40+ Practitioners, One Mission

Meet the Team

Every member of our team brings expertise, warmth, and a deep commitment to connection-centered care.

Dr. Tina Payne Bryson

3M+ Books Sold

Founder

Dr. Tina Payne Bryson

LCSW, PhD • Founder & Executive Director

New York Times bestselling author and internationally renowned expert on child development. Tina founded The Center for Connection to bring the science of interpersonal neurobiology into clinical practice.

NYT Bestselling Author PhD from USC Play Strong Institute

Learn More About Tina

Leadership & Administration

Dahlia Bagnis 000

Dahlia Bagnis

LCSW

Director of Mental Health

Tina Payne Bryson

LCSW, PhD

Founder/Executive Director

Scott Bryson

PhD

CFO

Deborah Buckwalter Bio 000

Deborah Buckwalter

PhD

Consulting Psychologist

Maura Cook

Director of Client Relations

Ayla Dillard

Director of Communications

Dan Enbysk

Financial Administrator

Jesse Fischer 000

Jesse Fischer

PhD

Director of Assessment, Clinical Psychologist

William Lacey-Bisetty

PhD

Clinical Director of the CFC in Santa Barbara

Suk Yi Chloe Song

OTR/L, SWC

Director of Occupational Therapy at Santa Barbara

David Talavera

PhD

Director of Mental Health at Santa Barbara

Speaks Spanish

Infant, Child, and Adolescent Mental Health

Adrienne Hollingsworth 000

Adrienne Hollingsworth, AMFT

LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Dahlia Bagnis 000

Dahlia Bagnis

LCSW

Director of Mental Health

Euodia Choi 000

Euodia Choi

MA, AMFT

Associate Marriage and Family Therapist

Evelyn Cumpian

MA, LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Amy DiNoble

PhD

Clinical Psychologist

Monica Elliott 000

Monica Elliott

AMFT

Associate Marriage and Family Therapist

Vincent Gonzales 000

Vincent Gonzales

AMFT

Associate Marriage and Family Therapist

Speaks Spanish

Kelly Hart 000

Kelly Hart

LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Ayisa Harvey

AMFT, APCC

Associate Marriage and Family Therapist

William Lacey-Bisetty

PhD

Clinical Director of the CFC in Santa Barbara

Stephanie Encisco - Pasadena Therapist

Stephanie Enciso, LCSW

LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Speaks Spanish

Barry Davis 000

Barry Davis, LMFT

LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Monica Borunda 000

Monica Borunda, LMFT

LMFT, SEP, CCTP

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Mercedes Martinez Hannon 000

Mercedes Martinez-Hannon

LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Katelyn Montalvo 000

Katelyn Montalvo

AMFT

Associate Marriage and Family Therapist

Katie Mukai 000

Dr. Katie Mukai

PhD

Clinical Psychologist

Allie Prescott, Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Pasadena, CA - Center for Connection

Alexandra (Allie) Prescott

LCSW

Licensed Therapist

Speaks Spanish

Merushka Laceybisetty 000

Merushka Lacey-Bisetty, PsyD

PsyD

Clinical Psychologist

Rebecca Read 000

Rebecca Read

LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Sarah Simpson-Jones

AMFT, APCC

Associate Marriage and Family Therapist

David Talavera

PhD

Director of Mental Health at Santa Barbara

Speaks Spanish

Volney Tavarez 000

Volney Tavarez

LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Georgie Wisen Bio 000

Georgie Wisen-Vincent

LMFT, RPT-S

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Adult and Couples Psychotherapy

Adrienne Hollingsworth 000

Adrienne Hollingsworth, AMFT

LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Dahlia Bagnis 000

Dahlia Bagnis

LCSW

Director of Mental Health

Amy DiNoble

PhD

Clinical Psychologist

Vincent Gonzales 000

Vincent Gonzales

AMFT

Associate Marriage and Family Therapist

Speaks Spanish

William Lacey-Bisetty

PhD

Clinical Director of the CFC in Santa Barbara

Stephanie Encisco - Pasadena Therapist

Stephanie Enciso, LCSW

LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Speaks Spanish

Monica Borunda 000

Monica Borunda, LMFT

LMFT, SEP, CCTP

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Barry Davis 000

Barry Davis, LMFT

LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Mercedes Martinez Hannon 000

Mercedes Martinez-Hannon

LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Katie Mukai 000

Dr. Katie Mukai

PhD

Clinical Psychologist

Allie Prescott, Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Pasadena, CA - Center for Connection

Alexandra (Allie) Prescott

LCSW

Licensed Therapist

Speaks Spanish

Merushka Laceybisetty 000

Merushka Lacey-Bisetty, PsyD

PsyD

Clinical Psychologist

Sarah Simpson-Jones

AMFT, APCC

Associate Marriage and Family Therapist

David Talavera

PhD

Director of Mental Health at Santa Barbara

Speaks Spanish

Speech & Language Therapy

Arielle Pittluck 000

Arielle Pittluck

MS, CCC-SLP

Speech-Language Pathologist

Occupational Therapy

Janet Ottersberg, Occupational Therapist in Pasadena, at the Center for Connection.

Janet Ottersberg, OTR/L

OTR/L

Occupational Therapist

Shumalia Salim

MSOT OTR/L

Occupational Therapist

Suk Yi Chloe Song

OTR/L, SWC

Director of Occupational Therapy at Santa Barbara

Educational Therapy & Educational Support

Alex Jospe 000

Alex Jospé, Ed. Therapist

MA

Educational Therapist

Kay de Veer

M.Ed., ET/P

Educational Therapist

Neuropsychological, Psychological, & Developmental Assessments

Pasadena

Jesse Fischer 000

Jesse Fischer

PhD

Director of Assessment, Clinical Psychologist

Katie Mukai 000

Dr. Katie Mukai

PhD

Clinical Psychologist

Santa Barbara

William Lacey-Bisetty

PhD

Clinical Director of the CFC in Santa Barbara

David Talavera

PhD

Director of Mental Health at Santa Barbara

Speaks Spanish

Parenting Support and Consultations

Adrienne Hollingsworth 000

Adrienne Hollingsworth, AMFT

LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Dahlia Bagnis 000

Dahlia Bagnis

LCSW

Director of Mental Health

Tina Payne Bryson

LCSW, PhD

Founder/Executive Director

Euodia Choi 000

Euodia Choi

MA, AMFT

Associate Marriage and Family Therapist

Vincent Gonzales 000

Vincent Gonzales

AMFT

Associate Marriage and Family Therapist

Speaks Spanish

Stephanie Encisco - Pasadena Therapist

Stephanie Enciso, LCSW

LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Speaks Spanish

Barry Davis 000

Barry Davis, LMFT

LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Allie Prescott, Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Pasadena, CA - Center for Connection

Alexandra (Allie) Prescott

LCSW

Licensed Therapist

Speaks Spanish

Merushka Laceybisetty 000

Merushka Lacey-Bisetty, PsyD

PsyD

Clinical Psychologist

Sarah Simpson-Jones

AMFT, APCC

Associate Marriage and Family Therapist

Georgie Wisen Bio 000

Georgie Wisen-Vincent

LMFT, RPT-S

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Groundbreaking Leaders

Diverse Disciplines — Connection-Based

The Center for Connection has gathered knowledgeable, dedicated practitioners from various disciplines—psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy, neuropsychology, educational therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, parent education, assistive technology—with each practitioner offering a holistic perspective, grounded in the science of interpersonal neurobiology. Individuals and families who visit will receive multidisciplinary treatment that is consistent, well informed, relationally-based, and always aimed at helping them thrive.

Find Your Match

Not sure who to see? Reach out and Maura, our client experience coordinator, will help match you with the right clinician for your needs.

Request a Consultation (626) 385-6121

How Can We Help?

Choose the path that best describes your needs.

I'm here for my child

Psychotherapy, OT, speech-language, educational therapy, assessments

I'm here for myself

Individual therapy, couples counseling, adult assessments

Help me decide

Not sure where to start? We'll help you find the right path.