Who We Are
It is the mission of Alternative Options to provide comprehensive, structured treatment for people struggling with mental health, substance abuse and eating disorders, and offer support for their families and significant others in a caring therapeutic environment.
It is our hope that your journey with us will lead you to nourishing discoveries and new possibilities in your life.
Our Treatment Team
Our multidisciplinary team of psychotherapists, registered addiction specialists, psychiatrists and registered dietitians are here to offer you a well-rounded help and support. We are looking forward to meeting you.
Rebecca Bernier-Rosales
MBA, Executive Director
Rebecca Bernier-Rosales is the Executive Director for Alternative Options Counseling Center, Inc. In this position, she provides executive leadership over the administration and manages its daily operations to ensure strong integration among all staff and offices. She also provides guidance on operations and policy implementation of the full range of the company.
Brigit Aroz
MA, AMFT, Interim Clinical Director
Alexis Van Acker
AMFT - Placentia
Alexis is excited to assist her clients in bringing positive change and healing into their lives. She uses Cognitive Behavioral (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral (DBT), and experiential approaches. Trained in EMDR and Gottman Couples therapies, she enjoys working with all ages, experiences, and stages of life, individuals, couples and families. Upon request can integrate spiritual and religious beliefs into a client’s therapeutic treatment.
Rachel Nishimura
RYT , Yoga Instructor - Artesia & Placentia
Rachel is a YogaWorks certified instructor and has been studying and teaching yoga since 2012. Her classes emphasize restorative, yin, and mindfulness. Also Usui Reiki 1 certified and a pastry chef, she has learned that through any mindfulness practice there is freedom to transform, whether turning flour into cake or resistance into self-acceptance. She is honored to carry on the healing tradition of yoga in a safe, trauma informed setting.
Victoria Brown
M.A., LMFT , Program Manager -
Placentia
Vicky has found working with clients with trauma to be one of the most rewarding experiences of her career. She utilizes a wide range of modalities including EMDR, CBT, DBT, ACT, and EFTs to help clients with a trauma background. As program manager, it is very important to her that all clients feel welcomed and supported. Vicky is excited to work with such a wide range of professionals, enabling her to build programs that tailor to the clients' needs, giving them the best chance for success.
Danny Abajian
CATC - Placentia
Danny is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor. He has been working with adults in substance abuse treatment since 2009. Danny is a client-centered counselor, who is known for his excellent rapport building skills, warmth and caring nature with clients, and accurate empathy skills. Danny also has a passion for his profession and for his recovery.
Kari Tuggle-Nord
RD, ASW, Eating Disorder Program Coordinator - Placentia
As a Registered Dietitian and Associate Clinical Social Worker Kari is uniquely qualified with expertise in both nutritional science and therapeutic counseling. Kari has over 20 years of experience providing nutrition interventions for a variety of audiences and in multiple settings. Her experience in behavioral health includes case management, mental health assessment, individual therapy sessions, and group psychoeducation.
Ray Sinfeld
CADC1 - Placentia
Ray is a certified drug and alcohol counselor. With experience in detox, residential, PHP and IOP, he has worked in the field of recovery since 2012. Ray works with both the adult and adolescent populations and is known for his empathy and kindness. He believes in understanding the whole person and strives to meet clients where they are. Ray has trained with CCAPP working with the LGBTQIA+2 communities and is committed to helping people rediscover hope.
Jamie Boylan
LMFT, Program Case Manger - Placentia
Jamie runs the shame & resilience group as well as the adolescent process group for our IOP/ PHP programs. She specializes in working with kids/ teens, trauma or trauma-related issues, anxiety/depression and relationship issues. Jamie uses an eclectic blend of CBT, DBT and attachment-focused treatment. She is trained in EMDR, trauma-resiliency model, trauma-focused CBT and levels 1&2 of Gottman’s couple’s therapy.
Melissa Alexander
M.A., AMFT, ATR-Provisional - Placentia
Melissa specializes in using art to work with depression, anxiety, grief, and self-esteem in adolescents and adults. Through art as a modality, along with CBT and mindful practices, Melissa works to allow individuals the chance to explore aMend express emotions in a safe and non-judgmental environment. Art Therapy can be a wonderful tool for those with and without art experience.
M.A. MFT and Clinical Art Therapy - Loyola Marymount University B.S. Cal State Fullerton
Joy Ji Hye Kang
M.A., AMFT, PHP Coordinator - Placentia
Joy’s experience includes working with substance abuse, anxiety/depression, PTSD, personality disorder, trauma, physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and more. She utilizes a variety of techSolution Focused Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, CBT, Structural Family Therapy and more to help her clients. She believes it is important to work in partnership with clients by putting client’s needs first.
M.A. MFT - Hope International University
Sarah Megally
AMFT, Therapist/Case Manager - Placentia
Sadaf Shalchian
AMFT - Placentia
Sadaf enjoys working with individuals and couples who like to self-explore and self-improve. She focuses on what clients bring to the present moment, recognizes and works through healing root causes, and teaches them skills and provides powerful tools to create a thriving self in healthy relationships with others. Her approach is helpful for a wide range of issues including anxiety, depression, PTSD, anger, sadness, guilt, and shame, and problems with sleep. She is trained in EMDR and certified in CBT and will do spiritual and faith-based therapy upon request.
Christiane Arevalo
M.A., AMFT - Huntington Beach
Christiane has experience working with a variety of populations treating mental health and chemical dependency issues. She uses an eclectic approach to therapy employing cognitive-behavioral and internal family systems therapy. She has training in Level I Gottman Couples therapy.
M.A. Clinical Psychology, MFT - TCSPP Current Doctoral Candidate
Brianna Czerkawski
M.A., LMFT, Program Manager - Huntington Beach
As well as serving as the Program Manager in Huntington Beach, Brianna provides therapy services to both adolescents. Brianna has a special interest in utilizing Emotion-Focused Therapy, which helps individuals focus on problematic emotional states and the resulting negative patterns of interaction with those around them.
M.A. MFT - Chapman University B.S. Psychology and Communication - U.C. Santa Barbara
Christina Allameh
AMFT - Huntington Beach
Jessica Brown
M.Ed., AMFT - Placentia & Huntington Beach
Jessica is a humanistic therapist that believes counseling requires patience, honesty, and effort from all parties. She has a special interest in treating people struggling with trauma and has completed specialized training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) modalities.
M.Ed. Professional Counseling - Oklahoma University B.A. Sociology - University of Central Oklahoma
Kristen Casteel
M.A., AMFT, Case Manager - Huntington Beach
Kristen has worked in various mental and behavioral health treatment settings. She tailors treatment to the individual client, often drawing from person-centered, cognitive-behavioral, emotion-focused, and mindfulness-based approaches. She enjoys working with clients to address depression, anxiety, addictive behaviors, attachment and identity issues, relationship problems, life transitions and body image issues. Kristen has completed eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy training.
M.A. Clinical Psychology MFT - The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Susan Ho Berzon
PsyD, LMFT - Huntington Beach
Susan has experience in various clinical settings working with clients in partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient care, community clinics, treatment facilities, and schools. As a psychodynamic therapist; Susan specializes in depression, anxiety, substance abuse, family dynamics, and is trained in EMDR. Susan is an adjunct faculty at TCSPP in Irvine.
PsyD MFT - The Chicago School of Professional Psychology M.S. - Nova Southeastern University M.B.A. - Illinois State University B.A. Indiana University
Michael Leland
M.A., LMFT - Artesia
Michael has counselled students and their families in private and public school settings since 1981. His experience includes school and family related concerns, antisocial behaviors, substance abuse, and grief counseling. Michael will often combine cognitive behavioral and solution focused therapies with illusion and magic tricks (from his background as a magician) to offer a unique therapeutic approach for adults and especially for children.
Christal Vizcarra
M.A., LMFT - Artesia
Christal acts as supervisor for some of Alternative Options associate therapists. She has over a decade of experience working with adults, adolescents and families experiencing depression, anxiety, mood disorders, grief and loss, chemical dependency, and relationship difficulties. Christal uses a mix of solution-focused, cognitive-behavioral, and client-centered therapies.
M.A. - Chapman University B.A. Psychology - Biola University
Monica Girard
RADT-1 - Artesia
Monica is a Drug and Alcohol Counselor/Case Manager at our Artesia location and works with both adolescent and adult populations. She has been with the company since 2017. She graduated top of her class from the LA Training Institute for Drugs and Alcohol Counseling, and has been working in the field since 2015. Monica has continued sobriety since 2012. She understands the impact addiction has on one’s physical and mental health and what it takes to help someone achieve sobriety and create positive change in their lives. She is passionate about the work she does with her clients and continues to further her education in mental health and eating disorders.
Danielle Mee
AMFT , Therapist/Case Manager - Artesia
Bahram Shabestari
M.S., LMFT - Artesia
Barry is a humanistic psychotherapist and also borrows from cognitive-behavioral (CBT), psychodynamic, and solution-focused theories. Barry’s areas of specialty include treating depression, anxiety, mood disorders, addictions, and helping with relationship problems. Barry has an interest in mindfulness principles, and uses this practice to reduce stress and provide a gateway for overall well-being.
M.S. Counseling - CSUF B.A. Psychology - CSUF
Nikki Cully
M.S., LMFT, Eating Disorder Program Coordinator - Artesia & Placentia
Nikki serves as the eating disorder program coordinator for our adult and adolescent programs in Artesia. She also provides individual, family, and group therapy for a wide range of clients. With Alternative Options since 2014, she has found her passion in working with eating disorder recovery where she incorporates intuitive eating principles and dialectical behavior therapy.
M.S. Counseling, MFT - CSULB B.A. Psychology - UCLA
Linda Bates
CADC-II, Case Manager/Utilization Review- Artesia
Jackie Johnston
CADC-II, Intake Coordinator - Artesia
Jackie is a compassionate person who has held several roles within the company. Her many years of being a case manager and running groups has primed her to be an excellent intake coordinator.
Sarah Brown
AMFT, Therapist/Case Manager - Artesia
Katie Plumb
M.A., LCSW - Artesia
Katie works particularly well with those struggling with trauma and PTSD, mood and anxiety disorders, attachment disorders, challenging family dynamics, and other relationship issues. Her goal is to make therapy an enjoyable and productive endeavor. Katie’s experience in art, play and attachment therapies provide adolescents and adults a medium allowing for greater exploration, expression, and resolution of conflictual feelings and behaviors.
M.S.W. - University of Southern California M.A. Clinical Psychology - Columbia University B.A. Psychology - Scripps Women’s College
Stephanie Fell
M.A., LMFT, PHP Coordinator - Artesia
Stephanie works with both the adolescent and adults, helping those with depression, anxiety, chemical dependency, trauma, self-harm and more. Stephanie believes that much of what we struggle with connects back to our negative experiences from the past. Working with the modalities of CBT, Dielectical Behavioral Therapy, and Schema Therapy, she works with the client by building coping skills, challenging negative core beliefs, and learning emotion regulation and distress tolerance.
M.A. - University of Phoenix
Kristi Fonseca
LMFT - Artesia
Kristi treats adults, adolescents, children, couples, and families. Her focus is with clients struggling with trauma, depression, anxiety, and personal crises. She primarily works from a psychodynamic lens, bringing the unconscious thoughts into the conscious mind. Kristi believes that your past shapes who you are today and the choices you make. That understanding your past and processing these thoughts and feelings help you live a happy and peaceful life.
Gabrielle Gomez
M.S., AMFT - Artesia
Gabrielle’s therapeutic experience includes elementary school settings as well as adult rehabilitation settings regarding struggles with chemical dependency. She enjoys working with dual-diagnosis, and her goal is to assist the client at a time in their life when they may need more support than they have needed before. Gabrielle uses an eclectic mix of psychodynamic, cognitive behavior, and schema therapies.
M.S. Counseling MFT - CSULB B.A. Psychology and Social Behavior - UC Irvine
Cindy Keney
APCC - Artesia
Kalila Magbanua-Stein
M.A., AMFT - Artesia
Kalila offers individual, family, couple and group therapy to our clients. She is trained in Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and is creating a niche in her practice for this kind of trauma-work. She believes and practices from a place where compassion and understanding create the space for people to heal and grow.
M.A. MFT - Hope International University
Serving Los Angeles and Orange County Areas