DEPRESSION &
MOOD DISORDERS

DEPRESSION & MOOD DISORDERS

MOOD DISORDERS are changes in everyday emotions that can interfere with your relationships, and even compromise your health. Such changes can drastically affect your daily routines and general well-being.

Much more than just “the blues”, mood disorders like depression reach millions of Americans, with as many as 15 million reporting a major episode of depression in a 12-month period. In a given month, at least one-fifth of the US population reports a symptom of depression. At Reconnect, we recognize the severity of this frequency.

Often induced by trauma, mood disorders are an illness category including: Bipolar disorder, SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder, major and persistent depressive disorders, and Cyclothymia. Depression of all types affects people from all walks of life, no matter the gender, race, age, or socioeconomic status. However, women are 50% more likely to experience an episode of depression during their lifetime.

There are many factors that can lead to a mood disorder, ranging from biochemical, family history/genetics, illness or trauma, or even substance abuse. Depending on the cause and the individual, the results may vary in intensity.

CATEGORIES OF MOOD DISORDERS:

Dysthymia

Often referred to as chronic or persistent depression, dysthymia affects nearly 2% of the U.S. population. To diagnose, fewer symptoms are required but they must have been present for 2 or more years.

Dysthymia, due to its chronic nature, may reside undiagnosed for years. Individuals may begin to identify with it, believing it part of their nature.

If you feel these symptoms may describe what you feel, keep in mind the following risk factors such as having relatives with depression, history of traumatic events, personality traits or a history of negativity, low energy, or even other mental health disorders. If these also pertain to you, please call us to speak with someone.

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Symptoms to look for:

  • Low interest in daily activities
  • Sleep changes
  • Low self-esteem
  • Little appetite
  • Hopelessness
  • Poor concentration
  • Fatigue
  • Avoidance of social activities

Cyclothymia

Cyclothymia, similar to bipolar disorder, involves cycles of highs and lows though often milder than bipolar disorder.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is how it sounds, the uncontrolled experience of two poles of emotions: mania and depression.

Manic episodes include three or more of the following symptoms:

  • Distractibility
  • Abnormally upbeat, jumpy
  • Racing thoughts
  • Increased energy and agitation
  • Euphoria
  • Unusually talkative
  • Poor decision-making ability

The opposite, depression, can include:

  • Fatigue or energy loss
  • Insomnia (OR sleeping too much)
  • Slowed behavior or restlessness
  • Feeling worthless
  • Thoughts of suicide
  • Depressed mood
  • No interest in activities
  • Lack of concentration

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Though often temporary and mild, seasonal affective disorder impacts millions of Americans each year. Often occurring during the winter months, summer episodes may also present themselves.

The official cause of seasonal affective disorder is unknown, but the primary theory is that variations in weather (typically decreased sunlight) can affect an individual’s biochemistry, namely serotonin levels.

In mild cases, light therapy may prove effective. However, severe cases do necessitate treatment. If you or a loved one is suffering from any of the above disorders, to not hesitate to call us.

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Pacific Palisades, CA
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Dr. Karol Darsa

Psy.D. (PSY19847)

Founder and Executive Director

Dr. Darsa received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the California Graduate Institute, and has about 20 years of clinical and administrative experience in trauma and mental health disorders. Dr. Darsa began her career in 1998 as a foster care social worker and continued her work with abused children and their families and adults abused as children. Dr. Darsa later worked as a trauma specialist in private practice and at a variety of treatment centers including Clearview, Moonview Sanctuary and PCH.

In 2002, Dr. Darsa began studying with Christine Schenk, founder of the CHRIS-Technique, a unique energy work focused on teaching clients how to ground themselves in their bodies. Dr. Darsa has completed numerous evidence-based trainings in the treatment of trauma and mental health disorders, including Level III in Brainspotting, Level I and II trainings in EMDR, and Somatic Experiencing and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. With each advanced training, Dr. Darsa developed a deeper understanding of trauma processes and healing, and how to help each person achieve freedom from the effects of trauma.

In 2012 Dr. Darsa became the co-creator of Invisible War Recovery, a program designed to treat military sexual trauma survivors. This sparked a passion for Dr. Darsa to develop and create her own trauma recovery program in the form of Reconnect Integrative Trauma Treatment Center. In a short span of time, Reconnect Center has served hundreds of clients recovering from trauma and mental health disorders, leading to exceptional treatment outcomes in their recovery process.

Dr. Darsa realized that what is often missing in trauma treatment is a finely attuned, gentle, body based process to help heal and reconnect mind and body when clients become disregulated due to traumatic events, developmental trauma, or emotional disorders. Reconnect Center embodies that philosophy in offering intensive one on one work to help truly heal each individual that comes through her doors.

A native of Turkey, Dr. Darsa has been living in the United States for 25 years. She has also lived in Spain, France and Brazil. Dr. Darsa’s exposure to numerous ethnic and social groups allows her to understand the cultural differences in human thought and behavior. She can provide therapy in English, Spanish, French and Turkish and is able to converse in Italian and Portuguese as well.

JORGE RIVERA

Chief Financial and IT Officer

Jorge is a University of California Economics graduate with a computer science, finance and investment background. He has over 30 years of experience managing investments internationally for high net worth individuals, Non-Profit Institutions and Pension Plans. His expertise includes designing information systems dashboards, data simulators and data base integrated solutions for investment firms, pension plans and other institutions.

Jorge has been participating at Reconnect Psychological Services since its inception supporting proudly the efforts of Dr. Darsa in establishing an efficient network of clinicians that can offer one of the best trauma treatment programs.

A dual citizen from Mexico and the United States, Jorge loves spending time with his 3 children camping, snow skiing or hiking.

Parastoo Seidenfeld

Ph.D.

Director of Outreach, Marketing and Business Development

Parastoo Seidenfeld, Ph.D., has over 20 years of industry experience in behavioral health, both as a clinician and licensed psychologist and as a marketing professional in business development and outreach. Dr. Seidenfeld’s career began in 1997, providing direct clinical services to clients of all ages in outpatient and residential treatment centers. Her passion for helping others receive proper clinical care led her to explore additional resources for patient care in private residential treatment settings. Thus, in 2005, Dr. Seidenfeld simultaneously began a career in clinical outreach and business development when she joined the marketing department at Sierra Tucson. Leaving Sierra Tucson in 2014, Dr. Seidenfeld became the Director of Marketing and Business Development for Reconnect Integrative Trauma Treatment Center.

Dr. Parastoo Seidenfeld is passionate about helping patients receive effective, compassionate, ethical care in their recovery process. She serves as a resource for patients and clinical providers and is committed to assisting people find the help and treatment that they need.

Dr. Viviana Suaya

MD

Medical Director

Dr. Viviana Suaya is a Los Angeles psychiatrist with more than two decades of experience in pediatric, adolescent, and adult psychiatry. She and her professional team are committed to providing patients with the very best of care, using expertise and compassion to achieve the best possible outcome for each patient.

Dr. Suaya pursued a medical degree at the Buenos Aires University School of Medicine in Argentina, where she graduated Cum Laude. Her interest in pediatrics inspired her to become a pediatrician, and she completed a postgraduate program at the Children’s Hospital in Buenos Aires in 1988. Two years later, she relocated to Los Angeles to continue postgraduate training at the Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Psychiatry.

She is an associate professor at Keck school of medicine USC teaching introduction to clinical medicine through the family practice department.

Today, she remains in Los Angeles, where she has unfailingly served patients for more than twenty years. As a Los Angeles psychiatrist with a background in pediatrics, Dr. Suaya specializes in the treatment of children and adolescents.

Shilloy Sanchez

LMFT

Clinical Director

Shilloy Sanchez is Clinical Director of the Reconnect outpatient programs. A licensed marriage and family therapist, she has extensive administrative and clinical experience in trauma, addiction, eating disorder treatment, and school-based programs.

Her career spans three decades and a wide range of leadership positions in clinical psychology, crisis communications, public relations, technology, and youth theater activism. Her journey has been featured on CNN Health and in Seeking Serenity: The 10 New Rules for Health and Happiness in the Age of Anxiety (Penguin Random House 2015).

Before Reconnect, Shilloy was Program Director and Primary Therapist at The Bella Vita, a residential eating disorder treatment facility, and an administrator at Passages, a world-renowned addiction treatment center. In both facilities, Shilloy worked from a strong family systems orientation integrating multifamily and community support groups to the program’s experience.

She earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology specializing in Trauma from Antioch University and is a doctoral candidate in Analytical Depth Psychology specializing in Integrative Therapy and Healing Practices at Pacifica Graduate Institute. She holds certifications in Trauma Focused CBT and Systematic Training for Effective Parenting. She is also trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Brain Spotting (BSP), and the Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM).

Shilloy’s approach at Reconnect focuses on the transformational process of restoring wholeness and a deep sense of purpose, achieved by bringing a creative alchemical balance of spirit and soul to structured treatment. Shilloy is committed to working closely with the founder, Dr. Darsa, on individualized trauma treatment that includes an elevated sense of awareness and compassion in its programming. She is also dedicated to ensuring ongoing compliance with licensing and regulatory standards consistent with The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), for all levels of care in the supervision and training of Reconnect’s multidisciplinary clinical team.

An aspiring runner, Shilloy has completed three marathons and is training for her fourth. Her hobbies include hosting backyard barbecues, trying new recipes, and hiking. She lives in Southern California with her partner and two bulldogs.

Kurt Christiansen

Psy.D. (PSY27921)

Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Mindfulness Therapist

Dr. Kurt Christiansen is a Clinical Psychologist that specializes in helping people heal from trauma and to overcome debilitating anxiety and depression. Dr. Christiansen utilizes an integral approach, employing therapeutic modalities such as Brainspotting, Sensorimotor, IFS (Internal Family Systems), CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), Mindfulness, Gestalt, and DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy).

He has been a mindfulness practitioner for nearly twenty years. Through his research in cognitive neuroscience, he believes that mindful practices create the developmental space and brain integration necessary for growth and healing to occur through the use of other modalities. They are also essential practices to live peacefully in the present moment.

He received his Doctorate Degree from Ryokan College in Clinical Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Spiritual Psychology with an emphasis in Consciousness, Health, and Healing from the University of Santa Monica. He also has a Master’s Degree in Theatre Arts and was a member of the Groundlings Improv Theatre.

Dr. Christiansen is considered an expert in Crisis Training and Empathy Development. His first book, the Crisis Intervention Manual, is now in its Second Edition and is currently being used in over 75 crisis and counseling centers worldwide.

Dr. Christiansen’s foremost intention is to meet clients where they are with relentless empathy.

Nancy Hyland

M.A., LMFT (MFC 52911)

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Nancy Hyland is a licensed Marriage Family Therapist who specializes in working with adolescents, and adults who have been impacted by early relational trauma. Nancy brings an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to her work, combining theoretical rigor with an eclectic clinical orientation. Her primary objective as a therapist is to create a safe, supportive, compassionate environment in which clients can collaboratively explore their personal histories and innermost feelings.

Nancy received her degree from Antioch University’s Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology Program with a specialization in Child & Adolescent Studies. Her clinical training has focused the effects of traumatic stress and how to encourage adaptation and resilience after adversity. Nancy began her therapeutic career helping economically disadvantaged children and families develop the social and emotional skills needed for meeting life’s challenges. As a staff therapist at A New Journey Eating Disorder Center she assisted clients in healing the underlying issues that led to the development of their disorder, and created their first program specifically for teens, focused on bringing about positive change through the development of self-acceptance, confidence and compassion.

In order to support a client’s movement towards growth and transformation, Nancy employs a variety of interventions including mindful awareness and self- compassion practices to increase self-appreciation and self-care; Cognitive and Dialectic Behavior Therapy to increase healthy coping skills; Jungian Mandala / Art Therapy to facilitate self-discovery and creative imagination; Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for somatic healing; and EMDR for people suffering from PTSD, dissociation, or emotional reactivity disorders. Nancy combines these modalities with affectively attuned, attachment oriented, psychotherapeutic practices in her work with both adolescents and adults alike.

Nattan Hollander

LMFT (MFC 81404)

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and EMDR practitioner, Primary Therapist

Nattan Hollander specializes in recovery from trauma, with a special interest in inter-generational trauma, including work with descendants of Holocaust survivors. Born and raised in Israel, Nattan has a background in military service, is a Zen meditation teacher, and an artist.

Nattan earned a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, and is an EMDR-certified therapist.

As a psychotherapist, Nattan’s focus is to restore wholeness, meaning, and purpose to the self. His approach is soul-centered: relying on the power of the imagination to elicit healing and understanding a person’s inner resources are vaster and deeper than what’s visible on the surface.

Olivia Alison

M.S., LCSW (LIC#70591)

Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Primary Therapist

Olivia Alison is known for her kind, empathetic and positive approach. She graduated with a Master of Science in Clinical Social Work from Columbia University in the City of New York in 2004. She believes in a strengths-based holistic approach, with an understanding that all components of ones’ life are interrelated. Olivia draws from several different modalities including: Cognitive Behavioral, Solution Focused, Narrative, Dialectical Behavior Therapy and EMDR. She participates in regular continuing education classes and believes in the importance of using evidence based practices.

Olivia Alison has extensive experience with trauma, depression, anxiety and PTSD. She has worked at The Boulder County Domestic Violence Shelter as a Bilingual Children’s Counselor and Women’s counselor, The Presbyterian Hospital Psychiatric ER, Jacobi Medical Center Intensive Care Unit, and Burn Unit, Weill Cornell College Employee Assistance Program Counseling Center, and for the Department of Social Services Child Abuse and Sexual Abuse Teams.

In her work as a therapist, Olivia focuses on helping her clients reprocess their past, and heal, so they may begin living more fully in the present. She uses a combination of techniques and experiences to guide her clients towards the transformations they are seeking. Clients are left with a stronger sense of self, access to new and more empowering perspectives, self-love and life skills. Clients experience break throughs and are left with positive changes which help them to face life’s challenges moving forward. Olivia is passionate about her work and strives to leave all of her clients feeling resourced, healed, hopeful and inspired.

RYAN WOOD

After a 12 year career in finance and the hospitality industry, Ryan Wood got into the field of recovery in 2016 working as Director of Admissions for Crownview Co-Occurring Institute in San Diego. Ryan’s own experience in recovery, along with his time working with mental health and addiction clients have made him a passionate and caring addition to the team in his role as Director of Admissions & Intake for Reconnect Integrative Trauma Treatment.

Miriam Rothman

LMFT (LMFT 48136)

Mindfulness Teacher, CBT Therapist, Brain Spotting

Miriam is a licensed Marriage Family Therapist. Her specialties include teaching Mindful meditation, treating clients with addiction through helping them to identify triggers for their unhealthy behaviors, and helping clients overcome their problems of anxiety and depression.

She received her BA from the University of Southern California in communications, and her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles. She has worked with patients recovering from drug and alcohol addictions during her time at the Southern California Alcohol and Drugs Program. She worked at the UCLA Dual Diagnosis Program leading psychotherapy groups which address a variety of psychological issues such as depressed mood, anxiety, impulse control and problems involving reactivity any of which co-exist with a variety of addictions such as sex addiction, eating disorders, and substance abuse.

Miriam is invested in the field of Mindful meditation. Having worked with children and adults, she is committed to helping her clients increase the vitality in their lives. Through helping them increase their ability to be present in the moment, rather than distracting themselves by obsessing over their pasts or their futures, clients to experience the ordinary of their lives as extraordinary.

Eleanor Pew

LMFT

Primary Therapist

Elle is a licensed Marriage Family Therapist who specializes in helping people with the challenges brought on by early relational trauma and attachment disruptions. So often people learn to cope with these wounds through eating disorders, addictions, self-harm and dissociation, and these are the areas in which Elle is passionate about helping people to find healing. She has worked in the field of eating disorder treatment, developing a women’s support group and spending many years as a Primary Therapist at an inpatient and partial hospitalization program. She believes her own healing and recovery has been an invaluable tool in her work with others. Additionally, much of Elle’s early career focused on helping children and families who were impacted by substance abuse, trauma and mental illness. She helped develop therapeutic community programs for at-risk youth and their families.

Elle utilizes different types of trauma therapies, depending upon the client’s needs, including EMDR and CRM with aspects of IFS and Gestalt work.

Matthew Porter

LMFT 42042

LMFT and EMDR Trauma Specialist

Matthew Porter LMFT specializes in treating trauma, PTSD, and addictions. He has served as Clinical Lead, Primary Therapist and EMDR Trauma Specialist in various addiction and mental health treatment centers. His passions include teaching Mindfulness, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills, and making a personal connection with all of his clients. Matt obtained his master’s degree in counseling psychology and drama therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco in 2001 and has been Licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist since 2005. He led Drama Therapy and DBT skills groups at UCSF Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, taught psychology at Berkeley City College, and has trained and supervised dozens of therapists in DBT and Mindfulness skills. He is also trained as a Yoga Teacher and focuses on the body’s wisdom to heal and recover from trauma, addictions and other compulsive behaviors.

Janice Taylor

MFT

Marriage and Family Therapist

Janice is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and has both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Psychology from Antioch University. She is a certified EMDR therapist and trained in the Trauma Resiliency Model.

She works collaboratively with clients to explore behaviors that are preventing them from leading the kind of life they deserve. Janice believes we all developed coping strategies when we were young to protect ourselves. While they helped us survive at the time, she finds they are often the very things holding us back now. Janice uses EMDR and TRM to target the original traumas by employing both the body and the mind. Her belief is that once the original traumas are dealt with, the need for the now maladaptive behaviors are no longer there. She finds symptoms such as depression and anxiety can be alleviated faster when EMDR and TRM are used in conjunction with traditional talk therapy.

Janice became a therapist after seeing for herself the transformative effects of psychotherapy. She knows firsthand that EMDR and TRM are indispensable in the treatment of trauma. Janice has a private practice in Santa Monica and finds helping people overcome difficult issues from their past to be a rewarding endeavor.

Kasey Curtis

LMFT (LMFT99698)

EMDR and CRM

Kasey graduated with her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Argosy University, Twin Cities (MN) in 2008. Since then, she has worked with adolescents in detention, families, and children in outpatient and community mental health settings, and with people struggling with eating disorders. Her early work led her to seek out additional training to help clients with trauma experience deeper and more lasting change than she was seeing in traditional talk therapy. She has been trained in EMDR and has participated in other various modalities that focus on the mind-and-body connection such as iRest Yoga Nidra, and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. Most recently, Kasey has completed training in CRM (Comprehensive Resource Model) in the hopes of having more extensive tools and creativity in helping clients reach their goals.

Tara Brisco

LCSW

EMDR

Tara employs a mindfulness-based approach in helping clients to process and heal from trauma, connect to themselves, and build the capacity for deeper and more meaningful relationships. Her clients have described her as “compassionate, warm, and direct.” Through her years of experience working with clients with complex histories of addiction, eating disorders, persistent mood disorders and personality disorders, Tara recognizes the central role of trauma in the development and maintenance of these disorders. She sees that addressing and processing unhealed trauma is paramount to long-term symptom relief and recovery, and is fully trained in EMDR (Levels I and II).

Shaina McPhetridge

Primary Therapist

Shaina is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and Registered Yoga Teacher, specializing in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), mindfulness and somatically-focused therapies. Clinically, she has worked with The Center for Individual and Family Counseling, Triune Therapy Group, and Cutting Edge Counseling where she mentored under experts in the field of Trauma, EMDR, and somatic therapies. As well, she has extensive experience teaching mind-body wellness through yoga and healthy living.

Before graduating from Antioch University in 2015 with a master’s degree in clinical psychology, Shaina worked in both higher education, team management, and the health and fitness world coaching individuals and teams in pursuing their goals toward living healthier, more robust lives. She integrates those experiences into her therapy practice, knowing that a healthier body contributes powerfully to the healing of the mind and organism as a whole.

Shaina has been fortunate to treat a diverse population of people with varying difficulties and believes that holding a space for and guiding people through healing past trauma is the foundation of a successful treatment program. She primarily works with adults and groups struggling with the effects of acute and complex trauma, PTSD, anxiety, disordered eating and body image, behavioral addiction, relational conflict, and codependency and attachment issues. She tailors her therapy approach according to an individual or group’s unique needs, meeting her clients with authenticity, candor and empathy, and taking great care to honor both the courage and the time given to the process of healing.

Elana Christiansen

LMFT (MFC 53990)

Neurofeedback Practitioner

Elana Christiansen is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing Neurofeedback and Brainspotting. Her specialties include helping people heal from past trauma, complex trauma, overcoming issues with depression and anxiety.

Elana started her career in psychology as a Crisis Intervention Specialist for the CSUN Helpline for more than five years. She has worked extensively as a therapist for at-risk children and their families in the foster care system and has further training in evidenced based practices such as Internal Family Systems, the Positive Parenting Program, Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Seeking Safety.

She also serves as a volunteer counselor for the Freedom to Choose Project spending time in prison with inmates in an experiential workshop format counseling and teaching them communication and life skills. Trauma is widespread in the foster care and prison systems and this experience has contributed to Elana’s ability to successfully support families in painful and difficult situations with empathy, caring, and compassion.

Lauren Dolinsky

MA LMFT 100511

Neurofeedback Practitioner and Dream Analyst

Neurofeedback Practitioner and Dream Analyst Lauren Dolinsky specializes in healing from trauma using neurofeedback and depth psychotherapy. Lauren provides psychotherapy for adults, and teens, and is focusing on dream analysis in order to access and integrate trauma held deep within the unconscious mind.

She also has extensive experience using neurofeedback with veteran and homeless populations challenged with PTSD and other emotional, psychological, and developmental disorders. Lauren received her Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. She went on to complete her training in neurofeedback at the EEG Institute. She has interned with the Los Angeles Child Development Center as well as the Center for Hope and Healing. She has also volunteered at the Salvation Army Bell Shelter as well as the Salvation Army Haven at the Veteran’s Hospital. Lauren is passionate about holistic psychology: integrating the conscious with the unconscious, the mind with the body, and the person with the soul.

Ben Miller

Certified Neurofeedback Practitioner

Along with his work at Reconnect, Ben is the Neurofeedback Coordinator at the Salvation Army Bell Shelter where he helps Veterans heal from extreme PTSD. Ben has extensive experience in helping Veterans reduce symptoms ranging from lack of sleep to severe panic attacks. Additionally, Ben works on alleviating chronic pain, tinnitus, hyper-alertness, excessive worry and many other anxiety related symptoms. Specializing in Neurofeedback Ben has helped Veterans and Private clients improve memory, word finding, creativity and executive thought process. Ben realizes the importance of having the brain and body working together as efficiently as possible. He believes that Neurofeedback is a key component for Peak Performance in sports, the arts, and business. As an avid golfer, Ben especially enjoys working with golfers and other athletes of different levels to help improve their overall performance.

REBECA FARCA

Rebeca is specialized in applying Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for the treatment of traumatic and developmental issues with clients and teaches for Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute internationally.

In 2003, she was licensed in the specialties of Humanist Counseling, Group Processing and Gestalt Psychotherapy at IHPG Institute in Mexico City. Rebeca started a private practice in Mexico City, while she travelled to the USA to complete the specialties in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy’s “Treatment for Trauma” in 2005 and “Development, Attachment and Trauma” in 2006.

In 2006, Rebeca established residency in Los Angeles, CA where she became a training assistant for Dr. Pat Ogden. She also lectured in Mexico and California on Somatic Psychology. In 2011 she was certified in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and became part of the faculty team teaching Sensorimotor Psychotherapy’s Treatment for Trauma trainings internationally. She recently completed her MA in clinical psychology and is now a registered Marriage and Family Therapist Intern.

KELLI SHERINE FISHER

Kelli Sherine Fisher is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has been in the healing profession for over 30 yrs.

Kelli became a Massage Therapist in 1982 and expanded this career into movement/ breath therapy (Aston Patterning/ Rosen Method Breath- bodywork/ Holotrophic Breath practitioner). She was a volunteer E.M.T./ Massage Therapist and Athletic Trainer for the 1984 Olympics, working specifically with Brazil and Morocco’s Football (Soccer) teams. Kelli graduated with a BA in Exercise Science/ Sports Medicine in 1987 from Cal State Northridge. Upon graduation, she started a successful private practice as an Orthopedic Massage Therapist/ Transformational Breath Practitioner.

Kelli continued to explore different healing modalities to support mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health throughout her professional career. Since the mid 1980’s, she has continued intensive study with various Native Healers and Indigenous Shamans. Her exploration of movement therapy has included Gabriel Roth’s Five Element dancing and Continuum dancing for close to 20yrs. Kelli is also an accomplished fabric artist with her works being held in private collections on both coasts.

In 2002, Kelli chose a sober lifestyle and became an active member of AA. This shift sparked another field of interest; addiction recovery. Soon after in 2004, She began studying Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing with Sharon Porter (under her LMT license) to bring in the benefit of trauma work to her clients. She furthered this field of study and went on to become a Practitioner as an MFT intern. Kelli’s interest in Somatic based Psychotherapy was a natural transition from body work. She graduated from Antioch University in 2009.

While interning at Exodus Recovery Center and Beit T’Shuva, she worked in dual diagnosis and used her knowledge of neurophysiology/ somatic therapy to support addiction/ trauma recovery.

Kelli is a client-centered therapist who strongly believes in attachment based therapy to support healing trauma–both developmental and complex. She is an SEP (Somatic Experiencing Practitioner) and has completed Level 1 & 2 EMDR trainings. Her goal as a therapist is to provide a safe loving transformational experience with humor and compassion.

Laura Melton

CMP, SEP, CATC

Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Certified NARM Therapist

Laura Melton has worked in field of stress, pain management, and self-regulation for 25 years. She is a bodyworker, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Certified NARM therapist, and graduate of the Pierce College Addiction STues counseling program.

As a bodyworker, Laura is trained in Esalen massage, Biodynamic and Upledger Cranio-Sacral Therapy, Ortho-Bionomy, Bodynamics, Savroopa, Ashtanga, and Hatha Yoga, and Thai Yoga Therapy. She has completed Kathy Kaine’s touch trainings. She has been a California State Certified Massage Therapist since 1992. In addition, she has an extensive background in classical dance as well as in contemporary healing movement such as Continuum and Gabriel Roth’s 5 Rhythm’s.

Since 2001, Laura has worked as a teaching assistant to Dr. Peter Levine and to numerous SE faculty throughout the USA, Canada, Brazil, and Australia. She is an approved SE session and consultation provider at all levels of training. She currently works in a clinical residential and IOP/PHP addiction treatment facility as an addiction counselor facilitating trauma resiliency education and process groups as well as meditation and grief process groups. Laura has been a student of Dr. Aline LaPierre for the past ten years. She is Executive Assistant at the NeuroAffective Touch Institute and teaching assistant to Dr. LaPierre in the NeuroAffective Touch trainings. Laura is in private practice in Beverly Hills.

Rabbi Arielle Hanien

MFT

Somatic Experiencing Practitioner

She brings an integrative approach to healing the trauma of sexual assault, accidents, and developmental trauma, as well as the effects of social and inherited trauma.

Although she is able to work with clients using exclusively somatic techniques, many clients prefer to draw upon her extensive experience as a spiritual counselor to bring spiritual resources into therapy sessions. When it is helpful, clients who identify with various religious traditions can integrate spiritual reflection and resources, orienting beliefs and practices, into the therapeutic experience to support healing. This can help them feel the support of a power beyond themselves that helps them get through tough times. Or it can support reaching a state of awareness, or self-realization, or a felt-sense of just how interconnected we all are with the rest of the world.

She already had degrees in Physical and Social sciences, as well as Philosophy, when she was ordained as a rabbi by the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in 2006. She applied this background to her study of neuroscience and psychology, and eventually studied Somatic Experiencing, developed by Peter Levine, with him and a number of his protégées from around the world. Soon she was discovering how valuable the technique was in her work with individuals, families, and communities.

Deepening her study of personal and collective healing with doctoral research at the International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution at Columbia University, she began consulting internationally about how to apply contemporary understandings of trauma and recovery that can be discerned in ancient spiritual traditions, in integrative ways.

Since becoming certified as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner in 2014, she has helped to teach that technique as well as derivative ones, including Integrative Somatic Psychology developed by Raja Selvam, EmotionAid developed by Gina Ross, and Full Embodiment developed by Ariel Giaretto. These share a common thread, which is to help us emerge from the shadow of trauma and reconnect us to our innate capacity for a life of vitality, deep emotion, meaning, relationship, and dignity, by supporting the integration of our body, mind, and spirit.

An award-winning writer, educator, and researcher, Rabbi Hanien has worked since 2011 with the International Trauma-Healing Institute to deepen understanding of contemporary research in trauma healing among religious leaders around the world and to create new resources in English and in Hebrew.

Her work has been featured by ELI Talks and the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Ethics and on podcasts produced by the Sinai and Synapses Fellowship, a national cohort of scientists and religious leaders who see Science and Religion as integral aspects of how we understand the world.

Rabbi Hanien completed her doctoral studies in Clinical Psychology at Ryokan College in 2017.

MAHYAR NILI

Mahyar Nili is a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner who specializes in working with trauma from a holistic perspective and believes in the body’s innate wisdom and movement towards healing. Using modalities such as Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM), Brainspotting, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Somatic Experiencing (SE), and the Arts, Mahyar’s approach is gentle, non-judgmental, and client-centered, with a focus on assisting clients in building awareness and connecting with internal and external resources.

Mahyar began using the arts as a healing tool with women and children survivors at a domestic violence shelter, and with youth in various school, and community programs, worked in a transitional group home for several years with young adults, and extensively with elders in assisted living communities. She also works in private practice with adults of many backgrounds, including LGBQIA, Trans and Gender Nonconforming people.

Mahyar earned a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Expressive Arts Therapy from California Institute of Integral Studies, certification in Somatic Experiencing, is a Somatic Experiencing training assistant, has training in CRM, Level I and II training in Brainspotting, Level I in EMDR, and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Art, and Gender Studies, summa cum laude, from University California, Los Angeles. She is a conversational Farsi speaker. Her life and work are also informed and inspired by family, friends, nature, spirit, energy and movement practices, and social justice.

Lisa Schwartz

L.Ac.

Licensed Acupuncturist Specializing in Emotional Trauma

Lisa Schwartz is a California state licensed acupuncturist and herbalist specializing in treating emotional trauma, addiction, depression, anxiety, stress, chronic pain and headaches.

Lisa received her master’s degree in traditional Chinese medicine from Emperor’s College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Californian board acupuncture license in 2000. She is also a Member of the National Addiction Detoxification Association.

Her passion for treating emotional trauma and addiction began during an internship at a hospital in Marina Del Rey, where she treated patients with great success recovering from PTSD, drug and alcohol addiction. Lisa started her private practice in 2001 and teamed up with a therapist, treating individuals suffering from PTSD and addiction and has continued her education through post-graduate studies in these fields. She has served as a clinic supervisor at UCLA’s Arthur Ashe student health center for acupuncture students, where she taught them proper diagnosis and treatment for stress, anxiety, insomnia and headaches.

Her specialized technique helps individuals who are suffering from drug cravings, stress, anxiety and panic attacks. Lisa offers her patients compassionate and personalized care, creating a safe, calm and relaxing environment for the sole purpose of healing the body, mind and spirit.

Gina Simonelli

M.A.

Expressive Arts Therapist

As an Expressive Arts Therapist, Gina includes the language of creativity as part of the therapeutic process. The arts, used individually or collaboratively, can help express those feelings that can’t yet be described with words, as well as enable us to feel hopeful, focused, calm, or playful. Through visual art, music, writing, movement, drama, and other creative mediums we can gain new perspectives, access our inner resources, and illuminate our wisdom and strengths, all leading to a deeper connection with ourselves. No artistic experience or skill is required to benefit from Expressive Arts Therapy.

Gina has directly experienced the healing capacities of creative expression throughout her personal life. Once she decided to pursue this work professionally, she obtained her master’s degree in mental health counseling with a specialization in Expressive Arts Therapy from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. Since then she has worked in psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment programs, skilled nursing facilities, and in community outreach providing group and individual support. She specializes in trauma-sensitive, mindfulness-based applications of the expressive arts. She has worked with adolescents, adults, and older adults coping with the effects of trauma, substance use disorders, chronic mental illness, homelessness, and dementia. Gina continues to maintain an active connection with the arts outside of her work with clients as a way to support both her personal and professional development.

Maia Akiva

Writing Teacher

Maia Akiva is a Motivational Speaker, Entertainer, Facilitator, a reality bender and an emotional researcher who dips into every flavor of human behavior and self-discovery using self-help fiction, magical realism, original visual storytelling and and emotional coaching.

Originally from Israel. Her award-winning self-help plays and short stories have been produced and published all over the United States in the past 10 years, inspiring hundreds of people to go on a journey of understanding, get to know themselves better and deeper, and ask themselves some important questions about their inner emotional lives, their struggles and their relationship with themselves. She led workshops of self-discovery at Models of Pride conference in the US, and at Brave Trails Camp, Resilience Treatment Center, Reconnect center and many more awesome places. She teaches meditation at The Den Meditation in Los Angeles. Maia’s creative work and her desire to help people take a look at themselves come from her own experience. After turning her back on herself for many years, suffering from depression and self-negativity she finally decided to start a new relationship with herself and turned her life around, living a life full of Joy and positivity.

Nadine Flowers

MA, IMFT

Adjunct Therapist & Alumni Program Coordinator

Nadine is a graduate of the Institute for Psycho-Structural Balancing (IPSB) in Los Angeles, CA, and has also trained in Thai Yoga Massage and Bodywork. She is proponent of bodywork and massage for relieving physical as well as emotional stress, and strongly believes that massage is a viable modality for enhancing overall health and well-being.

Her learning has included, but is not limited to T’ai Chi Ch’uan, body psychology, anatomy/physiology, energy balancing, as well as mindfulness, somatic, crisis intervention and trauma informed care. Some of her main modalities for bodywork are circulatory (Swedish massage), joint mobilization, moderate to deep body work, and a combination of reflexology, acupressure and assisted yoga.

Nadine’s personal experience with dance, yoga, Olympic lifting, exercise and movement also informs her work. Her approach is fundamentally underpinned with compassion and sensitivity; and she strives to provide a flexible therapeutic space to work with each client in a way that works for them; wherever they may be in their therapeutic process or day. She deeply enjoys helping clients find a space of relaxation, connection and physical improvement that is aimed toward facilitating deeper healing, integration and wholeness.

Nadine greatly values working in a treatment setting as part of a clinical team; and is honored to have the opportunity to engage with each person throughout their personal journey at Reconnect.

A firm believer in the inseparable connection between body-mind, her mission is to support individuals in achieving life balance and optimal functioning through personal wellness.

Nadine graduated with a Master of Science with a Specialization in Clinical Psychology in December of 2015 and is also currently working towards her licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (L.P.C.C) focusing on women, trauma and nature or wilderness-based work.

Nicole Wiederecht

Music Therapist

Nicole is a board-certified music therapist who earned her B.A. in music therapy from California State University, Northridge. Nicole has worked in many clinical settings including eating disorder clinics, residential mental health treatment centers, trauma centers, hospitals, and children’s clinics. She works within a humanistic philosophy to help clients find a greater sense of balance and understanding between mind, body, and spirit. Nicole’s musical experience is based in classical flute performance, and through her education she has expanded her repertoire to include guitar, piano, ukulele, voice, and world percussion. Nicole is passionate about providing a safe, non-judgmental environment for clients to connect with themselves through music-based experiences.

Soleah Nicolis

CNHP, TRE, CEBT, C.Ht

Certified TRE® Provider & Resilience Tool Kit Facilitator

Soleah is a Certified TRE® (Tension & Trauma Release Exercises) Provider and graduated from the TRE® Los Angeles certification program. She also has extensive training and certifications in a variety of modalities some of which include Natural Health Practitioner, and Life Coach.

Soleah Nicolis found her way into the wellness field because of her own personal healing journey. She began her holistic health career in 2004, as an assistant to renowned holistic chiropractor Dr. Eileen Kenny. Under her guidance, Soleah assisted with clients of all ages, health concerns and backgrounds. Soleah’s curiosity about health, community, and service allowed her to apply her lifelong passion for helping people uncover and rediscover their wholeness.

Richard Chambers

LMFT (LMFT 36661)

Certified CRM Practitioner

Richard Chambers is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has been supporting the growth and healing of individuals and families for over 20 years. He specializes in moving clients through complex and acute trauma resolution, complex PTSD, severe anxiety, addictions, depression, adoption issues, grief, loss and attachment disruptions.

In 1993, he received his master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from California Baptist University. He worked with adolescents in residential treatment who were developmentally and emotionally impacted due to a myriad of childhood traumas and helped heal familial relationships and reunite the adolescents back into their families with significantly improved coping skills.

He shifted his focus in 1998, to working with at risk, neglected and abused children and their families within the Foster Care System. He also continued his work as a therapist working with adults, adolescents and families who have experienced trauma, profound loss and attachments issues.

Richard’s goal is to create a safe, secure, nurturing and supportive environment to move clients towards transformation and healing with a deep personal connection to mind, body and spirit, through greater self-awareness, self-compassion and personal empowerment. Richard has completed Brainspotting Phases 1 & 2, Resource Brainspotting with Attachment and Dissociation and Advanced Resourcing. He also found he was working with more complex trauma and needed some more tools. The Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM) met that need and he is a certified CRM Practitioner. CRM integrates the mind, body and spirit by utilizing a variety of experiential techniques including breath work, mindfulness awareness and body awareness to help in the releasing and healing of trauma. He has found the CRM model has been able to process trauma more rapidly and completely with greater ease and comfort to the suffering client.

Kathy Cass

MA, BC-DMT, CYT, AHC

Yoga Therapist, Ayurveda Health Counselor, Dance/Movement Therapist

Kathy Cass MA, BC-DMT, NCC, C-IAYT, AHC is a board-certified dance/movement therapist, nationally certified counselor, certified yoga therapist and ayurveda health counselor. She has been a guest lecturer at UCLA, Scripps College, and CMER at Loyola Marymount University. Kathy is currently a faculty member at UCLArts and Healing, Santa Monica College, and EL Camino Community College.

Kim Low

LMFT

Group Therapist

Kim Low is a licensed Marriage Family Therapist with experience in the addiction and mental health field since 1998. She received her master’s in clinical psychology from New College of California school of Psychology in San Francisco.

Kim began her career working with people struggling with HIV, mental illness and addiction using the holistic approach in residential treatment while attending graduate school. During her internship she worked with the SAGE Project (Standing against global exploitation) where she was as a sexual trauma counselor in collaboration with the district attorney’s office. She has been a therapist for adolescents and adults in residential and outpatient settings and is certified in DBT (Dialectical behavioral therapy) and trauma focused CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy).

After receiving her license she worked with adolescents and transitional aged youth 18-24 in the criminal justice system and was the lead youth and family therapist and clinical supervisor for the Juvenile justice team in San Francisco where she also worked with the Juvenile Collaborative Reentry Unit which is unique and the only program of its kind in the nation, serving all youth who have been committed to out-of-home placement as part of a juvenile justice court disposition in San Francisco County.

A Los Angeles native, Kim has been back in Los Angeles since 2014 and worked as a program manager for homeless youth with mental health issues where she managed staff and provided clinical supervision to interns while running an outpatient clinic.

Kim is currently pursuing a doctorate in child development and clinical psychology from the Reiss Davis Graduate center.

Kim is passionate about helping individuals and their families create the change that they want to see in their lives. She believes that with support and guidance that anything is possible.

Madison Brightwell

PsyD, LMFT

Primary Therapist

I always treat every client as a unique and special individual who I can empower to find their own inner guidance and healing ability. I love what I do, and I feel this is my purpose in life. I specialize in helping people with addictions, pain, trauma and mood disorders such as anxiety, depression and anger. It is my belief that addictions, pain and trauma are closely linked, and it is my mission to break the cycle of despair that keeps people trapped in pain, whether it is emotional or physical. I have a behavioral approach to counseling, and I believe in working to help the client by looking at where they are right now and enabling them to move forward in a more positive direction with their lives. I use a blend of CBT, DBT, ACT and Motivational Interviewing to help clients move forward toward their goals. Treatment Approach I have a very creative approach to my work and enjoy using expressive arts to help people discover a new self-identity. My unique experience as a performing artist helps me to find creative ways to move people out of their negative patterns of behavior and transform their lives.

Rose Roseborough

CMT

Massage Therapist

A second-generation massage therapist, Rose began her earliest ‘training’ under the tutelage of her mother. With a natural instinct for healing and helping others, she began her official training at the Maui Academy of the Healing Arts, graduating a 620 hr program and passing the Hawaii State board licensing exam in 2000. What began as a trade program for a side job to earn money while putting herself through college (where she took Anatomy and Psychology courses) turned into a lifelong love of studying the body and psyche and a passion for helping support people from all walks of life on their path to health, balance and wellness. She has taken hundreds of hours of continuing education courses in various massage and bodywork modalities and obtained California licensure in 2012. She has worked in spa/wellness, fitness as well as clinical environments and has been honored to provide hundreds of hours of ‘compassionate touch’ to medically fragile infants, children, elderly, and special populations as a volunteer with the Heart Touch program both in Los Angeles and Cambodia.

Rose discovered an interest in the Pilates method during her own path of injury rehabilitation and completed a 420-hour classical Pilates certification at Whole Body Gallery in 2007. Drawing on her training both in bodywork and functional movement, she loves to empower her clients by teaching them exercises and stretches to support better posture and help them feel stronger, healthier, and more limber between massage sessions.

With a passion to promote mind/body wellness for all, Rose truly believes that ‘health is wealth’. She feels that the mind, body and spirit are an integrated unit and one cannot be addressed without the other to truly find balance and wellness. She is excited to be a part of such a dynamic, holistic team and the unique and progressive approach the Reconnect offers.

Monet Davis

Billing & Insurance Coordinator

Monet has over 5 years’ experience in the Insurance and Financial industry. She is here to assist with any of your billing and insurance questions as you transition into your treatment with Reconnect Psychological Services.

Marina Dumanyan

Outpatient Program Manager

Marina has eight years of experience in the banking industry and close to a decade in the herbal industry providing elaborative instruction in the use of herbal therapy and understanding and practicing principles of preventive nutrition, eradicating the cause of disease utilizing wholesome foods and intensive detoxification programs, and healing the body through natural methods. She holds a Nutritional Herbalist certification from the School of Natural Healing and is pursuing a BS degree in natural health science, concentrating on clinical nutrition. She loves the outdoors, traveling, watching documentaries, reading, decoding ingredient lists, yoga, drawing, festivals, has great appreciation for cultural diversity and listening to music from all over the world. As program coordinator, she works closely with the clinical director as well as clinicians to ensure that clients are assigned the best possible schedule.

BRIANA SMITH

Briana Smith is the Lead Residential Advisor at Reconnect, where she manages a team of Resident Advisors, and supports them with scheduling and their own therapeutic process and training.

Briana has dedicated her professional life to helping at-risk groups receive the mental health services they need to live happy, productive lives, including troubled youths, survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and individuals with anger management issues.

Her journey in the mental health field began at YMCA OZ, where, as a Resident Supervisor, her passion for working in residential treatment developed through her work in crisis management, planning transitions in life, and promoting self-advocacy.

These skills served her well as she went on to provide in-school mental health services and crisis interventions to high school students, implement treatment plans for foster youth in transitional housing programs, and facilitate therapy groups for middle school girls at the Counseling Partners of Los Angeles, Olive Crest, and Save Our Youth organizations, respectively.

Briana also has experience working with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, both teens and adults, through the Coalition for Family Harmony, where she co-facilitated support groups, advocated for clients’ needs and collaborated with law enforcement and child protective services.

Briana utilizes a trauma-informed, client-centered approach to treatment. This is expressed during sessions in her ability to understand the difference between the words a client may express and what they really mean to help clients get to the core root of the problem. Simultaneously, she utilizes solution-focused therapy to aide her clients in reaching the next step of life.

Briana Smith holds a B.A. in Therapeutic and Community Psychology and
Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Point Loma Nazarene University, an M.A. in Clinical Psychology (with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy) from Pepperdine University and a M.A. in Education-School Counseling from Alliant International University.

Lastly, Briana has been named the Champion of Skip-Bo and Rummikub at Reconnect and enjoys playing these games with the clients.

ASHLEY HIMMELSTERN

Ashley graduated with her Bachelors of Science from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in Psychology and minor in Biology and received her Masters in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University in Malibu.

While in her graduate studies at Pepperdine, she trained at Hope Gardens Family Center for Women and Children; working with women and children who have experienced trauma.

Ashley is very passionate about aiding in the healing process for women and trauma, of traumatic events, which is what attracted her to Reconnect. She enjoys the use of art therapy in her work with clients and has brought creative projects such as making “no-sew” blankets and “hope” boxes.

In August 2018, she will begin law school at Southwestern University toward a Forensic Psychology career path.

CIRA WINARTO

Cira landed at Reconnect after a longtime desire to work with people who are working through complex traumas and relational wounds. She earned her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University.

Her foundational training came from her work as a clinician at The Relational Center, and she currently works in two private practices specializing in sex therapy, sex addiction, and relationship issues.

Cira practices from a relational approach and draws mainly from attachment theory, believing that our attachment wounds and relational traumas heal best with connection and worsen under conditions of isolation. She is passionate about helping her clients identify and address their unmet needs and about helping them develop healthy relationships.

JESSICA CALGAV

Jessica will be graduating from the University of California, Riverside with a B.A. in Psychology and plans on pursuing a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology post graduation.

Jessica fell in love with the field of psychology during her AP psych class in high school and her continued curiosity and drive to learn is what motivates her. As an RA she works to inspire clients to try something new. She is passionate about grounding and breathing techniques – which help foster the necessary skills in clients who experience severe symptoms of PTSD.

MORGAN MARTINEZ

Morgan graduated Pepperdine University with her Master’s of Arts in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy and completed her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with an Emphasis in Inequalities and Diversity.

Her coursework has provided her with a solid understanding of social and psychological processes. She completed her clinical training at Richstone Family Center in Hawthorne, working with children and adults.

Her focus as a Resident Advisor for the clients at Reconnect is to validate and normalize their experiences while providing authentic connection and empowerment.

OLIVIA GARCIA

Native to Los Angeles, Olivia received her Associate of Arts Degree from Los Angeles City College, followed by her Bachelor of Arts from Mount Saint Mary’s University. While attending school, Olivia worked in various capacities for ABC Radio and Television, where volunteering in the community was the norm. It was years of volunteer work with many at risk populations that inspired her to pursue a higher degree that would enable her to further her work in the mental health field. Olivia received her Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena.

Olivia Garcia is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist with vast experience working with bereaved families after the loss of a child; specializing in the pregnancy and infant loss population. Olivia was active for many years with national non-profit, The Compassionate Friends, where she held many positions, including as a group facilitator for those who had experienced child loss.

At Reconnect, Olivia is able to bring her skills and passions to the clients, and is a firm believer in the power of the therapeutic alliance, as well as empathy, and compassion.

SAMANTHA BUTTERWORTH

Samantha graduated with a Bachelors degree in psychology from Cal State Monterey Bay and is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.

Samantha has prior experience working with foster youth and children with behavioral and mental health issues from low income families.

In her future practice as a therapist, she plans to work with trauma survivors and incorporate body movement and exercise to encourage a restored connection between the mind and the body.

Samantha is passionate about the road to recovery that Reconnect provides and is so proud to be a member of a clinical team that is collaborative, forthright, and compassionate. Her goal is to support individuals in their healing process and to provide a safe space for them on their journey.

MARY BETH LYNDON

Bio coming soon…

JULIE INGLESE

Julie is a Los Angeles native with a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University. She began her career in London in the film industry and returned to LA as an executive director at 20th Century Fox.

Throughout her travels abroad Julie developed a strong desire to give back, leading her to work with with Habitat for Humanity, LA Works and culminating in The Hunger Project in Ethiopia. Since then Julie has dedicated herself to supporting people as they heal. Before joining Reconnect she worked at Paradigm Malibu, a treatment facility for adolescents struggling with depression, anxiety and addiction.

When she’s not busy keeping the Residential Program on course, she loves to spend her free time at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Markets, and mixing LA’s best matcha lattes.

Dr. Nicole Karman Gilbert

Ph.D. (PSY13462)

Clinical Director, Residential Program

Dr. Gilbert is a licensed clinical psychologist who has practiced in Los Angeles, California, for over 25 years. Her specializations include the treatment trauma and attachment, addiction and dual disorders, as well as family issues in the context of mental health disorders.

Dr. Gilbert was educated in Switzerland, France and the United States and is competent to conduct therapy in French and English. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Washington, and her doctorate at the California Graduate Institute (now The Chicago School). She did her dissertation in cooperation with the Yale Psychiatric Institute on intergenerational transmission of attachment patterns. She has served in multiple dual disorder residential facilities as primary therapist, family therapist and clinical director. She serves on the Board of Registered Nursing Intervention Program as a member-at-large and maintains a private practice in Brentwood, California.

Renee Stokes

AMFT (AMFT86466)

EMDR Practitioner

Renee graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a master’s degree in Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy in 2008. She is registered in the state of California through the Board of Behavioral Sciences as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and is fully trained as an EMDR therapist (Levels I and II) as well. Renee began her training at the Sexual Assault Crisis Agency (SACA) in 2006 in Long Beach, CA where she worked with survivors of sexual abuse and violence, who often also struggled with addiction, mood disorders and/or personality disorders. Her passion for the intersection between trauma and addiction began at SACA and continued to grow as she expanded into county contracted positions, residential treatment and outpatient treatment facilities.

Renee encourages reflection and examination of individual and relational patterns in order to support a shift towards greater empowerment and healing. She finds addressing and processing unhealed trauma is essential and necessary for long-term recovery, deep healing and symptom relief. Renee has worked with individuals and families in various settings including treatment, private practice, non-profit, school based and county contracted organizations, including court-mandated clients involved with the Juvenile Dependency Court and foster care. She is sensitive to the complexity trauma brings to an individual’s life experience and enjoys supporting her clients both individually and in a group setting.

Sharon Holly

C-IAYT, YTRx-800c

Certified Yoga Therapist, The Resilience Toolkit Certified Facilitator, Certified TRE® Provider (Trauma / Tension Release Exercises)

Sharon is a graduate of the Loyola Marymount University Yoga Therapy Rx, TRE® Los Angeles and The Resilience Toolkit certification programs.

Sharon discovered TRE® and then The Resilience Toolkit on her own healing journey, discovering the benefits of turning on the body’s natural ability to restore itself to balance. She has built a private practice integrating yoga therapy and The Resilience Toolkit as needed for those who suffer from various illnesses, injuries, mood disorders and complex and/or shock trauma. Sharon believes that her role is to guide individuals into their own healing potential by creating a safe space whereby they can progress towards self-regulation and self-empowerment.

Sharon also teaches small therapeutic yoga groups and The Resilience Toolkit sessions at PCH Treatment Center as well as therapeutic yoga at several physical therapy offices, yoga studios, cancer centers and group classes in both public and private schools (preschool – 12th grade) throughout Los Angeles. Additionally, Sharon has experience with support in the 12-steps for addiction and codependency.

Colleen Kelly

Ph.D., LMFT

Clinical Outreach Specialist, Europe Division

Colleen M. Kelly, PhD, MFT is a psychotherapist and clinical outreach consultant based in Paris, France specializing in addiction and couples work. She is a California Licensed Marriage Family Therapist and an APA Board Certified Professional Counselor. She holds a BFA from New York University, a Masters in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University and a Doctorate in Philosophy.

Colleen has worked in the substance abuse and mental health field in a variety of clinical settings, beginning 20 years ago with American Indian treatment centers. She was on the clinical staff of Promises Treatment Center in West Los Angeles as a therapist for four years and on clinical team at Promises, Malibu as a family therapist for 2 years in addition to designing family programs at several other treatment centers. She has been a regular group facilitator and clinical outreach consultant for over a decade at Promises, PCH Treatment Center, Cirque Lodge Utah, Milestones Ranch Malibu, Bridges to Recovery, Harmony Place, Avalon Malibu, AiR, Pacific Quest, Transcend, Riviera Recovery, Visions Adolescent Treatment, and Resolutions Treatment to name a few.

Dr. Kelly is a California Probation Certified Master Domestic Violence Group Facilitator and has participated in the development of culturally relevant substance abuse and batterers programs. She is a Board-Certified Subject Matter Expert in Substance Abuse with the Board of Behavioral Science and a BBSE licensed Continuing Education Provider. In 2005, Dr. Aletha Solter, a colleague of Piaget, certified her as an Aware Parenting Parent Educator Specialist.

As a clinician, she was the first Clinical Director of the CAST program in Santa Monica providing psychotherapy and clinical oversight. Colleen has also consulted with Jean Campbell at the Action Institute of California in working with corporate clients to facilitate team building, strategic planning, crisis intervention, and role training workshops. As an educator, she has had over 40 articles published on addiction and treatment and is the author of over 20 published Continuing Education courses for MFTs and LCSWs.

As an independent behavioral health care contractor, she began working with Jeri Davis International, a health care recruitment and consulting firm in DC, and Gregory Consulting providing direct sales to treatment centers and medical providers, strategic planning, promotional events, and advertising.

As a human rights advocate she works with Palestinian, Syrian, and North African refugees doing asylum interviews and advocating for civil rights and services.

She currently has offices in Paris, France and Santa Monica, California where she is on staff at Resolutions Treatment.