Executive Director

Eden Garcia-Balis, MS, LMFT has been in the mental health field for 10 years in a variety of capacities. She is a bilingual, licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a strong commitment to supporting the healthy development to adults, teenagers and children. Eden has counseled children and teens in a clinic, school based setting and private practice. She is responsible for PMHC programming, budgeting, and general oversight of PMHC. This includes the internship program, community programs, and center programs. Additionally, she handles any client concerns or grievances.

Coordinator/Clinician

Alina Sgattoni, M.S., MFT Intern, earned her B.A. in Psychology from UCLA and her M.S. in counseling from the Marriage and Family Therapy program at California State University, Long Beach. She oversees outreach programs including, the Apprenticeship Preparation Program and Youth Accountability Program. Alina also works as a Second-Tier Clinician counseling individuals, couples, and families. Alina has extensive experience working with parents of infants and toddlers to help them strengthen their parenting skills and promote a healthy attachment with their children. Alina grew up in a small city on the Adriatic Coast of Italy and, in her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.

Clinical Supervisor

Julie Cohen is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and a Child Mental Health Specialist. Julie has more than 20 years of clinical experience working in the mental health field specializing in depression, anxiety, trauma and gay & lesbian issues. Her early training focused on trauma recovery. She also served as Director of Clinical Services at a community based domestic violence counseling center. As director, Julie created one of the first counseling programs in the country to address the mental health needs of children victimized by domestic violence. Julie has also provided clinical supervision to MFT interns at several non-profit counseling centers in the Los Angeles area.

Office Manager

Gabriela Martinez,is the Office Manager, and is better known as "Gabby." She coordinates all office functions and about a million other things. She is experienced at handling unhappy clients, flustered interns, and overwhelmed administrators with a firm, but calming hand. She has been a part of Pasadena Mental Health for over 3 years. Gabby states, "I have enjoyed working for a center that offers affordable counseling for our low income families in our community and the great work and devotion of our therapist."

Administrative Assistant

Estephani Casas is the evening and weekend receptionist and in the past has filled in for the Office Manager. She is very familiar with our front office procedures and works diligently to support our staff. Her primary role is receiving clients and collecting fees. She is popular with the interns and clients alike for her smile, warmth and friendly personality. In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with friends at and going to the beach.

Exective Assistant

Daniel was raised in Altadena and Pasadena. After graduating from Cal State L.A. with a B.A. in Sociology, he went to work for a tax consulting firm where he was recruited by another firm in Pasadena, The Enterprise Zone Company, to head their California Enterprise Zone Hiring Tax Credit division. After nine years of tax consulting, Daniel decided he wanted to work for an organization that helps members of the community directly.

Clinician

Gordon Sheldall, MFT Intern, earned his MA in Marital and Family Therapy from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena. He is currently providing second-tier clinical support by counseling individuals, couples and families at PMHC. His experience working with adults who have developmental disabilities has been enlightening and rewarding. When not counseling, Gordon likes to get involved in community, church and political pursuits. Playing tennis is one of his ways to practice self-care.

Clinician

Sherry Wait, M.A.P, MFT Intern earned her Masters in Psychology from Phillips Graduate Institute in Encino, completed her traineeship at PMHC and is currently participating as a Second-Tier Clinician counseling individuals, couples, children and families. Sherry has extensive experience in the health-care industry as a Registered Nurse and employs the concept of wellness and Humanistic/Existential theories as her core base of support when exploring basic themes, issues and concerns with her clients. She believes in the inherent strength within an individual and in the potential we all have to rise above our problems and live successful, authentic and happy lives. When not working, Sherry loves to dig around in the garden, play with the dogs, read and spend time with her family and friends.

Clinician

Natasha Morisawa is a Marriage and Family Therapist Intern in the Second Tier program at PMHC. She is a graduate of Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena and has 2 decades of experience working for non-profit organizations and local governments in the San Gabriel Valley. Her experience working in a therapeutic setting with individuals who struggle with anxiety, who are experiencing life transitions, and with people working to deepen their relationships with others has been very rewarding. Natasha also enjoys spending copious amounts of time reading, sharing delicious food, playing with family and friends and exploring the outdoors.

Clinician

Joanna McNeil, M.A., MFTI
Joanna has a master's in Marital and Family Therapy and is pursuing her doctorate in psychoanalysis at Newport Psychoanalytic Institute. Joanna currently provides psychodynamic psychotherapy for families, couples, individual children, and adults. As a Certified Gottman Educator, Joanna also offers Bringing Baby Home workshops for pregnant and expecting couples and new families. She believes in the importance of exploring one's earliest relationships to help identify current patterns of emotion, behavior, and attachment. By making meaning of one's roots, a person has power over his/her own direction of growth and change.

Clinician

Andrew Sonnekalb is a Psychology Trainee in the Second Tier program at PMHC. He is a doctoral student in Fuller’s Graduate School of Psychology where he has already earned his M.A. in Psychology. Over the course of his training Andrew has had the opportunity to work in schools, hospitals and a clinic setting here at PMHC. These diverse settings have allowed him the opportunity to develop a broad range of clinical interests and experiences which include work with individual adults, groups, children, families, and couples. When not working or studying, Andrew enjoys adventuring outdoors, playing music, reading, friends, and family.

Clinician

Teresa Montalvo is a Marriage and Family Therapist Intern in the Second Tier program at PMHC. Teresa also holds a certificate in Parenting Education from Cal State LA and has taken many courses in case management and in other Behavioral Science areas. Teresa’s main interest is focusing on trauma, depression, anxiety, and working with parents to strengthen their parenting skills to promote a healthy home environment for the entire family. Teresa applies a combination of both, the cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic therapeutic models to meet her client’s particular needs. Teresa’s focuses in motivating her clients to actively participate in the overall resolution process.