Dr. Gracie Madero, Psy.D., is a queer-identified Clinical Psychologist who obtained her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University. Her specialties include gender and sexuality, young adults, identity development, the coming out process, relationship issues and trauma. Dr. Madero has experience working with long term patients utilizing a Psychodynamic approach and has specialized training in working with gender and sexuality, including completing numerous practicums and positions working within the LGBTQ+ community. She and colleagues own the San Diego Counseling Collective and work in private practice in San Diego. 

Additionally, Dr. Madero is Professor at Pepperdine University in the Graduate School and Education and Psychology, and teaches Techniques of Counseling and Psychotherapy and Individual and Family Treatment of Substance Abuse. She completed her Pre-Doctoral Internship at San Jose State University has trained at San Diego State University focusing on Substance Use treatment, early prevention/intervention and recovery utilizing Motivational Interviewing. She is committed to serving marginalized communities, working with teens and adolescents and being accessible to those in need. She has extensive training with transitional age youth and believes that early support and collaboration can facilitate life-long growth and change. 

Deborah Koons-Beauchamp is a doctoral candidate in the Couple & Family Therapy program at the University of Iowa and is anticipating graduation the summer of 2023. Deborah earned a MA in Marriage & Family Therapy from Mount Mercy University, MBA from University of Phoenix, and a BS in Psychology from Brigham Young University. Deborah worked as a corporate executive for over 20 years before beginning her career as a Couple & Family Therapist.

Deborah’s research focuses on relationship qualities that serve as protective factors against the negative impact of body image distress. Deborah is a TLMFT with a small private practice, and also practices at the University of Iowa LGBTQ Counseling Clinic. Deborah loves to teach, and her goal is to help develop the next generation of Couple & Family Therapists.

I’ve been in the mental health field since 2008 and have held positions in research, peer support, administrative support, program management, private practice, teaching, clinical supervision, and County administration. I completed my PsyD in 2020 at Alliant San Diego and published my research that explored relational dynamics in married gay Asian Americans.  

As a therapist, I value diversity and I use trauma informed approaches including Internal Family Systems, EMDR, Feminist Family Therapy, and Structural Family Therapy to support change in my clients.  As an educator, I use strengths-based methods to teaching and learning with strong attention to diversity and equity.

Ms. Bauerle holds a Bachelor of Science in Management, and a Masters of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, from Alliant International University.  

Practicing since 2017 as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, she focuses her work in couples and sex therapy. 

She enjoys working with clients who identify as LGBTQI, and/or practice Polyamory, BDSM, and other alternative lifestyles.  Her clinical focus includes individual and couple’s therapy, relationship and conflict resolution, pornography and sex therapy, infidelity and affair recovery. 

She has been married for 38 years and has 2 grown children and currently is completing a Sex Therapist certification with The Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH) on Advanced Training in Problematic Sexual Behaviors, as well as her Supervisory certificate with AAMFT.

Ms. Bauerle takes great joy in her clinical work and teaching.

Emily Ringle is an adjunct instructor with the Alliant Online Campus. A clinician with approximately ten years experience (and going :) ), Emily has worked in community mental health and private practice, working primarily with children ages 5-19 and their families. Emily has training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), and Collaborative Assessment and Measurement of Suicidality (CAMS) protocols. 

Dr. Gonzalez completed her undergraduate and graduate education at the University of Southern CA (USC), University of San Francisco (USF) and Alliant International University California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP).  She is a licensed marriage and family therapist in multiple states, with over 15 years of clinical experience working with children, teens, couples and families. Dr. Gonzalez is an EMDR EMDRIA-Certified therapist, EFT-trained couples therapist and has extensive training and practicum in solutions focused brief therapy, brief strategic therapy, DBT and certified in psychodynamic psychotherapy. Dr. Gonzalez is the founder of Solutions Counseling & Family Therapy located in San Juan Capistrano. 

My clinical specialties include working with LGBTQ+ adolescence and adults. I also work with individuals and couples on various issues using a person-centered approach to each client. In addition, I work to include neuroscience and modalities such as Internal Family Systems and Intimacy from the Inside Out to help people explore various experiences through therapeutic interventions that are appropriate to the client and their needs.

Maryam Bonyadian is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist from Los Angeles, CA. She received her Bachelor's Degree from the University of Southern California, graduating with summa cum laude honors, and her Master's Degree from Pepperdine University. She has over 11 years of experience in providing therapy to children, adolescents, and adults. She also has over 6 years of experience as a Clinical Supervisor and trainer, and over 1-year experience as Adjunct Professor. 

A large part of Maryam’s work experience has been in the Community Mental Health sector, providing Trilingual therapy in Armenian, English, and Spanish to lower SES, minority cultures.  In her role as Clinical Team Supervisor she has provided support to a multidisciplinary team and more recently to graduate students in Practicum and Residency courses. In addition to teaching, Maryam continues to provide mental health services through Private Practice and contract work. 

Maryam also acknowledges the value of culture and family dynamics on an individual. Realizing the importance of cultural factors (i.e. Immigration status, ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender, etc.), she encourages clients/supervisees/students to take on the role of experts in their lives, while being open to growth and learning. 

Dr. Mindith R. Rahmat is a Core Faculty Member of the Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology (MACP) program at Antioch University's Santa Barbara campus and an adjunct faculty member at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University. Dr. Rahmat's teaching style is inclusive, compassionate, intentional, and joyful. She strives to center online and in-person classroom engagement and the lived realities of learners, co-creating learning conditions by working alongside learners and supporting them in revealing their potential through equitable, affirmative, and accessible learning. Dr. Rahmat teaches through the lens of compassion-focused pedagogy (CFP), a relational approach to learning, fostering well-being, resilience, and flourishing. Dr. Rahmat's educational background includes a master's degree in clinical psychology from Marshall University and a doctoral degree (PsyD) in educational psychology from Alliant International University. Her professional journey is marked by specialized training in trauma-sensitive organizational systems, advanced trauma-sensitive mindfulness, yoga therapy, mindfulness and psychotherapy, and compassion-based psychotherapeutic interventions. She has over twenty-five years of experience as a yoga, mindfulness, and meditation instructor, emphasizing holistic physical and mental well-being approaches. She holds certifications as an advanced trauma-sensitive mindfulness (TSM) teacher, a mindful self-compassion (MSC) teacher, and a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR-T) teacher for teens and young adults. She is an Integrative Yoga Therapy certified yoga teacher. Dr. Rahmat's professional and research interests are deeply rooted in compassion-focused pedagogy, focusing on professional development programs and initiatives designed to promote the well-being of faculty and learners.

"Shelly", as Dr. Middleton is known by to her friends and family, is a Sacramento native and an Alliant University alumni herself. Dr. Middleton recieved her PsyD in Marital and Family Therapy from Alliant and has been teaching here as an adjunct Professor since she graduated. She also currently works as the department Supervisor and therapist at Northern Valley Indian Health.

Dr. Middleton has experience working in various settings including private practice, community-based mental health, group homes, schools, and specializes in working with couples, women's issues, family-of-origin issues, first-generation/bi-cultural issues, boundaries, trauma, and codependency. Her preferred modalities include CBT, EMDR, Object-Relations, and Internal Family Systems.

Outside of the world of teaching and counseling, Dr. Middleton likes to spend her time with her husband and her big family. Dr. Middleton is very much into fitness and spends much of her time running, lifting weights, and boxing. She also enjoys playing the drums, watching reality TV and Marvel movies, going out with her girlfriends, and traveling.

Dr. Jason N. Linder, Psy.D., LMFT is a licensed bilingual (Spanish-speaking) therapist specializing in relationship, trauma, addiction-related, and mindfulness therapies. He is passionate about diversity, social justice, and serving underserved, multi-stressed, and disenfranchised communities. Dr. Linder also enjoys working with therapists, creators, entrepreneurs, and people who stutter. He completed his Doctor of Psychology degree at the California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego, his Master's in International Counseling in Mexico City at Alliant International University, and his Bachelor's in Spanish and Psychology (double major) at UC Davis. Dr. Linder is certified in the evidence-based therapy EMDR by the EMDR International Association, and trains EMDR therapists as an EMDRIA-approved Consultant and accredited EMDR-HAP facilitator. He is also close to completing his certification in EFT couple therapy. His doctoral research focused on integrating EMDR and EFT with couples. Dr. Linder has studied Psychology in Latin America and loves mindfulness meditation. Dr. Linder owns a private practice in Scripps, San Diego. Dr. Linder was recently published in the peer-reviewed APA journal Couple & Family Psychology, the Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (JMFT), and the Journal of International Systemic Therapy (JIST), as well as Psychotherapy.net, Psychology Today, Psychotherapy Networker, and Sage Research Methods Cases. Dr. Linder has also presented at professional and academic conferences. Lastly, Dr. Linder is experienced in addiction intervention services and immigration, transgender, and trauma evaluations.

Dr. Gonzalez has been practicing for the last 10 years. Currently, Dr. Gonzalez runs her own group practice where she supervises associate therapists. Dr. Gonzalez is an AAMFT Approved supervisor. She received her Masters in MFT from Syracuse University and Doctorate in MFT from Alliant International University.