Our Providers

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, Fellowship Leader & Clinical Supervisor

Alexandra Nichols

Dr. Alexandra Nichols (She/her) is a licensed clinical psychologist and uses a relational psychodynamic approach to therapy, integrating additional interventions from cognitive behavioral and other techniques to meet each client’s needs. Dr. Nichols collaborates with clients to address emotional pain, to make changes, and to develop understanding and meaning. She shapes her approach based on culture, identity, and client goals. She has experience with a wide variety of concerns including depression, anxiety, trauma, grief and loss, life transitions, self-esteem, and relationship issues.

Dr. Nichols enjoys working with adults of all ages in Corte Madera and via telemedicine across the state of California.

Dr. Nichols completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California Santa Cruz, and her predoctoral internship at the University of Idaho. She received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Palo Alto University and her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

PsyD

Gaurie Mittal

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.

Executive Director, Clinical Psychologist, Nurse-Veteran

Nicole Karst

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.

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.