Dr. Sicher is a board certified Child and Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist. She completed General Psychiatry residency at the University of California San Francisco-Fresno where she served as Chief Resident and went on to complete her fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Southern California. She serves as an Adjunct Faculty at USC Keck School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health. Dr. Sicher is certified in Psychedelic assisted Psychotherapy through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute and is currently a Clinical Associate training in psychoanalysis at the New Center for Psychoanalysis in Los Angeles. She takes a developmentally informed approach and provides whole person, integrated psychiatric care.

Shoshana Katz (she/her) is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist with specializations in the treatment of trauma and LGBTQIA+ affirmative psychotherapy. She completed her MA in clinical psychology from Antioch University, her MS in Psychiatric and Psychological Anthropology from Brunel University and holds an undergraduate degree in Cultural Anthropology.

Prior to joining Visions, Shoshana worked as a hotline operator at Didi Hirsch’s Suicide Prevention Center, as a case manager assisting people experiencing homelessness with accessing housing and economic resources, as an outpatient therapist at the People Concern’s Wellness Center in Skid Row, and as a Post-Graduate Fellow at the University of Southern California, where she provided trauma-informed therapy to students through the Office of Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention Services. As a therapist at Visions, Shoshana utilizes a holistic bio-psycho-social and strengths-based approach to support the development of resilience in her clients. Her work draws inspiration from the NeuroAffective Relational Model, the Trauma Resiliency Model, Somatic Experiencing, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Attachment Theory, Family Systems, Depth-Oriented Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and Narrative Therapy.

In her free time, Shoshana enjoys quality time with friends, summer beach days, exploring new music and caring for her cat, Crow.

Yuria Celidwen, Ph.D., was born into a family lineage of Indigenous Nahua and Maya mystics, healers, and poets from the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. Her scholarship centers on Indigenous forms of contemplation wide-reaching, examining self-transcendence and how its embodiment enhances prosocial behavior (ethics, compassion, kindness, and a sense of awe, love, and sacredness).‎ Dr. Celidwen has developed a broader statement called the “ethics of belonging,” encouraging awareness, intention, and relational well-being and actions toward planetary flourishing. Her transdisciplinary ‎approach involves indigeneity, cultural psychology, and contemplative sciences, bridging Indigenous and Western methodologies for what she calls epistemological equity. For the past 15 years, Dr. Celidwen has worked for the United Nations, supporting the implementation of the Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals, concentrating on Indigenous planetary health and sustainability. A Senior Fellow at the Other & Belonging Institute of the University of California, Berkeley, she works toward bridging and belonging, concentrating on the reclamation, revitalization, and transmission of Indigenous wisdom and the ‎advancement of the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the rights of Nature. Dr. Celidwen co-chairs the Indigenous Religious Traditions Unit and is a Contemplative ‎Studies Unit steering committee member at the American Academy of Religion. She leads a multi-year research project on Indigenous contemplative science at the University of California, Berkeley. You can find more of her work at www.yuriacelidwen.com

Alexis is an Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), with a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. Born and raised in Northern New Jersey, Alexis moved out to Los Angeles to pursue professional goals and since 2014 she has worked in the field of mental health and substance abuse. Alexis considers herself a Family Systems therapist and is certified in Integral Breath Therapy (Breathwork), an experiential and somatic approach with which she is able to support clients suffering with a range of symptoms such as PTSD, birth and relational trauma, as well as anxiety and depression.

Dr. Jamie Barstein is a licensed clinical psychologist with a specialization in the assessment and treatment of individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While trained as a child and adolescent psychologist, Dr. Barstein is well-versed in working with individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities across the lifespan. She has received extensive training in multidisciplinary and evidence-based assessment and treatment through her doctoral program at Northwestern University, doctoral internship at JFK Partners – the University of Colorado’s Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program, and her post-doctoral fellowship at The Help Group and UCLA’s Semel Institute.

Dr. Barstein provides diagnostic assessments for individuals from toddlerhood through adulthood who have questions regarding autism, ADHD, social-emotional functioning, and cognitive functioning. Dr. Barstein is additionally an LGBTQIA+ affirming therapist who has developed a sub-specialty in working with autistic individuals who are exploring their sexual or gender identity. Dr. Barstein leads sex education groups for adolescents and young adults with ASD and is passionate about developing effective sex education programming and supports for neurodivergent adults. Dr. Barstein additionally leads an adult support group for neurodivergent folks. Dr. Barstein additionally provides supervision and trainings on neurodivergent affirmative care for individuals across the lifespan.

Michael Gentiluomo is an addiction counselor at the Arrow House Adolescent Treatment Center located in the City of Orange. Michael specializes in treating co-occurring disorders with primary substance use. He has been in the treatment field for over 8 years. Prior to Arrow House, he spent 2 years at St. Mary’s Hospital in Downtown Long Beach in social work focused on a re-engagement program for low income and homeless HIV patients who suffered from mental health and substance use disorders.

Along with his clinical education and knowledge in treatment, Michael also has 20 years of experience as an athletic coach and is the proud father of 3 sons. He believes that the only way to do this work is to get eye-to-eye and heart-to-heart with his patients. He combines his education, coaching techniques, and lived experience as a husband, father, and person in long term recovery to help his patients improve their quality of life.

Dr. Kate Truitt is a licensed clinical psychologist, applied neuroscientist, and holds a M.B.A. in Healthcare Administration. She is an internationally recognized expert in the neuroscience of trauma, stress, and resilience as well as the complex interplay amongst the three. She is regularly featured in global media outlets ranging from Oprah Today and Medium to the BBC and Today. Dr. Kate is an international trainer and has spoken at the United Nations, the United States Department of Defense, PESI, amongst others. She has dedicated her life to advancing the treatment of trauma and stress-related disorders, eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health, and empowering wellness through the dissemination of psychoeducation and self-healing tools through her speaking engagements, books, blog, and social media presence.

Dr. Kate resides in Los Angeles, CA where she leads her flagship group practice and clinic, Dr. Kate Truitt & Associates, serves as CEO for both the Amy Research Foundation, a non-profit focused on advancing the role of brain science in psychotherapy and eradicating the translational lag between science and clinical practice, and the Trauma Counseling Center of Los Angeles. In 2013 she founded the Truitt Institute, historically known as Viva Excellence, to provide cutting-edge trainings and seminars that bring together the newest advancements in the fields of neuroscience and mental health. Dr. Kate is also Havening Techniques Certified Trainer and serves as their Chief Strategy Officer.

Wendy Adamson, CADC II has over twenty five years of experience in the field of mental health and substance abuse treatment. She has held many positions throughout her career, and currently working at Polaris Teen Center in Business Development.

As a published author, Wendy has had multiple articles in the Huffington Post and has written three books, Mother Load, Incorrigible and Dream Out Loud (a book written with her son).

For the past seven years, Wendy has also headed up Business Development for her son’s nonprofit, Hav A Sole, an organization that delivers quality sneakers to marginalized populations in and around Los Angeles.

​I am a licensed psychologist with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Depth psychology. I also hold a B. A in Psychology a Minor in Women’s studies and a master’s in Organizational behavior. As a former environmental consultant, I am passionate about nature-based therapy and use nature examples to help clients understand mental health challenges. My Clinical experience includes working with foster children to adjust to new families and working with survivors of trauma to overcome sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. I own Creative Healing Therapy Solutions, a private practice in Newport Beach, California.
I have over 20 years of experience working in the mental health field and 9 years consulting with local adolescent treatment facilities. I provide individual, group, and family therapy. I have provided expert counsel for courtroom testimony as well as speaking engagements throughout California. When working with clients, I use a variety of modalities including art and/or play-based interventions, narrative therapy, and sand tray work.
When not working, I enjoy organic gardening and horseback riding.

Michael A. McCormick, D.O., is the Chief Medical Director for Release Recovery, a role he took on in March 2023, after serving as the addiction medicine provider for Caron's Signature program since its inception in 2016.
He also leads Caron's Healthcare Professionals Assessment Program and provided daily care to the in-patient healthcare participants. As the physician in charge of the Opioid Treatment Program, he cared for patients who suffer from a particularly deadly disease, helping them with medication-assisted treatment decisions and induction of treatment.

Dr. McCormick has always been drawn to helping those in the healthcare fields with their alcoholism and addiction. His passion for assisting them into recovery and enabling them to return to their professions was a big reason for making a career change to addiction medicine. He went to Caron as a fellow in addiction medicine in August of 2015, after several years of a successful career in surgery. He was chief of surgery at Helen Keller Hospital in Sheffield, Alabama, for seven years during which time he also ran his own surgical practice.

Dr. McCormick graduated from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his general rotating internship at PCOM/City Avenue Hospital and then finished a five-year general surgery residency at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. He received his undergraduate degree from St. Joseph’s University.

He is a recipient of the Next Generation Award for fellows in addiction medicine concentrating on adolescents, awarded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and the American Board of Addiction Medicine Foundation. As part of his award, his concentration is on teaching Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) to physicians, psychologists, counselors, nurses, and other service professionals.

I have a background in clinical psychology, with a focus in child and adolescent psychology. I specifically work from an object relations perspective, using attachment theory and the impact of current relationships to help understand the individuals whom I serve. I am also certified in TF-CBT and employ different techniques from a variety of evidence-based modalities to address trauma symptoms and promote healing from within the child and family system. I am currently the Clinical Director at Ascend Healthcare, at our Haven program, which specializes in residential treatment of neurodiverse teens struggling with mental illness, like depression and anxiety. Our mission is to provide evidence-based care tailored to the specific needs of each individual. We work with teens and their family members to provide support and care for the entire family system. My work is inspired by the resilience of children I've met from around the world who have been my greatest teachers and whom I've had the honor to cross paths with throughout my career.

Dr. Auckerman received her doctorate in clinical psychology (PsyD) from Antioch University Santa Barbara in 2022. Her dissertation addressed the need for ecopsychology and ecotherapy to be integrated into mainstream psychological approach and education. She earned a certificate in ecopsychology at Pacifica University and completed a year-long trauma based approach to addiction called Compassionate Inquiry.

Dr. Aukerman is currently working with teens at Ascend Healthcare, a residential treatment center. She is the program director of the eco therapy department at Ascend as well as running equine and eco therapy groups and seeing clients individually.

Alyson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over a decade of clinical experience in a variety of settings, including residential treatment, private practice, and community-based mental health. She is trained in multiple evidenced-based practices including dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and mindfulness. She has worked extensively in residential treatment, both in administrative and clinical roles, and has come to specialize in the treatment of adolescents with emotion dysregulation and suicidal behaviors.

Before stepping into the role of Executive Clinical Director for all Evolve Treatment Centers, Alyson had the privilege of developing and launching Evolve Vanalden, the first residential comprehensive DBT program for teens in the state of California and one of only a handful in the country. As the Clinical Program Director at Vanalden, Alyson managed all clinical and administrative aspects of the program, supervised the associate therapists on staff, and facilitated DBT skills training groups. Alyson is a respected leader in Comprehensive DBT Residential Programming for Adolescents.

As Executive Clinical Director for Evolve, Alyson’s mission is to strengthen and improve every aspect of Evolve's clinical standards and practices. This includes enhancing the role of DBT skills training in all Evolve programs by ensuring clinical staff have the appropriate training, resources, experience, and mentorship to implement skills training in a way that helps clients most effectively. Alyson is committed to data-driven, evidence-based treatment, and works with Evolve’s clinical teams to document and publish treatment outcome data for all Evolve programs.

Kyle is the Founder and President of Collaborative, a multidisciplinary clinical community focused on establishing effective, evidence-based treatment founded on an adaptive mentalization-based treatment model.

Kyle holds advanced training in mentalization-based (MBT) and adaptive mentalization-based integrative treatment (AMBIT) through the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families. He specializes in complex attachment and identity-related disorders such as borderline, avoidant, antisocial, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personalities, along with gender-diverse individuals.

He focuses on understanding the individual to engage in a comprehensive execution of a person’s desires, wants, and needs. Kyle has participated in the client’s long-standing change from maladaptive behaviors, thoughts, and feelings through these scientific approaches. Kyle will implore you to participate in your treatment and discuss the techniques actively. He has helped people struggling with substances, explore individual identity (LGBTQIA+), cope with psychological/cognitive/developmental disorders, accept medical diagnoses, and overcome sexual abuse/intimate partner violence.

In addition to Kyle’s direct clinical work, he is a prominent national speaker, writer, and educator of the mental health community in efforts to deepen provider and patient understandings of mentalization, identity formation, and clinically challenging circumstances. In addition, Kyle continues to bolster his clinical approach through continued education and research of personality development from a psychoanalytic perceptive as a student of the Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies.

Kyle believes practical and engaging clinical support has the power to invoke change. Therefore, he goes beyond the typical therapeutic approach when working with you.

Sarah Zucker
Pronouns: She/Her
Sarah Zucker is a licensed psychologist located in San Diego, CA. She is the Director of Center for Motivation and Change:California which opened in June of 2021 and is fully connected to Center for Motivation and Change:New York City. Her passion is helping clients resolve substance use concerns and supporting people in the change process however that may look for each individual. Dr. Zucker attended the University of California, Los Angeles for her undergraduate studies. After graduating, she obtained her doctorate in psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University in San Diego. Dr. Zucker has primarily worked in private practice, university counseling settings, and as a staff psychologist and director in treatment centers that provide detox and residential treatment. At San Diego State University, she utilized a grant to co-design and implement the university's first collegiate recovery program and gave presentations on reducing stigma and being an ally to people in various stages of recovery. Dr. Zucker has presented and written extensively about: Motivational Interviewing, client-centered discharge planning, reducing stigma, Invitation to Change, and making treatment and recovery more welcoming for groups that have been marginalized. She works primarily with addiction and substance use concerns, loved ones of people struggling with substance use concerns, trauma, OCD and anxiety, with members of the LGBTQ+ community and people of all identities, and teens, students, and young adults.

Justine Mastin, LMFT is a psychotherapist, author, and so much more. She literally wrote the book on Therapeutic Fanfiction—Starship Therapise: Using Therapeutic Fanfiction to Rewrite Your Life—and offered compassion to other clinicians in The Grieving Therapist: Caring for Yourself and Your Clients When it Feels Like the End of the World. Justine has also contributed to a number of other Pop Culture and Psychology texts and presented a TEDx talk. She is proud to educate the next generation of clinicians as adjunct faculty at University of Massachusetts Global.

Jessica is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) who specializes in working with adolescents, young adults, parents, and families. She has been working in the field of mental health and substance abuse disorders since 2017. She received her MA in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Prior to working at Muir Wood she gained experience working as an Admissions Director for a PHP/IOP for adolescents and young adults. Throughout her time at Muir Wood, Jessica has developed a strong skill set in her clinical work and program development. Jessica uses a client and family-centered approach from a depth psychological perspective. She also enjoys hiking, camping, and spending time with her partner and pups!

Lisa Damour
Recognized as a thought leader by the American Psychological Association, Dr. Lisa Damour is the author of two New York Times best selling parenting books, writes for the New York Times, co-hosts the Ask Lisa podcast, appears as a regular contributor to CBS News, works in collaboration with UNICEF, and serves on the Advisory Board for Parents magazine

Fawna Asfaw is a Certified SUD Counselor, Recovery Coach, CADC Candidate and Published Author. Founder of The Good Wrk, a company helping young women rebuild their lives on their own terms through specialized Recovery Life Coaching and Wellness Courses. Fawna also recently published a powerful debut addiction memoir, Sober Daughter.

Melyssa Zive is an accomplished and respected mental health clinician, currently serving as Program Director for ROWI Teen & Parent Wellness Centers in Tustin, California. After graduating from the University of Denver with a Masters in Social Work, Melyssa was licensed in Colorado in 2012 and California in 2016. She has worked in private practice, school, Intensive Outpatient (IOP) and Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) settings. Her core therapeutic beliefs are growing passions and using strengths to build on areas of need. Melyssa especially enjoys working with individuals and families as well as leading parent support groups and supervising associate clinicians.

Kelly Scribner is an accomplished and respected licensed marriage and family therapist, currently serving as Program Director for ROWI Teen & Parent Wellness Centers in Rancho Cucamonga, California. After graduating from the Chapman University with a Masters in Marriage & Family Therapy, Kelly began working at an outpatient drug and alcohol clinic until she was licensed in 2016. She has worked in private practice, school, Intensive Outpatient (IOP) and Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) settings. Her core therapeutic beliefs are rooted in Solution Focused and CBT interventions to improve overall functioning and wellness. Kelly especially enjoys working with families as well as shaping young minds and supervising associate clinicians.