Meet Our Staff and Therapists
The Mental Health and Wellness Center is staffed by therapists from Bay Area Clinical Psychology Ph.D. and Psy.D. programs. These practicum interns are supervised by William Firmender, Ph.D.
Suzanna Ramirez, Administrative Assistant (she/her)
Available| Monday - Thursday 9 am- 5 pm| Friday 9 am -2 pm|
Suzanna serves as the administrative assistant at the Mental Health and Wellness Center at De Anza College, where she is also a proud alumna. She holds an associate degree in Liberal Arts with a focus on Social and Behavioral Science, along with an Associate in Communication Studies for transfer. Eager to further her education, Suzanna plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in communication studies. Her passion for supporting her community began in 2012 when she worked with low-income students in after-school programs, creating a safe space for them. In 2019, Suzanna joined the MHWC team and has since discovered a deep passion for her role. She is dedicated to providing her students with essential mental health resources while fully supporting her team.
Outside of work, she is a proud fur mom to a maltipoo named Mela, whom she adores. Suzanna is a compassionate and empathetic employee, deeply committed to the well-being of her students and colleagues.
William Firmender, Ph.D. (he/him) - Director
Available|Monday through Thursday |
Dr. Firmender is a licensed psychologist and the Director of the Mental Health and
Wellness Center at De Anza College. He moved to California after spending his childhood,
adolescence, and early adult years in South Carolina, Washington, D.C., and New York
City. His clinical and research interests include diversity and community mental
health, public policy, program development and evaluation, and therapeutic sports
interventions. He has a great deal of experience helping clients deal with stressful
life transitions. Using a combination of humanistic, behavioral, and attachment approaches
to psychotherapy, he aims to help clients feel comfortable with themselves, feel less
self-critical, and feel capable of making and maintaining meaningful life changes.
Such changes are based on substantive collaboration with clients to create tangible,
realistic, and attainable goals.
Kimberly (Kim) Lee, Psy.D. (she/her) – Clinical Training Coordinator
Available|Tuesday and Wednesday|
Dr. Lee, a San Francisco Bay Area native, became the Clinical Training Coordinator at De Anza College’s Mental Health and Wellness Center in 2021. She offers culturally responsive, strength-based, and trauma-focused therapy for issues such as trauma, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, acculturation, cultural discrimination, multigenerational differences, and relationship stress. Dr. Lee is dedicated to improving mental health service accessibility and advocating for social justice for marginalized communities. Additionally, she enjoys researching the role of animals in mental health and promotes animal rights. With her service animal, Roxy, she aims to challenge stereotypes and misconceptions about people with invisible disabilities and service animals.
Anita Vazifdar, MMFT, LMFT #110606 (she/her)
* Unavailable during Fall, 2024
Anita is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She holds a Masters of Marriage
and Family Therapy from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Arts
in International Studies from University of Wisconsin – Madison. Anita is passionate
about empowering young adults to find their authentic selves, increase self-esteem,
and build coping skills to overcome life’s difficulties. As a bi-cultural individual,
she understands the significance of cultural identity, & works from a client-centered
approach to create a strong and compassionate alliance with her clients. She works
with individuals to develop their unique cultural identities and make sense of the
world and society around them.
Much of her experience has focused on working with young adults transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. She fosters a supportive environment for young adults to explore the difficulties that surface during this challenging phase of life. In her own life she has seen the significant impact of a mindfulness practice and utilizes this approach in her work to promote emotional regulation and emphasize the importance of living more fervently in the present moment. Anita is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, which is an evidence-based practice that incorporates mindfulness techniques with other coping skills to ease emotional distress, increase interpersonal effectiveness, and increase emotional well-being. Specialties: Individual and group psychotherapy; creating coping skills for anxiety, depression, and trauma; working with college-age young adults to overcome life-transition obstacles; women’s empowerment; and supporting individuals with disabilities.
Brian Lippincott, Ph.D. (he/him)
For supervision only**
Brian Lippincott Ph.D is a Psychologist and Supervisor for the Mental Health and Wellness
Center at De Anza College. Dr. Lippincott earned his Bachelor’s degree from Saint
Mary’s College of California in 1978 in the Integral Curriculum of the Liberal Arts
which is a Great Books program. He immediately went on to John F Kennedy University
to earn his Master’s degree in Psychology in 1981 and eventually matriculated to Pacifica
Graduate Institute where he earned his doctorate degree in 1992 with a specialization
in depth psychology. Dr. Lippincott is both a licensed marriage family therapist and
licensed clinical psychologist in the state of California. He has had a private practice
since 1985. Dr. Lippincott returned to John F Kennedy University in 1992 and has been
a faculty since then teaching every quarter in either the masters in psychology program
for MFT, LPCC program or in the PsyD program.Dr. Lippincott has taught a wide variety
of classes ranging from clinical case seminar, group process and other clinical classes
to research and advanced research. Dr. Lippincott spent 20 years working in community
mental health where he was the supervisor of the transition age youth program for
Monterey County which dealt with first episode psychosis. In 2013 Dr. Lippincott founded
the Center for Humanistic Development, a training center in Aptos, Watsonville and
Salinas California, which trains practicum students and interns in Humanistic psychology
and Creative Depth Psychology (CDP.) CDP embraces the ideas of Jung and others regarding
the depth of the human spirit and has a holistic approach. It also involves depth
perception in the outer world and is a community-based psychology aligned with the
work of Michael White and David Epston in Narrative therapy.
Carol Mellberg, MA, ATR, LMFT #37666 (she/her)
Available|Tuesday and Wednesday|
Carol is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a registered Art Therapist. She has a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy with an emphasis in Art Therapy from Notre Dame de Namur University. She has an undergraduate degree in Graphic Design from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and was a student athlete on the Cal Poly women’s tennis team. Carol has worked in the field of Mental Wellness for over 20 years as a Therapist, a Supervisor, and the Director of a Community Based Mental Health agency. Carol combines her interests in sports, arts, and therapy to support students and adults in removing barriers to learning in order to find their authentic voice. She has developed school-based Art Therapy programs to help individuals build resilience during stressful times through choice-making in a space of unconditional positive regard. Carol believes in the power of the individual to find their best solutions through healthy externalization of emotions in a client-centered safe space for exploration. She provides strength-based, trauma-focused therapy for a variety of clinical issues including anxiety, depression, and relationship challenges.
Cyrus Chang, M.S. (he/him)
Available|Tuesday and Thursday|
Cyrus is a Bay Area native and received his education at Palo Alto University (PAU).
He obtained his BS and MS and is currently a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Clinical
Psychology at Palo Alto University. He values the importance of self-discovery in
a safe and nonjudgmental space. Cyrus explores evidence-based practices to understand
what works best with clients’ needs. He believes that treating individuals with kindness
is essential to the human experience. In his free time, he enjoys playing tabletop
games and video games. Cyrus also explores the area to try out new tea stores and
restaurants. He is excited to return to De Anza because his educational journey began
here.
Derrick E Felton, DSW (he/him)
Available|Thursday|
Dr. Felton is an Army Veteran who joined the Mental Health and Wellness Center team in January 2020. He brings extensive experience in trauma, depression, anxiety, and hospice care from his previous roles at Vitas Healthcare and the Department of Veterans Affairs Readjustment Counseling. As a Social Worker, Dr. Felton leverages his social work skills to assess the emotional needs of students.
In addition to his role as a counselor, Dr. Felton is an adjunct professor at De Anza College and Cal State East Bay. He was honored as the 2024 Fellow of the Year for Father’s Uplift [Father's Uplift]. He also serves as the Nor Cal Chapter President for the Society for Social Workers Leadership in Healthcare [SSWLHC] and recently became a member of the Social Work Leadership Foundation Board.
Dr. Felton earned his Doctorate in Social Work from the University of Southern California and holds a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. He also earned a Master's in Public Administration and a Master's in Business Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management. He is a proud member of Phi Alpha, a national honor society dedicated to social workers across the United States.
“True wellness comes from addressing stress through a holistic approach, considering the mind, body, and spirit as interconnected facets of our well-being. Only by nurturing each aspect can we find balance and resilience in the face of life’s challenges.”
Jakob Hopper,M.S. (he/him)
Available|Wednesday|
Jakob graduated from Portland State University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology
and is currently a fifth-year Ph.D. student at Palo Alto University. He has experience
practicing as a student therapist at a specialty clinic that offered affordable and
affirming psychological services for LGBTQ+ individuals. He is pursuing a career focused
broadly on community mental health, with a particular emphasis on work with LGBTQ+
folks and people struggling with various forms of trauma. However, he has past experience
working with a variety of people and is more than happy to work with individuals outside
of these specific areas. Beyond that, when not in the therapy room, he can often be
found working on a research project for a neuropsychology lab or potentially playing
video games to scratch his gamer itch.
Anagha Surendra, M.A. (she/her)
Unavailable during Fall, 2024
Anagha graduated from The University of Tampa with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
and is currently a fourth-year Ph.D. student at Palo Alto University. She spent her
youth growing up in NYC, then Florida for college, and now resides in California.
As a South-Indian American, she is passionate about furthering research on Asian American
mental health. She recently completed a year of clinical training at the Gronowski
Center, where she specialized in trauma-informed care for transitional-aged youths,
college students, adults, and older adults. Anagha has experience and skills in providing
culturally sensitive, trauma-informed, and compassion-based therapy. She has experience
working with substance use disorders, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other trauma-related
issues. Her passion is to work with underserved communities and aims to fill the gaps
in accessibility to crisis care and services. Her therapeutic style recognizes that
mental health is unique to the individual and will work with her clients to find a
treatment plan and form of therapy that works for them. Currently, she is versed in
compassion-focused/humanistic, mindfulness, cognitive behavioral, and culturally sensitive
therapy. In her free time, she can be found binging the latest anime, playing games,
or baking a sweet treat.
Allie Gregoire, M.S. (she/her)
Available|Tuesday and Wednesday, Thursday virtual only|
Allie graduated from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Minor in Art. She is currently a fourth-year Ph.D. student at Palo Alto University. Allie has experience advocating and working with BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, international, first-generation, and undocumented students. As an international adoptee, Allie is driven to support other adoptees and foster care individuals within her communities. Allie’s therapeutic work is grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy and social justice practices. Allie enjoys integrating creative approaches to therapy such as art, writing, and somatic healing. Allie is passionate about supporting individuals with anxiety, depression, trauma, college and career transitions, interpersonal relationships, and identity development. As a previous student-athlete and avid rock climber, Allie enjoys helping students balance academics, mental health, and sports. In her free time, Allie loves making comics about her cat, being outdoors, and searching for the best places to eat.
Ally Feiss, M.S. (she/her)
Available|Tuesday and Wednesday, Monday virtual only|
Ally graduated from the University of Massachusetts Lowell where she earned her B.A.
in Psychology and minored in Criminal Justice and Gender studies. Ally is currently
a fourth-year Clinical Psychology doctoral student working towards her Psy.D. at the
University of San Francisco. Ally has special interests in working with student-athletes
and individuals with eating disorders and/or body image concerns. As a previous student-athlete,
Ally is attuned to the demands of collegiate sports and recognizes how student athletes’
mental health is impacted by both internal and external pressures. Furthermore, she
understands the ways in which these pressures are compounded by the demands of collegiate
sports. She has experience working with depression, anxiety, ADHD, interpersonal issues,
substance use, self-harm, and PTSD. As a biracial woman, Ally is passionate about
working with biracial/multicultural individuals. In her therapeutic work, she emphasizes
the importance of cultural identity exploration and approaches all clients from a
client-centered and trauma-informed perspective. Outside of the office and school,
Ally enjoys spending her time outdoors, running/working out, reading, trying new foods,
and spending time with friends.
Ava Nusblatt, M.S. (They/Them)
Available|Monday|
Ava Nusblatt (pronouns: they/them/theirs) is a 5th-year clinical psychology PsyD student
at the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium. They received their BS in Clinical Psychology
from Tufts University and their MS from the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium. Ava has
experience working with LGBTQ+ communities with a particular interest in working with
transgender and gender-diverse folks, trauma and PTSD, depression and anxiety, and
substance use disorders. As a queer and nonbinary clinician, Ava is passionate about
supporting people in exploring and affirming their identities, navigating stressors
and marginalization, and uplifting resilience. Ava takes a trauma-informed, culturally
humble, and affirming approach to therapeutic work. In their free time, Ava can be
found crocheting, cooking an overly elaborate meal, and watching videos of their favorite
musicals.
Chieh-Hsi (Jessie) Chen, M.S. (she/her)
Available| Monday and Wednesday, Friday virtual only|
Jessie is a third-year Clinical Psychology PsyD student at the University of San Francisco. She moved to the United States as an international student in high school after spending her childhood and early adolescent years in Taiwan. She has lived in New Jersey, Illinois, St. Louis, and California for work and education. After acquiring her Master’s degrees in Law and Applied Health Behavioral Research, she decided to follow her passion in clinical psychology and help clients from multicultural backgrounds with stressful life transitions. Her clinical and research interests include parent-child interactions, generational trauma, acculturation difficulties, and stress management across life transitional states.
Jessie provides culturally responsive, mindfulness, and strength-based therapy. She also explores integrated approaches for evidence-based practices to meet each client’s unique needs. Through collaboration with clients to reach their individual goals, Jessie aims to create a safe and non-judgmental space to improve clients’ confidence and to explore meaningful life values with clients. Jessie has experience working with sexual and gender minorities, unhoused individuals, ethnic and racial minorities especially immigrants and children of immigrants, trauma, anxiety, and depressive disorders.
Jessie is excited to serve at De Anza because of her experiences being a first-generation college student and having transfer experiences in high school and college. In her free time, Jessie enjoys being outdoors, trying new food, and exploring new activities with friends. She also enjoys watching shows during her downtime.
Jordy Gardenswartz, M.S. (she/her)
Available|Tuesday and Wednesday, Friday virtual only|
Jordy is a 4th-year clinical psychology doctoral student at the PGSP-Stanford PsyD
Consortium, and she is excited to be joining the Mental Health and Wellness Center
at De Anza this year! She earned her MS in Clinical Psychology from the PGSP-Stanford
PsyD Consortium and her BA in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Yale University.
Passionate about taking a social justice-informed, multicultural orientation to therapy,
Jordy recognizes that each client is the expert in their own experience. She uses
a relational, emotion-focused approach with her clients so that they can come to a
more positive understanding of themselves while working towards their goals. To help
clients handle their difficult emotions, she also incorporates mindfulness and grounding
skills. Jordy has experience treating patients with a range of mental health concerns,
including anxiety, depression, substance use issues, body image concerns, and trauma,
with a particular enthusiasm for working with those in the LGBTQ+ community. In her
free time Jordy likes dancing, walking around her neighborhood, listening to pop music,
binging the latest Netflix series, and spending time with loved ones.
Natalie Hwang, M.S. (she/they)
Available|Wednesdays and Thursdays, Monday virtual only|
Natalie is currently in her 4th year pursuing her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium. She received her B.S. in Psychology at Tufts University, where she also minored in Music. Natalie grew up in the D.C. area, worked in Boston throughout college, and now resides in the Bay Area. She strives to always provide care that is trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and gender- and neurodivergent-affirming. She has experience working with a diversity of clinical issues and life circumstances, including stressful life transitions, anxiety, depression, complex trauma, relationship and family stress, identity exploration, experiences of discrimination and microaggressions, and imposter syndrome. She is well versed in various LGBTQ+-specific issues, including gender identity exploration and transition, intersectionality and minority stress, ethical non-monogamy, and body and gender dysphoria. Natalie has also worked with people impacted by homelessness, poverty, incarceration, sexual assault, and domestic violence. Her dissertation is focused on Asian American mental health. She is passionate about issues of social justice and increasing accessibility of specialized mental health care for people from marginalized communities, especially people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
In her free time, Natalie loves diving into her non-therapist hobbies, including playing video games and board games, crocheting, singing karaoke with friends, and learning Tai Chi and snowboarding. She believes deeply in the value of finding activities and communities that bring you joy and invites clients to bring their authentic selves to every session.
Tanera van Diggelen, M.S. (she/ her)
Available|Thursday|
Tanera is a fourth-year Clinical Psychology PsyD student training at the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium, where she earned her MS in Clinical Psychology. She earned her BS in Psychobiology at UCLA. Tanera centers on cultural humility, compassion, mindfulness, and behaviorally-based approaches in therapy.
Tanera grew up in the Bay Area and has also lived in LA and Seattle. She has experience working with adolescents, young adults, and adults with a wide range of presenting concerns, including anxiety, body dissatisfaction, eating challenges/ disordered eating, stress, relationship concerns, sleep challenges, low mood/ depression, trauma, and chronic pain. Tanera aims to make therapy a non-judgemental, de-stigmatizing space, recognizing that we are each doing our best and sometimes just need support during difficult times in life. Tanera has previously worked at a VA, middle school, and community clinic, and led groups on topics ranging from disordered eating and body image to mindfulness for stress and health challenges.
In her free time, Tanera enjoys being outdoors, swimming, yoga, meditation, and spending time with friends/ family.
Vivian (Runze) Chen, M.S. (she/her)
Available|Thursday|
Vivian is a fourth-year Clinical Psychology PsyD student from the PGSP-Stanford PsyD consortium. She earned her B.S. in Clinical and Community Psychology with minors in Communication and Business from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received her M.S. from PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium. Vivian has experience working with sexual and gender minorities, ethnic and racial minorities, trauma, anxiety disorders, and the transitional stage age group (16-24 years old).
Vivian comes from Beijing, China. Her bi-cultural and bilingual background uniquely positions her to connect with individuals from diverse backgrounds while remaining sensitive to cultural experiences. She is dedicated to serving underrepresented populations, particularly Asians and those of Chinese descent, by providing culturally tailored services. Vivian is also passionate about supporting adolescents and young adults facing academic challenges, interpersonal difficulties, adjustment problems, depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns.
In her free time, Vivian enjoys rock climbing, traveling, cooking, watching shows, and cherishing quality time with family and friends.