The Center's Faculty and Staff
All staff and faculty can be reached at 415.338.2208
Derethia DuVal, PhD., LMFT, Director
Areas of Interest: Multicultural Psychotherapy, PTSD, Feminist Therapy, Couples/Family Therapy, Identity Development
Motto: "Taking even one step in mindfulness can benefit all beings on Earth" ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Taghi Amjadi, PhD., LMFT*, Clinical Counselor
Areas of Interest: Relationships, personal growth, spirituality and psychology, trauma relief work with refugee and Immigrants (PTSD), and cross-cultural psychotherapy
Motto: "And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same." ~ Nelson Mandela
Karla Castillo, MFTI*, Assistant Program Director of Prevention Education Programs
Areas of Interest: Crisis Counseling with students who have experienced sexual violence/ drug and alcohol counseling
Motto: Peace, Respect, and Dignity
Mary Cavagnaro, LMFT, Clinicial Counselor & Coordinator of Graduate Training
Areas of Interest: Relationship Counseling, Codependency and Adult Children of Alcoholics, LGBTQQI ? Identity and Coming Out Issues, Eating and Body Image Concerns, Training and Supervision for Graduate Trainees in Counseling
Motto: “Gentleness is not a luxury, but a critical requirement for coming to our senses.” ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn. "Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are different precisely in order to realize our need of one another." ~Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Susan Chen, LMFT*, Clinical Counselor & Coordinator of International Programs
Areas of Interest: Anxiety, International student concerns, LGBTQ issues, Harm reduction, Meditation, Obsessive-compulsive behaviors
Motto: "Pain is not punishment. Pleasure is not a reward. They are just ordinary occurrences" ~Pema Chodron et al.
"The greatest gift you give to the universe is being who you really are. Kindness, like a boomerang always returns." ~Unknown
Patricia Davis, LMFT, Clinical Counselor & Coordinator of Faculty and Staff Services
Areas of Interest: Attention Deficit Disorder
Motto: Treat others as you would like to be treated.
Ismael de Guzman*, MFT Trainee, Men's Prevention Education Specialist, Crisis Counselor/Advocate
Areas of Interest: He started the Men Can Stop Violence program to educate other young men on our campus in addressing violence and acting as male allies. Ultimately, his goal is to apply the concept of social justice in addressing all forms of oppression within our campus community and beyond.
Motto: "If you can't love yourself, how the hell are you able to love somebody else!" ~RuPaul
Yolanda Gamboa*, PhD., Clinical Counselor, Liaison to Student Health Services & Advisor to Active Minds
Areas of Interest: I am interested in developmental issues facing the diverse college population, women of color, body image and eating issues, crisis intervention, training, first generation college students, ethnic identity, LGBT issues, Chicano (a)/Latino(a) population, and multicultural issues. I am currently developing a Post Doctoral Training Program for CPSC and in the last year started Active Minds, a student organization focused on raising mental health awareness on the campus community. I have also presented at professional conferences on research related to Women of Color and Multicultural Issues. The most recent presentation was my dissertation research focused on the Sociocultural Issues Related to Body Image and Eating Issues in Mexican American College Women.
Motto: "Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow'." ~Mary Ann Radmacher
Curtis Mabry, LMFT, Clinical Counselor
Areas of Interest: Couples Counseling, Treatment Interventions for Depression, Treatment Interventions for Panic Attacks, Relationship Counseling, Multicultural Counseling, Grief and Loss, Foster Child Issues, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Motto: We become very powerful when our thoughts control our behaviors and feelings instead of the reverse.
Rick Nizzardini, LCSW, Clinical Counselor & Residential Life Clinical Counselor
Areas of Interest: Trauma (including histories of physical, emotional and sexual abuse/violence), LGBTQ issues (including relationship issues, coming out, transitioning), stress managment, conflict mediation, adjusting to college life
Motto: A life is only as important as the effect it has on other lives.
Michael Ritter, CRC, Program Director of Prevention Education Programs
Areas of interest: Alcohol & drugs, harm reduction, HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ issues
Motto: "Action expresses priorities." ~Mohandas Gandhi
Shannon Ulrike, Psy.D.*, Clinical Counselor
Areas of Interest: Shyness and social anxiety, general anxiety, phobias, stress, assertiveness, transition and adjustment, grief, identity formation, internalized oppression, appearance discrimination, women as a marginalized group, LGBTQQI identity and coming out, Disability and Deafhood. Treatment approach is feminist, multicultural, humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, and solution-focused. Fluent in American Sign Language.
Motto: To all womankind: My sisterhood is your right. Your right is my will. I am forever yours and forever you.
Lightfoot Wilhite, LCSW, Clinical Counselor
Areas of Interest: Thought as creation myth, Collecting dvds, Watching UK crime/drama TV shows, Basketball, Cooking, Joy.
Motto: As you wake up more deeply to the now, you discover that you are what you seek.
Support Staff
Marcos Soriano, Front Desk Receptionist
Areas of Interest: Creative Writing
Motto: Be good to others. Be good to yourself. Keep trying.
Katharine Tsang**, Administrative Analyst Specialist
Areas of Interest: Traveling, Listen to music, Reading
Motto: "Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” ~ Buddha
Emily Wong-Yan**
Areas of Interest : to be updated soon
Motto : to be updated soon
Dallas Jackson, Administrative Support Assistant II
Areas of Interest : I enjoy being in the front office, working with the students and my co-workers to make the counseling experience as fun, efficient, stress-free and fruitful as possible. I am interested in Vedanta, vegetarianism, stringed instruments, hiking, gardening, Arabian horses, learning, laughing and much more.
Motto : "We should never try to be guardians of mankind, or to stand on a pedestal as saints reforming sinners. Let us rather purify ourselves, and the result must be that in so doing we shall help others." ~ Swami Vivekananda
*Counseling available in the following languages: American Sign Language (ASL), Mandarin, Farsi, Spanish, Pangasinan, Tagalog
**(Bilingual in Mandarin and Cantonese)
