Staff at Therapeutic Alliance

Alkesh Patel is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Therapeutic Alliance LLC. He leads a mental health in-home agency based in Virginia whose primary purpose is to counsel children and teens that may be at risk for out-of-home placement. After spending over a decade working at a community level with under-served and underprivileged adults, youths and families, Alkesh knows what truly drives change. His desire is to serve grounded; in open communication, a culture of sharing, and most importantly, trust in the therapeutic relationship.

Alkesh was born on July 4th and has always believed that date to be symbolic to him achieving the “American Dream”. He embodies the ideal of success and prosperity through hard work, determination and initiative. He held a variety of increasingly responsible positions as a clinician, supervisor and director in the Northern Virginia area. His passion and devotion shines through his employees and the clients Therapeutic Alliance serves.

Alkesh is a member of the American Counseling Association and is a Virginia Board Certified Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC). He holds a Master of Education in Multicultural Counseling and Advocacy from George Mason University.

Email Alkesh Patel

My passion in life is being able to help empower others and make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. I am grateful that I have been able to find a company like Therapeutic Alliance that shares the same vision. I received my Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2018. During my undergrad, I had a partime job working as a teacher in a classroom of children and a few students with special needs. This experience taught me that all children, including those with special needs, are capable of becoming more independent with the right type of support and I was excited to continue seeking out a career that further aided this population.

At Therapeutic Alliance, I have the pleasure of working with a team of amazing and dedicated professionals who are passionate about serving our clients in the community. I truly believe that real change begins in the home. I have been directly involved in the therapeutic process and there’s nothing like seeing your client make progress in therapy, it is an incredibly rewarding experience. As Assistant Site Director, I am driven to lead my team to success and ensure that support is being provided every step of the way.

I enjoy spending quality time with my friends and family. Some of my favorite pastimes include getting out and enjoying nature, trying out new recipes, catching up on my favorite tv shows and immersing myself in a good book!

Email Sara Sirak

My name is Victoria Owens and I am the Site Director of our Fredericksburg, Falls Church, and Manassas locations. I am constantly striving for greater mental healthcare awareness and accessibility. I have always had a passion for helping others, especially those who have been overlooked, ignored, or otherwise would not have a voice. I believe that there is so much more to the individuals in the populations that we serve- they are multifaceted with many layers that simply need to be pulled back. Pulling back those layers and treating our clients like the humans that they are is what gives me the greatest joy in my work. Empowering our clients is the name of the game!

I graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and began my career with Therapeutic Alliance in June 2020 as a behavioral technician/QMHP hybrid. With my effective communication skills and dedication to our clients, I was swiftly promoted to the Field Assistant position which allowed me to not only offer additional support to our technicians, but also to work with even more clients and their families. During my time as a Field Assistant, I got to experience a team that had a desire to learn and grow with their clients. I quickly realized that the level of commitment to our clients from the therapeutic staff here is unmatched. As an Assistant Site Director, I am looking forward to growing our location both with clients that need our help and with passionate staff that have a desire to answer the call.

In my free time, I enjoy pour-painting, singing karaoke, and anything crafty. I have also been known to whip up a mean cheesecake!

Email Victoria Owens

Tomeca is the Site Director at the Hampton Roads, Lynchburg, and Roanoke locations. Beginning as a small child, I had a passion for helping others. I knew I wanted to help others, to empower voices that weren’t always heard. I became a teacher so that no child with whom I came into contact would be silenced. In this position, I saw increasing mental health and behavioral health needs and I yearned to help them, but I knew they needed more attention than they could get in a classroom. After twelve years of teaching, I decided I needed to be in the mental and behavioral health field. I worked with clients directly for six years, honing my skills and learning to help others in the field. I knew then that I wanted to help adults change the world, one client at a time. Therapeutic Alliance has given me this opportunity.

I pride myself on being a leader in the truest sense of the word. I surround myself with others who also have a passion for empowering others. When we have power, we must share it with others to help them be successful, this is how we better the world. I do my best to be kind, supportive, and understanding, not just to our clients but to our technicians who are changing lives every day. In our ever-changing world it is important to continue to learn and grow ourselves so that we can help each new generation learn and grow. I find the more I teach those I lead, the more I learn from them as well, and it is a privilege to watch them develop and strengthen skills that will better the world, one person at a time.

Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family, whether at a sporting event, dance competition or watching a movie!

Email Tomeca Paige

Andrea L. Strope, M.S., BCBA, LBA, LBS is excited to be in the role of Compliance Director for Therapeutic Alliance. Andrea is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who has been in the field for 15 years, and with Therapeutic Alliance for over 3 years. Her alma maters include West Virginia University (undergraduate), and Auburn University (graduate) where she studied under James E. Carr, Ph.D., BCBA-D, and Linda LeBlanc, Ph.D., BCBA-D. Her professional areas of interest include Organizational Behavior Management, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and toileting and sleeping issues affecting children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Her personal pastimes include hiking, reading, gardening, refurbishing preloved furniture, and spending time with her family and friends (canine companion included).

Alba is a long experienced HR generalist having served for over 25 years within the British Ministry of Defense. As Therapeutic Alliance LLC, HR Director, Alba brings with her a wealth of HR experience from leading under pressure to establishing and running entire Ministry directorates.

Along with her qualifications and previous experience, Alba also brings her own special energy to the TA family and a passion for identifying and nurturing talent and enhancing communication practices.

Alba is fundamentally a people enthusiast with an obsession for order and efficiency all encompassed with a sense of humor and positivity.