Enrique is an insight driven clinician that believes mental health is the cornerstone to overall wellness. As a culturally competent and trauma informed therapist, Enrique uses a wide array of focused techniques to help clients live their best lives. Enrique places an emphasis on the the clinical relationship and strives to build a trusted, safe, and judgment-free space, for emotional processing.
Enrique is currently enrolled in the Applied Clinical Psychology doctorate program at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) and has completed coursework to understand mental health struggles within minority and special populations. Enrique received a Master of Science degree in applied psychology in 2012 and has extensive course experience understanding social factors critical to mental wellness. Enrique’s current research focuses on cultural adherence and the ways it influences body image and perceived anxiety.
Enrique draws his expertise from academic instruction and over two decades of experience working in corporate environments as a market researcher for companies like J.D. Power and Associates, Medtronic, and American Honda. He has extensive experience creating and testing psychometric instruments to measure validity and reliability and is an expert in consumer segmentation and personas. Most recently, Enrique helped create the State of Mental Health Social Determinate scale that has helped TCSPP launch an initiative focused on bridging barriers to professional psychological services while highlighting current mental health challenges in our communities.
Enrique is a native Spanish speaker that is under the supervision of Dr. Shir Shanun, PsyD (PSY25481).
pronouns: he/him/his
languages: English, Spanish
Kira creates a safe, collaborative environment for you to explore your strengths and challenges together. She is humbled by the trust that her clients put in her and the work they do together. She believes that by better understanding your past, present, emotions, and thoughts, you can have greater freedom in building the life and relationships that you desire for your future.
Kira uses an integrative approach, drawing from several different models (ie. attachment theory) depending on the needs of her client. In particular, Kira believes that the therapist-patient relationship is key to success in therapy. Your work with Kira will be strengths-based to support you through the challenges and goals that you bring to therapy.
While completing her MA in Counseling Psychology at The Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA, Kira was a therapist at a local elementary school. Here she used play therapy and sandplay therapy with her clients, and she feels this creativity and playfulness are of great use when working with adults as well.
Kira is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT 123856). She is under the supervision of Dr. Scott Garrels (PSY21050).
pronouns: she/her/hers
languages: English
Dr. Loretta Brazil has a wealth of experience and skills that support her ability to connect deeply with a diverse range of clients and their concerns. She works from a psychodynamic approach and views psychotherapy as an opportunity to heal the whole person (mind, body, and soul). She advocates for self-care, personal development, life balance, maintaining a positive sense of self, and activating resilience.
Dr. Brazil has experience supporting individuals and couples working through unique challenges and utilizing their strengths and resiliencies to move forward. She is available to work with adult individuals as well as couples, in-person or virtually. She has worked with clients facing a broad range of concerns, including life stage issues, relational challenges, domestic and intimate partner violence and other traumatic lived experiences, family and social relational issues, grief and loss recovery, anxiety, and depression.
Dr. Brazil is a graduate of Pacifica Graduate Institute, with a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Additionally, she has a Master of Arts in Marriage Family Therapy from Pacific Oaks College. She has received advanced training and supervision in various forms of psychodynamic therapy, as well as other therapeutic approaches, and mindfulness-based interventions.
Dr. Loretta Brazil is a Registered Psychological Associate (PSB94027770) under the supervsion of Dr. Steven Graubard (PSY30277).
pronouns: she/her/hers
languages: English
Bryon believes that therapy is an opportunity for people to feel better and to grow as a person. He tries to create a warm, accepting therapeutic environment where clients feel safe. He helps clients identify present and past factors that might be contributing to their mental health problems. And he encourages clients to experiment with positive change while respecting each person’s right to make their own decisions.
Bryon is comfortable working with clients whose cultural background is different from his own. He has experience working with a range of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, trauma, and relationship problems. His approach to treatment is individualized to match each client’s diagnosis and preferences, using a mixture of psychodynamic and cognitive- behavioral interventions. At the heart of Bryon’s approach to treatment is a humanistic style characterized by compassion and positive regard.
In addition to working at Rose City Center, Bryon also teaches in the Psychology Department at Occidental College. Before coming to Rose City, he trained at Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services and the Behavioral Health Center Alhambra Hospital.
Bryon is a Registered Psychological Associate (PSB94026712) working under the supervision of Dr. Ryan Witherspoon (PSY32022).
pronouns: he/him/his
languages: English
David sincerely believes a therapist must earn the opportunity to help each client. In this effort, he takes great care not to misuse the inherent power that comes with being asked for support. David strives to create an emotional and psychological environment that welcomes risky self-expression, deep honesty, and new levels of vulnerability, all of which allow the emergence of a more whole self. He believes this way of being is often the foundation of any desired change and personal growth.
David is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and doctoral candidate, who was called to this work later in life despite other passionate interests. Working for decades in foreign language, government work, and teaching, there always remained a palpable lack that he could not explain. Today, he understands that he was missing the rich experience of regularly sharing in the intimate struggle of life with others. Since David takes a person-centered, relational approach to therapy, he invests much time and interest when it comes to learning about who clients are and how they came to be everything they are as they show up in the treatment room today.
David specializes in psychological trauma, neurodivergence, and working with those who have struggled with self-esteem, self-worth, difficulty in communicating feelings, and maintaining emotionally balanced relationships. David subscribes to the belief that mental health can only be understood in terms of social contexts; therefore, he takes a multicultural approach to therapy and works to understand and integrate the sociocultural aspects of individuals’ worldview into the work. Being trained in depth psychology, David also appreciates the unconscious and its influences on our behavior, thoughts, and feelings.
David is a Registered Psychological Associate (PSB94028471) working under the supervision of Dr. Helen Yee (PSY15393).
pronouns: he/him/his
languages: English, Persian-Farsi
Courage. Perseverance. Tenacity. Grit. Desire. Bravery. Pluck.
Whatever word you choose, deciding to face the issues of the past that impact your relationships today requires determination. Stacey Girdner, a Registered Psychological Associate, understands firsthand what it takes to reach out and ask for help and to dedicate oneself to a healing journey.
After working with a private practitioner for two years, Stacey joined the team at Rose City Center. Stacey is dedicated to partnering with clients to achieve their therapeutic goals. Stacey focuses her time, thoughts, and energy exclusively on the client during sessions. She brings attentive listening, understanding, mirroring, reflection, and a belief in the client and their commitment to success. Although every client’s circumstances and aims are different, more often than not Stacey joins clients in addressing concerns around depression, anxiety, and other barriers to sustaining satisfying relationships.
Before earning a doctorate in psychology, Stacey founded and managed a management consulting practice where she, among other services, coached individuals toward improved performance at work. At times, the same problems at work showed up in her coaching clients' private relationships. To expand her ability to support others in their pursuit of an overall sense of life fulfillment, Stacey secured the education and training required to explore the deeper historical emotional experiences that get in the way of living a full and nourishing life. Stacey feels privileged to join her clients on their journey to improved emotional health.
Stacey Girdner is a Registered Psychological Associate (PSB94026302) under the supervision of Dr. B. Jane Wick (PSY11302).
pronouns: she/her/hers
languages: English
Dr. Gutterman believes that psychotherapy works best when it feels supportive and collaborative. To that end, he always wants to make sure his clients feel heard and understood. He aims to be authentic, genuine, and empathic while also making sure the process feels like teamwork. Dan strives to develop a trusting therapeutic relationship that is always working in the client’s best interests.
In practice, Dan uses an integrative approach of psychodynamic, cognitive, and positive psychologies to help his clients decrease distress and suffering, increase personal fulfillment, and enhance relationships to be more productive and enriching. He believes therapy should not only analyze how our past informs our present-day experiences, but also consider how our hopes for the future can be brought within reach.
Dan specializes in working with trauma, interpersonal difficulties, intense emotions, depression, and anxiety. He holds a doctorate degree in clinical psychology from Yeshiva University in New York City. Before coming to Rose City, Dan trained at the National Institute for the Psychotherapies (NIP) and NYU’s Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis, and has additional clinical experience in college counseling, community mental health, and private practice settings.
Dr. Gutterman is a Registered Psychological Associate (PSB94028621) working under the supervision of Dr. Shir Shanun, Psy.D (PSY25481).
pronouns: he/him/his
languages: English
As a psychoanalytically-oriented clinician who works from a depth perspective, Jason's foremost aim is to develop an open, compassionate, and trusting relationship with you so that you feel free to share with him those issues that most burden you – those issues for which you need careful, caring and respectful attention. He has worked mostly with adults in individual, couples, and group psychotherapy who have struggled with anxiety, depression, panic, trauma (including childhood abuse and neglect), PTSD, and substance use issues. He's worked with and is sensitive to the needs of people of diverse identities, and has also worked with artists struggling with creative issues, Veterans, and those living with severe chronic mental health needs. In your work together, by following your lead, you will both work to increase your understanding of what most troubles you.
His aim is to help you free yourself from old behaviors, assumptions, and beliefs while renegotiating your relationship with yourself, with others, and with life itself. The goal is to enrich your capacity to be more present and effective, and to gain more satisfaction, fulfillment, support, and joy in love, work, and community.
Jason Marx, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and is a Registered Psychological Associate (PSB94028650) under the supervision of Dr. Nancy Vogt (PSY17882).
pronouns: he/him/his
languages: English.
Dr. McFarland looks to meet his clients where they are and walk together through the ups and downs of life. He practices with a creative, celebratory approach which makes room for both triumph and tragedy. Grounded in solid research-based clinical practice, his approach to therapy is focused on relationship, culture, spirituality, and the unique individual story that each client presents.
A graduate of the Psy.D. program of Fuller School of Psychology, he also earned dual M.A.s in both Psychology and Theology, as well as being the first student to complete a new Culture and Community Psychology track. His doctoral studies included an emphasis in respecting and integrating various forms of spirituality and religion into clinical work. Dr. McFarland has a wide breadth of experience in treating clients with common struggles as well as those with more severe challenges. He recognizes the complexities of the human experience and how culture, spirituality, biology and so many other factors all impact a person's day to day life.
While Dr. McFarland's primary approach to clinical work is relational psychodynamic therapy, he strives to respond to the needs of each client individually and will adapt accordingly. Recognizing that needs shift as life fluctuates, he works to follow the client's needs, helping them engage in deep exploration of themselves and their outlook on the world. With a growth oriented, flexible approach, he commits himself to supporting the client's needs, however big or small, and walking together with each person towards their goals.
Dr. McFarland is a Registered Psychological Assistant (PSB9402700) under the supervision of Dr. Cadyn Cathers (PSY32839)
pronouns: he/him/his, they/them/theirs
languages: English
Chris Mendoza is a dedicated doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute, with a focus on Depth Psychology. This therapeutic approach explores the unconscious layers of the mind, aiming to uncover hidden emotions and deeper patterns that shape behavior and relationships. Chris integrates these insights to help clients achieve profound personal growth and transformation.
Chris’s extensive and varied career journey has uniquely informed his approach to therapy. His background spans leadership roles, business management, and service in uniformed professions at the city, state, and federal levels. These experiences have provided him with a rich understanding of the diverse challenges people face and a deep empathy for those in high-stress professions.
In his practice, Chris combines trauma-informed care with a blend of psychodynamic, relational, cognitive-behavioral (CBT), and existential-humanistic perspectives. He views symptoms not merely as challenges but as valuable guides or road maps, signaling what the body and mind may be communicating. By understanding and interpreting these symptoms, Chris helps clients explore underlying issues and develop effective strategies for healing.
Chris is committed to supporting clients in finding their own paths to deeper meaning and purpose. His focus includes exploring early attachment experiences, examining patterns in interpersonal relationships, and clarifying life values and goals. By integrating these elements, Chris helps clients uncover and cultivate a more meaningful and purposeful life, fostering self-learning, self-expansion, and self-compassion.
As part of his doctoral work, Chris is developing a dissertation focused on the treatment of PTSD in combat veterans through a Depth Psychological approach. This research aims to enhance understanding and treatment methods for individuals who have faced intense and transformative experiences.
Passionate about guiding individuals through their personal growth journeys, Chris uses psychotherapy as a tool for profound self-discovery and healing. His approach is both compassionate and comprehensive, offering a unique and empathetic framework for addressing life's challenges.
Chris Mendoza is a Registered Psychological Associate (PSB94028512) under the supervision by Maggie Ateia, PsyD (22157).
pronouns: he/him/his
languages: English
Upon starting a new therapeutic journey, I always share that through this process, we will change the idea of “why is this happening to me” to “everything is going according to plan.” As we get started, the first order of business is to construct an environment where you can feel seen, heard, and safe throughout this journey of self-discovery. The goal is to meet you where you are, so we can get you where you want to be. We will accomplish this by taking an integrative approach to facilitate personal growth and healing by identifying themes, unresolved conflicts, and behavioral patterns.
As a culturally competent Therapist, Anthony focuses on being an agent of change that supports women, men, and couples. He incorporates an eclectic approach of various theories that can be tailored into an effective treatment plan that is uniquely tuned for you.
Ultimately, the question comes down to how motivated and committed you are to be the change you want to see. As much as therapy can be a positive instrument, it does not keep you from experiencing the hardships of life, but it does make sure that you will be supported with navigating and growing from those experiences.
Anthony is an Associate Marriage Family Therapist (AMFT136070) under the supervision of Dr. Linda Bortell (PSY14708).
pronouns: he/him/his
languages: English
Jackie believes relationships, both with ourselves and others, play a fundamental role in our mental health. She approaches therapy with compassion, empathy, and curiosity. She works with her clients to co-create a safe and egalitarian relationship which allows for the exploration of her clients’ motivations, early relational patterns, hopes, fears, and dreams. Jackie embraces a multicultural perspective in which she celebrates each client’s intersectionality while recognizing the ways in which structural oppression impacts individual well-being. Her research focuses on the experience of those who identify as bi+ and the positive effects of chosen family. Jackie enjoys working with people of all identities, especially women, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and neurodivergent people. Jackie draws from psychodynamic, feminist, humanistic, existential, and attachment-based theories in order to meet each client’s unique needs and help them work towards creating a more connected and meaningful life.
Jackie is currently enrolled as a doctoral candidate at Pacifica Graduate Institute where she is working to complete her doctorate in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Depth Psychology. Prior to joining Rose City, Jackie trained as a therapist in private practice and at a university counseling center. In addition to her training and education in the field of psychology, Jackie spent more than 15 years as a museum-based event manager, first at the Smithsonian Institution and later at the Natural History Museum of LA County. She believes her various life experiences have prepared her to work with a wide range of people.
Jackie is a Registered Psychological Associate (PSB94028610) working under the supervision of Dr. Dina Zaki (PSY33646).
pronouns: she/her/hers
languages: English
Nora received her Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Psychology from Pace University and is currently working on her Doctorate in Psychology (PsyD.) degree in Applied Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
She has worked with various types of populations and has served communities and individuals who seek counseling due to depression, addiction, stress, identity / orientation and grief / loss.
Nora also has experience in delivering programs related to mental health diagnoses, youth and family-focused, evidence-based practices, LGBTQIA+ community issues, continuing education and women’s advocacy.
Nora’s had the opportunity to work in a variety of sectors including rehabilitation, private clinic, non-profit organization serving children / young adults with special needs, universities / vocational college, private equity and the United Nations. She is passionate about advocating for individuals with disabilities and under-served populations / communities.
Her clinical focus is in the psychodynamic lens, prioritizing how someone’s childhood experiences and traumas can affect their adulthood life. She believes that using empathy, patience and exploring a client’s past is the best way to support a client in their healing journey.
Nora’s dedication to serving clients with addiction and mental health issues derives from her own experience, adding an empathetic and personal perspective to the therapeutic dynamic, beside her professional skill.
Nora is under the supervision of Dr. Mona Kumar (PSY#19596).
pronouns: she/her/hers
languages: English, Hungarian
Every person has times of struggle—especially the person who doesn’t conform to society’s expectations. Cecilia believes a “living” relationship with the right therapist can lead to increased understanding (and emotional freedom) in a person’s life. She brings an empathetic, real-world perspective, using psychodynamic training, trauma research, and awareness of body-mind connections.
Cecilia completed her master’s degree at Antioch University, Los Angeles, in Clinical Psychology with an earlier degree in English literature from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. After graduating from Antioch, she provided psychotherapy at Valley Community Counseling Center, eventually shifting to private practice before returning to group training at Rose City Center. Cecilia has completed 1st and 2nd year certificate programs at the Psychoanalytic Center of California. She works with adults, couples, and older youth (age 12+) from a range of backgrounds, including queer / LGBTQ+ individuals of all ages.
She has helped individuals develop strategies to cope with depression, anxiety, relationship challenges, grief, infertility, life transitions, spiritual questioning, creative challenges, and work or career issues. She has a history working with people in creative entertainment, including professional writers, actors, filmmakers, musicians, comedians and artists. Cecilia works collaboratively to examine current challenges and past history. With youth, she safeguards privacy while providing input to parents. She helps couples find productive ways of talking and listening.
In addition to Rose City Center, Cecilia maintains a position at ArtCenter College of Design in their extension programs. She has served on the College’s council for equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.
Cecilia is currently a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT 124732). She is under the supervision of Dr. Linda Bortell (PSY14708).
pronouns: she/her/hers
languages: English
Dr. Ary Ziv received his Ph.D. from Pacifica Graduate Institute with an emphasis on psychodynamic therapy along with a variety of cognitive, behavioral, and stress-reduction techniques and modalities. Dr. Ziv’s approach to therapy revolves around the unique collaboration that forms between him and each client. He focuses on helping clients in their process of healing, self-discovery, and growth. His work emphasizes widening and expanding perspectives, better connecting with others in forming supportive and meaningful relationships, and pursuing self-fulfillment. Working with individuals, couples, and groups, he pays particular attention to both conscious and unconscious aspects and how they interact.
Along with his experience in clinical psychology, Dr. Ziv has a background in technology and software development in business, entrepreneurial, and non-for-profit projects. His doctoral dissertation explored unconscious aspects of digital technology’s impact on our everyday life experiences. Dr. Ziv also has a Master of Public Administration and an Executive Certificate in Healthcare Administration.
Dr. Ary Ziv is a Registered Psychological Assistant (PSB94025803) under the supervision of Dr. Nancy Vogt (PSY17882).
pronouns: he/him/his
languages: English, Hebrew