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

Tonie is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist who brings warmth, curiosity, and depth to her work with individual adults, adolescents (age 12+), couples, and families. She is especially drawn to helping clients explore the roots of relational challenges, anxiety, grief, and questions of identity and belonging. Her therapeutic style emphasizes a thoughtful, supportive space where clients can feel understood and begin to reflect on their emotional experiences and relationship patterns with greater clarity and compassion.

Tonie holds a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Fuller School of Psychology and a bachelor’s degree in Psychobiology from UCLA. Her approach is informed by psychodynamic and attachment-based frameworks, with a focus on how early relational experiences and unconscious dynamics continue to shape us. She integrates insight-oriented work with evidence-based behavioral therapies to support symptom relief while fostering deeper emotional awareness and growth.

Tonie is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT #149800) and is currently working under the supervision of Dr. Kathleen Fitzgerald (MFT#29963)

pronouns: she/her/hers
languages: English

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. Seth Wagerman, Ph.D (PSY34847). 

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. Ryan Witherspoon (PSY32022)

pronouns: he/him/his, they/them/theirs
languages: English

Dr. Chris Mendoza’s therapeutic approach varies based on the individual’s needs. Chris is both compassionate and comprehensive, offering a unique and empathetic framework for addressing life's challenges. Chris combines trauma-informed care with a blend of psychodynamic, relational, cognitive-behavioral (CBT), and existential-humanistic perspectives.

His approach facilitates self-discovery and healing by exploring 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. 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’s extensive and varied career journey has uniquely informed his approach to therapy. His background spans leadership roles in both the civilian and military sectors. 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.

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.

Chris Mendoza is a Registered Psychological Associate (94028512) under the supervision by Maggie Ateia, Psy.D. (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

Nicole believes that psychological and emotional pain that manifests in symptoms often carries quiet wisdom—gentle nudges calling us toward healing, growth, and deeper self-understanding. She honors the courage it takes to begin the therapeutic journey and sees each person as having an intuitive inner compass, a unique path shaped by their wounds and gifts. Her approach is grounded in the belief that therapy should meet people where they are, drawing on modalities that resonate and feel supportive to the individual.

Before becoming a therapist, Nicole spent many years working with youth with special needs and their families. This work continues to inform her practice, bringing a developmental lens to her understanding of attachment and the impact of early relationships. Later, her experience as an interior designer nurtured her love for creativity and the ways in which beauty and self-expression can play a meaningful role in the healing process.

Nicole holds a B.A. in Child Development and a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, a program rooted in Jungian and depth psychological traditions. She completed a clinical training program at Pelican Cove Counseling Center in Alhambra, where she provided psychodynamic therapy to adolescents and adults from diverse backgrounds and identities. Her work weaves together relational, psychodynamic, feminist, and existential approaches, helping clients explore the deeper layers of their inner worlds, identify unconscious patterns and the root causes of their emotional distress, and reconnect with what brings meaning and vitality to their lives.

Nicole feels deeply honored to walk alongside her clients as they meet life’s transitions, difficult questions, and tender places together. She offers a warm, inclusive, and culturally sensitive space where clients can feel safe sharing their stories. Whether an individual is navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, identity struggles, relationship ruptures, or low self-esteem or self-worth, Nicole supports the unfolding of greater clarity, emotional resilience, and a deeper connection to self. With compassion, presence, respect, and care, she helps clients move toward a more integrated and embodied human experience.

Nicole is a registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT #155320) and Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC #19516) working under the supervision of Dr. Kathleen Fitzgerald (MFT#29963).

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