OUR STAFF

Vanessa Vergnetti is the CEO of Sagebrush, and she takes a personal interest in the progress of each client. She is passionately committed to assisting those suffering from addictions, in identifying blockages to health and the joyful experience of life. Creating sacred space where transformation can occur is at the core of her life’s work. Addictions can only be adequately relieved by identifying and addressing the root causes of illness. Restoration of a sense of purpose in one’s life, a deep knowing to who and what they belong, and the knowledge of what their life is about is the central focus of healing.

Dr. Vergnetti holds a Masters Degree in Natural Health and a Doctor of Naturopathy Degree. While she has 20 years of experience in alternative treatments to addictions and other chronic and degenerative disease, she remains a perpetual student of life, healing, spirituality and truth.

Dr. Donald Bartlett is a Board Certified Family Practice physician. He has specialized in Addiction Medicine for the past several years. He received his undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary, and his medical degree from the University of Virginia.

He received his postgraduate residency training in Roanoke, Virginia at Roanoke Memorial Hospital. After returning to the Northern Virginia area, he spent several years in private practice prior to entering the field of Addiction Medicine.

He is currently the Medical Director for a large local community-based Alcohol and Drug Treatment program, and he also has a private Addiction Medicine practice in the Northern Virginia area.

When he is not practicing medicine, Dr. Bartlett enjoys sports, music, and spending time with his family. He coaches his kids’ youth league teams in basketball and soccer, his two favorite sports.

Beth Anne Vinson is a talented and enthusiastic advocate for substance abuse treatment. She has worked for many years to educate and inform her community about the consequences of addiction. She has been walking her own personal journey of recovery for over sixteen years. She believes that healthy change comes from having a positive perspective and her bright smile conveys that in everything she does.

Beth Anne assists clients with the details of getting into treatment, including helping with transportation and meeting particular needs a client may have.

Beth Anne loves raising her daughter Nicole, nature (especially the beach), her many friends, and her family. She is committed to living in peace and harmony with the universe.

Samantha got her start in the culinary world as a high school intern. This internship with Chef Evan Deluty at Restaurant Torch led her to seek her BS in Culinary Arts from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. While in college she received the Georges Perrier Scholar Award inviting her to intern under Chef Georges Perrier at his prestigious five-star restaurant: Le Bec Fin. Samantha attended graduate school in Australia at Le Cordon Bleu’s Gastronomy program at the University of Adelaide. After obtaining an MA she returned to the US in order to pursue culinary education and to promote healthy and wholesome food lifestyles.

In addition to providing tantalizing and delectable meals for the clients at Sagebrush, Samantha works with a non-profit as a teacher; instructing children from low-income backgrounds how to cook wholesome and culturally diverse meals. Although she tries to maintain healthy eating habits herself, Samantha has a weakness for fall-off-the bone BBQ ribs and chocolate milkshakes.

Marisa Gelfand, a Massachusetts native, joins Sagebrush as an Addiction Therapist. A recent Virginia implant, Marisa most recently lived in St. Louis, Missouri, where she served as a substance abuse counselor and grant writer at Queen of Peace Center. Previously, Marisa served as project coordinator on two studies conducted by the Epidemiology and Prevention Research Group at Washington University School of Medicine, both concerning substance use, abuse and dependence. In St. Louis, Marisa volunteered many an hour with the YWCA Sexual Assault Response Team, providing information, support and advocacy for sexual assault survivors.

Marisa completed her Master’s Degree in Community Counseling at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. She received her undergraduate degree from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Marisa enjoys hiking, kayaking, and reading a good novel while sipping a warm cup of hot chocolate!

Jennifer has always had an interest in helping people, particularly with overcoming trauma. She has studied psychology for many years, earning a B.A. in Psychology from Castleton State College in Vermont and her M.A. in Forensic Psychology from Marymount University in Virginia. Her previous experiences have given her a serene outlook on life, allowing her to provide support to clients experiencing difficulties sleeping through the night.

When Jen is not at Sagebrush, she enjoys writing stories and reading a good book. She is always up for traveling, whether it be a road trip to nowhere or exploring another country. On occasion, she can also be found watching the show Dr. Who.

Art therapist and licensed professional counselor Sara Jordan Skowronski, recognizes the true flow of finding rejuvenation through exploring our inner response. Sara then resumes the process through the engagement of outer creation. Letting our inner images be seen helps widen the scope of understanding change and promotes love. Sara gathered her experience in sustainable development and artist expression by way of Washington D.C., Santa Fe, New Mexico, Hawaii and other studies abroad. Her work has been featured in numerous newspaper articles and exhibited in El Museo de Cultural, in Santa Fe.

Sara runs her own business, We are Mosaics, which counsels individuals and families, in addition to facilitating art therapy groups. We are Mosaics helps people put the pieces back together using the healing power of expressive art. Sara also instructs trainings on foundations of art therapy as well as leads community mosaic mural projects. She believes that the empowerment of creative expression is a pathway into our deepest abilities of compassion, understanding, wisdom, love and problem solving. Through these artistic pathways, feelings of care and actions of service are stimulated and supported. Altruistic endeavors are precious and provide room for us to share our inner and outer resources.

Sara Skowronski currently resides in Northern Virginia with her wonderful husband, beautiful daughter and loving dog.

Stacy McMahon has been assisting individuals on their paths to wellness through alternative and integrative healing modalities for the past twenty years. Relentless in her pursuit of whole health for her clients, she assists individuals to find, maintain, and flourish in their own states of peace and tranquility.

Her warmth, gentle approach, humor, and emotional strength create for clients a welcoming atmosphere. Within this safe and nurturing space, clients find she will meet them at their level of comfort, while she assists them in understanding where their belief systems lie. Once this is established, she works with clients encouraging them to set positive goals that will allow them to make the shifts necessary to reach for and obtain the reality of their future healthy selves. Through this work of altering behaviors and thought patterns, her clients find truer purpose to their lives and develop self-reliance in pursuing their greatest potential.

Beth has been practicing healing arts and meditation for over 25 years. At age 11, she found a book on Reflexology in her grandparent’s bookcase. This random event sparked her understanding that we are all energetic beings with an innate ability to heal ourselves. In 1996, after spending many years on her own spiritual and healing journey, she began to work in the field of holistic healing.

Beth’s personal experience working through childhood trauma, loss and fibromyalgia has given her great confidence in the human potential to heal and transform. She brings that knowledge to her work, supporting others as they manage both major and minor life shifts. She believes that every life transition provides an opportunity to increase awareness, uncover new truths and learn to overcome blocks to wholeness.

Working with Beth, clients discover ways to move through their lives with increased grace and consciousness as well as to uncover the big picture of their own journey. As a healer trained in multiple modalities, she offers her clients insights and tools to help them listen more deeply to what is present on all levels - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Her training and certification in holistic modalities includes Shamanic Healing, Bach Flower Remedies, Bodywork & Massage Therapy, Meditation & Mindfulness and Energy Healing. In addition, she holds a B.A. in Psychology/Anthropology and a Certificate in Addictions Counseling.

Board-certified Music Therapist Mary J. Morreale designs original experiences using music, imagery, mandalas and movement to therapeutically assist healing and well-being. Ms. Morreale is certified in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music Therapy. She offers spiritual direction, is a Mandala Assessment Practitioner and has years of experience in Music Ministry. She has a private music therapy practice in Northern VA and has created and produced several piano improvisations and guided meditation CDs.

When not making music, you can find her exploring a new trail in nature, the library or enjoying friends and family.

Mary Normile has been coaching professionally for over 5 years. For the past 30 years, she has studied possibility thinking, sales techniques, personal and business communications, conflict resolution, and many other areas. Her thirst for knowledge has been the driving force inspiring her perseverance to continue to learn and help others. She has invested thousands of hours mastering these life skills.

Her demonstrated ability to find the win-win solutions to life problems has proven successful with many people. She concentrates on spiritual truths to help her clients see their part in the challenges they face. Focus on the truth gives the client the opportunity to change the patterns that no longer serve them or others. Mary uses an innate ability to intuitively see what needs to be addressed helping her to communicate directly, honestly, and openly with her clients.