relationships

Jillian DeLorme, PhD
Psychologist

Dr. Jill DeLorme is a licensed psychologist who completed her training at the California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego. She provides neuropsychological testing to individuals and families who have concerns about developmental disorders. She also provides testing for people who have concerns about their learning, memory, and other cognitive abilities. Neuropsychological testing can help clarify a person’s diagnosis, or diagnoses, to better inform treatment interventions. Dr. DeLorme respects the Autism community and strives to be a neurodivergent affirmative provider who offers evaluation to help people better understand themselves and their interactions with the world. She also help individuals who are seeking interventions get connected with appropriate referrals. Dr. DeLorme, when available, also provides short term therapy using DBT interventions.

Nancy Stepanek, MSN, PMHNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner

Nancy Stepanek is board certified as a nurse practitioner in both mental health for all ages and adult health. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at St. Luke’s College in Kansas City, Missouri. She earned her MSN as an adult nurse practitioner with a palliative care specialty from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee in 2008. She was working in Internal Medicine when she realized that many of her patients were struggling with their mental health. Therefore, she went back to school for a Post Master’s Certificate as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner across the Lifespan at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2018.

Nancy started hospice work in nursing school as a home health aide, over the years she has been a hospice nurse, hospice team leader and hospice nurse practitioner. Nancy has worked in general medicine, oncology, geriatrics, and internal medicine over the years. She has always held on to the principles she developed in hospice – patient care, compassion, teamwork, and a patient’s right to fully understand their care and have input into deciding their care.
As a recent San Diego resident, Nancy and her husband enjoy walking around all the beautiful places in Southern California and trying all the wonderful restaurants.

Tim Sartori, MSN, FNP-C
Nurse Practitioner

Tim Sartori is a Family Nurse Practitioner, board-certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and licensed in California. His philosophy of care includes providing up-to-date evidence-based treatments with a patient-centered focus allowing him to collaborate with patients and their families to create personalized treatment plans.

Tim earned his first degree in Business Administration from University of the Pacific in 2008 before receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Azusa Pacific University in 2017. He worked as a Registered Nurse for 3 years at Sharp Memorial Hospital before earning his Master of Science in Nursing from Azusa Pacific University with focus as a Family Nurse Practitioner in 2020.

Tim’s experiences working in a variety of different fields from business to healthcare as an EMT and a registered nurse gives him a unique perspective on mental health issues. His goal is to provide patients with personalized education and tools to navigate their mental health concerns and enrich their own lives.

Christina Lam, PMHNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner

Christina Lam is dedicated Nurse Practitioner with years of nursing experience. Her background is in psychiatry, emergency, and critical care. She is a skilled communicator who is professional, personal, and very adaptable. She is self-motivated with energy, initiative, and focus. She has a keen insight into the needs and views of others. She is able to listen and identify issues or problem areas and form innovative solutions.

Christina graduated from University of San Diego in 2010, obtaining her Family Nurse Practitioner’s certification in 2011, and most recently became certified in 2019 as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She specializes in Children, Adult, Family and Geriatric Psychiatry.

Dede Echitey, PMHNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner

Dede Echitey is a Family Nurse Practitioner, board-certified by the American Academy Nurse Credentialing Center, and licensed by the states of Virginia and California to provide family-centered healthcare to patients of all ages. Her scope of practice encompasses health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis and management of common and complex health care problems beginning in childhood and continuing throughout the aging process.

Dede earned an Associate of Science degree in Nursing from Del Mar Community College. She continued her education, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the Kaiser University. She then completed a Master of Science degree in Nursing, with a focus in Family medicine, from Walden University. Most recently in 2020, Dede became certified as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.

Dede began her career in nursing in 2010 and has been a family nurse practitioner since 2015. Her previous experience includes work in Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital, rural health and urgent clinics as well at the US Immigration Detention Center. She is qualified to diagnose and treat a wide array of conditions across the entire lifespan.

Rachael Hueftle, NP
Nurse Practitioner

Bio: Rachael Hueftle is a board-certified nurse practitioner with over 10 years of experience. She graduated from University of Nevada, Reno, in 2008 with her Master’s Degree. Having a background in Critical Care, Orthopedics, Pain Management and Psychiatry she is a wealth of information. She is very passionate about her profession and truly cares about the well-being of her patients. She will listen to your concerns, discuss treatment options and communicate with you all of her thoughts and recommendations for your own self-improvement and awareness. She is here to support and guide you. She will welcome you with a smile and treat you with respect, compassion and empathy.

Brieana Turner, MA, LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Brieana specializes in psychotherapy, trauma-informed care, and providing psychoeducation on healthy coping skills and teaching various life skills. She has an extensive background in working with teens and adults with severe emotional, mental and behavioral issues. She prides her work in establishing a safe environment, working one-on-one to promote healing of individual struggles, family relationships, alcohol and drug dependencies, and restoring healthy lifestyles. Her passion is seeing children, families and couples create strong, nurturing bonds that enable the healing process for all.

Brieana has an impressive resume including stints with various adult rehabilitation programs catering to co-occurring disorders, residential treatment programs for troubled youth as well as experience in local partial hospitalization programs. She holds a BA in Child and Adolescent Development: Youth and Family Services from San Francisco State University and a MA in Counseling Psychology: Marriage and Family therapy from National University.

Brieana enjoys spending time with her family including her husband, young daughter and two German Shepherds. She likes all things San Diego and cares about the well-being of the people in her community.

Kiana Behnood, PsyD
Psychologist

Kiana Behnood is a licensed Clinical Psychologist (PSY30753) working in private practice here in San Diego. She earned her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant International University, San Diego. Her dissertation research focused on the experience of marginalized students with special needs. Prior to coming to Crownview Medical Group, Dr. Behnood worked in a diverse range of settings including a community mental health agency in Los Angeles working with clients of all ages, a psychiatric hospital in San Diego with inpatient and outpatient populations, a high school counseling center working primarily with students with special needs, and a college counseling center.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Behnood is a certified TEFL teacher and went abroad for a semester to teach English in Istanbul, Turkey. She is additionally trained in trauma-focused treatment and is a certified rehabilitation specialist focusing on alcohol and drug addiction excited to use her experience to work with the students at Whittier College. She specializes in the treatment of children, adolescents, adults and seniors helping them overcome generalized anxiety, panic attacks, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, agoraphobia, depression, and relationship conflicts between partners and families.

Apneet Mann, FNP-C
Nurse Practitioner

Bio coming soon.

Rodney Sidransky, M.D.
Psychiatrist

Dr. Rodney Sidransky earned his M.D. at UMDNJ-NJMS-Rutgers and did his Emergency Medicine Residency at Martin Luther King Jr. – Drew Medical Center in Compton, California. He then returned to Newark, NJ to do a Psychiatry residency. He has practiced adult and adolescent psychiatry with an emphasis in Addiction Medicine most recently at Pemarro Recovery Center in Ramona, CA. He also speaks fluent Spanish.

Philip Hammel, Psy.D.
Psychologist

Dr. Philip Hammel earned his Doctorate (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego. He has over 11 years of experience working with children, adults, and older adults in various settings, and has worked with individuals, couples, and families. He has been trained in various treatment modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Trauma-focused CBT, and Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). In addition, he uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness, Solution-Focused, Motivational Interviewing, and Narrative Therapy. Areas of expertise include depression, anxiety, gerontological issues, relationship conflict (parent/child, marital), men’s issues, life transitions, grief/loss, LGBT issues, and resilience.

Dr. Hammel has a warm, friendly, and compassionate personality that when combined with sharp clinical skills and professionalism creates an ideal environment for personal growth for the clients he is privileged to assist.

Arnold Block, Ph.D.
Psychologist

Arnold Block, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist who has recently moved to the San Diego area. He earned his Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University and his Doctoral Degree from Claremont Graduate University. Dr. Block is a Licensed Psychologist in Maryland, where he previously lived, and California. He has been a clinical supervisor, teacher and mentor to many aspiring clinicians in his role as a faculty member at the University of Maryland Medical School Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Block has been in private practice for over twenty years and his clinical training has included a fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health and an internship at Spring Grove Hospital Center in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Block has had the privilege of working with a large array of people , but his passion is providing therapeutic services to children, adolescents and families. With the stressors of modern life putting increasing pressures on parents and their children, it is vitally important we identify early interventions and strategies as a means of improving early coping skills and insuring healthy outcomes for children and families. Recognizing the need and importance of working with parents, schools and the community at large is a vital step in maintaining a positive environment for present and future generations.

It is with great enthusiasm and commitment that Dr. Block brings his knowledge and experience to the Crownview Medical Team and the people of San Diego County.

Joanne Talbot Miller, M.A., LMFT
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist

Joanne Talbot Miller is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a background in crisis intervention. Joanne began her career as an MFT working in an emergency shelter program for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking with substance abuse and severe mental health issues. Joanne has provided individual and group therapy within residential and outpatient transitional housing programs. She has facilitated groups on domestic violence education, safety planning, anger management, communication, substance abuse, prevention, and independent living. She has worked on a crisis hotline for students providing suicide assessments, suicide prevention and support to transitional age youth. Joanne provided crisis counseling and helped students connect with services such as drug and alcohol treatment, emergency housing, and mental health treatment.
Joanne’s career has a strong behavioral background working with children and adolescents with developmental, emotional, and behavior problems. Working with the whole family Joanne taught strategies to improve behavior, family functioning, and alleviate daily stress in the home.

Joanne brings an integrative approach to therapy that brings together the affective, behavioral, cognitive, and physiological levels of functioning. This approach helps individuals gain insight into themselves, and reduces unhealthy, dysfunctional defense mechanisms and patterns of behavior.

Joanne graduated from the University of Luton in England and continued her education earning her Master’s Degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Therapy from the University of Phoenix.

Brianna Meacham
Marriage and Family Therapist

Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, Minor, Business Administration
University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, June 2002
Master’s, Marriage and Family Therapy
Alliant International University, San Diego, CA, June 2005

Brianna is a Marriage and Family Therapist, licensed with the Board of Behavioral Sciences, license #48685.

Following graduate school she gathered 3000 hours of experience to sit for the licensing exams and became licensed by the Board of Behavioral Sciences in 2010. In that time she worked as a Service Coordinator at the San Diego Regional Center and as a Program Therapist at the San Diego Center for Children. Additionally, she kept a private practice at First Avenue Counseling Centre. Currently she works as a clinician for Paradise Valley Hospital and see clients at Crown View Medical Group. Brianna is also a member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. She has experience with the following:

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Brianna utilizes many different theoretical models to help clients reach their goals including the following:

Tiffany Holm N.P.
Nurse Practitioner

Tiffany Holm earned her Family Nurse Practitioner degree from Yale University and has been in practice over 10 years. She believes the happiness in our lives depends on the quality of our thoughts and mental wellness. One of her greatest joys is listening intently to her patients, then together, discussing individualized lifestyle modifications and evidence-based medication options to reach goals and ultimately, increase the happiness of those entrusted under her care.

J. Heather Fitzpatrick, LCSW
Therapist

As a naval spouse and the mother of an autistic child, J. Heather Fitzpatrick, LCSW knows how difficult it can be to cope with adversity. As an experienced therapist, Heather is well equipped to help guide you towards a happy and fulfilling life.

Heather earned her BA in Psychology from prestigious Clark University in Worcester, MA and went on to obtain a Masters in Clinical Social Work from well known Smith College in Northampton, MA. She has worked in the mental health field since 2001 and was last employed by Fleet and Family Services in Coronado, CA before entering private practice with Crownview Medical Center.

Heather serves children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families using a variety of treatment modalities to help clients address issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, substance abuse, relational problems, parenting concerns, and life adjustments to name a few.

Current Licensing Information: LCS No. 28929, Board of Behavioral Sciences, CA

Agata Nowakowska
Marriage and Family Therapist

gata is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who provides guidance to individuals and families to feel more empowered in managing life’s obstacles, rebuilding important relationships and reaching their highest potential.

She received her Master’s Degree in Counseling from San Diego State University. Throughout her career she has worked in a variety of settings helping culturally diverse individuals, children and families, struggling with emotional, social, developmental and academic issues.

Her primary approach to therapy is collaborative, holistic and strength based, offering a compassionate and healing space where clients feel safe to explore their unique thoughts, beliefs and feelings. She has over 10 years of experience incorporating into her practice CBT, Narrative and Solution Focused Therapy, as well as Expressive Arts and Play Therapy.

Agata treats the following issues:

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Agata specializes in, and enjoy working with, children and adolescents using Expressive Arts and Play Therapy techniques to which children respond very well and often prefer over traditional therapy. She is a Certified Parenting Coach of Redirecting Children’s Behavior and Joy of Parenting Program. From her personal experience being a mother to a teenage boy and stepmother of two children, she can relate and likes to help parents and step-families struggling with parenting issues.

Maha Moses, PhD
Psychologist

Dr. Moses earned her Master’s Degree in Professional Psychology from the Universitė de Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France. She obtained her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from Alliant International University California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego, California.

Dr. Moses has over 20 years-experience treating a wide array of psychiatric disorders with adults and adolescents. She has worked with clients who suffer from acute and chronic disorders in a number of settings including psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment centers and community agencies. For the past 10 years, Dr. Moses has provided therapy at a drug and alcohol treatment center, with in-patient and out-patient services, focusing on her clients’ substance abuse and other co-occurring psychiatric disorders such as anxiety spectrum disorders, mood disorders-including depression and PTSD.

In her private practice, Dr. Moses also provides psychological evaluation, pre-surgical psychological clearance, and psychological services to clients within pain management. She has extensive experience in psychological assessments with children and adults in a variety of settings. Her life experiences and years of practice have significantly enhanced her approach to therapy and she is passionate about her practice.

Rebecca McKnight, PsyD
Psychologist

Dr. McKnight earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at UCLA and received her Doctorate of Psychology in 2009 from Alliant International University California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego, California. She has been licensed since 2010 and has over 10 years of experience in the mental health field at various locations and with different populations.

Some of her work and training experiences include individual therapy, couples therapy, inpatient and partial hospitalization treatment, correctional (prison) psychology, PTSD study for the VA and long-term therapy and psychological evaluations with adolescents and adults.

Most recently she worked with active duty military personnel at the Mental Health Clinic at the Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton from 2012-2014. She has maintained her own private practice since 2009 because she is passionate about therapy and psychological testing.

Dr. McKnight treats adolescents and adults and provides individual and couples therapy as well as psychological evaluations. In her practice, Dr. McKnight focuses on a whole-person approach and incorporates CBT and mindfulness into her practice. Currently, she has dedicated her career to full-time private practice with clients at Crownview Medical Group and Crownview Co-Occurring Institute.

Dr. Mark Melden
Psychiatrist, CEO/President of Crownview Co-Occurring Institute

Dr. Melden earned his Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine at Philadelphia College Osteopathic Medicine and went to USC Presbyterian Hospital for his residency in Family Medicine. He then completed his Psychiatric residency at the University of California, Irvine and went to UCSD Geropsychiatry pursuing a fellowship. Dr. Melden has over 14 years of experience as a clinician specializing in treating child and adolescent, adult and geriatric clients. He has devoted his life to psychiatry in a variety of different treatment settings including in- patient and out-patient environments. He specializes in the psychiatric evaluation, complementary therapy approaches, and medical management of individuals suffering from mental illness. Currently, he maintains a private practice with Crownview Medical Group in Coronado and Carlsbad, California where he is CEO/President.

Dr. Melden is a dedicated medical professional who provides a spectrum of services from general care to specialized state-of-the-art treatment. He is committed to providing specialized and individualized services with a comprehensive treatment plan for each client he treats. Dr. Melden believes the optimal way to provide excellent care is through continued attention and maintenance.

Anne Cox, M.D.
Psychiatrist

Dr. Cox is a board certified psychiatrist who received her education from the University of Kansas School of Medicine where she received her medical degree in 1986. She completed her residency in Psychiatry also at the University of Kansas School of Medicine where she was Chief Resident. Prior to medical school Dr. Cox taught science to junior and senior high school students.

Her medical career has included serving in a rural setting, in community mental health, in a regional hospital based private practice and elderly residents of nursing homes.

Dr. Cox specializes in the treatment of adult and geriatric psychiatry as well as having several years of experience working with active duty and veteran soldiers and their dependents.

Nathan Kuemmerle, MD
Psychiatrist

Dr. Nathan Kuemmerle graduated from UC Irvine-College of Medicine with General Adult Psychiatry Residency training in Los Angeles. He has trained extensively in UCLA, Cedar-Sinai, VA and L.A. County systems. As an outpatient psychiatrist, Dr. Kuemmerle has worked extensively in California, including Downtown Los Angeles, Northern California, South Central, West L.A., and now Carlsbad.

Dr. Kuemmerle has been in actual private practice for five years and has continued to stay updated in the latest and best medical treatments for all psychiatric diagnoses. Dr. Kuemmerle was born in San Diego, lived locally, and attended Torrey Pines High School in Del Mar, California.