Embark at Campbell

Leslie is a bilingual (Spanish) Associate Marriage and Family Therapist who completed her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences, from California State University, Monterey Bay. Leslie has had the opportunity to work with a variety of populations, including children with developmental disabilities, monolingual Spanish speaking families, and young adults with co-occurring diagnosis, such as addictions, mood disorders and/or psychosis in a community mental health setting. Her clinical areas of focus include life stress, life transitions, traumatic stress, grief, substance use behaviors, depression, anxiety, empowerment and resilience. Aiming to prioritize evidenced-based therapy practices and rely on well researched techniques, Leslie strives to give her client’s the most transformative care. She works collaboratively with her clients to become in touch with their own authenticity, resilience, and strengths as she guides them’ on their journey of healing.

As the Executive Director of Embark Behavioral Health in Campbell, CA, Dawn is a Clinical Social Worker, having worked in the field of mental health for 15 years. She studied at the Universities of Notre Dame and Southern California. Dawn acknowledges the importance of delivering quality mental healthcare and the cruciality it plays in the well-being of our community and society at large. She entered this field with a burning desire to do good and create an impact on those she works with. Focusing on producing and delivering the highest quality of care possible, Dawn’s life mission is to influence junior clinicians to cultivate this same desire .

Hi, my name is Cassandra Quemuel, and I am the Executive Assistant here at Embark Behavioral Health in Campbell. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Administration, and I bring over 15 years of experience in health administrative support. As a behavioral health administrator, I have found passion in the opportunity to make a difference within our community. I want to share with you, that I am also a mother of a child who struggles with mental health. I believe that early intervention and treatment; can provide our adolescents with the tools to live a successful life. Although my role is behind the scenes, I strive to create a positive and meaningful experience for the clients and families that we serve.

Mia Singer is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #114631), working as the Enrollment Director for Embark Campbell. She moved from Los Angeles to Campbell – mid pandemic – and is loving it! She went to school all along the coast, first at Santa Barbara City College then to UC Santa Cruz to finish her bachelor’s in psychology and finally to Pepperdine University to get her master’s in clinical psychology (with a short pit stop in living in Louisiana). For the past two years she has been working as a private practice therapist, working with teens and adults in individual and group therapy. Prior to this, Mia worked specifically with teen and young adults (13-25 years old) in many different forms, from residential treatment to field based therapy. Throughout these experiences, she has been able to gain insight and understanding to the issues many adolescents are dealing with today, specializing in issues such as anxiety, depression, Conduct Disorder, PTSD, and a multitude of co-occurring disorders. Coming from a Humanistic Psychology background, Mia takes on a person/ client centered therapeutic process that focuses on self-actualization, self-efficacy, and the understanding that humans are inherently good, in order to create lasting change. In her free time Mia loves to hike and travel, whenever possible, and is trying very hard to be a better cook. Most of the time though, she is probably at home, watching TV with her very chunky cat named Lucille (pictures and videos are most definitely available, upon request).

Brittany Woodward is an Associate Marriage and Family therapist (AMFT# 117461) who graduated from Santa Clara University with a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology. Brittany was born and raised in the San Jose area and obtained her Bachelors degree in Psychology from Santa Clara University as well (Go Broncos). Brittany has worked across multiple mental health settings from Outpatient treatment, Intensive Outpatient treatment, Partial Hospitalization and School Based programs. Brittany has been able to work with children, youth and adults dealing with issues of substance use, depression, anxiety, self-harm, trauma and psychotic symptoms. Brittany utilizes a client centered approach in which she meets children, teens and adults where there are at and focuses on the needs the goals that they have set for themselves. She also has training in the evidence-based therapies of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI). She utilizes these forms of therapy to help meet the individualized treatment goals and develop ways to manage, cope and sustain positive changes found throughout the therapeutic process. Brittany is passionate in working with children and youth, which has guided and driven her career path in the field of Behavioral/Mental Health. She aims at helping children find their happiness, passions, resources and abilities to conquer the challenges that life may throw their way. Outside of work you can find Brittany walking her two Siberian Huskies around the Campbell area or spending time with family and friends.

Samantha is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) who earned her B.Science in Psychology and Social Action from Palo Alto University and her Master’s in Counseling and Psychology from Santa Clara University. She works with extensive and highly diverse populations and has found a particular passion for working with adolescents and young adults. Her clinical interests include working with mood, anxiety, and behavioral challenges as well as assisting clients in developing and strengthening interpersonal skills and relationships. Samantha has a background working in crisis intervention and higher levels of therapeutic care. Samantha’s approach to therapy is utilizing evidence-based practices tailored to each individual’s needs and strengths and deeply believes in the power of empathy and connectedness in therapeutic relationships. She uses evidence-based practices to assist clients as they grow, evolve and heal, while also incorporating strong wellness disciplines, compassion and support to develop safe and meaningful therapeutic relationships. Samantha strives to create effective and meaningful collaboration with each client to become more self-aware of their authentic self, resilience and unrealized strengths as they work together on a journey of healing. When she isn’t working, you can find her spending time with her family and friends, cooking, hiking, and being a dog-mom to Asher.

Jessica is a Case Manager and Psychiatric Technician here at Embark Behavioral Health at Campbell. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Natural Sciences from the University of Southern California. As a pre-medical student who has had numerous experiences in the field of medicine and research, Jessica has acknowledged the gap that currently exists in regards to behavioral health. She believes a true picture of “health” goes much beyond just physical being or attributes. She is passionate in believing that in order to be truly healthy and capable of achieving one’s best, one must also be healthy mentally. With her work here at Embark, Jessica strives to put her efforts towards closing the gap between mental health and the field of medicine. Additionally, Jessica has experienced first-hand the benefits of having academic mentors to guide and support her through her educational endeavors. She aspires to be able to provide the same for our kids at Embark by encouraging and supporting their educational goals as they navigate through their journey of healing

Dominique Negrette is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (#127250) who earned her Masters in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco in 2021. Dominique was born and raised in Hayward, California, and obtained her Bachelors of Arts at the University of California, Davis in 2018. Dominique identifies as Native American and Latina, and is very passionate about advocating for inclusion of diversity and multiculturalism in all professional spaces. Dominique has experience working with adolescents and adults with co-occurring mental health diagnoses, substance use issues, depression, anxiety, and complex trauma related symptoms. Dominique has aspirations to start a private practice that emphasizes holistic wellbeing through traditional and indigenous values and up to date evidenced based therapeutic practices. Dominique wants to make effective therapeutic services available and affordable for marginalized and underserved communities. “I believe that there is a lot of suffering people experience due to a disconnect from themselves, their communities, and the world around them. My goal is to help people connect to themselves and build an internal foundation that will help them create a healthier quality of life.”

My name is Sarah and I’m an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. As a Bay Area native, I lived in Los Angeles for a period of time completing my undergraduate degree at UCLA before moving back to the Bay to pursue my Masters degree in Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University. I have always found myself drawn to working with youth, dedicating my early career to foster children and adolescents ages 0-21, as well as high school students for a number of years. Additionally, I worked with children and adolescents in underserved communities in the South Bay, providing therapeutic care to the youth, their families, and the larger community. To me, mental health is holistic – it is inexplicably intertwined and interconnected to everything in our communities. My clinical interests include person-centered therapy, TF-CBT, emotion-focused therapy, the effects of trauma, the function of sleep, family dynamics, and self-actualization. With these specialties at the core of my practice, I am eager to jump into helping clients and their families find healing and strength here at Embark. When not working, I enjoy watering my plants, finding new hiking trails around the Bay, and basking in the beautiful California sunshine.

As Clinical Director at Embark, I constantly strive to enhance the skills of our already skilled treatment team, and increase joy and health all in the community coming to us for help. I was born and raised in the bay area, living and working almost everywhere from Morgan Hill to Sunnyvale. I have been a witness to the growing and complex challenges our youth and families face over the years. Not satisfied with being a bystander, I began my career in psychology 15 years ago, and have not looked back. I obtained my psychology degree as an undergraduate at Santa Clara University, and returned to SCU for my counseling psychology degree after dipping my toes in the medical field. As a frontline therapist I worked with a multitude of families, cultures, and mental health challenges, in Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and across San Jose, from ages 5 to 85. As a leader I have guided new and experienced counselors in effectively treating youth and young adults struggling in school, at home, or incarcerated. I believe in my heart that positive always wins over negative. Through you, the family, and your courage and self-drive to succeed and grow, connected with [email protected]’s vision and expertise, we can accomplish great things. Growth never stops, and “not all those who wander are lost.”

Trish is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #120284 and a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. She received her Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Correctional Psychology at Santa Clara University and her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science at San Francisco State University. Trish strives to foster a safe and nurturing therapeutic environment to hold space for individuals to begin a journey of unlearning, learning, self-discovery, and self-examination. Trish’s therapeutic approach is holistic, evidence based, strengths based, and client-centered. Her clinical area of focus include depression, anxiety, trauma, grief and loss, stress, life transitions, relationship issues, and self-esteem. Trish’s background working with diverse population in community mental health, correctional, and school settings includes working with children, adolescents, young adults, and adults in individual, family, and group settings. Her passion is to help equip and empower individuals with tools to change, grow, navigate adversities and transitions, and reconnect with their strengths.

Dr. Parker is Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist, certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology for Adult Psychiatry. He completed medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Adult Psychiatric training at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, then next completed a Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Hahnemann, now a part of Drexel University in Philadelphia, where he served as Chief Resident. In addition, he completed psychoanalytic training with the Philadelphia Association for Psychoanalysis, and is certified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, since 2003, to use SPECT brain imaging to measure and target specific functional brain challenges. His comprehensive medical perspectives include many levels of psychiatric training and experience, including an ongoing special interest in treatment failure and underappreciated, measured biomedical conditions that often impair predictable medical intervention strategies. He is experienced as a personable team player in providing comprehensive medical care through outpatient, partial, hospital and residential care systems with years of experience as both an on-site and remote medical team administrator. His several senior administrative experiences served as his best lesson-plans on the importance of responsible teamwork and feedback within each system. Effective feedback addresses less apparent complexities. His many years [since 1987] of substance abuse practice, recovery systems consultations, and clinical experiences in working within the field of addiction medicine, both programmatic and outpatient, led him to write Deep Recovery – How to use your most difficult relationships to find out who you are, in 1992. Deep Recovery – https://amzn.to/3aBt8tt – addresses essential often overlooked clinical challenges, still alive these many years later, regarding identifying and treating individuals with addiction/recovery/codependency issues. He works to understand and target the complex array of underlying contributory issues in every clinical-dependency review. Balanced self-management and relationship consistency with both staff and patients build trust and recovery-team predictability. Precise pattern recognition and ownership turn the tide. After more than twenty years of national pharmacologic teaching experience with medical providers – regarding diagnosis and medical treatments for depression, mood disorders, and ADHD – Parker provides a considerable street experience with understanding medical management details. Interestingly, conundrums regarding ADHD/Executive Function diagnosis and medication management persist today. In 2012 he wrote New ADHD Medication Rules: Brain Science and Common Sense – https://amzn.to/37J5QzM – to accurately address diagnostic and treatment complexities for Executive Function beyond the limited behavioral labels of “ADHD.” Parker’s mission: each medication treatment objective identifies mutually-assessed and numbered clinical markers based on brain function – discussed in an understandable way so that all treatment participants concur and explicitly report on those specific treatment objectives. Numbers and clear targets prevent guesswork with labels. Patient education regarding precise treatment objectives and outcome expectations provide reassuring communication tools for each re-evaluation. Dr. Parker loves the outdoors, was an Eagle Scout, and currently is a non-recovering fly fisherman, who ties his own flies and fishes for stripers with a flyrod on the Penobscot Bay in Midcoast Maine. He loves to catch what’s deep and can’t be seen.