MA

Dr. Dollarhide holds a Ph.D. in Counseling with an emphasis in Counselor Education and Supervision from Oregon State University, as well as a Master of Science in Counseling, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Fresno.

Dr. Dollarhide is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who brings five years of teaching experience in counselor education and nearly a decade of expertise in the mental health field. She specializes in supporting individuals with anxiety, depression, cultural and racial trauma, identity issues, and perinatal and postpartum challenges, with her practice grounded in culturally responsive and LGBTQIA+ affirming care. She is a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) for the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) and is certified in perinatal mental health (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International (PSI).

Dr. Dollarhide's clinical experience spans community mental health settings, including working with domestic violence survivors at the Marjaree Mason Center and serving children and adolescents with moderate to severe mental health diagnoses through Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health, before transitioning to private practice.

My name is Francesca Prat, MSW (she/her/hers) and I am a 5th year doctoral candidate at Michigan State University studying couple and family therapy. My research program is focused on qualitative methods to promote the advancement of maternal mental health equity for historically marginalized mothers in the U.S. I am passionate about community engaged research and cultural responsiveness within systemic intervention science. I am a new instructor for the MFT program in the CSPP at Alliant International University at the Los Angeles, CA campus & online.

Dr. Zamzam Dini (she/her) is an Assistant Professor and core CFT faculty at the Irvine Campus.  She holds a PhD in Family Social Science, specializing in Couple and Family Therapy from the University of Minnesota, and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). Dr. Dini’s research focuses on refugee family systems, seeking to understand the nuanced experiences of the different generations in a given family. Dr. Dini has developed a conceptual model, the Refugee Family Trauma and Adaptation (RFTA) Framework, to contextualize the intergenerational transmission of trauma in refugee family systems.

Dr. Dini employs interdisciplinary research to introduce systemic and relational thinking to increase culturally appropriate research methods and narratives when learning about Refugee, Immigrant, and Migrant (RIM) communities, publishing research with scholars from Psychology, Nursing, Sociology, and Communication fields. Dr. Dini’s clinical work primarily focuses on treating chronic and complex PTSD using evidence-based clinical interventions like Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) and Brainspotting. Dr. Dini also works with adolescents, families, and couples, trained in PREPARE/ENRICH and Discernment Counseling.

Dr. Dini emphasizes bridging research and practice by providing workshops on trauma and refugee families to immigrant families, school staff, and providers in the community. Dr. Dini is a NET trainer and has been a keynote speaker and state and national professional organizations.

Dr. Jennifer Cates is a core faculty member in the online MA/PsyD/PhD programs at Alliant International University. She has been teaching, supervising, and engaging in scholarship as a full-time faculty member since 2006. Additionally, she has been practicing as a couple and family therapist since 2002.

She served as the Chair for the Couple and Family Therapy Department at Regis University from 2013 through 2024, and she was a core faculty in the COAMFTE accredited master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy Program from 2010 through 2024. Prior to that, she was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Central Washington University from 2006 through 2010, where she taught in the couple and family therapy track of a CACREP accredited counseling training program.

Her passion is teaching, supervising, and mentoring students and new professionals to be effective clinicians by increasing their awareness of their own cultural contexts so that they are better able to understand how their own and the cultural contexts of their clients inform the therapeutic process and outcomes.

She has published and presented on topics including white racial identity development, effective methods for integrating cultural context into the therapeutic process, social justice interventions, and supervision and training process and outcomes. An emphasis on cultural context and social justice is integrated into her teaching, supervision, and scholarship.

Carol Lynn Hecht (she/her) is a licensed professional counselor with a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She also holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s in counseling from Chatham University. Dr. Hecht’s clinical work includes community engagement and extensive experience counseling individuals with cancer. Her work alongside individuals with terminal illness has inspired her research into end-of-life counseling.

Additionally, Dr. Hecht’s interest in mindfulness informs her contemplative approach to her clinical work as well as her teaching philosophy. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, painting, reading, practicing yoga, and exploring the outdoors.

Dr. Jason Branch has almost 20 years of experience in the mental health and counseling profession. Dr. Branch has worked in higher education, community and agency mental health centers, city government, and substance abuse treatment facilities. Dr. Branch is the Founder and CEO of J. Branch and Associates, a virtual clinical group private practice that provides therapy services to adults, adolescents, couples, and families in multiple states (CA, GA, NJ, PA).

Dr. Branch is an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), a National Certified Counselor (NCC), and a National Board for Certified Counselor (NBCC) Minority Fellow (2016). Dr. Branch is also a licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC), a consultant, and a counselor educator that engages in professional and scholarly work focused on Black male experiences, mentoring, cultural awareness, and increasing the practice of self-care for helping professionals.

Dr. Branch obtained a dual degree in psychology and sociology from the University of West Alabama. He completed his Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Branch earned his doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision from Auburn University

Dr. Curry graduated from Alliant International University in 2013 as one of only five graduates of the inaugural cohort in the Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling program then housed in the San Francisco Bay Campus and began her academic career in the same program as adjunct faculty in 2018. Facing adversity and lack of public understanding of the behavioral health license of Professional Clinical Counseling. Dr. Curry embarked on a continued journey of professional advocacy for the license in public policy, academia, government institutions, community organizations, and a multitude of other professional settings. As part of Dr. Curry’s advocacy journey, she completed her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision specializing in Advanced Research Methods and co-founded a nonprofit organization UnseenXS to address social justice issues around the world including the acceptance and understanding of the LPCC license, professional development of novice counselors and graduate students, and positive impact of LPCC/APCC in the field of behavioral healthcare.

In addition to her roles in academia and as CEO of UnseenXS, Dr. Curry has also served as a Subject Matters Expert with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences and holds several professional organization memberships including Chi Sigma Iota (CSI), American Counseling Association (ACA), Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES), Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ), Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD), and the California Association for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (CALPCC). Dr. Curry has worked in both the public and private sectors of behavioral healthcare and is dedicated to continuing to encourage and empower clinical counselors and encourage higher education to expand the options for graduate education in the field of clinical counseling in California. Dr. Curry’s research interests include both domestic and international women’s studies, refugee and transmigration experiences, intergenerational trauma, multiculturalism, race relations, and government policy.

Dr. Reihaneh Mahdavishahri has earned her Psy.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Alliant International University.  She is a licensed marriage and family therapist in California.  Dr. Mahdavi has worked at community-based agencies and non-profit clinics as a therapist and served on several boards as a director and co-founder including the board of training and education, research, and diversity, equity and inclusion board.  Most recently, Dr. Mahdavi has offered consulting services to community-based providers and agencies, helping them create trauma-informed care systems and enhance the mental health professionals' ability to support clients from diverse backgrounds. Her clinical work has focused on women's issues, maternal wellness, immigration, intense couples therapy using Emotionally Focused Therapy, and working with LGBTQIA+ clients and their families.

Dr. Mahdavi's research continues to focus on addressing the needs of clients of color navigating the mental health care system and identifying barriers to effective and culturally informed care.

Roxanna Cooper, received her Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Phoenix in 2016. Now a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), she specializes in Solution-Focused , Attachment Based, Theraplay Therapies with children, adolescents, primarily in the School-Based setting. Her clinical interests include empowering children and strengthening their interpersonal relationships, supporting women in helping them to better understand themselves and their evolving roles, and supervising and training Trainees in entering the workforce. 

Currently, Roxanna works full-time as a Licensed Mental Health Clinician through San Diego Unified School District, supporting students with IEP's and developing assessments, goals, and collaborating with other related service providers to meet the needs of the students. Additionally, Roxanna is now an Adjunct Faculty for the San Diego Campus and supporting students through their Practicum course. Her goal is to start her own clinical practice in months that follow.

Dr. Ashley Maureen Diaz is an Assistant Professor in the Online MA in Clinical Counseling program at Alliant International University. She graduated with a PhD in Counselor Education from The Pennsylvania State University, with a specialty in counseling children, adolescents, and families. She is dedicated to social justice advocacy through teaching, clinical work, and service. In addition, Dr. Diaz enjoys regularly presenting her research at regional, state, and national conferences. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from The University of Texas at El Paso. Her clinical experience includes bilingual mental health counseling services in multiple settings: outpatient, inpatient, partial hospitalization, and college counseling centers. Dr. Diaz has also worked as an Equity Liaison and clinical counselor in a K-12 school district and facilitated efforts and initiatives to create a more equitable learning environment. Her research interests include culturally and linguistically responsive counselor training and supervision, counseling Latinx adolescents and families, and social justice/equity concerns in K-12 and post-secondary education settings. Her self-care includes traveling across the world, hiking in National Parks, spending time with family and friends, and salsa dancing.