Field of Expertise
- Trauma
- Personality
- Perinatal Mental Health
Licensure and Certification
- National Certified Counselor
- Licensed Professional Counselor, Virginia
- Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Maryland
- Approved Clinical Supervisor
- Certified Traumatologist
- Perinatal Mental Health Professional
- School Counselor, Maryland
Biography
Dr. DiLella has worked in a variety of clinical settings with most of her practice focusing on clients recovering from trauma and personality disorders. She’s completed Level 1 and 2 training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy to provide services to couples using this empirically supported treatment approach. Additionally, she has earned certification as a Perinatal Mental Health Professional (PMH-C) to more effectively provide therapy to perinatal/postpartum women and their families. She is a nationally certified counselor, licensed as a professional counselor in the states of Virginia and Maryland, an approved clinical supervisor, and a certified traumatologist through the Green Cross Academy of Traumatology. As needed, she is deployed through the Green Cross to both domestic and international disaster sites (such as when Hurricane Sandy struck in N.J. in 2012, when Typhoon Yolanda hit the Philippines in 2013, and most recently to Charlottesville, VA in August 2017), to provide clinical and supervision services to those affected by these horrendous events.
Previously, Dr. DiLella served as the director of a college counseling center where she provided clinical services to college students and supervision to other counselors and interns. Dr. DiLella’s clinical experience also includes private practice, work as a school counselor, and work at non-profit community agencies. Her research interests mirror her clinical interests: personality and personality pathology, trauma, religious crisis/spiritual struggles, sexuality, and self-compassion. Additionally, she has served the wider profession as a member and sub-group leader for the American Counseling Association’s (ACA) presidential task force to develop counselor competencies for trauma, crisis, and disaster mental health. Dr. DiLella completed her doctoral degree in a program that uniquely emphasized the integration of religion and spirituality into research, education, supervision, and clinical work; she thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to practically apply the principles of this integration in her various professional roles.