Meet The Team
Clinical Director
Michelle Mays, LPC, CSAT-S
Michelle Mays is a Licensed Professional Counselor and expert in treating sexual betrayal and trauma. She is the author of the new book The Betrayal Bind: How to Heal When the Person You Love the Most Has Hurt You the Worst and she is the founder of the Relational Recovery Institute in Northern Virginia outside of DC. Michelle has created The Attachment-Focused Partner Betrayal Model™ to address the devastating dilemma that betrayed partners face when their significant other is unsafe to connect to, yet connection is the key to healing.
Michelle is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor in both Virginia and Washington DC, and a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist and Supervisor. She is trained by Pia Mellody in the Post Induction Therapy model for treating developmental trauma and is currently completing her PhD in Clinical Sexology.
Clinical Associates
Bruce Butler, LPC, CSAT
Bruce Butler is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Virginia. He is a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist and is certified in Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples.
Bruce specializes in working with couples who are struggling with issues such as communication problems, betrayal or infidelity, and sexual addiction. Bruce works from an attachment perspective helping couples to create emotional safety, deep bonding and connection within the relationship.
Bruce received his Masters in Counseling in 2010 from Liberty University. He is a member of the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals, the Northern Virginia Licensed Professional Counselors Association, the American Association of Christian Counselors, and the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy.
Laurie Barton, LPC, CSAT
Laurie Barton earned her Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology in 2004 at Argosy University in Washington, D.C. Laurie specializes in working with complex trauma, addiction, codependence, anxiety, depression, and relational issues.
Laurie’s passion is to bring healing, renewal, and wholeness to individuals and relationships. She works from psychodynamic, attachment, and humanistic perspectives and also integrates insights from interpersonal neurobiology as it relates to childhood trauma and relational dynamics.
Prior to joining the Relational Recovery Institute, Laurie worked in community mental health, where she specialized in working with adolescents and adults with substance dependence and co-occurring mental illness.
Laurie is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and the Northern Virginia Licensed Professional Counselors Association. She is also a trained facilitator in HeartSync, a faith-based approach to emotional healing, and is a Metro DC Leader for HeartSync Ministrie
Administrative Team
Angela Cook, Business Operations Manager
Angela Cook is the Business Operations Manager for the Relational Recovery Institute and PartnerHope. Angela brings over 15 years of Operations Management experience to the team. Prior to joining CRR and PH, Angela served as the Director of Operations for Silver Eagle Group, LLC, Head of Operations for Fundation Group LLC as well as, the Director of Customer Service for E*TRADE Financial.
Angela holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Radford University. She currently resides in Winchester, Virginia where she enjoys time with her husband (Mike), cat (DK), and 2 dogs (Chip, a German Shepherd, and Bella, an Olde English Bulldog).
