Tais is passionate about providing client-centered, strength-based, culturally sensitive care to improve the well-being of children, youth, and families. Tais has worked in a variety of settings, including schools, Child Welfare Services, and Behavioral Health Services. She worked in the adoptions and guardianship programs of Child Welfare Services for six years and for the past two years she has been a Licensed clinician with Behavioral Health Services for children, youth, and family programs. Her experience includes supporting children with attachment disruptions, trauma, emotional regulation, and behavioral issues, as well as working with clients of all ages navigating life transitions, interpersonal relationship challenges, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Her specialty trainings includes trauma-informed practice, Solution-focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), mindfulness, attachment-centered interventions, enhancing parent-child connections, and multiple adoption specialty training. Tais also has international experience, having worked in Brazil with adults and children affected by traumatic events. She is fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, allowing her to connect with a diverse range of clients. She graduated from San Diego State University with a Master of Social Work. 

Tais is passionate about providing client-centered, strength-based, culturally sensitive care to improve the well-being of children, youth, and families. Tais has worked in a variety of settings, including schools, Child Welfare Services, and Behavioral Health Services. She worked in the adoptions and guardianship programs of Child Welfare Services for six years and for the past two years she has been a Licensed clinician with Behavioral Health Services for children, youth, and family programs. Her experience includes supporting children with attachment disruptions, trauma, emotional regulation, and behavioral issues, as well as working with clients of all ages navigating life transitions, interpersonal relationship challenges, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Her specialty trainings includes trauma-informed practice, Solution-focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), mindfulness, attachment-centered interventions, enhancing parent-child connections, and multiple adoption specialty training. Tais also has international experience, having worked in Brazil with adults and children affected by traumatic events. She is fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, allowing her to connect with a diverse range of clients. She graduated from San Diego State University with a Master of Social Work. 

Emily has experience working with transitional age youth (TAY), adults, LGBTQIA, geriatric (75+), children, families, and couples. Emily first started her career in mental health working in an ABA outpatient program with young children. She continued this passion in mental health as an intern in an outpatient program that served low income, homeless, and probation populations. Emily strives to make a difference in families and young children when working in an outpatient school based program where she collaborated with schools in improving emotional support for children, teens, and families. She specializes in anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and trauma. Her evidence based modalities that she uses is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). She holds a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from Alliant International University. She believes in Individualized treatment and strength based approaches towards aiding individuals, couples, and families in reaching their goals. Emily is supervised by Erica McDaniel, LCSW. 

Heather’s approach to mental health is holistic, person-centered, and tailored uniquely to best fit the evolving needs of each individual, couple or family. From a humanistic and strength-based lens, she offers a variety of modalities including Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Mindfulness, Play-based therapy, and psychoeducational. Heather prides herself on bringing compassion and kindness into each session, creating a strong therapeutic alliance wherein change can occur. Heather has several years' experience working with children and teens in various settings, and also has a background in working with grief/loss, anxiety, depression, and complex trauma. Heather loves working with children, teens, parents, individual adults, couples, and families. Heather holds a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Alliant University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from CSUSM. Heather is a registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT #145541) supervised by Erica McDaniel, LCSW.

Toni provides behavioral health services to children, parents, couples, elderly, and families. She uses a compassionate humanistic approach to build a trusting and safe working relationship so clients feel comfortable collaborating with their clinician. Toni also works with families who experience loss and deep grief. She compassionately supports them through issues of adjustment and rebuilding, particularly after complicated loss. Toni enjoys working with young children and their parents and is comfortable working with clients who are struggling with a variety of challenging issues such as anxiety, family changes, parenting, employment, sibling and other relationship issues, self-esteem, and depression. Toni is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT 143408) who is supervised by Erica McDaniel, LCSW. Toni has a Master’s degree in Psychology from Alliant International University and a Bachelor’s degree from University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Toni specializes in EMDR (certified), Internal Family Systems, and Solution Focused Therapy. She also has experience in CBT, DBT and Emotion-Focused Therapy. 

Sarah Gallagher is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor who graduated in 2018 with a master’s in counseling psychology from the University of Hawaii at Hilo. She has worked with different populations, including people with substance use issues and other mental health issues in a dual diagnosis in a residential rehab, youth and their families doing Intensive In-Home therapy, and young adults at a counseling center at the university that she attended. She uses different orientations, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy skill sets, motivational interviewing, humanistic and more, to help facilitate a safe environment for personal growth and development and allow the heal process to start. While she has worked with people of all ages, such as children as young as 8 to 65+, she enjoys working with teenagers through adulthood.

Marissa is a caring clinician with a passion for working with children, teens and families. Marissa works at Oceanside High School and has been leading bereavement groups for hospice for several years. She understands grief and its effects. With her background rooted in Human Development, she has a warm, empathic approach with a focus on human connection and a Person-Centered approach. She offers support, guidance and structure to enable discovery of personal solutions to problems. Her goal is to create a space to understand. Marissa is genuine. She holds a Masters of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Touro University. Marissa joined Grow Through Life Counseling in 2022 to serve the Oceanside and surrounding communities. 

Erica is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who graduated from San Diego State University with her Masters of Social Work and her Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPSC) for school social work. She has experience working with children, teens, transitional age youth, adults, and families. Erica spent five years working in the adoptions program of Child Welfare Services and the past year working with adults in a mental health outpatient clinic. She specializes in trauma, attachment issues, substance use, anxiety, and depression. She believes in being client centered, strength based, and always meeting clients where they are in the moment. Erica looks forward to bringing her range of experience and more importantly her passion for helping people to Grow Through Life Counseling! Erica is both a clinical supervisor and leader. In 2023, she was promoted to our Director of Clinical Leadership and she teaches, trains and mentors our Clinical Leaders throughout the organization.