STAFF VIDEOS
Jasmine Jackson-Irwin
Hey there, I'm Jasmine, and I'm an MFT trainee here at Child and Teen Counseling. Grown -ups, 
if you're watching this, give me just one second. I want to talk to the kiddo in your life first, 
and you and I can connect later. I know this is weird, and I know you don't know me yet, and we're 
gonna have to figure out how to work together. But I'm really looking forward to it. Therapy 
can feel really scary and overwhelming at first. You have to sit down to a stranger and talk about 
your feelings. But I want to make this fun, and I want to get to know you and figure out all the things 
that make you who you are. I'm excited to hear about your favorite books, your favorite music, 
the things you're learning in school that excite you, and maybe together we can start to build 
some confidence and some courage to say those big and scary things out loud. I really want this 
to be a space where you can open up and be yourself and learn how to express yourself in a way that 
feels good to you. It'll take  
some time, but I'm really excited to start working on it and doing it together. Grown -ups, you 
can come back in. I'm Jasmine. Again, I'm an MFT trainee in my second year of the CSUN Master's 
in Marriage and Family Therapy. Really excited to start working with you and your family. I 
am really interested in working with families who are navigating divorce, whether that's 
 
preparing for divorce or navigating the aftermath of a divorce. I myself come from a divorced 
family and have a lot of experience with that. I'm also really excited to work with young folks 
who are figuring out their relationship to their body. Whether that means figuring out what 
their body image means to them or figuring out what their gender and sexuality means to them. 
I myself am a queer clinician, and so I'm really excited to work with our young queer folks to 
make them feel heard, seen, and understood. Really, I just want to get to know y 'all. I want this 
to be a fun experience. I care so much about connecting with  
everyone in the individual level and really getting to understand the things that make your 
family unique and your experiences yours. I look forward to getting to know you and I'll see 
you in a session soon.   
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Russell Quinn
Hi, my name is Russell Quinn. I am a marriage and family therapist trainee under the supervision 
of Kent Toussaint, here at Child and Teen Counseling. I work with children, teens, and families 
who are going through hard moments, whether that's anxiety, grief, transitions, or just big 
feelings that are hard to talk about. You might notice an accent. I am originally from England, 
but I have lived in California since 2010. Los Angeles is home now, and I feel deeply connected 
to the communities here. Having lived across different cultures and systems, I bring a lot 
 
of empathy for families who are navigating unfamiliar territory or who sometimes feel like 
they don't quite fit the mold. My style is warm, calm, and curious. I take my time. I work especially 
well with kids who express themselves in unique ways or who might feel unsure about opening 
up at first. I know what it's like to communicate a little differently, and I bring a lot of patience 
and care to that process. I'm particularly drawn  
to supporting young people and families who are coping with loss or major life changes. Grief 
can show up in so many forms, and my goal is to be a steady, compassionate presence through it. 
Most of all, I believe that every child has inner wisdom, and my job is to help them feel safe enough 
to access it. I also involve parents and caregivers and family members when it's helpful because 
healing often happens within our relationships. I know how much trust it takes to let someone 
support your family. I take that seriously, and I look forward to meeting you.
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Ryan Rosenheim
Hello, my name is Ryan Rosenheim. I'm a marriage and family therapist trainee at Child and Teen 
Counseling Center. And I'm a current Cal State Northridge graduate student pursuing my degree. 
My first experience working with kids and teenagers was at the Boys and Girls Club in the West 
Valley, not too far. And I was teaching creative writing and theater during the summers when 
I was home from undergrad. It was my summertime job and I fell in love with it. I had no idea. I thought 
it was just me doing a summer job. And I really began to see how quintessentially brilliant kids 
and teenagers were. And I was learning from them all the time. They were so much more aware and 
thoughtful than I ever gave them credit for. And it was really moving. And some of the creative 
work that they produced was really therapeutic. And it was really important for them to be seen 
by an adult, an adult at the time. By someone older than them who could kind of receive that information 
and help them process it a  
 
little bit. And I know when I was a teenager, how much my therapist meant to me and what I was going 
through. I mean, growing up is a crazy experience. It's coming with so much new terrain and strain 
on the body and on the mind, the heart. So having somebody that was kind of separate from my family 
that I could go to and chat with and make sense of everything and connect some dots was really 
important to me. And I wanna be that for somebody else. It means a lot to me. And one thing I'm really 
passionate about is sort of helping the unseen become seen, not go unseen. And sorry, my dog 
is sneezing. But it's really important to me to work with invisible illness. I struggle with 
autoimmune disease and it's one of those things where you can't really see it. I don't really 
seem like I'm ill at any given moment, but sometimes I'm really struggling. And to help other 
people normalize the unseen illnesses that we might have from anxiety to an autoimmune disease 
is really important to me, to help  
people feel seen in that because it can sometimes feel really isolating. So I really hope to 
see you at Child and Teen Counseling Center soon, whether you're my client or someone else's. 
I look forward to meeting any of you.   
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Lana Linetskaya
Hi, my name is Lana, and I'm so glad you're here. I'm a Marriage and Family Therapy graduate student 
working with children, teens, and families here at the Child and Teen Counseling Center in 
Woodland Hills. I work under the supervision of Kent Toussaint, a licensed Marriage and Family 
Therapist. 
  I wanted to introduce myself, not just as a therapist, but as a person who your child 
might be spending some time with. I've always been interested in people, why we do things, how 
we behave, and who we are becoming. And I know what it's like to feel pressure. And it can feel 
like you're supposed to have it all figured out. One way I like to describe what I do is this. I'm 
like a diary that talks back. I listen, I care, and I help make sense of your thoughts and feelings 
and emotions. Let me give you another metaphor that I really love. It's the backpack and the 
talking map. Imagine you're on this grand adventure and you're carrying a backpack that's 
full of thoughts and feelings. And sometimes  
that backpack can get really heavy. It's hard to know which path to take or even what to keep inside 
or take out. I'm like the talking map inside your backpack. I help you make sense of what's inside 
and find new paths when you might feel stuck. I don't tell you where to go. I walk beside you. And 
if you get lost, that's okay too. We'll figure it out together. Talking from a young age, really 
talking, can help your kids feel more in control, more understood, and more confident as they 
grow. Together, we can help your child build a stronger sense of self. To the parents watching, 
I see you. I know that it's hard to ask for support. But the fact that you're here shows me that 
you care deeply. I believe therapy should be collaborative. And I will work very hard with your 
child and with you to hold space for everyone's voice. And to the kids and teens watching, this 
is your space. You don't have to be perfect or know all the answers. I'm here to get curious with 
you and make you feel more in  
charge of your life. One step, one story, and one strength at a time. I look forward to meeting 
you.
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David Muns
Hi, I'm David Muns. I'm a trainee here at Child and Teen Counseling, working under the supervision 
of Kent Toussaint. I'm also a Master's of Psychology student at Antioch University. I wanted to 
become a therapist because I wanted to find a way that could help people with my skill set. 
 I've 
had my own journey with mental health and want to be able to take what I've learned and help other 
people work through whatever they're working through. As a kid, I struggled with both anxiety 
and depression, and I feel like I really would have benefited from somebody reaching out and 
helping me with that. And that's something that I truly want to be able to help younger people 
today with. I'm from Agoura Hills, California. I grew up in the valley. I'm into music. I play 
guitar, piano, a little bit of bass and drums. I play video games. I love comic books, movies, 
and have all sorts of pop culture interests. I'm really looking forward to working with teens. 
I think that that is such a crucial part of development  
and it's definitely the point in my life where I could have used the most help and I think that 
I can do the most good with that group. I'm looking forward to working with you soon. You can reach 
me at david at childteencounseling .org 
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Melissa Malatesta
Hey, how are you? I'm Melissa Malatesta here at Child and Teen Counseling. I'm a marriage and 
family therapist trainee supervised by Kent Tucson. A little bit about me, I grew up in the Midwest. 
I attended the Ohio State University for my undergraduate degree. Go Buckeyes! And now I'm 
working on my master's at Pepperdine in clinical psychology. I'm really excited to be working 
with kids and with teens. I know that these years can be full of crossroads and lots of different 
curveballs are coming their way and to be honest, it can all get pretty overwhelming. What I 
love about therapy is that it creates a space to slow down, to sort through, and it really builds 
skills for navigating these challenges. My passion for this work comes from seeing the impact 
of therapy firsthand, not for myself, and then as well as with friends and with family members. 
The growth, the healing, and all of the small steps that add up to big changes, that's what inspires 
me. My goal here at Child and Teen Counseling  
is to create a space where kids feel seen, where they feel supported, and where they feel understood. 
I love helping them discover their strengths and start to feel more hopeful about what's ahead. 
Outside of the therapy room, I really like to stay active. Whether that's Pilates, hiking, 
playing tennis, going for a walk, you can usually find me outdoors. I also recently took up Mahjong. 
It's a little bit like Rummikub, if you've ever played that game. Love playing games. And it's 
just really fun, something to do with friends. I also enjoy traveling, spending time with my 
family. I have two young children, and trying out new restaurants. I look forward to meeting 
you and supporting you on your journey ahead.    
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Nicole Akhrem
Hi, my name is Nicole. I'm a graduate student of clinical psychology at Pepperdine University 
and an MFT trainee at Child and Teen Counseling in Woodland Hills, supervised by Kent Toussaint. 
 
I'm becoming a therapist after a decade plus of my own mental health journey. Going to therapy 
changed absolutely everything about the way I live my life. And while I used to work in marketing, 
which was great, I ultimately decided that I wanted to help others achieve the same. When it 
comes to working with kids and teens, my goal is to provide a safe space to explore my clients' 
feelings, values, identity, and ultimately help them move their story forward in a positive 
way. After all, we are all the authors of our own stories in life. Some of my hobbies include painting 
and drawing. I like to hike and explore new trails. I like to cook. And most recently, I bought 
something called a kalimba, which is a finger piano. I'm not very good yet, but I'm still enjoying 
learning nonetheless. I'm deeply passionate  
about what we do here at CTC. Our young people are so special, and every single one of them deserves 
a chance to live the fullest life they possibly can. That being said, I'm so excited to potentially 
be a part of your child's journey towards self -discovery and overall better health. I look 
forward to seeing you soon.  
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Katherine MacLeod
Hi there, my name is Katherine McLeod and I'm a marriage and family therapist trainee at Child 
and Teen Counseling. I'm also pursuing my master's at CSUN and I got my undergraduate degree 
at UCSB in psychological and brain sciences. So during my time at UCSB is really when I decided 
to pursue this path to become a therapist. I was taking incredible classes in the psychology 
department such as psychology and mindfulness that were really opening my mind to this world. 
And at the same time, I was working as a peer mentor with children, teens, and young adults. So 
my clients were ranging from age six all the way up to age 24. And these clients had autism spectrum 
disorder. So what I was doing with them was really working on daily living skills. But what I 
recognized was just how many conversations were circling back to mental health. And in that, 
I was able to see just how important these conversations were to all ages, and especially these 
ages of children, teens, and young adults specifically.  
What I recognized in myself was just how comfortable I felt with some of these uncomfortable 
conversations and just how moved and impacted I felt by joining someone on their journey within 
their own mental health. So it was a really special time for me and I'm extremely excited to be 
a marriage and family therapist trainee here. So that's a little bit about my path but as for 
myself I really love to cook so I've grown up cooking with my mom since I was super little and it's 
something that I find a lot of creativity in. I also love to go outside. So currently I've just 
picked up playing pickleball which has been super fun. 
  I also love to play frisbee at the beach, 
go for long walks or hikes, really anything to get me in the sunshine makes me happy. I also love 
to go thrift shopping so that's another way that I'm able to be creative with my wardrobe or even 
just my home decor. So that's been really fun and I'm also a very crafty person so I've found with 
art I love to make things whether  
it be with like air dry clay or I got really into embroidery as well. So those are just some fun 
things about me. I'm really excited to hopefully get to know you soon and thanks so much for listening, 
bye.  
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Reynee Small
Hello, my name is Reynee Small. I'm a Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee here at Child and 
Teen Counseling supervised by Kent Toussaint. I'm currently getting my graduate degree in 
Clinical Psychology at Pepperdine University, and I graduated recently with my undergrad 
Bachelors in Psychological Science from UC Irvine. I'm originally from Orange County, but 
I've also lived in Arizona and Connecticut and spent part of my life in Thailand as well. I spent 
some of my elementary and middle school years there. My mom is half Thai, so I come from a Southeast 
Asian background. And given that, I know that that is an underserved community. I'm very passionate 
about working with that community and giving outreach to them for mental health resources 
and other resources as well. I have some prior experience working with youth. I worked with 
at -risk youth at a crisis residential center, so ages 12 to 17. I also did research for children 
with ADHD and ASD looking at canine interventions in the classroom  
for them. I've also had my own experiences in therapy as a kid given that I know how valuable it 
can be for kids and their families. I know how much it meant to me and how much I still value that 
experience today. Some things I like to do for fun, I really love cartoons. My favorite is probably 
Avatar The Last Airbender, anything in that franchise. I also really love playing video games. 
 
My favorite is the Zelda franchise, so I really love the game Breath of the Wild. It's my favorite 
ever. I could play that for hours. I look forward to possibly meeting with you and your family. 
You can reach me at rainey at childandteencounseling .org. That is R -E -Y -N -E -E at childandteencounseling 
.org. And hopefully I get to meet with you soon. 
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Nathan Soria
Hey guys, my name is Nathan. I'm a current CSUN MFT graduate student and I'm also a MFT trainee 
supervised by Kent Tucson at CTC. I wanted to become a therapist because one of my goals was to 
be someone that people can rely on in their times of need, whether it be a shoulder to lean on, 
a listening ear, or if all just somebody that they can turn to when they're unsure what to do. 
As a side note, one of my bigger goals was to be able to shed light on mental health awareness in 
the Asian community. So me being half Chinese, half Filipino, as I mentioned just being able 
to spread awareness to not only my own communities but other communities that I'm going to have 
the pleasure of working with in the near future. 
 I wanted to work with children and teens mainly 
because of the energy that they bring to the table. Something about the youthfulness, the joyfulness, 
the youthful and innocent energy is something that really resonates with me and I'm very much 
looking forward to being able to tap into  
my own inner self and my inner child and being able to for example, make art with them, play games 
with them overall, just be a big brother to them. I can imagine that some of the benefits of therapy 
for kids and teens can lie along the lines of just being able to guide them through such a ever 
-changing time of their life, whether it be moving to a new school and navigating new relationships, 
navigating their, you know, their friends they meet along the way, just being able to be a big 
brother to them and guide them through the times of when they're unsure is one of my bigger goals 
as well. Some of the interests and hobbies that I have for myself is I'm a big sports guy, I love 
watching soccer, tennis, basketball, baseball, you name it. I also played tennis myself. 
I played it all my life. I played club tennis for San Diego State when I was over there doing my 
undergrad. And another fun fact about me is that I am a semi -retired Rubik's Cube solver. And 
so I've had the pleasure of going  
throughout the US, just competing and being able to solve the cube, meeting so many new people 
and also recording some fast times along the way. So that's a little bit about me. I look forward 
to working with you at Child and Teen Counseling. Thank you.  
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Jill Axel
Hi everyone, my name is Jillian Axel. You can call me Jill, whatever floats your boat. I am currently 
getting my master's at Pepperdine and I am a MFT trainee here at Child and Teen Counseling. So 
one of the reasons why I ended up in this profession is growing up with dyslexia and ADHD. I spent 
a lot of hours in language therapy, speech therapy, and as a client myself, struggling with 
anxiety, and just feeling the stereotypes put upon me kind of created some stigma in regards 
to just feeling as if I was inadequate and that kind of continued as I went into college and even 
now I have to, you know, take a second to realize my accomplishments, where I've come from, where 
I am now and I can't wait to help other kids realize that their options are unlimited just like 
mine was due to the amazing people and therapists in my life who guided me to be able to figure 
that out for myself. 
   Okay so now a little fun fact I was very much so a choir and theater person 
growing up. I continued on through  
college during choir. I was in the last choir to perform at Notre Dame before the spire fell in 
2019. So, you know, just a little fun fact. And some hobbies are I really love spending time with 
friends and family. I try to make that my priority. I love self -care bubble baths, Lush products, 
anything from Lush I love. I love my dog Charlotte. She's a cute little pug. Thank you so much 
for listening and I can't wait to meet you all. 
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Maya Irigoyen
Hi, I'm Maya from Child and Teen Counseling. I'm a Marriage and Family Therapist trainee supervised 
by Kent Tucson. I'm really looking forward to working with children, teens, and adults. I know 
growing up can be full of many challenges, but also a lot of fun times as well, so I'm really excited 
to be a pillar of support for you and your family. I graduated from the University of Michigan 
with a Bachelor's in Psychology, go blue, and I'm currently pursuing my master's at Antioch 
University in clinical psychology. Growing up in Hispanic households, mental health wasn't 
something that was necessarily emphasized. I didn't get my first personal therapy until I 
was in college. For that reason, it's really important to me to bring this opportunity to children 
and teens who are a little bit younger than I was when I first started my journey with mental health.  
 
I know it's super important and it really could have helped me when I was a bit younger. I'm really 
passionate about reducing stigma around  
mental health in black and brown communities. Again, I just think it's an awesome resource 
and I'm really looking forward to, again, being that support for you and your family. In my free 
time I love being active. I actually used to be an amateur boxer, so I had a few fights. I don't 
do that anymore, although I do sometimes go to a boxing workout. I love to be outside going on 
a hike, just playing various sports. I also do like to tap into a softer side. I enjoy yoga. I like 
doing art and being creative. I'm also a plant mom and I actually have a snake and a gecko at home. 
So I really enjoy animals and I love nature. I'm really excited to start working with you and 
your family. Feel free to contact me at Maya, M -A -Y -A, at childteencounseling .org, or give 
Child and Teen Counseling a call and we can get this journey started. I'm looking forward to 
seeing you.  
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