In-Person Sessions

PsyD, Site Leader

Akshay Naresh

Dr. Akshay Naresh (he/him) is a licensed clinical psychologist and has worked with patients across the lifespan in various contexts including community mental health clinics, hospitals, and educational facilities (secondary, community colleges, & universities). He has experience working with a wide range of mental health concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, body image issues, eating disorders, relationship issues, gender and sexual identity, and multi-cultural issues. He uses an integrative approach to create a space for meaningful life changes by helping patients develop self-compassion, self-acceptance, and self-awareness.

Dr. Naresh enjoys working with adults and currently sees patients in Orinda and San Jose, and via telemedicine across the state of California.

Dr. Naresh completed his post-doctoral fellowship at Kaiser Permanente Adult Outpatient Psychiatry and his pre-doctoral internship at Santa Clara University’s Cowell Health Center. He obtained his doctoral degree from The Wright Institute and his bachelor’s degree from UC Irvine. Outside of his clinical work, Dr. Naresh enjoys playing and watching basketball (Go Warriors!) and also plays a variety of different musical instruments.

PhD, Post Doctoral Fellow

Chrissy Sandman

Dr. Christina Sandman is a postdoctoral fellow who offers individual therapy for adults in Beverly Hills and across the state of California via telehealth. She has experience providing therapy for a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, trauma, emotion dysregulation, grief, ADHD, sleep problems, life transitions, relationship issues, and identity concerns.

Her approach is empathetic, attentive, non-judgmental, and collaborative. Her goal is to help individuals develop greater understanding and compassion for themselves, which can lay the foundation for creating change and building a meaningful life. To do so she seeks to establish a safe therapeutic relationship and draws from mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and interpersonal approaches. She values providing culturally sensitive and LGBTQ+ affirming care.

Dr. Sandman earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology and with a minor in Health Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she trained in evidence-based psychotherapy and conducted research in the Anxiety and Depression Research Center. She completed her APA-accredited pre-doctoral internship at the University of California, Santa Barbara Counseling and Psychological Services. She earned her bachelor’s degree from New York University, where she designed an individualized major “Emotion in the Mind-Body Problem” drawing from affective neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, and music.

PhD, Clinical Neuropsychologist

Erica Kornblith

Erica Kornblith, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and clinical neuropsychologist and a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UCSF School of Medicine. She is trained in the assessment of individuals across the lifespan and works with adolescents and adults with a variety of neurological and other health conditions including concussion, acquired brain injury, ADHD, PTSD/complex trauma, other psychiatric diagnoses, and neurodegenerative conditions. She has a special interest in working with seniors with a history of head injury to promote healthy cognitive aging. Her assessment approach is collaborative and strengths-based and tailored to the needs of the individual patient/family. She also provides individual and group cognitive rehabilitation services for adults and older adults.

Dr. Kornblith received her PhD from California School of Professional Psychology, and completed internship training at VA Sierra Nevada Healthcare System and postdoctoral clinical and research training at San Francisco VA Medical Center and UCSF, including fellowship training in Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Neuropsychology and advanced training in epidemiology, biostatistics, and clinical research design. She has co-authored dozens of peer reviewed publications and conference abstracts and maintains an active research program at UCSF focused on traumatic brain injury and cognitive aging, supported by funding from the US Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the National Institute on Aging.

She sees patients in person at the Orinda office for assessment, and in person and via telehealth for cognitive rehabilitation.

LPC

Gaurie Mittal

PhD

Hilit Kletter

Dr. Hilit Kletter is an expert in child and adolescent psychology with over 15 years of experience in treating a wide range of traumas as well as providing supervision in trauma informed interventions to trainees of all levels. Prior to joining The Clinic, Dr. Kletter was a Clinical Associate Professor at Stanford where she directed the Stress and Resilience Clinic. She has worked in a variety of settings such as community mental health, day-treatment programs, schools, a domestic violence shelter, and outpatient clinics. She was part of the development team for Cue-Centered Therapy (CCT), an intervention for youth with complex trauma.

Dr. Kletter designed the CCT training program and was the CCT training program director. She continues to be a master trainer and lead consultant in the program. She provides teaching and training both nationally and internationally. Dr. Kletter received her BA in anthropology from the University of Washington and was a Koret Foundation Fellow while completing her PhD studies at Pacific Graduate School of Psychology. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Child and Family Guidance Center in Northridge, CA and her post-doctoral fellowship at Kaiser Permanente Child Psychiatry in Milpitas, CA.

PhD, ABPP-CN

Jessica Foley

Dr. Jessica Foley is a Diplomat of the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) and American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN). She conducts neuropsychological evaluations for patients presenting with suspicion of neurodegenerative illness. She also performs comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations of adults with a variety of known or suspected neurologic illnesses. Dr. Foley is specialized in the assessment of adults across the lifespan with concern regarding neurologic and neurodegenerative compromise.

In addition to her work at The Clinic, Dr. Foley is an Assistant Clinical Professor and Attending Neuropsychologist within the UCSF Department of Neurology Memory and Aging Center. She was awarded a Bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in 2002, followed by a Ph.D. and Psy.D. from Nova Southeastern University (2007) with a specialization in clinical neuropsychology. She completed predoctoral internship training specializing in neuropsychology at Brown Medical School Department of Psychiatry, and postdoctoral fellowship training in neuropsychology at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neurosciences and Human Behavior. She previously (2009-2014) served as a Neuropsychologist and Instructor of Psychiatry within the Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry and the Boston VA Medical Center, where she functioned as the senior Neuropsychologist within the Brockton division, which is specialized in the assessment of medically complex older adults. She also served as faculty within the Boston Consortium in Clinical Psychology and Training Leader for neuropsychology training within the geropsychology internship and fellowship programs. Dr. Foley serves as a faculty mentor for neuropsychology students in training, supporting clinical and research skills among scientist-practitioners in clinical neuropsychology.

Dr. Foley has authored or co-authored 30 peer reviewed research publications including empirical studies and literature reviews, and has collaborated on or independently authored a myriad of additional book chapters, book reviews, and professional conference presentations and symposia, with a primary focus on neuropsychology, normal and pathological brain aging, and risk factors for cognitive impairment. Her research predominantly concerns the interface between brain white matter microstructural pathology and cognitive abnormalities among neurodegenerative and related conditions, as well as methods to facilitate earlier detection of abnormalities among these populations.

PhD, Clinical Neuropsychologist

Joaquin Burciaga

Dr. Joaquin Burciaga is a clinical neuropsychologist. He has extensive training in the neuropsychological evaluation of individuals across the lifespan. This includes the evaluation of adults and older adults with epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, brain tumors, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and various other dementing disorders, and answering questions of decision-making capacity. Dr. Burciaga also conducts pre- and post-surgical evaluations for candidates pursuing surgical interventions for the treatment of epilepsy and deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Burciaga is skilled in the evaluation of children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders, including ADHD, intellectual disability, learning disorders, as well as in the evaluation of children and adolescents with traumatic brain injuries, epilepsy, brain tumors, and psychiatric conditions. He is also a member of the International Neuropsychological Society and of the Society for Clinical Neuropsychology (Division 40) of the American Psychological Association.

Dr. Burciaga earned his doctorate in psychology with an emphasis in neuropsychology from the University of Cincinnati. He completed his internship at the VA West Los Angeles Medical Center, with specialty training in geropsychology and neuropsychology. He went on to complete a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, with rotations at the University of California, San Francisco Memory and Aging and Pediatric Epilepsy Centers.

PsyD

Ladera Linn

Dr. Ladera Linn (she/her) is a licensed clinical health psychologist (PSY35514) specializing in behavioral medicine. She works with patients seeking treatment for mood and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, sleep difficulties, and chronic illness management. Dr. Linn uses a culturally sensitive, trauma-informed, and strengths-based approach, integrating CBT, mindfulness, and other evidence-based interventions to empower patients to achieve their health and wellness goals.

Dr. Linn works with adolescents and adults of all ages and offers in-person services in La Jolla and across the state of California via telehealth.

Dr. Linn holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology and earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Pacific University in Oregon. She has trained in hospitals, primary care clinics, community clinics, and in-patient treatment facilities. She completed her pre-doctoral internship training at the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center, where she specialized in conducting psychological evaluations for individuals with serious mental illness.

PhD

Leslie Ziegenhorn

Dr. Leslie Ziegenhorn (she/her/hers) is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience in the mental & behavioral health field. Although she’s enjoyed varied professional roles such as professor, researcher, clinical supervisor, and yoga instructor, she’s devoted most of her career to what she loves most: supporting individuals’ growth through psychotherapy.

Dr. Ziegenhorn’s collaborative approach weaves evidenced-based principles of the Behavioral Sciences with Integrative modalities to address issues such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, substance overuse, life transitions, and bereavement. Treatment plans are tailored to support next-stage growth; thus the therapeutic approach may change as obstacles are diminished and new opportunities arise. Depending on clients’ issues, goals, and interests, work together may include cognitive-behavioral therapy, lifestyle medicine, mindfulness, ecopsychology, dreamwork, and/or transpersonal approaches. When relevant, her work is informed by training in Ketamine assisted psychotherapy. With cultural humility, she encourages incorporation of clients’ own heritage traditions that support their emotional and/or spiritual well-being.

Leslie currently sees adults in La Jolla and via telehealth throughout California.

Dr. Ziegenhorn also serves as Assistant Clinical Professor at UCSD’s School of Medicine where she completed a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship. Her APA-accredited internship and doctoral degree in clinical psychology were granted by Wayne State University’s School of Medicine: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from University of Missouri. She returns to the Midwest each Autumn on an annual pilgrimage to soak up the fall colors.

PhD, Site Leader & Clinical Supervisor

Mandy Mount

Dr. Mandy Mount (she/they) is a licensed clinical psychologist with expertise in sexual trauma, PTSD, mindfulness, grief and loss, LGBTQIA issues, life transitions, holistic healing approaches and neurobiology. Her approach is compassionate, collaborative, culturally aware and trauma-informed. Through a holistic, integrative framework, she collaborates with her clients to set goals and clarify pathways to achieving wellness of mind, body, and spirit. Dr. Mount seeks to create a safe environment to explore how identity, personal strengths, experiences, and obstacles may influence responses to difficult emotions and events. She is dedicated to supporting clients on their journeys through developing customized approaches based on each person’s unique needs, values and preferences.

Dr. Mount sees individuals, couples, and families in Beverly Hills and via telemedicine across the state of California.

Dr. Mount received her doctorate at the University of Maryland and completed an APA-accredited internship at the University of California, Irvine. In 2005, Dr. Mount established a multidisciplinary center at the University of California, Irvine, dedicated to preventing interpersonal violence and creating opportunities for survivors to access care and advocacy. While acting as Director of this office over 17 years, she maintained a private practice, served as an expert consultant and trainer, and spoke frequently at local and national conferences. She continues to engage in work as a consultant, expert witness and trainer for campuses, health professionals, and organizations.

PsyD, Post Doctoral Fellow

Melinda Wong

Dr. Melinda Wong (she/her) is a postdoctoral fellow offering couples and sex therapy as well as individual treatment for mood disorders. She integrates aspects from a wide range of evidence-based therapy approaches to suit each individual’s treatment needs. She has worked in diverse clinical settings in the Bay Area, including community mental health, college counseling, and multidisciplinary hospital systems, and has experience working with a variety of presenting concerns, including depression, anxiety, imposter syndrome, relational issues, perinatal mood disorders, and LGBTQ+ related issues.

Dr. Wong works with individual adults and couples in San Jose, as well as via telehealth across the state of California. Her approach emphasizes client collaboration and building rapport through authenticity, humor, and some degree of irreverence.

Dr. Wong completed her predoctoral internship in Adult Behavioral Medicine at Kaiser Oakland and received her doctoral degree from the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium at Palo Alto University. Her dissertation developed a trauma-focused CBT manual to prevent symptoms of posttraumatic stress in couples who receive a prenatal diagnosis. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles.

PsyD, Post Doctoral Fellow

Michaela Moss

Dr. Michaela Moss (she/her) is a postdoctoral fellow with experience providing therapy to individuals and couples from a wide range of backgrounds and clinical presentations. She specializes in treating anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship problems, and life stressors through a culturally sensitive, values-based approach.

Dr. Moss aims to create a supportive space for healing that incorporates techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness-based interventions to meet the needs of each client. With couples, she utilizes Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to foster secure attachment bonds and shift how couples navigate conflict. She is committed to walking alongside her clients as they move through the therapeutic process and gain greater insight into themselves. Dr. Moss works with adults and couples in-person in San Francisco and across the state of California via telehealth.

Dr. Moss received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium and her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Public Health from UC Berkeley. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the San Francisco VA Health Care System.

PsyD, Post Doctoral Fellow

Monica Sanders

Dr. Monica Sanders is a postdoctoral fellow with extensive experience in providing individual and family therapy to adolescents and adults from diverse backgrounds. Her clinical expertise spans a range of issues including adjustment disorders, PTSD, trauma, grief and loss, end-of-life concerns, and various interpersonal challenges. As a bilingual and bicultural Latina clinician, Dr. Sanders brings a nuanced understanding of the intersections of identity and cultural considerations to her practice.

Her therapeutic approach integrates strengths-based cognitive behavioral therapy with systems and attachment theories. Dr. Sanders is passionate about working with adolescents and adults across California through telehealth, with a particular focus on teens and young adults dealing with PTSD or trauma-related adjustment disorders.

Dr. Sanders completed her pre-doctoral internship at the UCLA Semel Institute within the Stress, Trauma and Resiliency Clinic, where she specialized in treating trauma-related disorders as well as co-occurring medical and developmental conditions. She earned both her master’s and doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from The Wright Institute in Berkeley, California.

PsyD

Page Freyermuth

Dr. Page Freyermuth (she/her) is a clinical psychologist and postdoctoral fellow offering individual, family, couples, child play therapy and group therapy for folx across the lifespan. She supports clients with a wide variety of concerns, including stress, anxiety, depression, identity exploration, life transitions, school or work struggles, traumatic life events, family dynamics, parenting, and couples work.

Dr. Freyermuth aims to create a safe space for healing that centers the goals of her clients alongside the importance of the therapeutic relationship so that clients feel seen and understood. Her style may be described as relational, warm, collaborative, strengths-based, and curious. Based on individual needs, she integrates a variety of trauma-informed, culturally sensitive interventions to facilitate discovery of tools and practices that improve daily life satisfaction. Through deeply exploring a client’s unique context and life experiences, she supports nurturance of self-wisdom regarding identity, emotions, and connection. Dr. Freyermuth’s clinical approach is rooted in psychodynamic and attachment theory but may integrate other intervention styles as needed.

Dr. Freyermuth enjoys seeing children, adolescents and adults in-person in Corte Madera, as well as adolescents and adults via telehealth across the state of California.

Dr. Freyermuth received a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, a master’s degree in special education from San Francisco State, and a bachelor’s degree from Brown University. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Westcoast Children’s Clinic in Oakland, where she specialized in working with childhood trauma, foster youth, and families. Her dissertation explored therapists’ experiences providing treatment via telehealth, particularly as it relates to the therapeutic frame.

PhD, Clinical Neuropsychologist

Rayna Hirst

Dr. Rayna Hirst is a licensed clinical neuropsychologist conducting neuropsychological evaluations, including dementia, psychiatric disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, ADHD), and medical/neurological diagnoses (e.g., multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, neuro-oncology). Dr. Hirst is a Professor of Psychology and Director of the Neuropsychology Program at Palo Alto University, providing didactic and supervisory education to doctoral students who are training in clinical neuropsychology. Her research focuses on the validity and interpretation of neuropsychological assessment in a variety of clinical disorders. She is Treasurer of the Society for Clinical Neuropsychology and a member of the SCN Education Advisory Committee, in addition to being a member of the National Academy of Neuropsychology and the International Neuropsychological Society.

Dr. Hirst sees adults aged 18+ across the lifespan in Palo Alto, California.

Dr. Hirst completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology, with a specialization in Neuropsychology, at the University at Albany, State University of New York. She completed her internship at the VA Ann Arbor/University of Michigan Healthcare System. Her two-year neuropsychology postdoctoral fellowship was at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, in the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. She is trained in the neuropsychological assessment of a variety of neurological, medical, and psychological disorders.

PsyD, Post Doctoral Fellow

Sam Wessels

Dr. Sam Wessels (he/him) is a postdoctoral fellow offering individual and couples therapy. Some of his clinical interests include anxiety, depression, grief and loss, relationship conflict, non-monogamy, body image, trauma, creative/artistic blocks, careers, and substance misuse. Through his work with diverse populations, he has an awareness and dedication to integrating identity and culture with treatment.

He uses a relational, psychodynamic lens integrated with Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to create an open, safe, and authentic space where individuals and couples can get curious about who they are and why they feel the way they feel. This deeper understanding of self can help generate new ways of thinking and acting towards self and others. The interplay between deeper understanding and new choices is what can ultimately lead to change, helping to get unstuck and grow towards a more fulfilling and sustainable life or partnership.

Dr. Wessels enjoys working with adolescents and adults across the lifespan in person in San Francisco, or via telehealth through California. Being queer-identified, he has a particular interest in working with LGBTQ+ identified clients, including providing gender-affirming care.

PhD, Clinical Neuropsychologist

Sarah Asmussen

Dr. Asmussen is a clinical neuropsychologist offering therapy and assessment. Her focus in therapy is facilitating in-depth individual and relationship work by using an integrated approach applying Mindfulness, CBT, Psychodynamic and Couples-based treatments. Therapy interventions take place in the San Jose office and via telemedicine, across the state of California.

In addition to providing support through clinical interventions, she provides comprehensive neuropsychological and psychological evaluations across the lifespan in Palo Alto and San Jose. Diagnoses such as ADHD, ASD, Depression, Anxiety, etc. are often evaluated in the outpatient clinic.

Dr. Asmussen’s experience spans nearly two decades. Prior to joining The Clinic, she worked in private practice, as a Clinical Neuropsychologist and Senior Scientific Director at the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, and in both inpatient and outpatient facilities (e.g., concussion clinic, memory clinic, poly-trauma unit, acute rehabilitation, burn unit, VA Palo Alto Hospice, epilepsy monitoring unit).

Dr. Asmussen completed her two-year residency at Barrow Neurological Institute-St. Joseph’s Hospital specializing in Clinical Neuropsychology. She completed Internship at James A. Haley VA. She graduated with a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Palo Alto University, a Stanford affiliate, and was awarded a certification in Neuropsychology.

PsyD

Stephanie Porras

Dr. Porras is a licensed clinical psychologist with a doctorate degree from Pacific University, Oregon in clinical psychology with an emphasis on health psychology. She enjoys working with adolescent and adult clients on a range of concerns including anxiety, depression, complex trauma, ADHD, interpersonal relationships, and eating disorders. She is passionate about addressing issues such as binge eating, emotional eating, and body image from a body inclusive, Health At Every Size informed approach. Because of her health psychology background, she is highly attentive to the complexities of the mind-body connection, such as the impact of stress on physical health or the impact of ongoing medical conditions on emotional well-being. She primarily practices from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) framework, bringing in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and somatic techniques as needed to provide truly individualized treatment. Dr. Porras’ approach is based on creating an authentic therapeutic relationship in which individuals feel the safety they need to fully show up as themselves and to cultivate the kind of self-awareness, radical acceptance, and self-compassion that leads to true change.

PhD, Post Doctoral Fellow

Xiao Ting (Kitty) Wang

Dr. Xiao Ting (Kitty) Wang (she/her) is a postdoctoral fellow offering individual therapy for adults in Beverly Hills and across California via telehealth. She has clinical interests in depression, anxiety, relationship concerns, phase-of-life transitions, trauma, grief and loss, disordered eating, and career counseling. Dr. Wang has extensive experience working in diverse clinical settings, including college counseling centers, community mental health clinics, group private practices, and VA systems. She also enjoys working with LGBTQ+ identified clients, international students, and has experience providing therapy in Mandarin Chinese.

Dr. Wang uses an integrative and multiculturally sensitive approach to therapy, drawing from psychodynamic, client-centered, cognitive behavioral (CBT), and dialectical behavioral (DBT) therapies. She blends insight-oriented work, skill-building, and emotional support to help clients better understand themselves and navigate challenges. By examining past experiences, she helps clients identify patterns that may be influencing their present, empowering them to make meaningful changes and move forward. She values collaboration and strives to create a trusting and supportive therapeutic space. In addition to addressing diagnoses, Dr. Wang believes therapy can be a valuable space for exploring and managing life’s everyday stressors, offering clients a chance to grow and build resilience.

Dr. Wang completed her predoctoral internship at the University of California, Los Angeles’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). She earned her doctorate degree in Counseling Psychology from the University at Albany, State University of New York and received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Social Behaviors from the University of California, Irvine.