Who We Are  >  Staff

R1:99 Staff

Candace Wheeler  |   Michelle McLaughlin | Christina C. Pinnell Rawls  | Megan Caputo | Heather Halverson  | Roger Larson

Meet Our Team!


Candace Wheeler, LPC-DC, NCC  |  Founder, Executive Director
Candace founded Restoration Ministries in 2003, but has been involved in social justice issues in the United States since 1988. She is a Board Certified National Counselor (NCC), and holds a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and a Post-Master’s Certificate in Spirituality and Trauma from the School of Pastoral Counseling and Spiritual Care at Loyola University, Baltimore, Maryland. Her impact on the African-American community in the DC Metro Area, and her academic excellence resulted in her winning the Azusa Street full scholarship at Regent during her final year.
 
Candace specializes in treating complex trauma in the tri-phasic model- Phase I: Safety & Stabilization, Phase 2: Processing of trauma memories, and Phase 3: Post-traumatic growth.  She is certified in dialectical behavior therapy (CDBT) and combines it with various expressive therapies that include the visual arts, music, movement, drama, and writing. Many clients are not able to retain their positive coping skills when they are only taught them verbally. The creative expressions create a metaphor therefore, making them more concrete and lasting. She is also trained in EMDR level 2.

​Candace has worked in the arenas of anti-pornography, right to life, and ministering to homeless pregnant teens. She has served pastorally in Amsterdam’s red light district, in the slums of India, and has worked with anti-trafficking leaders in Vietnam and Haiti.

​Please read my letter to everyone about R1:99, Inc.
Michelle McLaughlin| LCPC-MD, Certified Clinical Traumatologist
​Michelle McLaughlin, MS, Clinical Psychology, LGPC, Certified Clinical Traumatologist, Therapist
Michelle is a Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor and holds a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from the Institute for Psychological Sciences, Arlington, Virginia. She is also a certified clinical traumatologist from the Green Cross Academy of Traumatology.  
Michelle’s interest in helping others began as a first responder (EMT) and culminated as a mental health provider. She has volunteered in her community, the Red Cross and her church to help the elderly and disadvantaged. She served her country for thirty years and is an Army veteran. 
 
Michelle has worked in a variety of settings including county partial hospitalization, rehab hospitalization, a private practice clinic, providing individual and group therapy. She has served children, adolescents, adults and families. She recently became certified in clinical traumatology and has worked with the underserved populations in Romania. She also deployed in support of Hurricane Michael to assist disaster responders and survivors with compassion fatigue and stress reduction skills training and therapy. She is trained in sexual addiction counseling and EMDR, level 1 and 2. Michelle uses a variety of interventions and has a heart for serving those most effected by trauma.  
Christina Pinnell Rawls, Resident in Counseling-VA 
Christina is a Resident in Counseling. Before becoming a therapist, she worked in the arts as a performer, educator, and consultant for several arts and international aid organizations. She specializes in working with children and adults who have experienced trauma, grief, and loss.

As a therapist, Christina believes in a collaborative and creative therapeutic process. Her client centered and trauma informed approach to counseling utilizes a variety of modalities to suit the needs of her clients. Her areas of clinical interest include: trauma; domestic and sexual violence; grief and loss; reverse culture shock; anxiety; and depression. She has additional training in Psychological First Aid and the SERVE model for treating complex trauma. 
Christina has a M.A. in Counseling and a C.G.S. in Trauma Counseling both from Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA. She also holds a B.A in Theater from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. 
JoLeah Stiles Gorman, LGSW-DC  
​​JoLeah has a Master's of Social Work at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.  She has a Bachelor of Communication from Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.

She has completed training in trauma-focused individual and group therapies including Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma Adapted Family Connections, Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Model, Male Focused Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Model, and Trauma-Focused Mental Health First Aid.  Over her counseling career, JoLeah has worked with child and adult survivors of sex trafficking, domestic violence, substance addiction, and sexual abuse. 

JoLeah has a strong interest in healing therapies for survivors of trauma and is immensely excited about using gardening, art, nature, cooking, and community to encourage healing in clients.  Finding healing in her own life through these modalities, JoLeah and her husband run an urban farm, contemplative retreat, and hospitality house out of their home in the DC area. 
​Megan Caputo, CSTI | Movement Teaching Artist
Megan Caputo received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from George Mason University (GMU), Fairfax, Virginia and has continued to dance professionally with Company Danzante in Arlington, Virginia. She has taught Mindful Christian Stretching at International Justice Mission and various dance classes to all ages. 

She first learned about human trafficking at GMU and has continued to feel a deep compassion for human trafficking survivors since then. She has taken initiative to learn about the issue in the DC Metro area and was recently trained in the HEART Model at Divine Mercy University.

Megan’s goal for survivors of sexual abuse/exploitation is to learn, express, and be transformed. Inspired by Martha Graham’s quote “The body never lies” — through movement we learn from our posture, heart rate, breath, etc., we physically express our needs, fears, desires, and hopes, and therefore, transform our views of the body and it’s purposes. 
Heather Halverson  |  Church Engagement Program Leader
In 2012, Heather was attending Liberty University Online when she became aware of the issues of domestic sex trafficking through a research assignment. The journey from awareness to action was a short hop, fueled by a strong desire to help put an end to this form of modern day slavery. While partnering with her church’s women’s ministry leader to help educate the congregation about this issue, they were eventually led to Restoration One Ninety-Nine (R1:99) in Washington, DC. Having completed R1:99’s Ambassadors of Restoration Program (ARP), Heather is continuing her involvement by leading the Church Engagement Program. She is a member of Capital Baptist Church, and her God-given passion is to promote the human rights of women and children.

In her professional life, Heather is a Certified Business Continuity Planner and a member of Fairfax County’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Heather resides in Annandale with her husband and two daughters, and their Morkie pup, “Pebbles.”
​Roger Larson, MGA/HCA  |  Director of Development
Roger joined One Ninety-Nine (R1:99) in April, 2014 as Director of Development. For a number of years, he felt God calling him to assist in the eradication of human sex trafficking of teenage girls, and R1:99 has provided that opportunity. 

A native Iowan, Roger grew up on a family farm near a small town. He graduated from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Sociology, with interest in social justice and fairness. Within two years he was directing a small South Dakota state institutional Title XIX grant program serving people with developmental disabilities. He received his Master’s in General Administration/Healthcare Administration from the University of Maryland University College. Roger has lived and worked in Maryland & Pennsylvania since 1986, primarily serving people with mental health and substance abuse issues. He started consulting in the 1990s while a Nursing Home Administrator. He is a self-taught graphic and website designer, produces video advertisements with an interest in photography. Roger attends Providence Church in Spring Grove, PA near his Hanover home.
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