The Addictions Institute: Therapists

EMILY HARRIS, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist with offices in Palo Alto and Oakland. She has more than 12 years working with adolescents, adults and couples in early and long-term recovery. She also works with adult children of alcoholics/addicts and parents and spouses who are concerned about family members. She has a special interest in helping people explore issues related to relationships, life transitions and identity.

RHONA KASTLE, MFT, has been in practice in the South Bay since 1985. She has assisted patients in recovery from chemical dependency, codependency, sexual trauma, and emotional and physical abuse. She also works with clients with couple concerns, adoptive families and their adopted children, veterans of war with depression/anxiety and PTSD, and people with a general desire to improve the quality of their lives.

JOAN L. MENDELSON, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in Palo Alto, in practice on the Peninsula for over 25 years. She works with individuals and couples in all phases of addiction and has expertise in both pre/early recovery and long term recovery issues. She specializes in helping families, couples, older adolescents and young adults struggling with their own addictions or with addictions of those they love. Other interests include couples work, life transitions, resilience, and parenting.

COLLEEN KING NEY, LCSW, is a licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been in private practice as a clinician working with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families, and as a professional supervisor, for the last 25 years. During this time she has helped others explore and reflect on how early experiences effect identity, relationships and one’s sense of purpose as well as helping people in transitions in a way that creates meaningful change in their lives. Areas of focus have included depression, anxiety, children and divorce, relationships and identity issues. During the past 8 years she has developed a passionate specialty in working with individuals around addiction and recovery, aiding them in the process of radical transformation that so often can accompany this work.

PHILIP RAHM, Ph.D., LMFT, is a professional counselor who has been in private practice in the Menlo Park/Palo Alto community for over 25 years. Dr. Rahm is skilled at collaborating with couples, individuals and adolescents in creating healthy, productive and emotionally intelligent lives. Areas of focus include depression, anxiety, relationship/marital conflict, problems stemming from alcohol/drug abuse and work-related issues.

JULIA SMITH, MA, MFT, is a marriage and family therapist in private practice in Menlo Park. She sees individuals, couples and families with a wide range of concerns, including issues related to addiction, parenting and marriage, workplace, spirituality, life transitions, depression and anxiety. She has a special love of working with family members affected by the disease of addiction.

JOANNE STULTZ, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Los Altos. She has a general practice with adult individuals and couples, and a specialty working with all aspects of addiction including adult children of alcoholics.

CONNIE SWANSON, MFT, is a licensed Marriage Family Therapist with an office in Redwood City. She specializes in treatment of addiction. Work with her may begin in the context of an active addiction or at any point in recovery. She is adept with individuals, couples and families as they make sense of family histories shaped by trauma or addictive patterns.

GLORIA VAN BREE, Ph.D., brings 30 years of clinical experience to her professional and personal passion of facilitating the life-long change process necessary for recovery, personal growth and spiritual transformation. She works with adults, individuals, couples and families in her Menlo Park office. In addition to her affiliation with the Addictions Institute, she is a member of the Leadership Group of the Marion Woodman Foundation.