Dr. Nalin is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist (PSY17766), a Certified Chemical Dependency Intervention Specialist and a Certified Youth Residential Treatment Administrator who has worked in the field of addiction for more than 15 years. He has provided direct care for youth at multiple institutions of learning including; The Los Angeles Unified School District, the University of California at San Diego, Santa Monica College, and Pacific University. Dr. Nalin was instrumental in the development of the treatment component of Los Angeles County's first Juvenile Drug Court and is co-founder of the EOS Youth Institute. In addition, he is a Diplomate of the National Institute of Sports Professionals and a Certified Sports Psychologist.

Dr. Nalin has appeared as a chemical dependency treatment expert on CBS News Special Assignment, CNN and nationally syndicated programs for youth and families. He also appeared in the anti-Drug campaign for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). He is a regular lecturer at U.C.L.A. for their Integrated Substance Abuse Training Program, and the H.E.L.P. Group's pre-doctoral training program. He lectures and conducts workshops nationally on the issues of substance abuse prevention and treatment for adolescents.

COLE RUCKER, M.A.
Chief Executive Officer
Co-Founder

Cole holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and has more than 20 years of experience in the creation and implementation of treatment programs for youth and their families. He has performed as Director for Family Preservation Programs and as the Director of the largest chemical dependency treatment program for youth in Southern California. He is a certified Youth Residential Treatment Administrator and served as Committee Chair for the Public Health Institute’s Youth Treatment Standards Commission. Cole is a member of the California Juvenile Drug Court Professionals and has been a member of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Home Hospital School Advisory Council and advisor to the School Attendance Review Board. He also served as a member of the Los Angeles Superior Court’s Juvenile Drug Court Oversight Committee, Los Angeles Business Council’s Leadership LA Alumni Board, Los Angeles County Department of Drug and Alcohol Program’s Youth Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment Programs Work Group, Los Angeles Children’s Hospital’s Drug and Alcohol Committee, US Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Heath Services Administration Youth Work Group and the California State University Drug and Alcohol Task Force.

As co-founder of ECHO MALIBU, Cole works to maintain a physically and emotionally safe space for youth and their families. He is responsible for insuring that the expectations held by each participant are met or exceeded.

DR. STEVE SAGER, M.D. (A048008)
Adolescent Psychiatrist

Dr. Sager is a nationally respected Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. He is board certified in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and has specialized solely in the treatment of adolescents for over a decade. In addition, he holds a Diplomate in Addiction Psychiatry. Dr. Sager is an attending psychiatrist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Division of Adolescent Medicine and is a faculty member at both the University of California Los Angeles and the University of Southern California. Before joining the ECHO team, Dr. Sager served as Medical Director for the Children and Family Services Bureau, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.

Dr. Sager is a member in good standing of The Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The American Psychiatric Association, The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, The American Society of Addiction Medicine, The American Association Of Community Psychiatrist, The American Association of Administrative Psychiatrists, The American Medical Association, The Southern California Psychiatric Association, The American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry, The International Sports Psychiatric Association and The House Officer’s Association.

Dr. Sager is responsible for insuring the integrity of all medical aspects of ECHO MALIBU’S social model program.

ALONSO DOMINGUEZ, M.A., C.T.C.
Assistant Program Director

Alonso holds a Masters of Arts degree in counseling psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Gonzaga University. He is a certified twelve-step counselor who has been working with youth and their families for over fifteen years. Alonso has previously provided leadership as coordinator of treatment for the Los Angeles Superior Court's San Fernando Valley Juvenile Drug Court Program. He has also served as the manager of the largest outpatient youth treatment program in Southern California. Alonso provides the youth and families of ECHO MALIBU with therapeutic and support services.

ANDREW M. YOUNG, M.A.
Director of Operations

Andrew earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Central Florida where he graduated Cum Laude from the Burnett Honors College. He later earned a Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. He is a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and the American Psychological Association. In addition he has received specialized training in psychopharmacology, law & ethics, human sexuality and substance abuse treatment.

Andrew is responsible for the coordination of daily operations at ECHO Malibu.

KAREN RUBENSTEIN, M.A., MFT (MFC 43747)
Individual and Family Therapist

Karen Rubenstein is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who holds a Masters of Arts degree in Psychology from Phillips Graduate Institute. Her experience includes the provision of counseling services to youth and their families involved in the Los Angeles Unified School District, a domestic violence shelter and the California Family Counseling Center.

As an individual and family therapist, Karen works to provide adolescents and their families with the necessary tools to effectively address the dynamics which are resulting in difficulties.

JODI PORETSKIN, M.A., (IMFT 53975)

Jodi holds a bachelors degree from Elon University and a Master's Degree in Psychology from Phillips Graduate Institute. She specializes in eating disorders and addictions. She has worked at both inpatient and outpatient treatment centers throughout the Los Angeles area that serve youth with eating disorders and other behavioral health issues. She has also served as a therapist for the Los Anglese Unified School District. Jodi also travels throughout the United States educating students, parents, and families about eating disorders.

Jodi provides individual, group, and family therapy for participants at ECHO Malibu.

DR. GARY GOLDEN, Ph.D. (MFC7690)
Family Therapist

Dr. Golden is a Doctor of Clinical Psychology and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFC7690) who has created an innovative family practice over the past 30 years. He specializes in the treatment of youth coping with chemical dependency and/or mental health issues and their families. Prior to coming to ECHO, Dr. Golden served as Director for the largest managed care company in the United States and CEO of a comprehensive family health maintenance organization providing inpatient, and outpatient treatment for youth struggling with chemical dependency and co-occurring disorders and their families.

Dr. Golden brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his role as Family Therapist. He provides individual-family and multi-family therapy sessions for participants at ECHO MALIBU.

Troy Matthews, BA
Teacher

Raised in a family of teachers, Troy holds a B.A. from Loyola Marymount University, and is currently working towards a law degree.  He has extensive experience in both youth counseling and classroom teaching. Troy runs the on-site classroom, and works with ECHO youth to insure that their academic needs are met in a therapeutic environment, while focusing on education as an essential component of their future.

CAROL NALIN, CPET
Parent Effectiveness Trainer

Founder and Co-Creator of The Parenting Pro, Mrs. Nalin is a Certified Parent Effectiveness Trainer, a Certified Anger Resolution Therapist, and a Child Custody Mediation Evaluator and Witness. She has served as the President of the Community Advisory Council for the Los Angeles Unified School District for more than a decade and is a Dispute Resolution Services provider. She is also certified by the Los Angeles Bar Association, and works as a U.C.L.A. Certified Mediator.

Mrs. Nalin brings a distinctive array of professional experiences to her position as a parent educator. She conducts all Parent Education and Parent Effectiveness Training classes at ECHO MALIBU.

MICHELLE WARNER, MA, CPET

Michelle holds a Master's degree in Education and a Master's Degree in Teaching. She has served as a college instructor at Pacific Oaks College and as head teacher for the Pacific Oaks Children's School. She has held the position of Director of the Valley Beth Shalom Program and Family Center for more than 25 years. She is co- founder of the Parenting Pros and a certified Parent Effectiveness Trainer. Michelle co-facilitates Parent Effectiveness Training at ECHO MALIBU.

ANDY TUBMAN, MT-BC
Music Therapist

Andy is a board certified Music Therapist. He earned his degree in Music Therapy from Temple University and has worked with youth and their families for more than ten years.

Andy uses music therapy to address the physical, emotional, social and cognitive needs of youth. He assists clients in managing stress, expressing feelings, enhancing memory, improving communication and promoting sobriety.

JULIA P. PENGRA CLARKE M.A., MFT (42994)
Marriage and Family Therapist

Paige is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT# 42994). She graduated from University of Texas at Austin and holds a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology/Drama Therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies. She is a Registered Drama Therapist with the National Association of Drama Therapy and has extensive experience working with chemically dependent youth and their families. Prior to coming to ECHO MALIBU, Paige worked with post-acute clients in a Medical Center, with at-risk youth at the Kirk Douglas Continuation High School and with chemically dependent youth at Los Angeles Unified School District's Treatment Based Schools. She also served as a drama therapist and supervisor for a youth outpatient program supported conjointly by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and The Los Angeles County Department of Drugs and Alcohol.

Paige provides the participants of ECHO MALIBU with psychodrama groups including solution-focused scene work, improvisation and role playing to aid in the recovery process. Many youth who do not respond to more traditional modalities, thrive in her drama therapy groups.

TRACY MERRIFIELD
Drama Therapy Coordinator

Tracy has been using theatre as a therapeutic tool for over 17 years and has facilitated thousands of drama therapy workshops in a multitude of recovery-based facilities. She has worked with recovering drug addicts, victims of domestic violence, youth who are abused and neglected and has with terminally ill teens at Children’s Hospitals. Tracy assists with the coordination and implementation of all drama therapy services for participants at ECHO.

LESLIE WEISS TUCHMAN, M.S., MFT (08952)
Poetry Therapy

Leslie Tuchman holds a Master’s degree in Education from Loyola Marymount University and a Master’s degree in Counselor Education from the University of Southern California. She is also a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT #08952), a member of the National Association of Poetry Therapy, and The Society for the Arts in Health Care. Before coming to ECHO MALIBU she worked for Glendale School District as both a teacher and a school based psychologist for more than thirty years. Leslie has also served as a Crisis Intervention Specialist, a therapist for the Westside Center for Child Development and a board member of Centinela Valley Child Guidance Clinic.

As an educator, poet and psychotherapist, Leslie conducts poetry therapy sessions with the participants at ECHO Malibu. Language, lyrics, journal writing and poetry are used for healing and self-integration.

CYNTHIA BOND
Therapeutic Writing

Cynthia has been working with youth for more than ten years. She is the founder of Words Changing Worlds, a writing workshop for at-risk youth offered through U.C.L.A. She worked conjointly with the Cultural Affairs Department of the City of Los Angeles to compile and edit the critically acclaimed anthology of youth writing titled When the Bough Breaks. In addition, she has collaborated with organizations such as the LA Alliance for a Drug Free Community, to create multiple youth writing and photo exhibits which have been featured on MTV, in the LA Weekly, LA City Hall, multiple art gallery's and the National Drug Court Office in Washington D.C. Cynthia also previously served as the manager of the Pedro Zamora Youth HIV Clinic and coordinated a creative arts program for youth with comedian Ellen DeGeneres. Cynthia is a Pen Fellow who has been published by Doubleday and others. She attended Northwestern University and graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She lecturers at multiple institutions of higher education including Sarah Lawrence University, Albany College, Whittier and U.C.L.A.

Cynthia conducts Journaling and Therapeutic writing groups for ECHO MALIBU participants. Through written expression, she works in conjunction with the other expressive arts therapists to assist youth in gaining new perspectives on their lives and the recovery process.

PAUL JOSEPH, M.A., IMFT 35310,

Paul holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology and is certified in Bio Feedback. He has worked with youth and their families for more than fifteen years. He served as a Mental Health Services Coordinator for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and as a treatment team leader for an integrated mental health rehabilitation services agency, serving chemically dependent clients and their families. He has also performed as the manager of a residential program for multi-diagnosed residents and as an interventionist for high risk youth in Hollywood.

Paul conducts all of the neuro-biofeedback sessions at ECHO MALIBU. Working in this capacity, he assists clients in developing skills that allow them to recondition their responses to a variety of triggers, enhancing their ability to achieve and maintain sobriety.

MELANIE KAPLAN, MTOM, L.Ac., Dipl. CH, CMT
Acupuncturist

Melanie attended Emperor’s College of Traditional Oriental Medicine in Santa Monica where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She completed her externship at UCLA Arthur Ashe Student Health Center. In addition to her work at ECHO MALIBU, she maintains a private practice in West Los Angeles.

 Melanie provides acupuncture to the youth at ECHO MALIBU to assist in decreasing withdrawal symptoms and to reduce the likelihood of relapse. She is also devoted to educating patients about the relationship between their minds and bodies.

JACQUELINE KING, CMT ()
Massage Therapist

Jacqueline is a certified massage therapist who has provided massage therapy in some of the most exclusive resorts in Southern California. At ECHO Malibu, Jaq provides all program participants with massage therapy with an emphasis on helping youth detox, releasing toxins and releasing tensions held in the body while teaching them the value of healthy touch.

Bekah Finch
Yoga Instructor

Bekah received her 200 hour Yoga Certification from the White Lotus Foundation in 2004. Since then she has spent her time exploring various teachings and styles. Last year Bekah attended the 2008 "Off the Mat, into the World" Intensive; a program that focuses on connecting Yoga, activism and service. She currently is the studio manager and a senior instructor at Yoga Blend in Burbank. Bekah has found Yoga to be extremely useful in healing body/mind/spirit/emotion imbalances and she is passionate about teaching it to all ages and levels.

JESSE LAURICELLA, C.T.C.
Clinical Intern

Jesse is a certified 12-step counselor. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from Georgia State University and is currently pursuing his Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology. An accomplished musician, Jesse left behind more than 10 yeas of touring to devote his life to working with teens who are struggling with drug addictions and/or emotional health issues. He as served as an outreach counselo for hospitals serving persons with chemical dependency and/or mental health issues.

Jesse provides clinical support to the teens and families at ECHO MALIBU and assists youth in working the 12 steps..

Kelly J. Baker, M.A., Intern-MFT (IMF# 54078)
MFT Intern

Kelly holds a Bachelor’s Degree from California State University Northridge where she majored in Deaf Studies & Counseling.  Later she went on to graduate from Phillips Graduate Institute with her Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.   She is fluent in American Sign Language and has worked for the past eleven years providing mental health and interpreting services to the Los Angeles Police Department, people living with HIV/AIDS, hospitals and school districts in the Greater Los Angeles Area.  In addition, she has worked as a therapist both inpatient and outpatient in a psychiatric hospital setting where clients struggled with depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, bipolar disorder, addiction and self-harm.

Kelly provides individual and group therapy for the youth at ECHO Malibu.

MICHELLE M. SCHAFER, M.A., INTERN-MFT (IMF# 54836)
MFT Intern

Michelle holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biopsychology and Cognitive Science from the University of Michigan. She also earned a Masters of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University. Before joining ECHO Malibu she worked as a youth counselor and as a facilitator of therapy programs throughout California.

Michelle provides clinical support services for the teens and families of ECHO Malibu.

Jessica Isaak, M.A., Intern-MFT (IMF# 59836)
MFT Intern

Jessica received her bachelor degree from Fordham University and holds a masters degree in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute with an emphasis in Depth Psychology. She is trained as a marriage and family therapist with a specialization in mindfulness and its relationship to emotional well-being. Her experience includes individual, group, and family therapy for a variety of concerns including recurring depression, anger management, anxiety, life transitions, marriage and family issues, and alcohol and substance use disorders.

Jessica provides therapeutic support to both participants and their families at ECHO Malibu.

JENNIFER BERG, M.A., Intern-MFT (IMF# )
Clinical Intern

Jennifer holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and received her Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. Jennifer is a member of Psi Chi honor society and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. Jennifer provides clinical support for the youth and families of ECHO Malibu.

Michelle Orem, M.A., MFTI (IMF# )
MFT Intern

Michelle received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University.  Her training in psychotherapy has taken place at the Southern California Counseling Center, where she has conducted individual counseling with a diverse population of clients.  She has experience working with adolescents as an athletic coach and teacher, and especially enjoys working with this age group.  Herself an accomplished athlete, Michelle has represented the United States internationally as a competitive cyclist and rower.  These experiences have led to her strong belief in the connection between physical health and wellness and psychological well-being.

John Sherk, BA
MFT Trainee

John holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and an Honors Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, both from Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada. Currently completing his Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, John’s interests include Jungian and Archetypal psychology and the therapeutic benefits of creative writing. John’s past areas of research include neuropsychology and the relationship between traumatic brain injury and behavior in adolescents. John is an avid surfer, golfer and hockey player. 

John is responsible for facilitating creative writing groups at ECHO Malibu. 

Rob Thomas, BA

Personal Life Strategies Specialist/MFT Trainee
Rob holds a Bachelor's Degree from Pacific Oaks College in Human Development and is currently in the process of pursuing his Master's Degree in Marriage & Family Therapy. He is a member of both California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) and American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). His personal passion for life strategies combined with his empathy for youth/adolescent issues have lead him to be effective in the areas of facilitating a comfort level amongst teens. He shares the same focus that of ECHO, with an emphasis on encouraging and empowering teens. In addition to his work at ECHO MALIBU, he maintains a Personal Life Strategies Coaching practice in Los Angeles.

LYNN ANERSEN
Clinical Assistant

Lynn is a Native of North Carolina who earned his bachelor's degree from TCU in Fort Worth Texas. He currently provides support services for the adolescents and families at ECHO. Lynn also teaches yoga, surfing, golf and other sober activities to teens who are interested in re-engaging life through constructive activities.

CLAUDINE LAMARRE
Nutritionist

Claudine Lamarre was born in Provence, France into a family of chefs. Following in the tradition of her family, Claudine learned the ways of cuisine at home and at 16 enrolled in "l'école hotellière de Paris" – a school specializing in the culinary arts. Claudine specializes in Mediterranean-style cooking in addition to many European culinary traditions. Claudine has spent many years working as a private chef, orienting her cuisine to be healthy and light, but with tastes pleasing to the palette.

Claudine routinely designs Vegetarian, Vegan, Kosher and other specialized meals to meet the needs of individuals. She works with all youth at ECHO to help teach the value of healthful eating

Shera Rozenfeld
Nutritioni Therapist/Dietitian

Shera is a licensed dietitian who  currently serves the adolescents at ECHO MALIBU as a Nutrition Therapist. Born in Belgium, Shera moved to Israel, where she attended and graduated from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem with a degree in nutrition. She has served as a licensed dietitian for the Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv in addition to working at Mt. Sinai Hospital and  private eating disorder clinics in Connecticut and Los Angeles. She is a member of the American Dietetic Association "ADA" and the National Eating Disorder Association "NEDA"