Advanced Practice Providers

SUSAN WRUBEL, PA-C

Psychiatric Physician Assistant

I am a graduate of Stanford University’s Primary Care Associate Program where I completed my Physician Assistant program. Being a California native I have practiced extensively in the bay area in a variety of settings including psychiatry, family practice, gastroenterology and urgent care.
My psychiatric expertise covers treatment of adults with a myriad of conditions, encompassing major depression, anxiety, bipolar, attention deficit and eating disorders, among others. I am passionate in my belief that a holistic approach when treating individuals leads to the best outcomes. I incorporate physical, mental and emotional well-being into my patients’ personalized care plans, fostering a partnership dedicated to helping patients function at the best of their capacity.
I address medical management of symptoms, education regarding psychopharmacology and lifestyle changes, emphasizing wellness and healthy life style choices. Utilizing the numerous therapy options of integrated neuropsychiatry including cognitive/behavioral techniques, sleep hygiene, mindfulness, faith based practices, patient education, eskatamine and transcranial magnetic stimulation, I support my patients on their path to optimizing their well-being.
I am on the board of directors for Bay Area Non Docs and continue to support California chapters for Advanced Practice Providers. I have been a guest lecturer at Stanford University’s Primary Care Associate Program, proctoring student evaluations and mentoring up and coming PA students.

DIANN GARCIA, RNP

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

My experience include working with patients with combat PTSD at the US Department of Veterans Affairs as well as working at Cordileras Center, a sub-acute residential treatment center for Mental Health patients. I was a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in the Santa Clara County Health and Hospital System for 20 years. I have worked with individuals and groups and enjoy working in a collaborative multi-discipline team setting.

SARA SHERMAN-LEVINE, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

In over 20 years as a nurse practitioner, I’ve cared for patients of all ages and in a variety of settings. My experience includes infants, pediatrics, teens, transitioning-age/college-age youth, and adults of all ages including seniors. The psychiatric needs of adolescents and transitioning-aged youth hold special interest to me, as does providing psychiatric care to special needs patients and their families. I earned my Pediatric Nurse Practitioner certification from UCSF in 1999 and worked with incarcerated teens in San Mateo County. In 2002 I joined Stanford Children’s Hospital providing specialized care to children with severe neurologic and developmental deficits. In 2013, I earned my Family Nurse Practitioner certificate from SF State. As an FNP, I managed medication for adults with opioid use disorder while also providing behavioral medication support to Regional Center (special needs) clients through BHRS, San Mateo County. After retiring from Stanford in 2018, I devoted my practice entirely to psychiatry. I earned my PMHNP certificate from Fresno State and joined the team at Cowell Student Health Center at UCSC providing medication management for students with anxiety and depression. At the same time, I continued to serve the special needs population in San Mateo County. My goal as a provider is to always give my best advice, whether that involves starting medication, staying on it, or getting off it. Together, we form a team – and our goal as teammates is to find an intervention you are genuinely interested in doing because it makes you feel better. Perhaps this collaborative approach could be helpful to you or a loved one in addressing the range of issues impeding personal growth and/or achieving life satisfaction.

NANCY SELIX, DNP, PMHNP

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

I am a psychiatric nurse practitioner, and a nurse midwife who specializes in women and transgender mental health concerns. I am a published author, international speaker and researcher on these topics. My clinical focus is on mental wellness through the use of medications, therapy, TMS, ketamine, or alternative treatments. Examples of conditions I am treating include anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, ADD, or OCD in adolescent, pregnant, postpartum, perimenopausal, or menopausal women or transgender individuals.

MARIA CASTELLI, PHD, RNP

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

I have 39 years of mental health experience and specialized training in psychiatric medicine. I worked in a variety of clinical settings with different patient populations. I hold a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY as well as a Masters of Science in Nursing from Columbia University in New York, NY. I pursued additional education and training from the Mental Research Institute for Family Therapy in Palo Alto, CA, completing a degree in Family Therapy. Additionally, I completed a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Alliant International University in California. Furthermore, I also trained at the Institute of Contemporary Analysis.

MISTY STEFFEN, PMHNP

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

I have over 30 years of experience as a Registered Nurse and Advanced Practice Provider. Previously, I have cared for new families as a Certified Nurse-Midwife in an out-of-hospital birth center providing full-scope care. I then transferred into providing holistic care as a Family Nurse Practitioner, often caring for multiple family members as well as providing comprehensive house-call services. Previous study in prenatal and perinatal trauma and resolution in a Ph D program, paired with my recognition of the current health care gaps for psychiatry in California spurred me to complete my Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification at University of California at San Francisco.

I have a special affinity for evidence based, holistic and natural care, I am a down to earth, direct, and kind communicator who strives to offer supportive compassionate care. I am LGBTQIA+ friendly and open minded. I believe that openness, education, and learning is a two-way street between my clients and I, and I work diligently to be aware of my own personal bias or stigma. While many clients come to me solely for medication management, I am also able to provide therapeutic support with a growth mindset, goal-oriented focus. That sort of therapy involves work from you to reap its rewards. I look forward to having a conversation with you to see if working with me would work well for you!

DEBORAH JOHNSON, DNP, PMHNP-BC, FAANP

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

As a board-certified PMHNP, I enjoy partnering with clients and their families to improve quality of life through mental health. I use a strengths-based approach to provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment for a broad array of psychiatric conditions. While I am specialized in working with adolescents, young adults and families, I have expertise across the lifespan. I use a holistic approach to listening and understanding the biological, psychological, social, spiritual, and structural experiences that impact each individual.

My career as a PMHNP evolved from years of working with children and families in neonatal and pediatric ICU and as a credentialed school nurse. After postgraduate training at UCSF, I completed a doctorate in nursing practice (DNP) at the University of Arizona. As a professor at UCSF, I taught child/adolescent/family therapy, psychopharmacology, healthcare policy, and research/quality improvement and co-directed UCSF’s PMHNP program until transitioning to LGTC full time in January 2023. I am a Fellow with American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP) and have trained and mentored many of the PMHNPs who are now practicing throughout California.

I believe that growth and healing can happen within the client-provider relationship. I value actively listening to identify goals for treatment before offering evidence-based information to guide the decisions we will make together. While psychotropic medications are an important aspect of treatment, cognitive/behavioral strategies, sleep coaching, mindfulness, meditation, spiritual and faith-based practices, parenting, and family interventions are other key elements of treatment. When we meet, I will use an integrative approach to care that is patient-centered, healing oriented, and appreciative of the unique circumstances that contribute to your life.

JEWELEEH YU, PA-C

Psychiatric Physician Assistant

I completed my Physician Assistant education at University of California, Davis – School of Medicine in 2013 and am fluent in conversational Cantonese. During my clinical rotations, I have participated in an extended psychiatry rotation as I became aware of the need in mental health. My philosophy includes providing individualized, patient-centered care while encouraging patients to work collaboratively in their treatment journey. I utilize medication management, encourage lifestyle/behavior modifications and supportive therapy where needed. I am experienced in treating adult psychiatric disorders. In addition, I have been awarded a Master of Science from San Jose State University in Human Factors and Ergonomics and a Bachelor of Science from California State University, Sacramento in Health Sciences. I am a member of the Association of Physician Assistants in Psychiatry, California Academy of Physician Assistants and American Academy of Physician Assistants.

CRYSTAL BENNETT, DNP, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

I believe in a holistic approach to bring the family together to create and execute a treatment plan. I received a bachelor of science in nursing in 2008. I then completed a nurse residence program with Vanderbilt’s Children’s hospital and practiced for three years on an oncology and bone marrow transplant unit while completing a master of science in nursing as a psychiatric nurse practitioner from Vanderbilt School of Nursing. I was board certified as a family psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner in September 2012. I then started practicing in community behavioral health seeing a range of patients ages 18 and younger in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2014, I moved to California and joined Palo Alto Medical Foundation seeing pediatric patients and completed my doctor of nursing practice. My interests include treatment of depression, anxiety, and ADHD in pediatric patients. I enjoy partnering with my patients and their families to improve patient’s health through active listening. “I think actively listening to the concerns and then developing a treatment plan together is the most effective way to improve mental health. I also love to educate and want my patients to be well informed during treatment.”

SALLY ROSE, PMHNP

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

I am a board certified nurse practitioner in both psychiatry (PMHNP) and family practice (FNP). I have worked for many years in the mental health field and have found this specialty most rewarding. I enjoy working with people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, and am experienced in treating a wide variety of mental health diagnoses including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. My goal is to help you meet your personal goals. I will work with you to find the treatments best suited for your individual needs.

RENATA COSTA, MSN, ANP, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

I believe that every human being has the ability to create a sense of wellbeing and peace in their life. I am here to walk alongside you and find the path that can help you reach your goals.

Before entering the field of psychiatry, I worked as a nurse practitioner and an ICU nurse for 14 years. I am intimately familiar with pain and resilience. My passion is to understand people, and I knew early on that psychiatry and psychotherapeutic treatments were the fields where I wanted to dedicate my life.

I use a holistic and compassionate approach in my practice. I believe loyalty and integrity must be the basis for every encounter. Comprehensive psychiatric care involves not only medication management, but also cognitive/behavioral strategies, client-based interventions, family collaboration, mindfulness and a variety of tools to help you succeed.

My training as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) began as a post-Masters student at UC San Francisco. My rigorous training included treatment-resistant depression, anxiety disorders, impulse control disorders, Bipolar disorder, personality disorders, Schizophrenia and other related issues. My clinical training included time with UCLA at the child psychiatry department working with childhood disorders such as ADHD, early-onset psychosis, OCD, Autism, gender dysphoria, eating disorders and behavioral problems. I am board-certified and a member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. I look forward to working with you.

CHRISTOPHER JONES, PHD, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Over the past 20 years working in mental healthcare, I have enjoyed the great opportunity to serve patients and their families. As a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), I worked first at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, through their post-graduate residency program, and then for the past several years, I worked with medically underserved populations throughout New Mexico, first in person and then via telehealth. Prior to becoming a psychiatric NP, I have worked in counseling extensively, which culminated in serving as the clinical director of an eating disorder treatment program. I have lived and worked internationally: teaching in a regular faculty position at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, volunteering on an ashram in rural India, and guest lecturing at a medical school’s psychiatry department in Ukraine. Earned degrees include an MDiv from Yale, an MA and PhD from Vanderbilt, an MSN (with a concentration in genomics) from UCSF, as well as relevant certifications. My dissertation explored late-life developmental psychology.

SARAH BERBERICH, PMHNP

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

I obtained my degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I am board certified throughout the lifespan but my primary focus is treating adults ages 16-65. I am passionate about mental health and providing comprehensive care to all of my patients.

LISA SHWARTZ, PMHNP

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

I received my PMHNP from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). I believe in providing each client with compassionate, evidence-based care to support them in becoming the best version of themselves. I am specialized in treating adults across the lifespan who are experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, psychosis-spectrum conditions, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and substance-use disorders. I am also passionate about providing psychiatric care to people with co-occurring chronic medical conditions, including autoimmune disorders and chronic pain.

EMAKA TAKASHIMA, PMHNP

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

I am a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, trained across the lifespan but I am focused on the adult and elderly population. I graduated from the University of Texas, Austin with a Master’s degree in Nursing and I am passionate about providing individualized comprehensive mental health service to my patients.

AMARA ALTMAN, PMHNP

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

I am a board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) with a high level of personal integrity who is compassionate and driven to provide culturally sensitive care to a diversified patient population across the lifespan. I am passionate about evidence-based practice and tailoring treatment plans to meet the individual needs of each patient. I obtained a Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology from UC Santa Barbara and a Masters Degree in Nursing from University of San Diego. I worked at UC Davis Medical Center as a medical/surgical and transplant nurse for six years prior to receiving my PMHNP degree from UC San Francisco. As a PMHNP, I have significant experience caring for patients of all ages and most recently worked providing medication management and psychotherapy services to transitional age youth and adults in an intensive outpatient program. I love helping others, and I truly enjoy partnering with patients and their families to help them reach their fullest potential.

SNEHA BANKA, PMHNP

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

I am a board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and received my Doctor of Nursing Practice and Master of Science in Nursing degrees from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree from UC Davis.

As part of a vigorous clinical program at Columbia University, I was trained in assessing and diagnosing adults with depressive and bipolar disorders, anxiety disorders, ADHD, and PTSD and utilizing psychotropics to treat these mental illnesses. My philosophy of psychiatric nursing centers around holistic patient care by addressing the physical, psychosocial, environmental, and genetic factors contributing to mental health disorders. I believe mental health recovery is achieved by going beyond symptom relief and tailoring mental health and lifestyle treatment plans specific to each individual’s needs.

JOANNE PROBERT, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Hi! My name is Jo Probert and I am a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC), dedicated to providing collaborative, person centered care. I work with clients across the lifespan but am particularly passionate about providing care for adolescents and transitional age youth, along with neurodivergent and LGBTQIA+ people. I completed my master’s level training as a PMHNP at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where I had the opportunity to facilitate the LGBTQIA+ Health Forum, dedicated to reducing health disparities and improving quality of care for sexual and gender minorities. Before becoming a nurse practitioner, I received a bachelor’s in public health from the University of California, Berkeley and worked as an HIV Test Counselor at the Berkeley Free Clinic, providing testing, education, and harm reduction services. I then spent several years working in clinical research at UCSF, as part of the POST SCD project, examining causes of sudden death and working with bereaved families, before deciding to return to school and become a PMHNP. Outside of the clinic, you can find me on the climbing wall, searching for the best gluten free bakeries, or playing with my two cats.

FAVEN MESFIN, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

I am a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP-BC). I received my master’s degree from the University of California, San Francisco. During my extensive training at UCSF, I had clinical experiences in integrative psychiatry, community mental health, and eating disorders programs. I have experience in treating adults with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, ADHD, psychosis-related disorders, and substance use disorders. Before that, I received my bachelor of science in psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park. I am trained across the lifespan but specialize in working with adults. I strongly believe that mental health care is a collaborative effort between the patient and the provider.