Our Team
Laura Snyder Brown, MSW
Program Impact Director
Laura (she/her) is honored to support TWI in opening healing, liberatory spaces and promoting resilience for women and members of the LGBTQ+ community. A graduate of Swarthmore College and the University of Connecticut School of Social Work, she has served as a leader for nonprofits in the areas of international grant-making, grassroots women’s organizations, affordable housing, and faith-based intentional community.
Katie Allen, LPC
Pro Bono Therapist
Katie (she/her) is a licensed professional counselor originally from Charlottesville. After obtaining her undergraduate degree at William & Mary and master's in counseling at Boston University, she lived for four years in Pittsburgh, PA, working in community mental health. Back in Charlottesville with her young family, Katie utilizes a combination of dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and other strengths-based approaches to support clients' needs at local outpatient practice.
Danielle Buynak Horner, MFA
Intern
Danielle (she/her) is a current Master of Social Work student at Virginia Commonwealth University. With backgrounds in community-building and creative writing, she is passionate about supporting women's mental health through community, culture, creativity, and meaningful connection. Danielle operates from an anti-oppressive, strengths-based, collaborative, and trauma-informed lens. By blending narrative, empowerment, and compassion-focused modalities, she supports authentic self-discovery by helping people find and create meaning in their lives.
Shelley Faulkner, MA, Ed.S. 🏳️🌈
Therapist
Shelley (she/her) highly values trust and connection for humans to heal, and brings her authentic self and transparency into session to give clients the ability to be fully themselves. She believes through compassion and connection that corrective emotional experiences can occur. Shelley works from an attachment-based, person-centered approach to therapy for people from all walks of life who have experienced trauma, anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, and interpersonal problems.
Rachael LeMasters, LCSW
Pro Bono Therapist
Rachael LeMasters (she/her) graduated from Columbia University with a Master of Social Work degree and received a certificate in family systems theory from the Tavistock and Portman Trust. She has experience working with diverse populations, including families with complex needs and refugees. Using a strengths perspective, Rachael builds an empathic connection with each client. Additionally, she is particularly interested in how systems and relationships interact with individual goals.
Kris Shafer, MA
Pro Bono Therapist
Kris (she/her) is passionate about women empowerment and equity as well as honoring each person's unique perspective and background. She uses a person-centered and trauma informed approach to create connection with and safety for clients. She received her master's degree in counseling from Messiah University and bachelor's in psychology from the University of Virginia. Prior to a career in counseling, Kris served in the military for 21 years.
Maren Ward, LCSW
Pro Bono Therapist
Maren (she/her) has worked in the counseling field for over 20 years, spending the past 15 years focusing on crisis counseling and assessments. At The Women’s Initiative, Maren works to create a therapeutic connection between herself and the client that allows for a safe exploration of the client's challenges as well as current and past relationships while accessing and processing emotions to allow for relief, healing, insight, and growth.