Mrs. Dayna Kumar

EMDR Certified Therapist

EMDR Consultant

About Me

Clinical Area of Focus: It’s always been a passion of mine to work alongside people through their journey towards healing from a significant trauma, grief and/or internal struggle. The journey can be hard at times, but with the right support, both internally and externally, the outcome and relief is rewarding. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) holding certification in attachment theory, and am a certified Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist. My main focus is to strengthen the core part of self while re-processing internal dialogue, memories and somatic responses related to distress or trauma. This is achieved through family therapy, attachment theory, Ego-State/Internal Family Systems (IFS) interventions, mindfulness strategies, psychodynamic theory, somatic interweaves, and EMDR. In the two last decades of my work, I have worked predominantly with people who’ve experienced domestic violence, physical and sexual abuse, and have survived a significant trauma. I have also worked extensively with parents who have adopted both domestically and internationally on establishing a secure attachment with their children. Expert Witness: I believe that healing doesn’t occur on just an internal level, and that it’s important for my clients to receive advocacy, education and support on a multi-disciplinary level with their providers, school representatives, and in the judicial system. I serve as an Expert Witness in cases of domestic violence, sexual assault and physical abuse with both children and adults. This work is done collaboratively with another treatment provider. For children going through divorce, I have worked with thier parents' lawyers to provide therapeutic recommendations during the separation - however, I am not licensed or state certified to provide custodial evaluations. I have also worked in the Universities to provide Contributory Health Impairment (CHI) assessments for university students who’ve undergone a violation of the Honor Code that is linked to a mental health diagnosis, and provide trauma evaluations for survivors walking through a Title IX process. EMDRIA Approved Consultant and Board Supervisor: Having a strong focus in trauma, attachment and dissociative disorders, I believe it’s vital to train/consult with other clinicians in these areas of expertise. I am an EMDRIA approved consultant for EMDR, currently accepting clinicians for individual and group consultation groups for certification and basic training requirements. I consult on cases of dissociative identity disorder, reactive attachment disorder and complex trauma. I am also a Clinical Supervisor for recent graduates and clinicians working towards their hours for licensure in the state of Virginia.

Education & Experience

MS, Educational Psychology - Community Counseling, UW-Milwaukee May 2010 BA, Communication and Women's Studies, certificate in LGBT studies, UW-Milwaukee May 2008

Professional & Volunteer Affiliations

Central Virginia Trauma Response Network HAP

Specialty Area

  • Abuse/Neglect
  • Anxiety/Panic Attacks
  • Attachment Disorders
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Birth Trauma/Pregnancy Loss
  • Chronic Illness/Medical Issues
  • Chronic Pain
  • Depression
  • Dissociative Disorders
  • Domestic Violence
  • Family Issues
  • Gender Identity
  • Grief/Loss/Mourning
  • Marriage/Relationship Issues
  • Mood Disorders
  • Personality Disorders
  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Race, Culture, Ethnicity Issues
  • Self-Harm
  • Sexual Abuse
  • Somatic Issues
  • Stress Management
  • Survivor's Guilt
  • Traumatic Incident

Population Served

  • Adolescents (13-17)
  • Adults
  • Children (4-12)
  • Families
  • First Responders
  • Immigrants
  • LGBTQ+
  • Seniors
  • Underserved

Language

  • English

Insurance

  • Aetna
  • BlueCross BlueShield
  • Cigna
  • Magellan Health
  • Medicaid
  • UnitedHealth