pastor, and has almost 2 decades of counseling experience. In her free time, Sabrina loves relaxing on the beach, enjoying her family and adorable grandchildren or honing in on her barista skills.

Teyawanda Booker, LCSW-C, LICSW

Teyawanda Booker, LCSW-C has been a clinical social worker for over 20 years in the Washington metropolitan area. She previously worked as a Hospice Social Worker, but most recently as a Grief Counselor at Capital Caring Health. She believes that compassion and empathy are the cornerstones to effective grief work. Prior to joining the counseling team at Capital Caring Health, Teyawanda served as a social worker providing clinical services to terminally diagnosed children and their families in the hospital setting. In addition to direct social work practice, she has provided clinical instruction to social work, sociology and psychology students at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Outside of work, Teyawanda is an enthusiastic baker who enjoy spending quality time with her family

Brey Cribbs, LGSW, MSW, MTS

Brey Cribbs worked for 6 years as a counselor with youth and families before feeling the call in 2005 to serve in hospice in the DC area as a chaplain and a grief counselor. He has seen the courage and strength that each person brings to their own healing from loss and feels honored to be invited to accompany individuals and families as they seek peace and renewal.
Brey enjoys laughing, dancing, and riding bikes with his family.

Bob Uhrig, MA

Robert Uhrig , MA, has experience with a diverse population of all ages. He joined Capital Caring Health in 2019 and serves as both chaplain and grief counselor. Before Capital Caring he was a grief counselor with Community Hospices. He was also a hospital chaplain for a number of years. Robert has a spirit of compassion for all, and an ability to connect with others. He understands the grief of the bereaved. His philosophy and approach is to listen, knowing that every grief is unique and individual, while at the same time sharing common symptoms. His philosophy is to provide resources in clinical practice to assist individuals in understanding how grief can affect them in the mind, body and spirit.
Robert and his wife are both involved in ministry, have two adult children and six grandchildren.

Jennifer Baldwin, MA, ATR-BC, LCPAT

Jennifer Baldwin, LCPAT, ATR-BC has been practicing for over 20 years and has worked in a variety of settings including medical, public and private schools, and private practice. She joined Capital Caring Health as a Grief Counselor in October 2019 where she provides grief counseling and a variety of grief themed workshops to children, adolescents, and adults. Jennifer is also a board certified and licensed art therapist and brings creative approaches to her work with those who are grieving.
In addition, Jennifer is an adjunct faculty member at The George Washington University where she supervises art therapy graduate students who are completing internships in a variety of clinical settings. During her time-off, Jennifer enjoys being outdoors and tries to “practice what she preaches” by setting aside time to create her own artwork.

Jennifer Lanouette, LCSW

Jennifer Lanouette, LCSW has been a social worker and grief counselor with Capital Caring Health for 4 years. Jennifer offers open-hearted presence and compassionate witness to whatever emotions and experiences arise in grief. She believes that grief is a deeply human response to loss that can be perfectly normal and feel awful at the same time. Rather than ‘moving on’ Jennifer believes we learn to carry and integrate loss into our life story. She ascribes to the healing powers of nature, poetry, humor, and movement. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys hiking, watching and playing sports, and outdoor festivals of all kinds.

Chesley Simpson, LCSW

Chesley Simpson, LCSW, joined Capital Caring Health in 2014, serving first as a Hospice Social Worker and, now, as a Grief Counselor. Chesley believes that the best way to honor and celebrate those that we have lost is to acknowledge, understand, and fully experience our grief. She has found that connection with others has a powerful impact on learning to hold our own grief. At the heart of grief, Chesley has found, are powerful stories of love and of living. She feels deeply fortunate to be able to share in those stories as she helps families to find peace in their loss.
Chesley enjoys the outdoors and spending time with her family. She is active in her community, serving on the boards of several nonprofit organizations.

Karen Tyner, LCSW

Karen Tyner received her MSW with a concentration in Health Care from Virginia Commonwealth University after completing a residency with the Bereavement Program of Hospice of Northern Virginia (now called Capital Caring Health). She worked 5 years in an acute care hospital on the Emergency Room and Trauma team, and then 20 years at National Rehabilitation Hospital with patients and families who had gone home with a disability such as brain injury, stroke, or spinal cord injury. Karen rejoined Capital Caring Health’s Bereavement Program in 2011. She enjoys supporting clients and family members and helping them see hope in their loss experience.
Outside of work, Karen enjoys following the Washington Nationals baseball team, volunteering at local theaters, and traveling the world.

Allison Patrick, LCSW

Allison Patrick, MSW grew up in Massachusetts. Allison began her career with Capital Caring Health after graduating with her Master of Social Work from Simmons College. Allison began as an intern at Halquist Memorial Inpatient Unit in 2016. Since then, Allison has served in various roles, but most recently as a bereavement counselor in Western Prince William County, Centreville, and Clifton. Allison has a passion for working with individuals and families while supporting them through the grieving process.
Outside of work, Allison enjoys spending time with her family and friends and cheering on all New England sports teams.

Brooke Johnson, LCSW

Brooke Johnson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has provided support for hospice patients and their loved-ones for over a decade. Brooke has worked in a variety of health care settings and roles, bringing years of experience, empathy, patience, and authenticity to those she serves. She believes in caring for the whole self, integrating the heart, mind, and body into the work of grieving, while honoring each person’s unique set of family, cultural, and spiritual values. Brooke approaches grief through a strength-based lens, honoring loss across the lifespan. She hopes to create a safe space for the expression of grief, sharing of memories, and building meaningful connections.
Inspired by a love for nature and the environment, Brooke brings a natural curiosity about the world to her work and personal life. She enjoys walking, gardening, spending time with family, and fostering kittens in her spare time.

Mike Ridge, LCSW

Mike brings a multifaceted approach to his work as a grief counselor. As a young man, he left film school in New York to become an award-winning television news photographer, whose work took him from the White House to the depths of human suffering. He later graduated from an HBCU, then worked as a broadcast writer and producer. After volunteering with Capital Caring he returned to university for his MSW, becoming first a hospice social worker and now a grief counselor. He is particularly interested in alcoholism & addiction and the effects of trauma. He sees grief as a reflection of love and the most transformational of human experiences.

Kristi DiFilippo, LCSW

Kristi DiFilippo, LCSW, has worked in the field of hospice care for 18 years, working in her role as a grief counselor with Capital Caring Health since 2015. She began her hospice career as a volunteer and has a deep appreciation for the holistic care approach to supporting the dying and their families. With a gentle and compassionate style, Kristi supports the bereaved as a companion along their grief journey in the area of general loss. In her free time, Kristi loves spending time with her husband and three children, two golden retrievers and one cat. You’ll often find her outdoors enjoying the beauty of nature while birdwatching.

Rosemary Viani, LCSW

Rosemary Viani, LCSW has spent the past 20 years serving children and adults in healthcare settings. She has worked as a medical and trauma social worker in hospitals, nursing facilities and in hospice settings. Currently, at Capital Caring Health, she provides grief counseling to hospice patients and their families as well as to bereaved family members in individual and group settings. As a Spanish speaker, Rosemary has specialized in serving Hispanic families. She finds it rewarding and an honor to accompany each individual on their grief journey.
Outside of work, Rosemary enjoys travel, outdoor activities and cooking Italian food with her family.

Roxanne Browning, MSW

Roxanne (Woodward) Browning has worked in hospice for 12 years as a social worker, and more recently as a Grief Counselor. The highlight of her education occurred while studying for multiple Master’s degrees with a psychologist that mentored with Abraham Maslow. In addition, Roxanne has obtained a specialized counseling certification to work with children, teens and adults and an additional Master’s degree in Thanatology with advanced degrees in Psychology and Social Work. Her primary approach when working with grieving clients is to apply the humanistic theory of psychology using empathy and genuineness.
Outside of work, Roxanne enjoys spending time with her husband who is a retired private pilot and military veteran.

Sarah Berry, MSW

Sarah Berry, MSW, has worked in several different capacities doing grief support work. Sarah has experience working with individuals, families, and groups as they navigate the loss of a loved one.
In addition, Sarah facilitates a parent education group for a child advocacy program in the Richmond area. There she continues to advocate the importance of self-care for participants in order for them to best support their children.
Sarah lives in Richmond, VA with her husband and two children.