Founded by a Veteran and a Psychologist: VMHA was established by Dwayne Edwards and Dr. Aquilla Edwards, both with a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by those who have served.
Dwayne Edwards served in the United States Marine Corps for seven years and earned the rank of Captain. He deployed to Iraq in 2008 as an infantry platoon commander and ended his service as an intelligence officer at Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA). He knows first hand the anxiety veterans feel when thinking about seeking mental health support. As a suicide awareness officer, he increased the awareness of suicide warning signs to help service members recognize them as cries for help and not as signs of weakness.
Dwayne has expertise in product management, strategy, and innovation and has held executive roles at Capital One and IDEO. He received his BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Law from Binghamton University and an MBA from Yale School of Management. Dwayne loves to work out, golf, play poker and listen to live music. He currently lives in Frisco, TX with his wife and three sons.
Dr. Aquilla Edwards received her BS in Human Biology, Health, and Society from Cornell University, followed by her graduate studies in the School Psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University, an APA accredited program where she earned her Ph.D. She trained in a variety of settings, including an inpatient hospital, outpatient clinics, and schools. Subsequent to receiving her doctorate, Dr. Edwards worked as a psychologist at an outpatient clinic serving people with developmental disabilities and their families. Here she had the opportunity to provide psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and adults, along with their families, as well as help clients and their families gain access to a wealth of services through psychological evaluations. She began her private practice consulting within a clinic that provided psychoeducational evaluations investigating cognitive, academic, social-emotional, and attentional functioning. She later served as the Director of Psychology for a company providing remote psychoeducational evaluations nationwide, where she was responsible for clinical quality, overseeing the work of over 70 psychologists performing evaluations. Dr. Edwards had the honor of serving as a mental health leader for the TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) Good Grief Camp, providing support for adolescents grieving the death of a military family member. As the spouse of a Marine Corps veteran and granddaughter of a Vietnam Army veteran, she is thrilled to continue serving the veteran community.
A little about Dr. Edwards outside of work: She is a mom of three young boys, who keep her very busy. She loves traveling, reading fiction novels, and experimenting with gluten free baking. Fun fact: She is a certified childbirth educator.