Real People. Deep Expertise. True Compassion.
At Behavior Care, our team of therapists and clinical professionals brings years of experience and hearts committed to healing. Each member of our staff is here because they believe in walking with people—not ahead of them.
Our team has the credentials and experience to help you successfully navigate your mental health journey. Our mission is to walk with you toward hope, healing, and freedom.
Whether you are meeting with us in person or online, you will experience care that is grounded in respect, clinical excellence, and unwavering compassion.
David Pate, MS, LCMHC, LCAS
David is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Clinical Additions Specialist, and certified Clinical Supervisor, with over twenty-five years of experience in a broad range of counseling settings. In private practice since 1997, David embraces a holistic perspective in assisting individuals and families from a wide variety of backgrounds and faiths in dealing with their emotional, spiritual and relational struggles, helping them to break free from the obstacles that have kept them from living productive and satisfying lives. David works with families, couples, and individuals, from preteen years through older adulthood.
His Services include:
- Substance Use and Addiction Issues
- Relational Challenges
- Spiritual Direction
- Trauma Resolution
- Stress Management and Reduction
- Grief and Loss
- Chronic Mental Health Issues
Rachel Reiland, MSW, LCSW, LCAS
Rachel is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist with over 10 years of experience in a variety of clinical settings and with all ages. Rachel’s passion is working with individuals, families, and couples to establish and restore healthy relationships. She enjoys helping people clarify and work toward their goals so they can live their lives to the fullest.
Her Services include:
- Relationship, family, and marriage difficulties
- Coping with life transitions
- Stress management and reduction
- Substance use and addiction issues
- Depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder
- Chronic mental illness
Paula Evans, MSW, LCSW
Paula Evans is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in North Carolina and a graduate of the Joint Masters of Social Work program with UNCG and NCA&T. She has over 11 years experience as a behavioral health clinician and has worked in a variety of integrated healthcare, community-based clinics. She finds it humbling and gratifying to develop that trusting and collaborative relationship with her clients, helping them learn more about themselves, their strengths, areas of challenge and desired changes, then assisting them in creating short and long-term goals that meet their desired wants and needs. Paula recognizes people are doing their best, and with a few additional tools and techniques (and a person they can safely open up to), they can identify and work on contributing patterns, then making needed changes that lead to growth, reduced stress, and improve day to day life.
Some of Paula’s areas of interest include anxiety, depression, and bipolar, helping people answer the question “Who am I?”, self-esteem and relationship issues, navigating life transitions, coping with separation and divorce, stress and anger management, trauma/Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and grief and loss. She also values and enjoys integrating spiritual beliefs into the therapeutic process when desired.
Paula utilizes a holistic approach that includes client’s biological, psychological, social, and spiritual areas of life. She uses a strength-based approach and a blend of therapy styles, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Person-Centered, Solution-Focused, and Strengths Perspective.
When she’s not at work , she enjoy’s time with her husband of over 27 years, logic puzzles, her family and pets, and traveling.
Byron Zelenak, MA, LMFT
The problems you’re experiencing may seem overwhelming, but they can provide an opportunity for you to change your life for the better. Seeking out help is an important step toward dealing with the problems that have kept you from thinking, feeling, and relating to others the way you want. I enjoy helping individuals, couples, and families who are experiencing a variety of challenges. My two primary areas of focus and expertise are working with clients who are experiencing problems in their relationships, and those who are going through a transition in their life that is creating stress.
My approach assists you in developing a broader, more positive sense of self. In turn, you will become better equipped to cope with life’s challenges. I’ll also help you to perceive how your relationships have shaped you, and recognize how you can alter their patterns in positive ways.
If you wish to examine how spirituality shapes your life, I provide an environment in which you can clarify your ideals and values while respecting your religious identity and traditions. I would be honored to serve in helping you find a better way to live.
Saundra Grant Cromer, MS, LCMHC, LCAS-A
Have you ever thought “why am I here,” “everyone would be better off if I wasn’t here.” Well, you are not alone! As hard as it may be to believe in this moment, you are not here by accident and have a purpose! In my practice, I believe that therapy is a “joint effort” with you and I working together to discover your path to inner peace and emotional regulation to see yourself as strong, powerful, and worthy of love. It is completely normal to feel overwhelmed, unseen, unheard, or just stuck, regardless of who we are or our profession. I see you and I hear you, let me walk with you on this journey of self-discovery.
My work is grounded in eclectic theoretical orientations; drawing significantly upon Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which focuses on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and Dialectical Behavior Therapy which focuses on emotional regulation, improving relationships, and coping with challenging situations.
I offer online therapy to clients across North Carolina, so you can access support from wherever you are. I encourage you to reach out and I’ll walk you through what to expect in working with me and help you decide if I am the right fit for you. You don’t have to figure it out alone—let’s take the first step together.
Dale Slaughter Jr., LCMHC
Dale has over 15 years of experience in the mental health profession in a wide variety of both private practice and community-based settings. His expertise is his work with children, adolescents, and adults, providing individual and family therapy. He has a wealth of experience helping with symptoms related to mood disorders. A major focus in his work is in helping with parenting issues, working through family conflict, and dealing with blended family dynamics. He assists in modification of unhealthy behaviors, and assisting clients through their grief and bereavement difficulties, as well as recovery from trauma.
Dale’s orientation to counseling is based on systems theory, and family systems therapies like Structural therapy and Strategic Family Therapy. He also employs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as well as Trauma Focused CBT when needed. Person-Centered Therapy and Reality Therapy techniques are often used in his practice.
Dale enjoys spending time outside of work with his beloved wife Nikky of 17 years, and their three wonderful children. Dale’s strong faith in Christ empowers his clinical work and the compassion taught through the Bible flows through his life, working equally effectively with people of all faiths and walks of life.
A. Dawn O. Sherrill, MSW, LCSW
April Dawndee “Dawn” Orr Sherrill has worked in the mental health field since 2000 while she was still attending her undergraduate program. She has provided direct care to individuals living with intellectual disabilities, worked in case management with at risk youth prior to the mental health reform in 2005. Prior to joining Behavior Care, PLLC, Dawn has worked (and is currently working) for Salisbury Veteran Affairs Medical Center. The majority of Dawn’s experience was with Mobile Crisis Management. She was one of the first qualified professionals on the team and was key stakeholder in the development of the program in the company. She spent approximately 5 years serving her community, attending to the mental health and substance use crisis for both adults and children in the thirteen counties being served. Dawn joined Salisbury Veteran Affairs Medical Center after her internship in 2014 where she worked as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate with the Mental Health Intense Case Management (MHICM) program. She then transferred to Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) in 2016 where she has been providing individual, group, and couples counseling. She transferred to the VISN 6 MH Telehub in March 2021 and has been working with Behavior Care, PLLC since early 2024.
Dawn received her Bachelor of Science (Psychology) in 2003 from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. In 2014 she graduated from the Joint Master of Social Work program through the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University in Greensboro, NC with a Master of Social Work. She is trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicide Prevention, Problem Solving Therapy for Suicide Prevention, Integrated Behavioral Couples Therapy (IBCT), and received extensive training in Cognitive Processing Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused Therapy, Psychoanalytic Theory, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Dawn is also certified in Crisis Intervention and Crisis Management and has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 2016.
When Dawn is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, two daughters, and dog. When weather permits, they are usually out doors in the mountains or at a local park, soaking up the fresh air and sun.
Amanda Marvin, LCSW, LCAS
Amanda Marvin is a licensed social worker and a licensed addictions counselor with 10 years of experience in behavioral health, working in a community-based setting. She enjoys helping people strive for health and healing while working towards positive growth. Her areas of specialty include counseling teens and adults who struggle with mood and anxiety disorders, depression, anxiety, stress and trauma, parenting, relationships, and life transitions. She is especially skilled in assisting with perinatal-related difficulties.
Amanda believes that a trusting, collaborative partnership between a client and their therapist lies at the core of effective treatment, and works from the assumption that people are the experts on their own lives, and that most of us are doing the best we can with the tools available to us. Her strengths lie in assisting her clients in developing tools and learning how to apply them effectively.
Her method of treatment employs a holistic approach, serving as an agent of change, utilizing a strength-based, eclectic approach. She employs a combination of techniques from Person-Centered therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapies, Mindfulness, and the Triple P-Positive Parenting Program. Using these approaches she is highly effective in assisting her clients in learning new coping skills to help manage the twists and turns of their lives.
Ilene Fisher, M. Ed., LCMHC, BCC
Ilene received her undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas in 1998 and subsequently earned her Master’s in Education in Mental Health Counseling in 2003. She became a licensed professional counselor in 2006 and has spent the past twenty years serving the community’s childhood population in various roles. Throughout her career, Ilene has consulted in early childcare settings and a medical pediatric office, facilitated child social skills groups and parent education programs, and conducted home visits and professional development training sessions. In addition to these experiences, she holds a certificate as a Professional School Counselor and is a Board-Certified Coach in Family Life Education.
Ilene specializes in working with children under the age of 12 and is passionate about the therapeutic power of play to help children navigate challenges. By providing a safe space for self-expression, she builds strong connections with both her clients and their families. She uses a blend of child-centered and therapist-directed activities, integrating attachment-focused and sensory-based approaches to support each child’s unique needs. Ilene approaches her work through a trauma-informed lens and welcomes diverse family structures into her practice, ensuring an inclusive and supportive environment for all families.
Valerie Lavoie, BSN, AGNP Nurse Practitioner
Valerie Lavoie is a certified Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner with expertise in providing exceptional quality care in multiple medical disciplines. She is a certified Substance Use Disorder provider. She works with patients with substance use disorder (including Suboxone, Vivitrol, Zubsolv, and Subutex) as well as other psychiatric disorders (depression, ADHD, women’s issues, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and chronic mental illness). Valerie is trilingual with fluency in English, French and Spanish.
Her services include:
- Depression
- ADHD
- Women’s issues
- Anxiety
- Bipolar Disorder
- Chronic Mental Illness
- Follow Up Care For Substance Use Disorder
- PMAD (Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorder)
Rebecca Pate
Rebecca brings over 25 years of experience in customer care and administrative leadership to her role as Office Administrator and Co-Owner of our practice. Her career has spanned a wide range of fields—including payroll, human resources, and employee benefits.
Her commitment to serving others led her into the financial industry, where she spent nearly a decade progressing from the contact center into consumer lending, mortgage, and home equity servicing.
Rebecca now serves as our Office Administrator, sharing Behavior Care’s vision: to create a space where both clients and therapists feel genuinely valued, supported, and appreciated.
Outside of work, Rebecca enjoys going to concerts with her husband, David, hiking and crafting with her friends, and paddle boarding with her Yorkie, Daisy.
John Creason
John serves as the friendly first point of contact for new and returning clients at our practice. A 2023 graduate of Walter Hines Page High School, John is currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science. He brings compassion, patience, and exceptional attention to detail to his work, ensuring that each client’s experience begins with warmth and understanding.
Known for his kindness and strong sense of care, John excels in helping clients feel heard and supported as they begin their therapeutic journey. Outside of work, John is a passionate musician who enjoys playing the saxophone and exploring all kinds of music. When he’s not studying or performing, he loves spending time outdoors hiking and camping, and relaxing with his friends and his dog, Daisy.