The Counseling Center core staff includes licensed psychologists and a consulting psychiatrist. The center is also staffed by carefully supervised trainees, including post-doctoral counselors who are in the process of applying for licensure, pre-doctoral psychology interns who are in their final year of training, advanced practicum doctoral students in clinical or counseling psychology, and doctoral-level psychiatric nurse practitioners. Staff members are committed to providing culturally responsive services and are trained to treat a wide range of concerns.

Robert Ballantyne, PsyD
Staff Psychologist

• Degree: PsyD, Clinical Psychology, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

• Additional Responsibilities/Designations: Intern/practicum seminar trainings, managing various CC projects, liaison to Athletics Department
• Professional Memberships: American Psychological Association, Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis

• Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: depression/anxiety, gender issues, LGBTQ issues, couples therapy/relationship issues, crisis intervention, adult children of alcoholics, multicultural/diversity issues, personality disorders, family of origin issues, identity/self-esteem/self-confidence issues, community psychology, counselor training and development

• Theoretical Orientation: Foundation in relational psychodynamic approaches (object relations and self psychology), integrating multicultural, developmental, feminist, existential, and systemic perspectives to gain a holistic view of clients, as well as using cognitive-behavioral interventions to aid in symptom reduction

• Personal Interests: Staying active, swimming, hiking, watching 80s horror movies, and spending time with family and friends.

Molly Brady, MA
Pre-Doctoral Intern

• Degree: MA, University of Denver
• Professional Memberships: American Psychological Association, Colorado Psychological Association:
• Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Working with a wide range of concerns and topics, including psychological trauma, multicultural identity development, sport psychology and relationship conflicts
• Theoretical Orientation: Integrative, emphasizing attachment theory and interpersonal/dynamic, cognitive-behavioral theory, multicultural & developmental theory, as well as systems theory
• Personal Interests: Spending time with a particular golden retriever puppy, running and cycling, reading, photography, and visiting friends and family

Blair Buckman, MA
Practicum Counselor

• Degree: MA, Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology
• Professional Memberships: American Psychological Association, San Diego Psychological Association, Center for Integrative Psychology
• Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Wide range of interests including, college student mental health, relationship/family difficulties, existential issues, and pain
• Theoretical Orientation: Integrative approach including existential, humanistic and interpersonal perspectives utilizing mindfulness and cognitive-behavioral techniques

Christopher Burden, PsyD
Staff Psychologist

• Degree: PsyD., Clinical Psychology, The Illinois School of Professional Psychology/Chicago Campus

• Training: Post Doctoral Fellowship Stanford University
• Additional Responsibilities/Designations: Learning Disability Specialist

• License/Certifications: Psychologist, California Board of Psychology, PSY 23312
• Professional Memberships: American Psychological Association and Association of Higher Education and Disability

• Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Young adult development, the psychology of men, positive psychology, learning disabilities, Asperger's Disorder, sports/performance psychology

• Theoretical Orientation: Contemporary Psychodynamic/Interpersonal approaches to psychotherapy which are infused with multicultural and biopsychosocial understandings of human behavior.
• Personal Interests: Sports (basketball), improvisational theater and comedy, sailing, and spending time with friends and family

Justin T. Gibson, Ph.D.
Staff Counselor

• Degree: PhD, Counseling Psychology, University at Albany – State University of New York
• Additional Responsibilities/Designations: liaison to Student Support Services and United Front Multicultural Center
• Professional Memberships: American Psychological Association, Division 45: Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues,  APA Division 17: Society of Counseling Psychology, section on Ethnic and Racial Diversity
• Theoretical Orientation: An integrative approach which blends inclusive cultural empathy with multicultural theory, humanistic/person-centered, and cognitive-behavioral therapy approaches
• Clinical Interests: college student mental health and wellness, racial/ethnic minority health and wellness, world view formation and exploration, career and vocational exploration, sexuality identity exploration, academic stress, career indecision, problems with social support, crisis intervention and stabilization, substance use and abuse, global and international psychology, counselor training and development
• Personal Interests: Relaxation, Tai Chi, exploring unfamiliar and novel environments, traveling (especially off the beaten path), spending time with friends and family, enjoy nearly every genre of movies, music and books

Veronica Guerra, MA
Practicum Counselor

• Degree: MA, Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology
• Additional Responsibilities/Designations: Practicum Counselor
• Professional Memberships: American Psychological Association, California Psychological Association, San Diego Psychological Association, National Latino Psychological Association
• Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Wide range of concerns including, but not limited to psychology of men and women, multicultural/diversity, health, spirituality, and fluency in Spanish
• Theoretical Orientation: Integrative/holistic approach including psychodynamic, interpersonal, and multicultural perspectives

Karen Lese-Fowler, PhD
Coordinator of Training
Senior Staff Psychologist

• Degree: PhD, Counseling Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Additional Responsibilities/Designations: APPIC Directory Editor

• License/Certifications: Psychologist, California Board of Psychology, PSY 16282
• Professional Memberships: American Psychological Association

• Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: I enjoy working with a wide range of concerns, including but not limited to relationship issues and psychological trauma.

• Theoretical Orientation: Integrative, emphasizing interpersonal/psychodynamic, multicultural/feminist, mindfulness, and cognitive-behavioral

• Personal Interests: spending time with friends and family, reading, staying active and having a balanced life

Margaret McCahill, MD
Consulting Psychiatrist

• Degree: Doctor of Medicine (MD), University of Maryland School of Medicine

• Training: Residency training in Family Medicine: Fairview General Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio;Residency training in Psychiatry: UCSD School of Medicine, La Jolla, California Residency training in Family Medicine: Fairview General Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio;Residency training in Psychiatry: UCSD School of Medicine, La Jolla, California

• Additional Responsibilities/Designations: Adjunct Clinical Professor, USD Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, Lecturer, USD Marital and Family Therapy Program, Health Sciences Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Psychiatry, UCSD School of Medicine

• License/Certifications: Licensed Physician and Surgeon, State of California, Medical Specialty Board Certified by both the American Board of Family Medicine and The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Fellow, American Academy of Family Physicians, Distinguished Fellow, American Psychiatric Association

• Professional Memberships: American Academy of Family Physicians, California Academy of Family Physicians, San Diego Academy of Family Physicians, The Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, The Association of Medicine and Psychiatry, American Psychiatric Association, California Psychiatric Association, San Diego Psychiatric Society

• Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Until April 2009, Dr. McCahill served as the Medical Director of St. Vincent de Paul Village for over 10 years. She was a full time Professor of Family Medicine and Psychiatry at UCSD School of Medicine for over 15 years, and currently holds a volunteer faculty appointment at UCSD in both specialties, where she continues teaching resident physicians and health care professionals enrolled in many fields of study. In addition to the practice of General Adult Psychiatry and Family Medicine, she has completed a "Graduate Certificate Program in Spirituality and Health Care" from George Washington University School of Medicine, and she teaches health care professionals in courses about the interface between spirituality and health.

• Personal Interests: Family, husband, children, grandchildren, golf, tricycle riding.

Sylvie Marques, PhD
Senior Staff Psychologist

• Degree: PhD, Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology

• Additional Responsibilities/Designations: Practicum Coordinator, Group Coordinator

• License/Certifications: Psychologist, California Board of Psychology, PSY 21394

• Professional Memberships: American Psychological Association

• Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: College student mental health, relationship concerns, and fluency in Portuguese

• Theoretical Orientation: Integrative approach utilizing psychodynamic, interpersonal, cognitive-behavioral, family systems, and multicultural perspectives into a comprehensive view of the individual.

Michael J. Martinez, MA
Pre-doctoral Intern

• Degree: MA School Counseling, Marquette University
• Professional Memberships: American Psychological Association
• Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: working with a wide range of presenting concerns including acculturation, anxiety, relationship difficulties, and issues specific to first-generation college students
• Theoretical Orientation: integrative, emphasizing solution-focused, multicultural, interpersonal, and cognitive-behavioral techniques
• Interests: spending time with family, following college basketball

Adriana Molina, PhD
Senior Staff Psychologist

• Degree: PhD, Counseling Psychology

• Additional Responsibilities/Designations: Supervision of interns/trainees, training pre-doctoral interns, managing various CC projects

• License/Certifications: Psychologist, California Board of Psychology, PSY 18612

• Professional Memberships: American Psychological Association, San Diego Psychological Association

• Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Enjoy working with a wide range and diverse college student population with varying concerns and counselor training and development

• Theoretical Orientation: Psychodynamic and Interpersonal Process, Integrative CBT and Multicultural

• Personal Interests: Enjoy traveling, reading, movies and exercise. Enjoy spending time with family, friends and dog.

Raquel Rosario, BSA
Executive Assistant

• Degree: BSA, Accountancy, Polytechnic University of the Philippines

• Additional Responsibilities/Designations: Executive Assistant 2; FWS Supervisor

• Personal Interests: Enjoy traveling, camping, swimming, yoga, movies, exercise, dancing, singing with friends, and spending quality time with family.

Steve Sprinkle, PhD
Director of the Counseling Center

• Degree: PhD, Clinical Psychology, University of Virginia

• Additional Responsibilities/Designations: Director of the Counseling Center

• License/Certifications: Psychologist, California Board of Psychology, PSY 21849

• Professional Memberships: American Psychological Association, Society of Clinical Psychology

• Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: College student mental health; assessment of risk to self or others; brief psychological assessment measures.

• Theoretical Orientation: Evidence-based, eclectic psychotherapy

Ricardo Torres, BA
Pre-doctoral Intern

• Degree: BA, San Diego State University
• Professional Memberships: American Psychological Association
• Clinical Interests: college student population; first-generation and transfer students; depression; anxiety; relationships; grief and loss; crisis; trauma; psychological assessment
• Theoretical Orientation: integration of cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, and multicultural perspectives
• Personal Interests: sports (football, baseball); cycling (mountain biking)

Lauren Woolley, PhD
Staff Psychologist

• Degree: PhD, Counseling Psychology, Texas Woman's University

• Additional Responsibilities/Designations: Supervision of interns/trainees, intern/practicum seminar trainings, managing various CC projects

• License/Certifications: Psychologist, California Board of Psychology, PSY 23740

• Professional Memberships: American Psychological Association (Divisions 17 and 35); San Diego Psychological Association

• Theoretical Orientation: An integrative approach which blends Relational Cultural Theory with Solution-Focused, Feminist and Multicultural perspectives

• Clinical Interests: College student mental health, therapeutic assessment, counselor training and development

• Personal Interests: Yoga, swimming, cycling, guitar, watching documentaries and spending time with family and dog.