Meet the Staff
Reasons Eating Disorder Center places high importance on utilizing highly skilled and trained eating disorder treatment professionals in our programs. We believe in a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment which includes doctors, nurses, dietitians, therapists, mental health workers, diet aides, and somatic and experiential therapies.
Mike Clark
LMFT
Executive Director
Mike Clark
Mike is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and experienced behavioral health leader whose career has combined clinical care, staff development, program leadership and operations. He has worked across all levels of care with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families experiencing eating disorders, autism and a wide range of mental health concerns.
Throughout his career, Mike has provided direct clinical care and supervision while also leading programs, facilities and multidisciplinary teams. His clinical background includes training and experience in evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Family-Based Treatment (FBT), Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). Mike believes effective treatment begins with understanding each person as an individual — their experiences, strengths, challenges, relationships and the courage it can take to seek and engage in care.
As a clinical leader, Mike is passionate about building strong teams and creating environments where both patients and the people caring for them can thrive. His leadership approach emphasizes collaboration, accountability, clinical excellence and thoughtful systems that support individualized, high-quality care. He believes that even as programs grow and evolve, patients and families should remain at the center of the work.
For Mike, one of the most meaningful parts of behavioral healthcare is helping individuals and families navigate difficult and often complex moments while supporting the clinicians and teams who walk alongside them. He is committed to fostering care that is compassionate, collaborative and responsive to the needs of each individual and family.
Outside of work, Mike enjoys spending time with his family, attending sporting events, wakeboarding and playing cornhole. He is also active in his community, volunteering as a youth baseball umpire and soccer referee and coaching youth sports.
Wakelin McNeel
MD
Medical Director
Wakelin McNeel
Dr. McNeel received his BS in Chemistry from Central Michigan University, his MS in Neuroscience from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and his MD from the University of Michigan Medical School. He completed his Residency and Child Psychiatry Fellowship from the Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center. He is board certified in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and has over 10 years of experience working with patients with eating disorders.
Dr. McNeel is an active research physician and is the principal investigator in numerous Phase I-IV Clinical Trials. He is currently the Medical Director of BHC Alhambra Hospital, and has been the Chief of Staff and the Medical Director of the Eating Disorder Programs for over 10 years. Dr. McNeel practices on the principle that respect of the patient’s individual beliefs on medications is of utmost importance and does not impose medications, rather makes recommendations, which support the therapeutic process of recovery.
Dr. Leonard P. Jones
MD
Psychiatrist
Dr. Leonard P. Jones
A California native, Dr. Leonard Jones has been practicing psychiatry since 1987. He completed his residency at USC, and over the last 30 years has worked in private practice as well as in various inpatient and outpatient settings. Dr. Jones is now the inpatient chief of staff for both BHC Alhambra Hospital in Rosemead and Canyon Ridge Hospital in Chino CA. Dr. Jones is married with two children, and in his spare time he enjoys playing tennis.
Anna Governale
MA, LMFT, CEDS
Director of Inpatient and Residential Programs
Anna Governale
Anna Governale, MA, LMFT, CEDS, serves as the Clinical Director at Reasons Eating Disorder Center, where she leads with compassion, steadiness and a deep commitment to person-centered, integrative care. She holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles and completed her undergraduate studies in psychology and religious studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
With more than two decades of experience in the eating disorder field, Anna brings a grounding presence and a thoughtful, collaborative approach to supporting both patients and staff. She is a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist (CEDS) and is trained in Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM). She weaves these modalities together to cultivate an environment where clients feel seen, supported and empowered in their healing.
What fuels Anna’s work is a genuine passion for helping individuals and families navigate some of their most challenging moments with dignity and hope. She values authenticity, connection and responsive care, and she is dedicated to nurturing a treatment culture where healing, collaboration and growth feel possible.
Outside of work, Anna finds her own sense of balance through time with family, creative pursuits and grounding practices that support her well-being.
Lisa Arroyas
RD, CEDS-S
Director of Nutrition and Virtual Services
Lisa Arroyas
Lisa is a registered dietitian practicing in many areas of dietetics including eating disorders, chemical dependency, diabetes, and PCOS. She graduated from California State University, Long Beach, and has extensive experience working with adolescents and adults of all genders with disordered eating. She also has a background as a personal trainer, which allows her to use an approach that meets the unique needs of individuals struggling with poor body image and disordered eating. Lisa’s focus is on nutrition therapy using a non-diet approach, providing nutrition counseling and exercise education. She specializes in working with Athletes and Compulsive Exercisers, Binge Eating Disorder, and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). Lisa has been working with adolescents and adults with eating disorders for over 10 years in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She is the co-founder of the Reasons Residential Program and served as the Director of Nutrition for a multi-site substance abuse and dual-diagnosis program. She is extremely passionate and dedicated to helping individuals struggling with food and body issues.
Claire St. John
RD, CEDS-S
Director of Operations
Claire St. John
Claire St John, MPH, RD, CEDRD-S, brings compassion and understanding to her nutritional counseling practice. Claire has worked with men, women and children suffering from eating disorders at all levels of care, leading guided meals, restaurant and snack outings, nutrition groups and multi-family nutrition groups. With a dynamic understanding of eating disorders and how they impact individuals and families, Claire is passionate about repairing broken relationships with food.
Claire holds a Master’s of Public Health Nutrition from Loma Linda University, and after completing her rotations at Eisenhower Medical Center, passed the exam to become a Registered Dietitian. Working with eating disordered clients from the outset, she has developed a method of practice that includes exposure and response therapy, motivational interviewing and compassionate understanding paired with firm encouragement.
Helping people reconnect with food and normalize their eating patterns is the most rewarding part of working with eating disordered patients for Claire. Encouraging people to be able to make peace with food, enjoy meals with loved ones and move through the world without fear is why Claire chose the field of eating disorders.
Claire enjoys reading, writing, hiking, and cooking, and spent seven years as a newspaper reporter, covering the school beat and the City Hall beat. She enjoys learning about her clients’ passions — what they’re reading, what they’re studying in school and what their hobbies are, taking a whole-person approach to treatment.
Shannon Braasch
MA
Director of Business Development & Organizational Development
Shannon Braasch
Shannon Braasch serves as Director of Business Development and Organizational Development for Reasons Eating Disorder Center, where she leads strategic initiatives focused on program growth, professional outreach, organizational development and strengthening access to eating disorder care. She works closely with clinical, operational, and admissions teams to build meaningful connections between individuals, families, providers and the resources they need.
Shannon brings more than 19 years of experience in healthcare and eating disorder treatment, along with a Master’s degree in Counseling. Throughout her career, she has held leadership roles spanning admissions, business development, alumni services, professional education and program development. She has built an extensive network of healthcare and behavioral health professionals across the country and is passionate about creating opportunities for collaboration, education and stronger continuity of care.
Shannon is especially drawn to Reasons’ person-centered approach and believes effective leadership and business development begin with curiosity, connection and an understanding of the human experience. She is passionate about building authentic relationships, developing resources that improve access to care, supporting strong teams and finding creative ways to better serve individuals and families impacted by eating disorders.
Outside of work, Shannon enjoys spending time with friends and family, singing karaoke, kayaking and being on the water, volunteering and spending time with her dog, Sophie.
Daisy De La Cruz
MA
Director of Case Management
Daisy De La Cruz
Daisy De La Cruz holds a Master’s degree in Behavioral Psychology from Pepperdine University and a Bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development from California State University, Fullerton. She began her career in applied behavior analysis, working with individuals with Autism and gaining specialized experience supporting those with significant behavioral challenges, including aggression, feeding issues, and eating disorders.
Her passion for advocating for individuals and families led her to join Reasons Eating Disorder Center’s Case Management team, where she integrates her background in behavior analysis into her work with insurance advocacy, discharge planning, and patient support. She is especially interested in organizational behavior management and is dedicated to advancing care through collaboration and advocacy.
Outside of work, Daisy enjoys spending quality time with family, walking her dog, staying active through the gym, hiking, and Pilates, and cheering on the Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco 49ers.
Diana Guzman
MS, RD
Director of Residential Services
Diana Guzman
Diana Guzman is a Marriage and Family Therapist with more than 13 years of experience in the behavioral health field. Throughout her career, she has worked with individuals and families across a variety of treatment settings, developing extensive experience in clinical care, program leadership, staff supervision, crisis intervention and multidisciplinary collaboration.
Diana is passionate about creating environments where individuals feel safe, respected, understood, and supported throughout their treatment experience. She approaches her work with compassion, curiosity, accountability and a strong belief in the importance of authentic connection. Diana values meeting each person where they are while helping them recognize their strengths, build confidence, and move toward meaningful and lasting change.
As a leader, Diana is equally passionate about supporting the people who provide care. She believes strong treatment begins with strong teams and is committed to fostering collaboration, open communication, professional growth and an environment where staff feel valued and empowered in their work.
Outside of work, Diana enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, being outdoors, camping, traveling and creating meaningful memories with the people she cares about.
Mari Karapetyan
MA
The Director of Nursing
Mari Karapetyan
Mari Karapetyan brings compassion, clinical expertise and a collaborative approach to her role as Nurse Program Manager at Reasons Eating Disorder Center. Working closely with the interdisciplinary treatment team, Mari supports individualized patient care, contributes to treatment planning, and helps foster a safe, supportive, and therapeutic residential environment where individuals feel respected, understood and empowered in their recovery.
Mari holds both a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing. Her professional background includes clinical supervision and quality improvement, experiences that have shaped her commitment to providing thoughtful, high-quality care that recognizes the unique needs and experiences of each individual.
Drawn to the field of eating disorder treatment by the opportunity to support individuals through the complexities of recovery, Mari recognizes the importance of addressing both physical and emotional well-being. She values the role of collaboration, compassion and consistency in helping patients navigate challenges, build trust and make meaningful progress in treatment.
For Mari, one of the most rewarding aspects of her work is contributing to an environment where patients feel heard, valued and supported. She believes that compassionate nursing care, strong interdisciplinary teamwork and respect for each person’s individual journey are essential to creating a meaningful treatment experience.
Emily Fritsch
MS
Case Manager and Discharge Planner
Emily Fritsch
Emily has always had a unique talent for human advocacy, driven by a deep passion for helping others and living with purpose. With a natural ability to connect with people and an exceptional eye for detail, she utilizes these skills in alignment with her values to make a positive impact. She’s grateful for the chance to do this meaningful work. Outside of her professional life, Emily finds connection and self-care through cooking, painting, going to the beach, hiking, and exploring her new home state of California (she’s originally from Arizona). She treasures spending time with her three children, family, and friends, creating memories and nourishing relationships along the way.
Bea Adriana Sandoval
AMFT
Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Bea Adriana Sandoval
Bea Adriana Sandoval is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist who is passionate about helping individuals and families heal from eating disorders, trauma, anxiety, depression and other co-occurring mental health concerns. She believes meaningful healing begins by creating a space where people feel safe, understood and accepted as they are.
Bea brings a warm, collaborative, and trauma-informed approach to her work, drawing from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), psychodynamic therapy, mindfulness and somatic approaches. She has a particular passion for supporting individuals experiencing eating disorders, complex trauma, emotion regulation difficulties and the lasting impact of intergenerational trauma. Bea also has specialized training in psychedelic-assisted therapy and integration, which has expanded her understanding of trauma, healing and the many ways individuals make meaning of their experiences.
Bea earned her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy with an emphasis in Trauma Studies from Pacific Oaks College in 2023. Her own understanding of generational family patterns and identity has helped shape her commitment to approaching each person with curiosity, compassion and respect for the experiences that have shaped them. She believes therapy is about more than reducing symptoms; it is an opportunity to reconnect with strengths, better understand one’s story, build resilience and create meaningful and lasting change.
A proud Latina, Bea values opportunities to connect with individuals and families in both English and her native Spanish. Outside of her work, she enjoys traveling throughout Mexico, cheering for Mexico during soccer matches and getting a good laugh from the ridiculousness of reality television.
nnect and move through the world. She is also particularly interested in conversations surrounding OCD and anxiety. Through her own experiences engaging with therapeutic and healing spaces and connecting with diverse individuals and communities, she has developed an appreciation for the importance of meeting people as unique individuals and creating environments where people feel seen, heard and respected. She values approaching interactions with curiosity, compassion and openness, and believes that meaningful support often includes helping people feel connected to continued resources and a sense of community.
Outside of work, Nicole enjoys hiking and spending time in nature, sketching, dancing, playing instruments and sharing laughter and adventures with her family and friends.
Nicole Bridges
BS
Clinical Outreach Specialist
Nicole Bridges
Nicole Bridges is a Clinical Outreach Specialist at Reasons Eating Disorder Center. She holds a Bachelor of Science, with a professional background spanning customer support, project management, sales, business development and marketing. Her experience across relationship-centered and growth-focused roles has shaped her ability to connect with individuals, build meaningful partnerships and support people through important moments and decisions.
Nicole has a personal interest in holistic healing, somatic approaches and the exploration of whole-person healing, including the many experiences and influences that shape how we feel, connect and move through the world. She is also particularly interested in conversations surrounding OCD and anxiety. Through her own experiences engaging with therapeutic and healing spaces and connecting with diverse individuals and communities, she has developed an appreciation for the importance of meeting people as unique individuals and creating environments where people feel seen, heard and respected. She values approaching interactions with curiosity, compassion and openness, and believes that meaningful support often includes helping people feel connected to continued resources and a sense of community.
Outside of work, Nicole enjoys hiking and spending time in nature, sketching, dancing, playing instruments and sharing laughter and adventures with her family and friends.
Jillian Szafranski
RYT
Trauma Informed Yoga Therapist
Jillian Szafranski
Jillian Szafranski began her work in the healing arts as a dancer, competitive gymnast and actor. Her training is rooted in Alexander and Linklater Techniques, which she learned while attending Emerson College in Boston. Drawing enormous inspiration from the ever-developing field of neuroscience, Jillian uses her knowledge of anatomy and somatic integration (a therapeutic technique that combines the mental, emotional, and spiritual to the physical body) to craft a proprietary hands-on approach to yoga that is informed by her own experiences with physical trauma and illness. With primary emphases alignment, mindfulness, and intuitive sound and movement. She uses grounding techniques to train her students how to self-regulate and navigate through potential triggers that may otherwise lead to flashbacks or unhealthy cycles of behavior, all of this with careful consideration to not re-traumatize the patient. Over time she teaches her students not to avoid physicality, but to combat old fight-or-flight responses by engaging the initial response and creating new muscle memory in the brain and body grounded in safety and strength.
Jillian co-created yoga programs for Reasons Eating Disorder Residential Center and BHC Alhambra Hospital in 2009, where she works with adolescents and adults. She also founded the office yoga programs for NPR (National Public Radio) in Culver City and MTA (Metro Transportation Authority) in Downtown Los Angeles. Her strong belief that Wellness programs should not discriminate against those who have varying degrees of physical abilities, inspired her to develop an all inclusive wellness program for JLL. Jillian works privately as a yoga therapist and bodyworker (via zoom). She is Yoga Alliance certified.
Taylor-Rose Olea
RD, CEDS
Manager of Inpatient Nutrition Services
Taylor-Rose Olea
Taylor-Rose is registered dietitian and certified eating disorder specialist. Taylor-Rose graduated from Cal State Long Beach and has been working
in the field for over six years. She has experience working in all levels of care from inpatient to outpatient. She has worked in various treatment
centers as a program dietitian and also in leadership roles. She is extremely passionate about helping others heal their relationship with food and
body using ERP and CBT modalities. In her free time, Taylor-Rose is a circus performer and enjoys gardening and spending time with her cats.
Sara Naouchi
MSN, RDN
Virtual Care Operations Supervisor
Sara Naouchi
Sara Naouchi began her journey with Reasons Eating Disorder Center as a Diet Aide in 2013, where she quickly developed a deep understanding of eating disorder treatment across all levels of care, working with both adults and adolescents. She holds a Master of Science in Nutrition from California State University, Long Beach, and completed her dietetic internship at the Veterans Health Administration-GLA. Throughout her career, Sara has acquired extensive experience in addressing co-occurring substance use disorders and various medical and mental health conditions across a range of settings, including substance use treatment centers, dual-diagnosis facilities, and specialized eating disorder treatment programs. After relocating to Colorado in 2018, Sara continued her dedicated work in the field, focusing on helping clients restore a healthy relationship with food and their bodies. Her expertise in adolescent care allowed her to play a pivotal role in developing the nutrition program for a new Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for adolescent eating disorder recovery. In 2021, Sara returned to Reasons Virtual PHP/IOP as a Registered Dietitian, driven by her unwavering passion for supporting individuals struggling with food and body image issues. As the Virtual Care Operations Supervisor, Sara remains deeply committed to guiding and empowering clients on their path to recovery.
L. Terrell Williamson
APCC
Lead Virtual Therapist
L. Terrell Williamson
Terrell is a therapist who is committed to making the most of every moment to assist individuals and their loved ones in breaking old habits and living a life free from the control of an eating disorder. He draws from his experiences working in university counseling centers, family therapy clinics, children’s shelters, crisis houses, homelessness outreach organizations, and in person mental health crisis response teams to help not only with eating, but to help people in creating sustainable and enjoyable lifestyles that replace the eating disorder way of living altogether.
Terrell’s focus is on interventions that center around personal values (ACT), beliefs (CBT/ERP), and motivations (Motivational Interviewing). He believes in the strength and resilience of those who bravely leave the comfort of what’s familiar to take the power back.
We Hold Hope for Your Recovery
Recovery from an eating disorder is possible, and we are here to walk alongside you. At Reasons Eating Disorder Center, we help you uncover not only the reasons behind your eating disorder but also the reasons for your recovery.
To learn more or to schedule a no-cost consultation, call us at 844-573-2766 or complete our online contact form. In case of a mental health crisis, CALL 988 or seek the nearest emergency room.
Let us help you find your path to healing.
Get Help Now
Call 844-573-2766 to schedule a level of care assessment or contact us for more information. To make a referral, please use our online referral form.