Meet the Team
Palesa A. Osei-Tutu, CCTP, LCSW
Palesa Osei-Tutu is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 24 years in the field of behavioral health and social work. She is a Ghanaian-American who was born in Maseru, Lesotho and moved to the United States with her parents at a young age. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2001 where she received her Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology with a minor in Sociology and graduated from Howard University with her Master’s in Social Work in 2004. She has worked in various arenas of social work and behavioral health to include local and federal government as well as private for profit and faith-based non-profit. She has worked as a foster care social worker, school based and community based therapist, Acting Chief of an adolescent partial hospitalization program, with military and Director of an outpatient client. She has been the liaison for grant programs and revamped struggling behavioral health programs. On July 1, 2022, she took a leap of faith and started her own business, Sit Awhile & Heal LLC. Her current clinical focus is clinical supervision(providing support and training to social work supervisees to obtain their clinical licenses, providing group, individual and couples counseling, as well as speaking engagements, workshops and coaching/professional consultation services to licensed providers. Palesa is an avid hiker, foodie and traveler. Her love for these three things have led her to many parts of the world for cooking and dining experiences and resulted in her monetizing another passion of her travel. She has a second business, TravelSoul LLC, that focuses on travel to the Caribbean and Africa, with heavy emphasis on tours in Ghana. She plans on using both businesses together for retreats that focus on wellness, healing and personal development in the the future.
Nataly Amurrio Sejas, LCSW--Therapist
Say hello to Nataly Amurrio Sejas!
When Nataly initially joined our practice 2 years ago she was a MSW supervisee working towards her license. We are happy to announce that she is officially an LCSW for the state of Virginia!
Nataly has worked with children and families for over 20 years in the fields of child welfare, schools and mental health. She has a special interest in working with children, adolescents, young adults and others in need of support through various life stages. As a therapist, she is attentive, warm, and empathetic with a kind disposition. Nataly is dedicated to building a trusting therapeutic relationship with individuals of various backgrounds before addressing personal challenges and helping them build on their strengths to move forward.
She received her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from George Mason University and a Master’s in Social Work from New York University. Nataly is a native of Bolivia, who immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 4 and grew up in Northern Virginia. Nataly is bilingual(speaks English and Spanish fluently). She has a wealth of knowledge and understanding in serving black and brown families, particularly youth.
Nataly is feeling invigorated and open to new clients at this time. We are so honored to have her support at Sit Awhile & Heal LLC. She is another social worker that embodies our mission to create a space of healing, safety and growth.
Rougui Toure, MSW--Therapist
Introducing.......Rougui Toure! She is a therapist with dual master’s degrees in social work and human rights. She speaks several languages to include: French, Wolof, Fulani, English, and Spanish. Rougui's practice is deeply informed by an understanding that mental health doesn’t exist in a vacuum—it lives within the rhythm of our culture, the legacy of our stories, and the systems that shape our everyday lives.
Rougui is passionate about supporting people of color, people of faith, immigrants, LGBTQ+ folks, and those navigating intergenerational wounds. But above all, she is open to working with everyone regardless of their origins. Rougui describes therapy with her as a space to "hold your truth". She specializes in helping individuals and families heal from trauma by tapping into their own resources of connection, creativity, and compassion. Whether using play therapy to help a child express what words can't, or family therapy to rebuild trust and communication at home, every session is approached with a trauma-informed lens and an open heart.
Healing doesn’t have to look like a straight line. Sometimes it looks like storytelling, laughter, tears, boundaries, or learning to feel safe in your body again. In Rougui's words, "I’m here to help you get there, one brave step at a time." We are honored to have Rougui support our mission and vision of giving individuals a place to "Sit Awhile & Heal".
Nayna Rizk, LCSW--Therapist
Introducing........Nayna Rizk!
Nayna is a social worker with a decade of experience as a child, adolescent and family social worker. Nayna is a South Asian immigrant, who started her professional career life in journalism and communications before embarking on her journey into the field of social work.
She has a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Oklahoma State University, a Master’s degree in Journalism as well as a Master's of Social Work degree with a concentration in clinical practice from Emerson College. She recently passed her clinical exam and is now a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
Nayna spent the first seven years of her social work career as a child welfare worker in the City of Alexandria. She advocated for and worked hard to reunify and support families engaged in the system. Since 2023, she has worked as a social worker at Alexandria City High School and has provided some outpatient therapy. Nayna is excited to continue to support children and adolescents. She is a passionate advocate for mental health and currently sponsors a student mental health club.
Nayna believes in a holistic approach towards therapy. She offers therapy that engages the "whole person" and reflects the context of their life, the challenges and changes they are facing. She strives to use a race and social equity approach as a culturally competent provider. She works with diverse populations and has experience counseling children, adolescents, adults; survivors of domestic violence and individuals facing family separation, grief and loss.
Sit Awhile & Heal is honored to have another advocate of healing on our team. Please give a warm welcome to Nayna!
Carla Rosado -- Practice Manager
Carla Rosado is our wonderful Practice Manager at Sit Awhile & Heal in Woodbridge, Virginia. Carla has worked in office management and billing in various industries over the last 25+ years. However, more than half of her experience has been as an Office Manager/Medical Billing Specialist in the mental health field. Carla is also a Mental Health Advocate, Mental Health First Aider and a Reiki practitioner. She is passionate about supporting clinicians that are culturally competent and making the administrative/billing load of providers lighter so we can continue to take insurance and serve more people.
Carla lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, children and several pets. In her free time, she enjoys spending time in nature, meditating and mentoring teens and young adults. We would not be able to continue to take insurance without Carla's support!
