Alchemy Wellness

Dr. Frederick is a board-certified Emergency Medicine physician and US Navy veteran. As a Flight Surgeon for the Navy, he deployed multiple times, including the Iraqi desert and to Haiti after the 7.0 earthquake in 2010. He attended medical school at the Medical College of Virginia (now called VCU School of Medicine) and completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Loma Linda University in southern California. He loved Richmond so much, he moved back to the area with his wife, two children, and dog Charlie. As a testament to his dedication to patients suffering from mental health emergencies, he was honored to receive the Hanover Crisis Intervention Center Medical Provider of the Year in 2017.

Janie joined the team in June of 2022 as a Registered Nurse. She has a background in ER / Trauma, Home Health and Community health with an emphasis on Dementia and related Neurocognitive deficits. In addition to Nursing, she also obtained her BS in Computer Applications and Information Systems at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. An avid scuba diver, she supports and funds her many trips by being an Instructor and is thrilled to share her love of the ocean and all things aquatic with her students. She fills her free time with many sports and outdoor activities such as kickboxing, swimming, obstacle races, mud runs, cooking and crafting.

In November 2020, Paul Brasler joined Alchemy Wellness to help start our ketamine-assisted psychotherapy program. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Paul earned his undergraduate degree in English from Mary Washington College, Masters in Christian Education from Union Presbyterian Seminary, and a Masters in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University. He brings a wealth of experience ranging from community mental health settings, hospital settings (inpatient behavioral health and in the emergency department), Juvenile Drug Court, private practice, and foster care and adolescent residential treatment. Paul provides clinical supervision and professional education/training services as President of Providence Consulting & Education, LLC. He and his wife, Claire, proudly call Richmond home and are busy raising three energetic boys (ages 8, 12 and 14), one apathetic dog, and a rabbit with an impulse control disorder.

Priscilla Witwer is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She holds a Bachelors and Masters in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University. For over 10 years, she has served the diverse communities of Richmond, VA and surrounding counties in a variety of settings including outpatient mental health/substance abuse treatment, residential substance abuse treatment, inpatient behavioral health, hospital emergency departments, and a LGBTQIA+ youth center. She understands the intertwining relationships between mental health, substance abuse, trauma history, and environment. Priscilla believes that healing occurs with attention to the whole person including mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects. She is also trained in and practices mindfulness-based stress reduction, meditation, yoga, holotropic breathwork, and Tibetan Buddhist Esoteric Healing. Priscilla became interested in non-ordinary states of consciousness through her experiences in meditation, traditional Lakota sweat lodges, Mayan fire ceremonies, and plant-based medicines. She is an avid traveler, passionate about witnessing Earth’s geographic beauty and learning about the histories and cultures of the people she meets. Priscilla’s life motto is, “Life is a treasure hunt. Follow the clues!”

Reid is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Midwife, Certified Perinatal Mental Health specialist and a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Her years of experience as a nurse practitioner provide a solid foundation in evaluation and management of patients while working in various acuity settings and practice models. Her graduate degrees in theology, midwifery, and psychiatry inform her practice style to include the power of compassionate presence as well as efficacious treatment with clinical skills. She possesses a great deal of complementary training as a massage therapist, Reiki Master, theologian, shamanic journeyer, channeling and working with psychedelic medicines. She is called to help individuals through major life transitions and healing from trauma. She is excited to utilize her diverse background to facilitate safe and compassionate care to individuals who are seeking healing and to create a life worth living.

Cadria Hopson joined the Alchemy Wellness team in November 2020. She ensures the smooth running of our day-to-day functions in both clinical and administrative aspects. Her background as a Medical Assistant quickly transitioned from clinical to administrative as a referrals specialist, medical records coordinator, human resource coordinator, executive assistant, and office manager. She became a certified life coach and established a nonprofit, “A Queen’s Approach,” with her daughter to mentor young girls in the Richmond, Virginia area with an initiative to build confidence and self-esteem. Her time working at a recovery center and now at Alchemy has fueled her passion and commitment even more to mentor and connect with young girls to help them through tragedy, abuse, hardships, and give them reassurance that they matter, and that they are not alone.