As Deputy Chief Clinical Officer, Jennifer Walden oversees NCTR’s Assessments and Admissions Department as well as the agency’s Counseling Center outpatient programs.

She previously worked for NCTR from 2004 to 2015, holding multiple clinical positions. After leaving NCTR, she worked as a therapist at Potomac Health Services, before rejoining NCTR.

Jennifer is a licensed professional counselor and licensed substance abuse treatment practitioner and holds a Master of Science in education (community agency counseling) from Old Dominion University. She is also a Certified EMDR Therapist. “I am motivated by the changes I see in our patients every day -- I have the honor of watching our patients bravely confront an often-stigmatized illness.”

Heather El-Zein is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Master of Arts in Addiction Counseling from Liberty University. She began her career in the addiction treatment field in 2020, following a successful 25-year career in the hospitality industry, where she held multiple leadership roles with top-tier hotel companies.

Heather transitioned into the behavioral health field through business development while completing her graduate studies. She completed her LPC residency providing both group and individual therapy with New Paradigm Recovery, where she specialized in Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) services. She also served as Lead Therapist at Sandstone Care’s Detox and Residential Treatment Facility. Heather has extensive experience working with individuals experiencing co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders.

In addition to her work in treatment settings, Heather maintains a private practice with Northern Virginia Counseling Services. She is deeply committed to creating a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental environment where clients feel empowered to be authentic and share their stories. Heather believes that trust and genuine connection are foundational to helping individuals develop greater awareness of the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that impact their ability to function in healthy and meaningful ways.

Heather is also passionate about community service. She helped establish Loudoun Serenity House, a nonprofit organization dedicated to sober living and ongoing peer support for individuals seeking accountability and sustained recovery. She remains actively involved in supporting recovery-focused initiatives throughout Loudoun County.

In her personal life, Heather enjoys spending time with her partner, Blaine, her two grown sons, Ramzy and Gavin, and their dog, Kody.

Susan Spies manages the Office Based Addiction Treatment (OBAT) program at NCTR’s Counseling Center, where she prescribes Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for patients suffering from opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder. She also provides MAT education to patients and staff. She has 20 years of experience in nursing, including nine years in addiction medicine. Prior to her current position she held several positions at NCTR, including family nurse practitioner in the residential programs and director of nursing. Before joining NCTR, she worked for several years at Neighborhood Health, where she provided primary care as a family nurse practitioner. She derives great fulfillment and gratitude from “the patients that check in with me one, two, even three years later to let me know how they're doing and that they are still sober.” Susan holds a master’s in nursing and master’s in public health from Johns Hopkins University.