Our Staff

Meet the CAPS Staff

The staff of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) includes licensed psychologists, a psychiatrist, post-doctoral fellows, and pre-doctoral psychology interns.  All of our staff are generalists and see students presenting with a variety of issues.  In addition, our staff is ethnically and culturally diverse, with over half our staff of Asian-American, African-American, Hispanic, and Mexican-American heritage.  All our staff members possess clinical experience and expertise in working with diverse student populations.

The staff at CAPS are productive researchers and writers.  The CAPS staff possess a wide range of publications that deal with various psychology-related topics and issues.  To see a list of writings and research reports published by our staff, click here.

Below is a list of our staff members containing information about education, clinical specialties, affiliations, and office locations. When making an appointment, you may request a specific therapist on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity or location, but it may mean a longer wait until an appointment becomes available.  After our Director, staff members are listed in alphabetical order.


2007-08 CAPS Staff
Stonehenge, UCSD Revelle College

Front Row (seated): Peter Russell, Christina Castro, Junghee Park-Adams, Lisa Braun, Annie Ahn, Julie Trim, Jacinta Jiménez

Back Row (standing): Sam Park, Judy Goodman, Reina Juarez, Christina Lambert, Ali Esfandiari, Robert Mashman, Mindi Thompson, Sean Boileau, Jerry Phelps, Tiffany O'Meara, Karla Materna, Cathy Thompson, Paul Lee, Danny Singley, Rina Schul, Billy Johnson, Rhonda Hackshaw, John Sexton

Not Pictured: Mercedes Alcoser, Monique Balestreri, Krauz Ganadjian, Bethany Holmes, Natalie Rice-Thorp

Senior Clinical Staff:

Reina Juarez, Ph.D. Director

  • Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles

  • Clinical Interests: Innovative, integrative, empirically-based treatment modalities and evidence based practice in psychology; establishment and maintenance of diverse, inclusive, healthy and thriving living and learning environments; prevention through community outreach and psycho-educational interventions; critical incident and emergency management systems response; trauma and resilience; enhancement of psycho-social behavioral capabilities and the evolving Self; developmental passages of young and middle adulthood, partnerships and families; Mindfulness practice and wellness life styles; Psychology and the arts; the psychology of international relations; consultation, leadership and organizational behavior. Psychotherapy approaches include: Psychodynamic Self-Psychology, Dialectic Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Strategic Problem Solving Therapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Re-decision Therapy, Community and Systems Psychology.

  • Affiliations: American Psychological Association (Div. 29); Organization of Counseling Center Directors in Higher Education (OCCDHE); Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD); Consultant for California Jurisprudence and Professional Ethics Examination (CJPEE), California Board of Psychology; American Psychological Association Committee on Accreditation.

  • Office: Central Office, Galbraith Hall 190

 

Christina Castro, Ph.D. Psychologist

  • Counseling Psychology, University of Oregon

  • Clinical Interests: Multicultural Counseling; Working with Latino Populations; Women's Issues; Stress and Wellness; Retention Issues Among First-Generation College Students; Women and Self-Esteem; Organizational Consultation; Career and Leadership Development. Theoretcial Orientation includes client-centered, interpersonal, and cognitive-behavioral.

  • Affiliations: American Psychological Association; Division 45-Ethnic Minority Issues; Division 35-Society for the Psychology of Women; Society for the Psychology of Women, Section on Concerns for Hispanic Women; Organizational Development Network; American Society for Training and Development.

  • Office: Eleanor Roosevelt College, ERC Administration Bldg, 3rd Floor

 

Rhonda Hackshaw , Ph.D. Psychologist

  • Counseling Psychology, University of Florida

  • Clinical Interests: Managing Depression and Anxiety; Mindfulness Meditation; Mindfulness Relapse Prevention; Stress Management; Wellness and Holistic Care; Sleep Hygiene; Chronic Illness/Pain Management; Behavioral Medicine/Health Psychology; Athletic Peak Performance; Self-Hypnosis; Goal-Setting; Academic Performance; Disordered Eating Issues; Multiracial/Ethnic Identity; International Student Experience; Cultural Sensitivity and Competency; Healthy Relationships; Assertiveness Training; Group Therapy; Sexual Assault/Abuse Recovery. Theoretical orientation integrates cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, and multicultural feministic approaches.

  • Affiliations: American Psychological Association; San Diego Psychological Association, Sport Psychology Committee; Liaison, UCSD Athletic Department.

  • Office: Eleanor Roosevelt College, ERC Administration Bldg, 3rd Floor

 

Christina Lambert, Ph.D. Psychologist

  • Counseling Psychology, Arizona State University

  • Clinical Interests: Managing Depression and Anxiety; Spirituality and Meaning-making; Mindfulness Practice; Stress Management; Substance Abuse; Body Image Concerns; Childhood Abuse; Family Issues; Relationships; Assertiveness; Sexual Assault; Sexual and Gender Identity Development; Multicultural Counseling; Grief; Career Exploration; Academic Performance; Graduate/Medical Student Experiences. Theoretical orientation integrates interpersonal, humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, and motivational interviewing approaches.

  • Affiliations: : American Psychological Association; UCSD:Student Office of Human Relations (SOHR) Advisory Board; CAPS: Substance and Alcohol Feedback and Education (SAFE) Peer Education Program; CAPS Wellness Committee Chair.

  • Office: Marshall College, TMC Administration Bldg, Room 108

 

Billy Johnson , Psy.D. Counseling Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, Wright State Univ. - School of Professional Psychology

  • Clinical Interests: Multicultural counseling, Culturally specific approaches to counseling, Group and individual counseling with individuals of African descent, racial identity development, Culturally Sensitive Counseling, Domestic Violence, Men’s issues. Theoretical Orientation includes, Humanistic-Existential, Solution-Focused, Interpersonal, African-Centered, and Feminist approaches.

  • Affiliations: : APA Divisions 45, 51 and 42, the Association of Black Psychologists, National Latino Psychological Association, and California Latino Psychological Association.

  • Office: Muir College, HSS 2126

 

Paul C. Lee, M.D. Psychiatrist

  • Medical College of Wisconsin
    Psychiatry Residency: University of California, Irvine

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship: University of California, San Diego

  • Clinical Interests: Obsessive compulsive disorder and other anxiety disorders; Tourette's Disorder; Trichotillomania; Mental Health Education.

  • Affiliations: American Psychiatric Association, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, San Diego Psychiatric Society, San Diego Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Medical Association, Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation, Tourette Syndrome Association. CAPS: CAPS Suicide Prevention Action Committee.

  • Office: Central Office, Galbraith Hall 190

 

Robert Mashman, Ph.D., A.B.P.P. Clinical Director

  • Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology, San Diego

  • Clinical Interests: Brief problem-solving psychotherapy; The effectiveness of counseling and psychological interventions; Human mating and evolutionary psychology; The effect of physical appearance on interpersonal interactions; The aesthetic appreciation of manufactured objects.

  • Affiliations: American Board of Professional Psychology, Diplomate in Clinical Psychology; American Board of Psychological Hypnosis, Diplomate in Clinical Hypnosis; American Psychological Association; National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology; UCSD: UCSD Express to Success Steering Committee; CAPS: Research & Evaluation Committee; Information Technology Committee.

  • Office: Central Office, Galbraith Hall 190

 

Karla Materna, Ph.D. Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology, San Diego

  • Clinical Interests: Resilience & Wellness; Eating Disorders; Managing depression and anxiety; Health Psychology.

  • Affiliations: American Psychological Association; San Diego Psychological Association; Academy for Eating Disorders; National Eating Disorders Association.

  • Office: Central Office, Galbraith Hall 190

 

Tiffany O'Meara, Ph.D. Psychologist

  • Counseling Psychology, University of Southern California

  • Clinical Interests: Anxiety disorders; Building social confidence; Stress management; Multicultural, human sexuality, and women's issues; Theoretical orientation includes cognitive-behavioral and humanistic approaches.

  • Affiliations: CAPS: CAPS Training Committee; Coordinator of CAPS Peer Education Programs; Coordinator of Wellness Peer Education Program; Coordinator of CAPS Stress Management Clinic; Coordinator of CAPS Online Wellness Center.

  • Office: Revelle College, Provost Administration Bldg, North Wing

 

Samuel Park, Ph.D. Director of Training & Information Technology

  • Counseling Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara

  • Clinical Interests: Multicultural counseling; Asian American mental health; Men's issues; Group therapy; Organizational consultation. Theoretical orientation includes psychodynamic, interpersonal, and humanistic approaches.

  • Affiliations: American Psychological Association, Division 17; Asian American Psychological Association. UCSD: Liaison, Athletic Department; CAPS: CAPS Training Committee; Research Committee; Informatioon & Technology Committee.

  • Office: Central Office, Galbraith Hall 190

 

Junghee Park-Adams, Ph.D. Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology

  • Clinical Interests: Relationships; Asian American mental health; Couples therapy; Immigration and Acculturation; Multigenerational Family Issues; and Health issues. Theoretical orientation includes psychodynamic, and family systems approaches.

  • Affiliations: American Psychological Association.

  • Office: Warren College, Computer Science & Engineering Bldg, 1st Floor

 

Jerry Phelps, Ph.D. Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, University of Colorado, Boulder

  • Clinical Interests: Substance Abuse; Sexuality; Family; Couples; Behavioral Medicine/Health Psychology; Parenting; ADD/ADHD; Men's Issues; Motivational Interviewing.

  • Affiliations: American Psychological Association (Divs. Clinical, Family, Peace); UCSD: Campus Violence Prevention Coalition, Safer California Universities Steering Committee; Wellness Center Planning Committee; CAPS: Research and Evaluation Committee, Peer Education Committee; Student Conduct Workgroup; Substance & Alcohol Feedback and Education (SAFE) Peer Education Coordinator.

  • Office: Marshall College, TMC Administration Bldg, Room 108

 

Natalie Rice-Thorp, Ph.D. Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno

  • Clinical Interests: Latino/a mental health; cultural and diversity issues; trauma; childhood sexual abuse; sexual assault; grief; parenting; theoretical orientation includes cognitive-behavioral approaches.

  • Affiliations: National Latino Psychological Association, Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, CAPS Wellness Committee, UCSD Latino/Chicano Forum.

  • Office: Muir College

 

Peter Russell, Ph.D. Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, Pacific Graduate School of Psychology

  • Clinical Interests: Men's Issues, Sexual & Gender Identity Development, Campus Ecology, Residential Education, Anxiety & Depressive Disorders, Psychopharmacology, Dysfunctional Family Issues, Crisis Intervention, Critical Incident Debriefing, Counselor Training & Development, Outreach & Consultation

  • Orientation/s to Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy Integration, Client-Centered, Interpersonal, Developmental, Cognitive-Behavioral, Family Systems.

  • Affiliations: American Psychological Association (Division 17 Counseling Psychology), California Psychological Association (CPA), American College Personnel Association (ACPA), Gay & Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA), CAPS: Liaison to UCSD Medical School; UCSD Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Peer Education Program.

  • Office: Revelle College

 

John Sexton, Ph.D., A.B.P.P. Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology, San Diego

  • Fellowship in Psychopharmacology, Uniformed Services University School of Medicine

  • Clinical Interests: Empirically-based treatments for anxiety and depression; Relationship health; Cognitive-behavioral therapy; Performance enhancement through hypnosis; Psychopharmacology; Physical illness & psychological health; Mental health urgent care.

  • Affiliations: American Board of Professional Psychology, Diplomate in Clinical Psychology; American Psychological Association; Consultant to the American Psychological Association College of Professional Psychology; California Psychological Association; CAPS: Chair of the Suicide Prevention Action Committee; Clinical Services Committee.

  • Office: Eleanor Roosevelt College

 

Rina Schul, Ph.D. Psychologist

  • Clinical Psychology, SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program

  • Clinical Interests: Personal development; resilience, coping with crisis, trauma and grief; international students, immigration and acculturation; the development of sexual and gender identity; couple / relationship counseling. Theoretical orientation: Integration of elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT),Systems approach, and Solution-Focused Therapy in a developmental and family-of-origin context

  • Affiliations: UCSD: Liaison, LGBT Resource Center & International Center; CAPS: Suicide Prevention Action Committee.

  • Office: Sixth College, Pepper Canyon Hall, 2nd Floor

 

Cathy Thompson, Ph.D. Psychologist
  • Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology, San Diego

  • Clinical Interests: Multicultural and Women's issues; Racial identity development (especially among biracial/multi-racial/ethnic/cultural individuals); Sexual and Gender identity development; Adjustment and Transition issues; Positive coping and resilience; Building healthy relationships and positive self-esteem; Assertive Communication; Eating disorders; Adults molested as children (AMAC);Theoretical orientation is integrative and incorporates humanistic, dynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and multicultural feminist approaches to therapy.

  • Affiliations: American Psychological Association; Women of Color Coordinator for the Association for Women in Psychology; San Diego Psychological Association; UCSD: Chancellor's Committee on the Status of Women, Advisory Board for the Women's Center, Cross Cultural Center Affiliate; Consultant to LGBTRC; CAPS: Wellness Committee, Peer Education Committee; Women's Peer Education Program.

  • Office: Warren College, Computer Science & Engineering Bldg., 1st Floor

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2007-08 Psychology Interns:

2007-08 Predoctoral Interns

2007-08 Predoctoral Interns (L-R):
Ali Esfandiari, Julie Trim, Mindi Thompson, Jacinta Jiménez, Sean Boileau

 

Sean Boileau, M.C. Psychology Intern

  • Counseling Psychology, Arizona State University

  • Clinical Interests: Cross-Cultural Counseling; Multicultural Counseling; Counseling of International Students, LGBT Students; Counseling of Gifted & Talented Children & Adolescents.

  • Research Interests: Models of Multiple Minority Identity; The Intersection of Personality and Interpersonal Attraction; LGBT Identity Development.

  • Affiliations: UCSD LGBT Resource Center; UCSD Sixth College; National Committee on Community and Justice; National Latino Psychological Association; Asian-American Psychological Association; Society of Indian Psychologists; Human Rights Campaign.

  • Office: Sixth College, Pepper Canyon Hall, 2nd Floor

 

Ali Esfandiari, M.A. Psychology Intern

  • Clinical Psychology, American University

  • Clinical Interests: Anxiety disorders (especially ocd-spectrum, ptsd, and phobias), depression, addictions, impulse-control disorders (especially trichotillomania), emotional regulation, stress management, relationships, men’s issues.

  • Research Interests: At the broadest level of inquiry, my research interests focus on philosophical questions about human nature that are studied using rigorous experimental methods.  This area of interest, experimental existential psychology, includes an investigation of such broad issues as death, uncertainty, identity, meaning, morality, and freedom.

  • Affiliations: Association for Psychological Science (APS); Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT); American Psychological Association (APA).

  • Office: Roosevelt College, ERC Administration Bldg, 3rd Floor

 

Jacinta Jiménez, M.S. Psychology Intern

  • Clinical Psychology, PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium

  • Clinical Interests: Multicultural Counseling; Working with Chicano/Latino Populations; Stress and Wellness; Managing Depression and Anxiety; Disordered Eating and Body Image Issues; Positive Coping and Resilience; Assertiveness training; Building Healthy Relationships and Positive Self-Esteem. Theoretical Orientation includes client-centered, interpersonal, and cognitive-behavioral approaches.

  • Research Interests: Risk and Protective Factors for Disordered Eating in Adolescent Populations; Motivational Interviewing for Health Behavior Change; Examination of Risk and Protective Factors of Psychological Well-Being Among Ethnicially Diverse Individuals.

  • Affiliations: American Psychological Association (Division 45 - Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues); Psi Chi National Honors society in Psychology; Substance and Alcohol Feedback and Education (SAFE) Peer Education Program; CAPS Training Committee.

  • Office: Thurgood Marshall College, Administration Bldg

 

Mindi N. Thompson , M.S. Psychology Intern

  • Counseling Psychology, University of Akron

  • Clinical Interests: Multicultural and feminist therapy; educational and vocational choice and development; cultural identity development; health psychology; coping with grief;  wellness; positive coping and resilience; adjustment and transitions; consultation and prevention. Theoretical orientation is integrative drawing from person-centered, feminist multicultural, and cognitive approaches to therapy.

  • Research Interests: The intersection of experiences with cultural isms as related to identity development; vocational development process for individuals from diverse backgrounds; classism within educational institutions; people living with HIV/AIDS; and social justice.

  • Affiliations: American Psychological Association, Division 17 & 9; Society for Vocational Psychology, National Career Development Association, CAPS Training Committee, CAPS Women's Peer Program.

  • Office: Warren College, Computer Science & Engineering Bldg

 

Julie G. Trim , M.A. Psychology Intern

  • Clinical Psychology, Arizona State University

  • Clinical Interests: Managing depression and anxiety; Eating disorders; Women's issues; PTSD; Sexual trauma; Wellness and stress management; Family issues; Relationships; Multicultural approaches to therapy; Counseling Latino/Hispanic populations. Theoretical orientation includes cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal approaches within a multicultural framework.

  • Research Interests: Cultural psychology; Risk and protective factors among ethnic minority populations; The effects of materialism and consumerism on individual mental health.

  • Affiliations: American Psychological Association, Division 45; CAPS Women's Peer Program; CAPS Suicide Prevention and Awareness Committee.

  • Office: Muir College, HSS 2126

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2007-08 Post-Doctoral Fellow:

 

Annie Ahn , Ph.D. Post-Doctoral Fellow

  • Counseling Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara

  • Clinical Interests: Multicultural Counseling; Working with Asian American Populations; Racial/Ethnic Identity Development; Trauma and Resilience; Family Issues; Couples/Relationship Counseling; Building Healthy Relationships and Effective Interpersonal Communication; Mindfulness. Theoretical orientation is integrative drawing from multicultural, client-centered, developmental, interpersonal, and cognitive-behavioral approaches to therapy.

  • Research Interests: Multicultural Counseling Competency; Asian American Mental Health; Acculturation and Enculturation; Coping with Intergenerational Conflict; Family Dynamics.

    • Affiliations: American Psychological Association; Asian American Psychological Association; CAPS Training Committee, CAPS Multicultural Committee; CAPS Wellness Peer Program.

  • Office: Revelle College, Provost Administration Bldg

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Office Management Staff:

 

Monique Balestreri, Business Office & Systems Manager
  • Business Office & Systems Manager
  • Responsibilities: Department financial and information systems management; network administrator; software manager; HIPAA compliance manager; human resources; budgeting; fiscal reporting and forcasting; CAPS: Member, Management Team.





Bethany Holmes, B.A. Intake Management
  • Psychology, California State University, San Diego (SDSU)
  • Responsibilities: Intake coordination and scheduling; staff administrative support; office management; client reports and database management; insurance referral processing.

 



Mercedes Alcoser. Data Processing Administrator
  • Political Science, University of San Diego

  • Responsibilities: Data processing and administration; intake coordination and scheduling; staff administrative support; office management.




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