History
Summerville Behavioral Health took root in 1989 as a small two-provider private practice shortly before the Lowcountry faced Hurricane Hugo.
As the town and its population grew, so did the team at SBH expanding to offer a multitude of treatment options. From traditional talk therapy to FDA approved esketamine and TMS treatments to an array of alternative therapeutic possibilities, patients can count on many options from a variety of professionals, all housed under one roof in downtown Summerville.
Practitioners
James Fox, MD
Dr. Fox graduated from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA with a degree in physics and was a distinguished graduate in AFROTC. He then spent 4 years at Hanscom AFB in Massachusetts where he worked in the Air Force Research Lab. During this time, he decided to pursue medicine. In 2007, he graduated from MUSC and then completed his residency in psychiatry at MUSC in 2011, serving as a chief resident during his last year. He was then the medical director of psychiatric services at Rappahannock General Hospital before returning to MUSC from 2013-2018. He has experience with TMS dating back to 2009 when he did research with TMS and fMRI. He believes that TMS is underutilized and hopes to increase access to this life changing treatment.
Areas of Practice
• Adult Psychiatric Medication Assessment & Management
• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
• Spravato (esketimine) Treatments
Rhonda Burke, LPC, NBCC
Rhonda is a Licensed Professional Counselor and has been practicing for more than 30 years. She is a National Board Certified Counselor and specializes in treating depression, anxiety, panic attacks, grief/loss, PTSD/trauma-related issues, and life transition issues. Rhonda utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, relaxation and mindfulness training, as well as a blended form of other therapeutic techniques to help clients move towards healing and achieving emotional, spiritual, and physical balance in their lives.
Rhonda and her husband, William Burke, Ph.D., started Summerville Behavioral Health almost 30 years ago. The practice has continued to grow and thrive since that time and still strives to maintain the highest standards of behavioral health care.
Areas of Practice
• Individual Therapy, Trauma & Anxiety
• EMDR
William Burke, Ph.D., LPC
Dr. Burke along with his wife Rhonda opened Summerville Behavioral Health in November of 1989 in the wake of Hurricane Hugo. Since that time they have provided counseling services with psychiatric co-joint therapy with various psychiatrists. Dr. Burke focuses his private practice on adults suffering from depression, anxiety, or trauma. He also provides Pain Evaluations for pending surgeries and assessments to rule out Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Additionally, he is an Assistant Professor of Forensic Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina where he is the clinical director of the Sex Offender Treatment Program and assists with teaching and research. He specializes in risk assessments for individuals convicted or charged with a sexual crime.
Areas of Practice
Forensic/Psychosexual Evaluations
ADHD Evaluations
Christine Hamolia, APRN
I am an Advanced Practice Nurse with prescriptive authority who specializes in the treatment of adults with mental health problems. I received my Bachelors and Masters degree from Boston College and have been a nurse for over 35 years. Throughout my career, I have worked in a variety of environments including inpatient, partial hospitalization programs and outpatient settings. For more than 20 years, I have been working with outpatient clients and have developed expertise in evaluation and diagnoses of many mental health problems including mood disorders, adjustment disorders, depression, anxiety, post -traumatic stress disorders and eating disorders.
I retired from the Medical University of South Carolina after 30 years of service and have utilized that experience in a private practice setting. I believe in a bio-psychosocial model of care that takes into consideration the effects of medical problems, genetic vulnerability and stress on the manifestation of illness. I also believe in including the supportive and protective factors of family, friends and spirituality in assisting clients in developing a plan for recovery. I believe each person is unique and has strengths that can aid in their recovery.
I provide comprehensive psychiatric assessments and medication management to patients age 18 and over.
Areas of Practice
Adult Psychiatric Medication Assessment
Medication Management
Kathleen Waters, PMHCNS, NP
With over 40 years of experience, Kathleen Waters is an Advanced Practice Nurse who is certified both as a Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Specialist and as an Adult Nurse Practitioner and has attained prescriptive authority. She completed her Bachelor’s and Master Degree at MUSC and a degree in Counseling from the Citadel. Her post graduate Certificate was completed at the Uniformed Services University of Health Science in Bethesda, Maryland. The American Association of Psychiatric Nurses honored her as a recipient of a National Award for Innovative Practice. She retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The last 9 years of her Practice have been spent working at the Charleston Center, which is a DAODAS Center for treatment of multiple addictions. Initially she was the only Adult Nurse Practitioner covering admissions to their Withdrawal Management Unit, implementing withdrawal management protocols for patient safety and devising patient treatment plans to support sobriety. Patient discharge was accomplished only after follow- up was arranged in the local community.
An integral part of her practice occurred in Outpatient Care. She provided care to all patients admitted to the Opioid Treatment Program. Initially working within the Methadone Clinic, she carefully titrated patients’ dose of Methadone over time, and provided changes in patient dosage. She was one of the first 400 Advanced Practice Nurses in the US, to become credentialed to administer Suboxone for Opiate Dependency. She has administered Vivitrol to patients who are alcohol or opiate dependent. In the last year of her practice, at Charleston Center she worked to establish a program using Sublocade. Sublocade is a monthly injection of Buprenorphine that provides symptoms relief for patients who are opiate dependent.
Areas of Practice
Addictions Specialist
Individual Therapy
Psychiatric Medication Assessment & Management
Emily DeQuattro, LISW-CP
Emily graduated from the University of Denver in 2011 with a Master’s in Social Work and certificate in Animal-Assisted Social Work. Prior to working in a psychiatric setting, she spent nearly 10 years working with adults and children with chronic and complex medical issues.
Emily is an experiential therapist by background but uses an array of therapeutic frameworks and techniques to tailor each person’s individual treatment. Specialized experience includes addressing pain and stress through mindfulness and relaxation, as well as helping couples develop lasting, healthy attachment.
Areas of Practice
Individual, Group and Couples Therapy
Brainspotting
Amy Gann, LISW-CP
I received my Bachelor's in Social Work from Limestone University and my Masters's in Clinical Social Work from the University of South Carolina. I have experience working with adults in inpatient and outpatient settings
I use an eclectic approach to therapy which allows me to use an array of evidence-based treatments and specific techniques tailored to the needs of the client. We are all unique and I feel that treatment should reflect this.
Areas of Practice
Individual, Couple and Group Counseling
Military, Military Families, and Veteran Counseling
Ashley Burke-King, LPCA
Ashley is a Lowcountry native whose love of Charleston’s food scene, travel, running and yoga compliment her belief in the mind-body connection through practice. Graduating from the College of Charleston in 2008 with a BS in Psychology, she continued her education at The Citadel completing her Master’s in Counselor Education in 2015.
Ashley’s multi-theoretical approach allows for specifically tailored client treatment. In 2021, Ashley took her RYT200 training to the next treatment level becoming certified in Trauma-Informed Yoga. She believes in a holistic approach to mental health and incorporates this concept into her counseling practice.
Areas of Practice
Individual, Adolescent and Group Counseling
Mindfulness Meditation
Trauma-Informed Yoga