NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS MENTAL HEALTH

Amy Brown, MA

After completing her Master’s degree in Psychology at Pepperdine University, Amy Brown began working to help individuals and families find healing and hope. Ms. Brown came to Discovery’s Resilience with extensive experience managing various eating disorder programs as well as behavioral health facilities. Under Ms. Brown’s leadership, Discovery’s Resilience’s substance abuse and mental health programs have flourished and Ms. Brown now oversees numerous mental health and substance abuse programs throughout southern California. Ms. Brown feels very deeply about the contribution she is making to improve the quality of life for adolescents and their families. One of the things that attracted Ms. Brown to Discovery’s Resilience was the shared commitment to providing the best quality of care to each patient and his or her family.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Monica Powers, PsyD

Dr. Monica Powers enjoys helping people discover themselves, their personal resilience and rewrite their stories to ones of survival and strength. In addition to her new role at Center for Discovery, she is currently in private practice at Carlson & Associates as a Psychological Assistant to Dr. Bobbi Carlson, PSY5589. She began working with patients of all ages and backgrounds in 2007 and found that the life stories and experiences of people were unique and personal, and deserved individual attention and support. She has worked in the community-based setting, with adolescents and adults ranging from 18 to 80, struggling with psychological issues, relationship difficulties, substance abuse, grief and loss, and traumatic experiences. Her interests lie in working with individuals that have experienced a traumatic event, either personally or on a global perspective. This interest was carried in her dissertation work with survivors of Hurricane Katrina, focusing on individual strengths and resilience.

Dr. Powers completed her bachelor’s degree studies in Criminal Justice and Psychology at California State University Bakersfield, and she holds a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Phoenix. She received her doctorate in Applied Clinical Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2013. During this time, she completed her practicum and internships at Tarzana Treatment Center and AV Department of Mental Health respectively. Upon completion of the internship, she immediately began her Post-doctoral fellowship at a growing dual diagnosis treatment center, where she remained in a number of roles for over 3 years. She has recently also begun teaching at Antioch University and The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She enjoys working with diverse populations, travel, and concert going.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Bethany Meichsner, LMFT

Bethany is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist registered through California’s Board of Behavioral Sciences. She earned her Master of Science degree from California State University, Pomona and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from there as well. Bethany has worked with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families struggling with mental health issues in a variety of therapeutic settings and levels of care, ranging from outpatient to residential treatment, since 2012. Bethany is passionate about helping her clients improve their emotional and mental health through the medium of psychotherapy. Since working more consistently with adolescents over the past 4 years, she has been amazed by the inner strength and resilience her clients can discover and strengthen throughout their treatment journey. Bethany values a strengths-based approach and believes that individuals often have an untapped ability to heal and take steps to improve the way they navigate through and handle life’s difficult situations. She strives towards being client-centered and feedback-oriented, as well as integrating multiple therapeutic approaches to provide services that fit each client’s and family’s needs.  She highly values the therapeutic alliance and constantly seeks to partner with clients to help them move in a direction that is positive and beneficial for them. As a Program Director at Discovery Mood & Anxiety Program, Bethany enjoys overseeing all aspects of the partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Programs in order to ensure that clients receive the highest quality of care and support while in treatment. In her free time Bethany enjoys playing soccer, going hiking, spending time with loved ones and relaxing at home while reading or watching a movie.

PRIMARY THERAPIST AND CLINICAL SUPERVISOR

Robert Sperring, LMFT

PRIMARY THERAPIST

Marc Kitano, MFTI

PRIMARY THERAPIST

Mike Lemley, ASW

PRIMARY THERAPIST AND CLINICAL COORDINATOR

Samantha Werner, MFTI

PRIMARY THERAPIST

Jack Emery, MFTI

PRIMARY THERAPIST

Macey Willis, MFTI

Macey has been a member of Center for Discovery since 2013. Macey serves as the Primary Therapist. After she served in the United States Air Force, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Ashford University with a BA in Psychology, and her MA in Counseling Psychology at National University. She enjoys providing therapy for adolescents and their families, in assisting them with social skills training, communication, and psychoeducation.

Macey has had the opportunity to have worked in a non-profit community agency in which she provided, individual and group therapy to adults, children and adolescents within the community, court and school setting. Macey’s experiential approach to treatment encourages her clients to explore their subconscious thoughts while connecting them with emotions, using creative interventions. Macey’s internal motivation is reflected in her ability to empower her clients to identify and articulate their physical and emotional needs. In her role, Macey is instrumental in ensuring that the transition from our program to another is one that is smooth and supportive.

NURSING STAFF SUPERVISOR

Vickie McCracken, RN

REGISTERED DIETITIAN

Marissa Raymond, RD

FACILITY MANAGER

Heather Tetiva

INTERN THERAPIST

Colleen Cunniff, MFTI