Meet the our team of highly trained, trauma-informed clinicians who share our commitment to compassionate, grief-sensitive care. Each team member is well-versed in the complexities of traumatic grief and loss, offering clients a safe and nurturing space to process their experiences. The team’s approach integrates evidence-based practices with a deep understanding of the diverse ways individuals respond to grief, ensuring that every client receives the support and guidance they need to find healing and resilience.
Debi Jenkins Frankle
Mark Frankle
Rose Castellanos Cruz
Jennifer White
Todd Kirby
Katie Byam
Lydia Silva
Mark Frankle, M.A., LMFT #31617
Mark embarked on his mental health journey three decades ago, dedicating himself to aiding those grappling with enduring mental health challenges. Rooted in his belief that the essence of our profession lies in alleviating anguish and turmoil, he focuses on supporting individuals navigating through life's most challenging moments. Mark recognizes the overwhelming toll life's adversities can take on our emotional well-being, often burdening us further. However, he remains steadfast in his belief that through healing these wounds, one can discover resilience and hope.
His professional ethos blends empathy and encouragement with a range of psychotherapeutic techniques, fostering skill development tailored to each client's unique needs and aspirations. While his expertise spans various emotional and psychological complexities, Mark primarily concentrates on assisting individuals coping with grief, trauma, and substance addiction.
Among the array of therapeutic approaches at his disposal, Mark finds EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) particularly impactful in mitigating the effects of diverse traumas. EMDR's efficacy extends to childhood or recent traumatic experiences, drawing support from over three decades of controlled studies. Acknowledged by the National Institute of Health as an evidence-based treatment, EMDR stands as a powerful tool in Mark's arsenal for healing and recovery.
http://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/
Read more info about EMDR here
I help people who have experienced trauma, grief and anxiety to find resilience and healthy coping skills so they can move forward effectively in their lives.
Debi J. Frankle, M.S., LMFT #32961
Debi Jenkins Frankle, LMFT, is a seasoned grief therapist, educator, and trainer with over 30 years of experience. She co-founded a grief center to serve a long-standing need in her community and currently teaches practicum at Pepperdine University. She provides clinical training in grief and loss for therapists and mental health professionals.
Her clinical work focuses on individuals grieving death, addiction, mental illness, chronic illness, and family estrangement. She specializes in working with disenfranchised grief, including clients marginalized by race, sexual orientation, or relational status. Therapeutic modalities include narrative therapy, meaning reconstruction, psychoeducation, and structured writing exercises. She is also trained in the Columbia Prolonged Grief Disorder protocol.
Debi’s approach is deeply informed by her personal experiences with grief, including the deaths of her parents, brother, and multiple infertility losses. These experiences guide her therapeutic presence and her belief in the value of experiential knowing. She uses selective self-disclosure to reduce client isolation and reinforce that healing is possible.
Debi integrates personal rituals, community connection, and professional transparency into her grief work. She believes grief therapists should not ask clients to do any work they haven’t done themselves and is committed to modeling this integration in all aspects of her practice.
I help adults and seniors with heartbreaking losses to regain their footing in life and find joy once again.
Jennifer White, M.A., LMFT #153848
Jennifer brings both a deeply personal understanding of grief and extensive professional training to her work. As a young adult, she lost her mother to suicide, and in her 30s, her father died from cancer and complications related to Alzheimer’s. These profound losses set Jennifer on a path of healing, which now includes supporting others in their grief. She is passionate about helping individuals recover from traumatic grief and has a special focus on working with survivors of suicide loss.
In addition to her therapy practice, Jennifer offers consultations to parents supporting grieving children. During these consultations, she provides introductory resources on childhood grief, ongoing support options, and guidance for helping children navigate their grief as they grow.
Jennifer earned her master’s degree in clinical psychology from Antioch University, with a specialization in psychological trauma. She works with both children and adults and is trained in EMDR therapy.
Jennifer is dedicated to supporting people who are grieving.
Todd Kirby, M.A., AMFT #137786
Todd gets it when it comes to anticipatory grief. It’s something he struggled with especially as a teen having an older parent with health challenges. His father died when Todd was in his early 20’s, which forced him to develop a deeper understanding of endings, death and life. He channeled his grief through writing which culminated in a career as a screenwriter before Todd entered graduate school to become a psychotherapist.
With his experience in the entertainment industry and a member of the WGA, he is uniquely positioned to assist in the personal and professional growth of creative individuals.
Todd is dedicated to working with teens and adults to develop a healthier mindset to tap into their true self and reach their full potential.
Rose Castellanos Cruz, M.A., AMFT #138593
Rose Castellanos Cruz, MA, LMFT is a bilingual (English-Spanish) licensed therapist specializing in anxiety and grief support for children, teens, and families. She provides culturally sensitive, faith-affirming care rooted in her background as a Latina and practicing Catholic.
Rose helps young people manage big emotions—like worry, perfectionism, or withdrawal—while supporting parents with practical tools. Grief is a personal and professional focus for Rose, shaped by the sudden loss of her father. She helps clients recognize how grief can quietly impact their lives and encourages open, healing conversations.
Rose Castellanos Cruz, MA, LMFT es una terapeuta licenciada bilingüe (inglés-español) especializada en el apoyo para la ansiedad y el duelo en niños, adolescentes y familias. Ofrece un acompañamiento culturalmente sensible y reafirmante de la fe, basado en su identidad como mujer latina y católica practicante.
Rose ayuda a los jóvenes a manejar emociones intensas—como la preocupación, el perfeccionismo o el aislamiento—mientras brinda a los padres herramientas prácticas y compasivas. El duelo es un enfoque tanto personal como profesional para Rose, influenciado por la pérdida repentina de su padre. Acompaña a sus clientes a reconocer cómo el duelo puede impactar silenciosamente sus vidas y promueve conversaciones abiertas y sanadoras.
Rose is passionate and committed to working with teens and adults. She has experience working with trauma, anxiety, depression, and grief.
Rose es apasionada y está comprometida a trabajar con adolescentes y adultos. Tiene experiencia trabajando con trauma, ansiedad, depresión y duelo.
Lydia Silva, M.S., AMFT #137886
From an early age, Lydia was drawn to aiding those navigating anticipatory grief, influenced by witnessing her own family's compassionate care for elders nearing the end of their lives. These experiences instilled in her a deep well of empathy for both the dying and their caregivers. Through her teenage years, Lydia confronted the heartbreaking loss of friends to gun violence, suicide, and substance abuse. These personal encounters with grief continued to shape her, each leaving a distinct and lasting impact.
Proficient in American Sign Language (ASL) as a second language and trained in EMDR, Lydia leverages a diverse skill set to enrich her communication and therapeutic prowess.
Recognizing the importance of embracing every facet of an individual's identity—spirituality, culture, and generational awareness—Lydia empowers her clients to explore new perspectives on themselves, others, and their relationships. She aims to provide invaluable support to those seeking profound transformative change.
Lydia is dedicated to:
Supporting clients who are working through difficult transitions, especially grief and loss.
Working with individuals, couples, families, teens, emerging adults, elders, d/Deaf and differently abled individuals.
Facilitating an LGBTQIA+ and spiritually safe space.
Katie Byam, M.A., AMFT #148829
Katie was 15 when she lost her mother to suicide, beginning a long and winding path of healing, self-discovery, and the eventual determination to help others along their own paths of grief. Singing and songwriting became a powerful outlet in Katie’s grief story, and she believes passionately in the transformative power of creative expression.
With nearly two decades of experience in music and entertainment, Katie brings deep insight and understanding to her work with artists, creative professionals, and individuals managing multiple careers or navigating career transitions
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