Our Team

Alicia is the Irving B. Harris Endowed Chair in Infant Mental Health and Vice Chair for Academic Affairs at the UCSF Department of Psychiatry, and Director of the Child Trauma Research Program. She is a clinical consultant with the San Francisco Human Services Agency. She is active in major national organizations involved with mental health in infancy and early childhood. She is past-president of the board of directors of Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families, and on the Professional Advisory Board of the Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute. She has served on peer review panels of the National Institute of Mental Health, is on the Board of Trustees of the Irving Harris Foundation, and consults with the Miriam and Peter Haas Foundation on early childhood education for Palestinian-Israeli children.

Born and raised in Paraguay, she received her BA from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University. This background informs her work on behalf of children and families from diverse ethnic and cultural origins, with primary emphasis on the experiences of Latinos in the United States.

Alicia is currently the director of the Early Trauma Treatment Network (ETTN), a collaborative of four university sites that include the UCSF/SFGH Child Trauma Research Program, Boston Medical Center, Louisiana State University Medical Center, and Tulane University. ETTN is funded by the federal Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as part of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, a 40-site national initiative that has the mission of increasing the access and quality of services for children exposed to trauma in the United States. Her major interests include infant mental health, disorders of attachment, early trauma treatment outcome research, and mental health service disparities for underserved and minority children and families. Her current research involves treatment outcome evaluation of the efficacy of child-parent psychotherapy with trauma-exposed children aged birth to six and with pregnant women involved in domestic violence. As a trilingual, tricultural Jewish Latina, she has a special interest in cultural issues involving child development, child rearing, and child mental health. She lectures extensively on these topics nationally and internationally.

Miriam coordinates community-based mental health outreach services and evaluation at the Child Trauma Research Program. Born and raised in New York City, she received her B.A. from Columbia College of Columbia University in New York where she majored in psychology and the biological sciences. She moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to complete her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in clinical science and community psychology. Her graduate training was funded by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Chancellor’s Opportunity Fellowship, Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship and a UC Dissertation-year Fellowship.

Chandra trained in Child-Parent Psychotherapy at the Child Trauma Research Program as an intern and postdoctoral fellow from 1998-2000. She spent a year as adjunct faculty for the CAARE Center at UC Davis. She rejoined CTRP in 2001 as the Associate Director of Research and helped lead the team’s partnership with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. In 2013, she became the Director of CPP Dissemination and Implementation, and in 2014, she became Co-Associate Director of CTRP.

Chandra developed the CPP Fidelity Framework and is co-author of the 2nd edition of Don’t Hit My Mommy, the manual for CPP.  She has led international CPP implementation efforts in Sweden and Norway and has co-led national implementation efforts in multiple states including California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.

She is the developer of the Ripple Effect Curriculum, a manualized curriculum designed to support the development of trauma-informed systems by sharing core trauma concepts using a combination of stories, visuals metaphors, and clinical vignettes. She has conducted over 34 Ripple Effect trainings in 15 states as well as in Norway and Sweden. She has also authored 6 chapters on diversity-informed practice and trains regularly on this topic.

She has written numerous children’s books that serve as population-based interventions for children who have experienced stressful events, including the Trinka and Sam disaster series, Once I Was Very Very Scared, which has been translated into English, Spanish, Arabic, Turkish, and German, and You Weren’t With Me, which is available in English and Spanish, and was written to support families who have experienced stressful separations.

Ann is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Associate Director of Dissemination for Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) at the UCSF Child Trauma Research Program. As Associate Director of Dissemination, Ann works with the CPP Dissemination and Implementation Team to train community providers in CPP, standardize CPP training model components, and develop dissemination tools that can further the implementation of CPP. 

Allie is an Assistant Professor and child clinical psychologist at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) specializing in trauma-informed, evidence-based interventions for children exposed to stress, with a particular focus on pregnancy and parent-child modalities. Additionally, Allie serves as the Research Director for UCSF’s Child Trauma Research Program. Integrating frameworks from developmental psychopathology, intervention science, and biobehavioral research, she aims to understand and interrupt mechanisms through which adversity is passed across generations. Allie’s current work investigates how supporting caregivers (via behavioral, psychosocial, or biologically informed strategies) can buffer children from the impacts of early life and intergenerational adversity.

Vilma is an Associate Clinical Professor and the Director of Training at the University of California, San Francisco in the Child Trauma Research Program. Since 2009, she has been providing Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) services, training, clinical supervision, consultation and coordinating community-based mental health outreach services and evaluation. She is a CPP Trainer and has co-authored articles and chapters on CPP theory and application.

Adriana has been a CPP trainer and consultant for CTRP since 2020. She was trained in New Mexico in 2013 and for the following years, she provided CPP supervision and consultation to clinicians and supervisors across New Mexico.

Barclay is a licensed clinical psychologist and the intake coordinator and clinical lead at the UCSF Child Trauma Research Program. Barclay coordinates referrals, provides clinical supervision, and offers CPP and Perinatal CPP to Spanish-speaking families. As part of the Tipping Point Community Mental Health Initiative, Barclay provides trauma-focused consultation and capacity building at community-based partnership programs. 

Barclay earned her BA in Latin American Literature with a minor in Education at Dartmouth College. Graduate work in Latin American literature brought her to U.C. Berkeley. She received her master’s degree and went on to teach Spanish and work in women’s reproductive health locally and abroad until figuring out that clinical psychology was the career that would allow her to meld many of her interests. 
Barclay received a doctorate in clinical psychology from the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. Her dissertation was titled “Acculturative Stress in Mexican Immigrant Women and the Nature and Role of Social Support.” She completed her predoctoral internship and two years of postdoctoral fellowship here at the Child Trauma Research Program and then worked for 4 years as a staff psychologist at the UCSF Trauma Recovery Center, treating adult PTSD in victims of violent crime, refugees and asylum seekers. In her free time she loves to make herbal medicines, read, hike and spend time with friends and family.

Ben joined CTRP as a Dissemination Analyst in 2021. He previously worked as a senior analyst researching wildlife conservation and human security in Washington, DC, and has volunteered as an EMT in Massachusetts and Maryland. He brings interdisciplinary experience in database curation, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and international training. Outside of work, Ben enjoys swimming, reading fiction, and studying language.

Brooke is the Dissemination Coordinator for Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) and Trainer/Consultant for Attachment Vitamins (AV). Before joining CTRP, Brooke served as clinical coordinator for a Boston area program that provides therapeutic services to children exposed to violence and their families. She brings working knowledge of dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practices, having completed several learning collaboratives in her career, including two in CPP. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in California and holds a Master’s Degree in Dance/Movement Therapy. Brooke draws on her experience as mother of two and her passion for all forms of dance and movement. As the Hopi Proverb says, “To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak.”

Gina is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist at the University of California, San Francisco, within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Sciences. She is a member of the Child Trauma Research Program, where she is deeply committed to helping children, families, and communities thrive.

Gina specializes in Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) and Perinatal Child-Parent Psychotherapy, providing trauma-informed, relationship-based care to infants, young children, and their families who have experienced trauma. She also provides clinical supervision to trainees.
In addition to her clinical work, Gina trains audiences across the nation, delivering workshops and interactive learning sessions on early childhood mental health, trauma, trauma-informed systems of care, and related topics.

Gina collaborates with a range of community-based organizations, service systems, and interdisciplinary teams to support the implementation of trauma-informed, developmentally grounded, and equity-focused practices in diverse settings. She is committed to helping organizations realize and achieve their goals, and create lasting positive change.
In her personal time, Gina can be found spending time with the people she loves and traveling the globe.

Gloria is a clinical psychologist and Certified Sexual Assault Counselor. Gloria was granted the Fraiberg-Harris Fellowship to complete her postdoctoral training at the Infant-Parent Program, UCSF. Gloria’s clinical work has focused on infant mental health and mental health daycare consultation. She has experience conducting comprehensive psychological assessments and developmental neuropsychological assessments for children ranging in age from infancy to adolescence. Gloria provides psychotherapy to pregnant women with history of traumatic experiences throughout pregnancy, labor, delivery and post-partum at UCSF. She provides infant mental health services to families and newborns at the NICU and has provided mental health services at the High Risk Pediatric Kempe clinic. She has worked with children, adolescents, and families in various clinical venues including Rape Trauma Services and North Peninsula Family Alternatives (YMCA), in San Mateo County where she developed and implemented a mental health program for immigrant families. She consults, supervises, and trains mental health providers who work with immigrant families and their children who have experienced significant trauma. Gloria has a strong interest on the impact of immigration on family systems, the intergenerational transmission of trauma, and the impact of trauma on children’s development. Prior to coming to the Infant-Parent Program and Child Trauma Research Program, she worked at the Children’s Hospital, National Medical Center in Mexico City and at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
 
She has presented on national and international conferences, and forums on the topics of parenting in a different culture and on the impact of immigration on the sense of self and motherhood identity. In addition to her work at UCSF, Gloria has taught at Argosy University, American School of Professional Psychology. She also served on the Advisory Board.

Laura is part of the research staff. As the Clinical Research Coordinator, she manages the submission of research protocols for Institutional Review Board approval, develops and maintains Redcap databases, coordinates the data collection for all intervention studies, collaborates in study design and implementation, tracks study progress, generates internal reports, and conducts data analyses. Additionally, Belén serves a support role for all clinicians regarding clinical research protocols, records, and HIPAA compliance.

Markita is is the Director of Behavioral Health for EMBRACE Perinatal Care and a Child-Parent Psychotherapy Trainer for the Child Trauma Research Program, both in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California San Francisco. She is a perinatal and infant mental health leader and community systems innovator. She develops culturally rooted frameworks bridging hospitals, community, early childhood, and perinatal mental health care. Markita is committed to understanding the intersection and intergenerational patterns of race and trauma for African American families and communities and has a special interest in healing interventions rooted in spiritual/indigenous practices and traditions. In addition to administrator duties, she provides clinical services; supervision; and training.

She is the 2020 recipient of the Zero To Three Emerging Leader Award, served as a Dean Diversity Leader (2016-2018) for the UCSF School of Medicine’s Differences Matter Initiative, and the 2015 UCSF Chancellor Award for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership. 

Melissa completed her pre-doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the Child Trauma Research Program before starting as an Assistant Professional Researcher in 2023. In this role, Melissa combines her clinical knowledge, research acumen, and web development experience to develop and manage databases, assist in advanced user experience needs, and provide methodological and research support. She is looking forward to further developing CTRP’s research efforts to better understand the nuances of CPP both at the “Mothership” and in the broader community. In her free time, Melissa is usually training with her dogs, cooking (and eating) good food, and playing video games.

Mitch oversees finances at the Child Trauma Research Program, including accounting and supply chain management.

Monica is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in perinatal and infant mental health. She earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from the Wright Institute and completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the UCSF Child Trauma Research Program. She currently serves as clinical faculty in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, providing direct clinical service and supervision in evidence-based practices for prenatal to five, including Child-Parent Psychotherapy, Perinatal Child Parent Psychotherapy, and Healthy Steps. In her capacity as a researcher, Monica prioritizes centering the voices of communities disproportionately impacted by complex and immigration trauma to guide the development of mental health interventions. She is also an international trainer and consultant for organizations serving traumatized populations. As a proud Chicana and bilingual practitioner, she is passionate about weaving the wisdoms of evidence-base practices and community-based healing technologies.

Rachel is a postdoctoral fellow in the UCSF Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and a member of the Child Trauma Research Program. She is a clinical psychologist and rostered Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) clinician, and her work bridges translational neuroscience, developmental psychopathology, and precision modeling approaches. She is currently a full-time researcher studying the contextual influences on executive functioning in early childhood.

Rachel completed her BS in Psychology and Biology at Duke University, where she first developed her interest in the interplay between development, stress, and cognitive functioning. She then received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Michigan and completed her clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship at UCSF. Her research examines the intergenerational transmission of executive functioning, with a focus on how early adversity affects both the parent-child relationship and child development. She applies computational modeling techniques to better capture individual differences in cognitive functioning and identify early markers of risk and resilience. Her work has been supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, the UCSF NIA T32 in Translational Epidemiology, and, most recently, the NIH ECHO Opportunities and Innovation Fund, which supports her work modeling Efficiency of Evidence Accumulation (EEA) in early and middle childhood.

Within CTRP, Rachel is particularly interested in how intervening on the parent-child relationship may promote better executive functioning development. Her long-term goal is to develop biologically grounded, developmentally sensitive models of cognitive and relational health that can inform early intervention efforts for families facing adversity. She is committed to reducing mental health disparities and advancing culturally responsive care for families facing adversity.

Shondra began her training in Child-Parent Psychotherapy at the Child Trauma Research Program as a pre-doctoral intern in 2012. After completing her doctoral degree, she went on to spearhead the CPP Agency Mentorship Program (CAMP) at Instituto Familiar de la Raza in San Francisco. She later joined the Early Childhood Services team of The Jewish Board in New York city. She served as the Director of the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation program and the Harlem Child Development Center’s early childhood outpatient clinic. While at The Jewish Board, she continued her apprenticeship as a CPP Agency Trainer and supported the agency’s CAMP application process. During that time, she also initiated an innovative trauma focused parent peer program for parents with child welfare involvement in collaboration with the Field Guide to Barefoot Psychology in an effort to combat mental health stigma and increase access to services in communities overly impacted by trauma. Shondra has worked in community-based health care settings for over 25 years. As a bilingual clinician, she has worked extensively with Spanish speaking children and families. She weaves together her training as a psychologist with specialized training in integrative somatic approaches to trauma therapy, meditation and yoga. She supports children, families and staff to envision, embody and invite wholeness, connection and vitality back into their lives. Shondra is pleased to rejoining the CPP mothership. She looks forward to supporting partner agencies in the CAMP application and implementation process. In her spare time, she can be found, watching the clouds float by, trying her hand at a new DIY project or creating sound meditations for friends and family. She lives by the motto: “Will travel for delicious food!”

Tessa is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with UCSF’s Child Trauma Research Project. She completed post-graduate fellowship training at the Napa Infant–Parent Mental Health Program through UC Davis and is credentialed in California as an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist and Reflective Facilitator. Tessa brings a strong commitment to social justice and advancing equitable access to care for young children and their families.

Her clinical and training work focuses on early childhood trauma as well as medically fragile infants and young children with developmental disabilities, with particular attention to the role of caregiver–child relationships in supporting healing, growth, and healthy development. She is a rostered Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) Provider and Supervisor and works as a trauma-informed trainer alongside her therapy practice supporting both families and providers in building relational, developmentally responsive caregiving/systems of care.