Education & Clinical Experience

University of Southern California
Ph.D. – Counseling Psychology (APA accredited), August 1999 – GPA 4.0
 Gerontology specialty – Andrus Gerontology Center
 Dissertation: Predictors and consequences of alcoholic depression: A longitudinal study Chair: Michael Newcomb, Ph.D.

University of Southern California
Division of Counseling Psychology
MA- Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling, May 1997 – GPA 4.0

University of Southern California
BA- Psychology Honors, May 1994 – GPA 3.87
 Thesis: Aggression in preschool children: Relationship to parental attitudes and behavior.
 Chair: Joeseph Helliege, Ph.D.; Honors Mentor: Jo Ann Farver, Ph.D.

Psychologist-Private Practice
Founding Partner – Community Counseling Group ( www.CCGhelp.com )
June 2005 to Present
A general clinical practice with an emphasis on individual psychotherapy and psychological assessment. Common clinical issues include: mood and anxiety disorders, substance abuse, health psychology (contribution of psychological conditions to medical issues), the assessment and treatment of trauma, and more serious psychopathology. Provide in-depth training and supervision to interns. Co-manage business operations, marketing, recruiting, and training.

Psychologist-Private Practice
Conejo Counseling Center
September 2001 to June 2005
A general clinical practice with an emphasis on individual psychotherapy and psychological assessment. Common clinical issues include: mood and anxiety disorders, substance abuse, health psychology (contribution of psychological conditions to medical issues), the assessment and treatment of trauma, and more serious psychopathology. Provider for: Medicare, Blue Shield, Managed Health Network, PacifiCare, Simi Valley Adventist Hospital, and College Health.

Counseling Psychologist I
UCLA Student Psychological Services, Los Angeles, CA
September 1999 to July 2000
Provided intake, assessment, group, and individual psychotherapy on both a short-term and a long-term basis for UCLA graduate and undergraduate students. Developed a psychotherapy group for graduate students. Consult/supervise pre-doctoral interns on neuropsychological and psychological assessment.
 Supervisor: Harold Pruett, Ph.D.

Clinical Psychology Intern
University of Michigan School of Medicine
University of Michigan Health Service- VA Medical Center, Ann Arbor (APA accredited)
September 1998 to September 1999
An APA-approved general clinical internship with an emphasis in neuropsychology. Joint appointment with the Univ. of Michigan School of Medicine and the Ann Arbor VA. Duties included psychological and neuropsychological assessment, individual, couples’ and group psychotherapy, and assist in end-of-life medical decision-making. Supervised Univ. of Michigan third-year medical students, nursing and clinical practicum students.
 Hospital-based Intensive Outpatient Treatment (HIOT) Rotation. A six-month rotation on high-intensity day-treatment program. Responsibilities included intake, case management, program development, individual and group psychotherapy. Provided specialized cognitive-behavioral treatment for depression, anxiety and panic disorders; short-term behavior management of Axis II disorders.  
 PTSD Clinical Team. A twelve-month rotation with intensive training in the assessment, evaluation and treatment of PTSD. Responsibilities included individual psychotherapy, comprehensive PTSD assessments and treatment plans; bi-monthly trauma didactic presentations and case reports at interdisciplinary treatment team conferences. 
 Mental Health Clinic Rotation. A six-month rotation on an interdisciplinary, outpatient mental health service. Responsibilities included intake/triage, individual and group psychotherapy, psychological evaluation, and treatment planning. Specialized treatment with a group of older, retired adults and, a group of patients diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia.
Supervisors:
Ken Adams, Ph.D., ABPP – Training Director, Neuropsychology
Linus Bieliauskas, Ph.D., ABPP; Henry Buchtel, Ph.D. – Neuropsychology
   Ken Chamberlain, MD – Service Chief, HIOT Director
   M. Jean Tweedie, Ph.D. – MHC Staff Psychologist
Israel Liberzon, MD – Service Chief; Richard Amdur, Ph.D. – PTSD Clinic

Psychology Extern
UCLA School of Medicine – Department of Psychiatry
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA
September 1997 to September 1998
” Neuropsychology Rotation. Specialized training in the administration and interpretation of a wide range of neuropsychological assessment instruments; preparation of comprehensive reports. Part of a five-member assessment team that traveled to a different Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Clinic each week (Harbor-UCLA, Skid Row MHC, West Side MHC, Rio Hondo MHC).
Supervisors:
Annette Brodsky, Ph.D., ABPP – Training Director
Kyle Boone, Ph.D., ABPP-ABCN – Director of Neuropsychology Service
Marcel Ponton, Ph.D. – Director of Neuropsychology Clinic

Student Supervisor
DiDi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center, Metro Center, Los Angeles, CA
September 1997 to December 1997
Provided weekly individual supervision to USC students engaging in practicum training. Focus on students’ skill development and training in psychotherapy, intake procedures, assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning and outcome evaluation. Weekly review of session tapes and documentation of student progress.
Supervisor:
Joan Rosenberg, Ph.D. – Practicum Coordinator

Pre-intern, Psychology Service
Veterans Affairs (VA) Outpatient Clinic, Los Angeles, CA
September 1996 to September 1997
Provided short- and long-term individual psychotherapy; facilitated groups in the Substance Abuse, Alcohol Treatment, Behavioral Medicine, and Day Treatment programs. Administered and interpreted psychological and neuropsychological assessments, and wrote comprehensive reports. Specialized training in Time-Limited Dynamic psychotherapy. Consultant at interdisclipinary treatment planning and program development/evaluation conferences. Weekly attendance and involvement in the APA accredited predoctoral internship training/supervision seminars.
Supervisors:
  Steve Strack, Ph.D. – Training Director, Assessment Supervisor
  Lisa Dieckmann, Ph.D. – Primary Supervisor
  Susan Steinberg, Ph.D. – Neuropsychology Supervisor

Practicum Student- Level II
DiDi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center, Metro Center, Los Angeles, CA
May 1996 to September 1996
Provided short-term, outpatient individual psychotherapy and conducted intake procedures. Administered and interpreted psychological assessments. Group supervision by USC faculty psychologist was live, via a one-way mirror.
Supervisors:
  Rodney Goodyear, Ph.D. – Training Director
  Pat Alford-Keating, Ph.D. – Primary Supervisor

Counselor Trainee
California Lutheran Univ.- Community Counseling Center, Thousand Oaks, CA
January 1996 to August 1998
Conducted both brief and long-term outpatient psychotherapy with adults, couples and children. Provided parenting and communication-skills training, consultation to families and social service agencies. Wrote court reports. Conducted intake procedures, responsible for setting fees and billing. Weekly training seminars focused on a wide variety of continuing education and professional development topics. Patient population consists primarily of low-income adults, couples, adolescents and children, referred by local area clinicians, courts, and social service agencies.
Supervisors:
  James Schmidt, Ed.D. – Training Director, Supervisor
  Felipe Santana, Ph.D. – Supervisor
  Mark Stevens, Ph.D.- USC Faculty Supervisor

Practicum Student- Level I
Family Services of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
May 1995 to September 1995
Provided outpatient individual, short-term psychotherapy. Weekly training in intake procedures, therapeutic process. Group supervision by USC faculty psychologist was live, via a one-way mirror.
Supervisor:
  Rodney Goodyear, Ph.D. – Training Director, Primary Supervisor

Mental Health Worker
Community Psychiatric Centers- Vista Del Mar Hospital, Ventura, CA
March 1990 to March 1995 (Part time)
Provided inpatient individual counseling, organized and facilitated therapy groups and group activities, crisis intervention, occupational therapy, activity therapy, parent training, milieu management, and daily patient care. Major role in program development for the Children’s Unit and the Youth and Family Program. Training in cognitive-behavioral techniques and intervention strategies provided by Aaron Beck. Primary work within following programs: Adolescent Psychiatric, Adolescent Dual-diagnosis, Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program, Children’s Psychiatric, Children’s Partial Hospitalization Program, and Youth & Family. Periodically worked within Adult Psychiatric, Adult Dual-diagnosis, Adult Partial Hospitalization Program and Chemical Dependency programs. A private psychiatric hospital whose patient population consists primarily of middle to upper SES adults, adolescents and children.

Relief/On-call Group Home Manager
Living Learning Center, Ventura, CA
January 1991 to April 1992 (Part time)
Provided on-call residential treatment care, patient management and crisis intervention. Residents were male adolescents referred from courts and social service agencies.