Counseling Staff

Melanie Geddings-Hayes,
LCSW-C
Director of Clinical Services
202-629-0204

Melanie Geddings-Hayes, LCSW-C

Director of Clinical Services

Melanie joined the team at Adoptions Together in December 2020 as the Director of Clinical Services.She serves in a leadership role providing oversight to the counseling, family finding, and training programs. Melanie has extensive experience in child welfare in both public and private agencies. She holds both her bachelors and masters degree in Social Work. She has worked as a Social Worker in Family Preservation, Reunification/Foster Care, Adoption, Custody & Guardianship, Post Adoption, Outpatient Mental Health Center, and as the Director of Residential Services at a Maryland based child placement agency. She is a licensed clinical Social Worker, board approved supervisor, certified residential child care program administrator, and holds a certification as a clinical trauma professional. Melanie is a life long learner and has taken extensive training in trauma informed care, grief and loss, motivational interviewing, and treating self-destructive behavior with trauma survivors.

Weberlyn Dossen, LMSW
Intake Coordinator
202-629-0205

Weberlyn Dossen, LMSW

Intake Coordinator

Weberlyn is responsible for intakes, conducting psycho-social assessments, problem identification, treatment planning, and pairing clients with a therapist that will best fit their needs. Weberlyn has spent 3 years working with adults, adolescents, and families as an advocate for individuals involved with the Philadelphia Family Court and as a therapist in Primary Care Office settings. Her areas of expertise include acute trauma, women’s health, depression, anxiety, grief, PTSD with or without psychotic features, substance use disorder, unmanaged chronic illness, intuitive eating/ fitness, and truancy. She loves to cycle, roller skate, dance, drink tea, travel, make plant-based recipes, and watch old episodes of Hey Arnold and The Office. Life is about healing and learning how to love and accept ourselves. Her aim is to have everyone feel heard, understood, loved, and accepted.

Erica Moltz, MA, NCC
Master Clinical Trainer
301-439-2900

Erica Moltz, MA, NCC

Master Clinical Trainer

Erica has been part of the Adoptions Together team for 20 years. Her specialty is supporting families to achieve permanency. As a Master Clinical Trainer and Coach she facilitates workshops and support groups for parents and professionals nationally and internationally. Her core topics of interest include trauma, attachment, FASD, mindfulness, open adoption, stress management, and grief and loss.

Delois Pearsall,
LMSW, LCSW-C
Counseling Specialist
410-402-1104

Delois Pearsall, LMSW, LCSW-C

Counseling Specialist

Delois Pearsall, LMSW, LCSW-C, joined FamilyWorks Together in April 2017 as a Counseling Specialist (Therapist) for the Baltimore City Department of Social Services’ Permanency Program. She entered the field of social work in 2004, after a lengthy career in Information Systems Management in the private sector. Delois’ experience in public child welfare, school social work, and her business acumen, have equipped her in providing excellent counseling services and customer service to her clientele. Delois is an adoption competent, attachment focused, and trauma informed therapist with FamilyWorks Together, serving clients in Maryland. In her spare time, Delois is a history buff and enjoys reading, writing, traveling and spending time with family and friends. She hopes to release her 2nd published work in 2020.

Cynthia Rivers
Program Specialist, FamilyWorks Together
202-536-1147

Cynthia Rivers

Program Specialist, FamilyWorks Together

Cynthia Rivers joined Adoptions Together in 2014 to support our permanency services programs and is now the FamilyWorks Together Counseling Program Specialist. She brings with her 17-years of dynamic administrative and information management experience in the private, government, and non-profit sectors. Her contributions are indispensable to the operation of our Counseling program. Prior to AT, she was the Data Supervisor for Educational Data Systems, Inc. She has a strong interest in ethnology and is currently enrolled at UMGC, pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science. Outside of work, Cynthia enjoys time with her family- outdoors, at science and cultural events, and being creative.

Staff Therapists

For over 25 years, as part of Adoptions Together/FamilyWorks Together, Erica Moltz, MA, NCC has supported families to achieve permanency, build the bonds of attachment and help their children heal from trauma As a Master Clinical Trainer, she also facilitates workshops for parents and professionals in the U.S. and internationally about trauma, attachment, FASD, stress management, mindfulness, adoption/ foster care and transracial adoption. Ms. Moltz graduated from Ohio State University with a BA in Sociology and then achieved a master’s degree from the University of Maryland in Community Counseling. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Delois Pearsall, LMSW, LCSW-C, joined FamilyWorks Together in April 2017 as a Counseling Specialist (Therapist) for the Baltimore City Department of Social Services’ Permanency Program. She entered the field of social work in 2004, after a lengthy career in Information Systems Management in the private sector. Delois’ experience in public child welfare, school social work, and her business acumen, have equipped her in providing excellent counseling services and customer service to her clientele. Delois is an adoption competent, attachment focused, and trauma informed therapist with FamilyWorks Together, serving clients in Maryland. In her spare time, Delois is a history buff and enjoys reading, writing, traveling and spending time with family and friends. She hopes to release her 2nd published work in 2020.

Haley Peterson, LGSW, works in FamilyWorks Together’s Permanency Family Center in Washington, DC as their Full-time Therapist. Haley is an adoption competent, attachment focused, and trauma informed therapist with FamilyWorks Together, serving clients in DC. She provides individual, family, and group therapy for children, adolescents, and parents who are navigating the child-welfare system by providing honest, collaborative, and compassionate therapy. Haley has been in a social service role for 8 years working in many different modalities in an effort expand her knowledge and exposure to the best interventions for children and their families. Haley received her Bachelor’s Degree at Rollins College, and completed her Master’s Degree in Social Work at Fordham University. Her main areas of interest are trauma informed care, attachment, resilience, and environmental factors. When she not working, she enjoys spending time with family, friends, and her dog.

Roberta Rinker has been a social worker for over 20 years, serving children, youth and their families. While she is currently a professional at the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), she is the former Director of Clinical Services at Adoptions Together/FamilyWorks Together. As part of her leadership role at Adoptions Together, she provided oversight to the counseling, family finding, and training programs. She has extensive experience and training in working with children, adolescents and young adult survivors of complex trauma and their families. She encourages youth and their families as well as the professionals who support them to remember that healing from complex trauma is a journey, not a race, and healing is possible. Roberta is an adoption-competent, attachment-focused, and trauma-informed therapist with FamilyWorks Together, serving clients in Maryland and DC. Roberta is an adolescent and young adult specialist. In her free time, Roberta enjoys traveling internationally, spending time with family and friends, and her dogs.

Cynthia Rivers joined Adoptions Together in 2014 to support our permanency services programs and is now the FamilyWorks Together Counseling Program Specialist. She brings with her 17-years of dynamic administrative and information management experience in the private, government, and non-profit sectors. Her contributions are indispensable to the operation of our Counseling program. Prior to AT, she was the Data Supervisor for Educational Data Systems, Inc. She has a strong interest in ethnology and is currently enrolled at UMGC, pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science. Outside of work, Cynthia enjoys time with her family- outdoors, at science and cultural events, and being creative.

Cheryl Roberts-Samsingh, LCSW-C, is an adoption competent, attachment focused, and trauma informed therapist with FamilyWorks Together, serving clients in Maryland. She has been working with children and families as a therapist for 30 years. Cheryl is a foreign national who was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies. She migrated to the United States following her graduation from Howard University, where she received her Master’s Degree in Social Work with a concentration in Child and Family Services. Cheryl also received a Post Graduate Certification in Children and Family therapy through Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic and completed an Attachment Training Certificate with Adoptions Together. She has extensive experience and training working with children with behavioral issues, developmental disabilities and psychological trauma. Additionally, she has received advanced training in family therapy and is a certified practitioner of hypnosis and neuro-linguistic programming. She also belongs to the International Association for Trauma Professionals. Cheryl is a life-long learner. She continues to attend conferences, develop curriculum and present at conferences. She reads extensively about new treatment techniques and strategies to help children and families to improve their relationships, facilitate improved understanding and address behavioral challenges. Cheryl enjoys spending time with her adult children and family.

Sheryl Walden is a Clinical Licensed Social Worker with a Master of Social Work from Boston University. Sheryl has experience working with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families in office, home, hospital, and community-based settings as well as families involved in the child welfare system. Sheryl believes each family is unique but all experience times when therapy can provide added support, increased communication and greater understanding of family dynamics. Sheryl has been married for 30+ years and a native to California.