The experience and expertise of La Selva’s staff support each client in his or her journey toward wellness and recovery.
Brenna Connolly, Psy.D
Dr. Connolly manages our Discovery Day Program at California Avenue. She is our clinical lead and conducts DBT and CBT groups as well as individual therapy. Dr. Connolly is a clinical psychologist.
Anthony Miller, LMFT
Anthony oversees the operations across La Selva’s programs from Residential to Outpatient. He utilizes both his clinical and operational experience to connect dots and support the everchanging La Selva community. He has over 14 years of residential mental health experience that includes the social rehab and harm reduction models, dual diagnosis, as well as crisis and transitional living. He is a firm believer that the greatest power is to empower others.
Shefali Miller, MD
Dr. Miller serves as Chief Medical Officer for Momentum for Health, and also provides psychiatric assessment and treatment to individuals participating in the La Selva IOP and PHP. She completed medical school at Columbia University and residency at Stanford. Following residency, Dr. Miller was Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford where she specialized in bipolar disorder research and treatment, and served as Chief of the Bipolar Disorders Clinic from 2017-2018.
Juliana Lockman, MD
Dr. Juliana Lockman directs the Functional Neurologic Symptom Disorder (FND) track at La Selva. She works in collaboration with the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Stanford, where she is Clinical Assistant Professor in Neuropsychiatry. She completed residencies in both Neurology at the University of Virginia and Psychiatry at Stanford Hospital & Clinics. Her professional goals include developing effective therapies and improving access to care for clients with FND and related disorders.
Garrick Wang, MD
Dr. Wang is ABPN Board Certified in Adult Psychiatry and is La Selva Group’s primary psychiatrist. He graduated from Harvard University with an undergraduate degree in Biochemical Sciences and received the National Science Scholar award. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and completed his residency at Stanford University receiving The NIMH Outstanding Resident Award in 2005.
Jasmine Tatum, MD
Dr. Tatum (she/her) is a staff psychiatrist at La Selva. She graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with a bachelor’s in Psychology and completed medical school at the Ichan School of Medicine. She is currently completing her residency at Stanford University, where she serves as Chief Resident in Psychiatry. She has undergone training in psychopharmacology, psychodynamic therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy and is dual-enrolled in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and the consult-liaison psychiatry (CLP) specialty training pathways at Stanford. She currently serves on the Northern California Psychiatric Society Council and is passionate about increasing access to mental health care.
Charles Fagundes, MD
Dr. Fagundes (he/him) is Board Certified in Adult Psychiatry and is a staff psychiatrist at La Selva. He received his M.D. from Brown University and completed his psychiatry residency at Stanford University. He has undergone training in psychopharmacology, psychodynamic therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy. In residency, he also had a special focus on interventional psychiatry, including Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). Dr. Fagundes also completed a Psychoanalysis Fellowship Program through the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis (PAPPTP).
Tim Ando, MD
Dr. Ando (he/him) is a staff psychiatrist at La Selva. He graduated from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, and he is completing his residency at Stanford Hospitals and Clinics. He has undergone training in psychopharmacology, psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and CBT for insomnia. He has a particular interest in working with the young adult and college age population, and believes strongly in collaborating with his patients on their treatment decisions. He is a Bay Area native and enjoys rooting for the Giants and 49ers and trying out new restaurants.
Michelle Ly, LCSW
Michelle Ly, LCSW is the Director of Residential Admissions at La Selva Group. She has over 19 years of experience in mental health services. She started as a Parent-Child Counselor and worked her way up to Clinician, Clinical Lead, and Associate Director. She has experience working in multiple settings in mental health and social work (e.g., residential, outpatient clinic, medical social work, and inpatient psychiatric behavioral health). Michelle has a bachelor’s degree in Child Development and a master’s degree in Social Work. She has worked with children, adolescents, and adults from diverse backgrounds. Her passion in mental health and social work stems from her own life experiences, perseverance, and resilience.
Monika Arnold, LCSW
Monika Arnold, LCSW, is the Director of Admissions for outpatient services at La Selva. She also manages admissions and clients in the Functional Neurologic Symptom Disorder (FND) track at La Selva. In addition, Monika has caseload of clients, runs groups at the outpatient setting and supervises interns. Prior to joining our team Monika gained valuable experience working in residential setting working with adults, and wilderness therapy with teens. She graduated from the University of Michigan School of Social Work in 2008.
Martha Zambrano, LMFT
Martha is a bilingual clinician working with both mono-lingual clients and clients participating in our outpatient program at La Selva. Using a blend of mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy, Martha provides short term psychotherapy as well as case management services. Martha is passionate about community work and has worked in various settings including working with at-risk juvenile offenders, survivors of domestic violence and child protective services. Her interests include working with young adults, incarcerated/at-risk populations and family therapy.
Melissa Yant-Hunsinger, LCSW
Melissa (pronouns she/her/hers) is a licensed clinical social worker providing group and individual therapy. Melissa integrates her extensive experience in psychosocial rehabilitation and community mental health with her clinical training to provide practical and comprehensive care, employing cultural humility and intersectionality. She supports her clients to develop self-compassion, increase self-awareness, learn and practice coping skills and build on their strengths and resources. Melissa specializes in anxiety reduction, parenting support, codependency recovery, sleep hygiene and CBT for psychosis.
Jurek Aleksander, PhD
Jurek has been with La Selva Group for over 12 years. He received his PhD in psychology at ITP (through Sofia University) in Palo Alto. In addition to leading the residential clinical team and coordinating clients’ care & recovery, he also conducts groups at California Ave: they include Heart & Mind Alignment, Family Constellation, Poetry and Archetypes, and psycho-dynamic experiential group. His approach is eclectic, holistic and pragmatic interwoven with healthy sense of humor & spirituality.
Cheryl Seltzer, LMFT
Cheryl is a Clinician for the outpatient program at La Selva Group, providing individual and group therapy as well as case management services. She’s been practicing psychotherapy with a holistic orientation since 2011, in agencies supporting adults, children and families. She is passionate about helping people live personally meaningful lives even in the midst of unfamiliar and chaotic circumstances.
Meremy Needham, LMFT
Meremy is a Clinician for the outpatient program at La Selva Group, where she provides individual therapy, case management, and facilitates groups. She worked in community mental health with children, adolescents, adults, and families prior to joining our team. Some of her most influential work was working with foster children who experienced trauma. She takes a psychodynamic approach by emphasizing how one’s past experiences impact the individual’s present experiences and strengths. Meremy aims to empower clients to develop the ability to become comfortable with the uncomfortable.
Ana Valle Hernandez, LMFT
Ana is bilingual clinician in our outpatient program at La Selva Community Clinic. Using a blend of mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Somatic Experience approaches Ana provides short term psychotherapy as well as case management services. Ana thoroughly enjoys helping people find ways to be their best self. She has experience working with at-risk juvenile offenders, families, couples, and individuals. Her interests include working with clients helping them work through trauma while focusing on the mind-body connection.
Donna Gallienne
Donna is a clinician at the Outpatient program at La Selva. She received her master’s degree in Counselling Psychology at the University of Roehampton, London, England. Donna has previously worked in the NHS in England, in a family therapy center in Dallas TX and La Selva Residential facility. She has volunteered in the community with at-risk and detained children, as well as adolescents and survivors of domestic violence. She has a published paper in the Journal of Psycholinguistics. At the Outpatient program, Donna provides therapy, case management, facilitates groups and admissions. Donna is a qualified Yoga instructor and likes to remain physically active in her personal life, she believes that physical health is inextricably connected to psychological and emotional well-being.
Robert Rohde, ASW
Robert provides individual therapy and case management for clients participating at the Middlefield Supportive Housing Program as well as facilitating groups in our outpatient program. Robert has been working with those diagnosed with Co-Occurring Disorders since 1998. Robert is passionate about community work and has worked in various settings including in patient behavioral health, residential, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs. Other areas of interest include CBT, substance abuse, motivational interview and mindfulness.
Danielle Giles, AMFT
Danielle is a clinician at the residential treatment program at La Selva. She is a recent graduate from Chapman University where she received her master’s in marriage and family therapy. Danielle previously worked at a low cost clinic serving a diverse population of individuals within the community, which inspired her interest in systemic and emotionally-focused therapy. Danielle emphasizes a humanistic approach to treatment, with a strong belief in the power of human connection, genuineness, and empathy to produce positive change.
Chin "Kyle" Fong, ASW
Kyle is a bilingual clinician and intake coordinator at our La Selva Residential program. Kyle tends to utilize a blend of CBT/DBT/Mindfulness to provide individual therapy and crisis intervention. He has years of experience working with vulnerable populations. He has experience at a detention center, transitional housing, 2-1-1 resource call center, food bank, health clinic, and at residential treatment center.
Tessa Olsen
Tessa is a clinician at the residential treatment program at La Selva. She is a recent graduate from Notre Dame de Namur University where she received her master’s in clinical psychology. Tessa has experience working with adolescents, youth, adults, and facilitating groups. She has studied grief, trauma, and loss and believes in creating a space where difficult feelings can be expressed and processed. She believes at the center of each person is well-being and encourages connections with nature and animals.
Kevin McKellar, RN
Kevin provides nursing services and medication oversight at our Residential Program.
Leticia Prado, LVN
Leti is a member of our nursing team and works weekends at our Residential Program.
Lauren "Maya" Kehoe
Maya is a Supportive Housing Specialist assigned to our Supportive Housing program. She is a counselor at the Supportive Houses, Lowell and Middlefield; she also teaches classes, on Planning Your Future and Health and Wellness, for the Outpatient program.
Franny Donovan
Franny is the Program Coordinator for the La Selva Outpatient Program. They are a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where they received their bachelor’s in psychology. Franny has a passion for working with those processing marginalizing identities such as gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and ability level and was one of the first graduates to receive a Tier III Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI) Certificate from their alma mater. As program coordinator, Franny facilitates therapy groups and manages day-to-day operations.
Kristin Dawson
Kristin is a Group Facilitator at La Selva. As a certified Wellness Recovery Action Plan Facilitator, she conducts WRAP groups twice a week, in addition to facilitating the LGBTTQQIIAAP (Rainbow) Group, and the evening/Alumni Program. Kristin is a graduate of the La Selva program and Notre Dame de Namur University.
Ligia Law
Ligia (AMFT, she/her/hers) provides individual therapy and case management for clients participating at the Lowell/Esperanza Supportive Housing Program, as well as facilitating groups in our outpatient program. Ligia is client-centered, strength-finding, present-minded, and versatile in her approach to therapy, utilizing many theories including CBT, DBT, Internal Family Systems, with an emphasis on humanistic theories along with skill-building. It’s also important noting Ligia’s background in sociology and her emphasis on seeing each client’s intersecting identities, and recognizing her own privileges within the therapeutic alliance.
Lucita Ordiniza
Lucita is the Program Administrative Assistant for La Selva Residential. Lucita supports the residential program by handling day-to-day operations, assisting with referral and admission processes, and is a proud advocate for La Selva and Momentum as a whole. She originally started at Momentum for Health as a Float Admin Assistant, but quickly found her home at La Selva and accepted the offer to fulfill the open Admin role this past April 2022. Due to her own life experiences, Lucita has a passion for helping people and has a great empathy and understanding for people who are seeking mental and behavioral health treatment. She believes that no one should have to suffer or struggle with their mental health alone, and that people should not be ashamed or defined by their mental health.
Simardeep Bhaurla
Simi Bhaurla is an associate professional clinical counselor and graduated from California State University, Fresno with a Master’s in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling (licensure track). She has experience working with clients struggling with addiction and severe and persistent mental illness ranging from anxiety to the Schizophrenia spectrum. Her passion for mental health stems from the stigmatized mental health challenges she witnessed and experienced within Indian family systems. She strongly advocates for marginalized and disenfranchised communities to break through barriers and adversity within these populations. While at La Selva, Simi has been able to form a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Affinity Group for the PHP and IOP program which has been beneficial for clients identifying with this population. Simi currently serves as the manager for La Selva’s Supportive Housing Program which assists clients transitioning from residential treatment to fully independent living. Her past experience includes residential and outpatient addiction treatment facilities, full-service partnership crisis residential treatment, full-service partnership outpatient treatment, and managing an outpatient program with Medi-Cal billing.