Meet our dedicated staff members
Our expert team of doctors, clinicians, counselors, and group facilitators work collaboratively to help you achieve your most ambitious and life changing mental health and substance use goals.
Clinical Team
Our clinicians, nurse practitioners, and therapists are expertly trained to ensure that your mental health or substance use treatment is tailored to your individual needs.
Dr. Martha Koo, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Martha B. Koo, M.D., is the Medical Director and Clinical Supervisor. Dr. Koo completed her undergraduate studies at Princeton University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude, and her medical training at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, where she earned membership to the AOA and Sigma Xi Society for academic excellence. Dr. Koo obtained her psychiatry residency training at the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Institute at UCLA and her subsequent psychoanalytic training at the New Center for Psychoanalysis.
She is Board Certified in Psychiatry and Board Certified in Addiction Medicine. For over twenty years Dr. Koo has enjoyed her private practice, providing outpatient psychotherapy, psychoanalysis and pharmacological treatment for individuals, couples and families. She is an active member of the American Psychiatric Association, the New Center for Psychoanalysis, the Clinical TMS Society, the American Society of Addiction Medicine, the American Society of Ketamine Physicians, the California Psychiatric Society and the Southern California Psychiatric Society.
Dr. Jason Giles, M.D., Board Certified Addictionologist
Detox and Residential Medical Director
Dr. Haiyan Wang, MD
Medical Director
Dr. Wang completed the first three years of her adult psychiatry residency at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington D.C. She completed her child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at New York University. NYU is one of the nation’s leading institutes in children’s mental health. She has also received psychoanalytical training from Washington Baltimore Psychoanalytic Institute. Dr. Wang also holds a master’s degree from the University of Connecticut in Physiology and Neurobiology. Prior to her residency and fellowship, she invested years in psychiatric and neuroscience research and published journal articles.
Dr. Haiyan Wang is particularly passionate about diagnosing and practicing evidence-based treatments in children, adolescents and young adults who have anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, mood disorder, PTSD, ADHD, disruptive behavior, and psychosis as well as providing parenting and behavioral strategies.
She has extensive experiences working with OCD and anxiety patients and has been severed as an expert in such areas by providing care to patients throughout US due to their severe OCD and anxiety symptoms. She provides routine complex medication managements and provide guidance for behavioral intervention such as ERP and CBT.
Dr. Haiyan Wang has been actively involved in mentoring next generations of mental health providers and provide peer consults for OCD and anxiety treatment for children, adolescents and adults.
She has a thorough knowledge of the neuroscience related to psychiatric illnesses. She stays up to date with current research on those topics.
Brittany Skinner, PMHNP
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Brittany is a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She was born and raised in a small town in Missouri before she came to California as a travel nurse. Brittany has an extensive critical care background as well as a background in psychiatry and addiction medicine, and she believes in staying up-to-date with all the newest technology and medications to find what truly works best for her patients. Having trained in large metropolitan areas as well as rural communities, it is her passion to provide affordable, quality mental health care to those in all areas. Brittany is active in the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and American Nurses Association of California as well the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. In her free time, Brittany can be found traveling, enjoying the outdoors or with her dog at the dog park.
Paula Martin, PMHNP
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Paula Martin is a compassionate Board Certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with experience spanning diverse settings with a solid foundation in trauma-informed practices.
She initiated her professional journey in the field of Behavioral and Mental Health in an acute inpatient setting where she gained experience in caring for adult individuals suffering from psychiatric and substance use disorders. She furthered her expertise and practical skills and subsequently joined a team at a children’s hospital in an inpatient mental health unit specializing in delivering trauma-informed care to children and adolescents grappling with psychiatric disorders and/or adverse childhood experiences. In addition, she gained experience in a crisis stabilization unit working with adults and adolescents. The experience gained at these facilities served as her primary motivation to pursue graduate studies and become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner to better care and advocate for those with mental health disorders. Afterwards, she then proceeded to work as a PMHNP with adults in detox, residential, PHP/IOP, and outpatient settings helping those with mental health and substance use disorders.
Paula believes that collaborative treatment with psychiatrists and other mental health care providers is critical to a holistic treatment strategy. She also believes that it is very vital to serve every client and their loved ones with the utmost respect and dignity.
Shemiah Sullivan, PMHNP
Adult and Teen Mental Health Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
As a dual-licensed nurse practitioner in both family medicine and psychiatric-mental health, Shemiah focuses on treating people, not just symptoms, with a personalized and integrative approach. This commitment is reflected in her personalized treatment plans that integrate traditional psychiatric medications and psychotherapy, with alternative therapeutic modalities and considerations, such as mindfulness, nutrition, and lifestyle modifications to best address a patient’s presenting symptoms, lifestyle, and preferences.
Shemiah is a strong advocate for patient education and empowerment, believing that informed patients are better equipped to engage in their healing journey. Known for her empathetic listening and supportive demeanor, Shemiah creates a safe and nurturing environment where patients feel heard and valued. It is her sincere hope that patients leave every visit feeling well-informed and confident that their mental health is moving in the right direction.
Shemiah received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley. After working in public relations, marketing communications, and entertainment for 11 years, she decided to pursue her calling in nursing and medicine. Shemiah earned a Master of Science in Nursing from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and post-masters’ certificates in Family Nurse Practitioner from Husson University and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from Frontier Nursing University. She has over 10 years of experience in nursing management, palliative care/hospice, street medicine, and mental health, having worked for Kaiser Permanente, Cedars-Sinai, Ronald Reagan UCLA, and Los Angeles County’s Department of Health Services.
Jason Bernstein, LMFT
Detox/Residential and Dual Diagnosis Outpatient Clinical Director
Jason is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University. Jason brings with him 5+ years of working in the substance use and mental health field and is passionate about supporting others that are seeking dual diagnosis treatment on their journey toward healing, growth, and achieving their goals.
Lily Shariat, LMFT
Mental Health Residential and Virtual Clinical Director
Lily is a clinically trained and licensed marriage and family therapist, with 15+ years of experience as a dedicated, & versatile senior executive. Leading large accounts & programs has provided her with the expertise to consult and advise on business and clinical matters.
With an excellent reputation & high customer satisfaction record, she has been fortunate to work with leaders in the mental healthcare industry. She is highly collaborative, creative, and organized. And able to anticipate, conceptualize & articulate end to end project challenges & opportunities, and lead initiatives to completion in a highly matrixed environment.
Karissa Provost, LMFT
Teen and Adult Outpatient Clinical Director
Karissa Provost is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a grief specialist. She has worked with children, adolescents and adults of all ages in various settings including residential programs for transitional age youth, families impacted by domestic violence, and families at-risk of homelessness. She has had the opportunity to work on high school campus drop-in centers providing mental health care, support, and crisis management. She has worked extensively with at-risk and grieving adolescents and their families throughout Los Angeles in the course of her career.
She has trained and supervised hundreds of pre-licensed therapists as well as grief specialist volunteers who have provided therapy or support services to children, adolescents and their families in community-based organizations, and schools. She has presented at several professional local and national conferences and is a guest lecturer at Antioch University.
Additionally, Karissa has provided grief trainings and workshops to USC medical students, school personnel, parents of grieving children, and has provided on-site grief responses at schools, businesses and religious institutions in the direct aftermath of a death. As a professional speaker, educator, consultant, advocate and clinician, Karissa has dedicated her career to serving individuals and families by providing quality care from a family systems and wholistic approach so individuals and their families can lead healthy, productive, and meaningful lives.
In her spare time, Karissa enjoys being with family and friends, reading, dancing, singing in her car, and being near the ocean.
Jamie Arthur, CATC, CADC-II
Detox & Residential Program Director
Jamie Arthur is a Certified Addiction Treatment Counselor with five years of experience in substance abuse treatment. Prior to her time at Clear, Jamie was a counselor and program coordinator at a structured sober living for women with children.
She has also worked at an IOP facility that serves adolescents and adults.
Driven by her personal experience of getting sober with four young children at home, Jamie has dedicated the last few years of her life to guiding women to live a healthy lifestyle free from alcohol and drugs. Her personal experience, her strong belief in the 12-step model of recovery and her passion for helping others reconnect with their families make her an incredible asset to the Clear family.
Alicia Molina, CADC-I
Young Adult Dual-Diagnosis Program Director
Alicia Molina was one of the original team members of Clear Behavioral Health. She is a certified counselor that is passionate about recovery. She is currently the program director for the young adult dual-diagnosis track. Alicia has worked with teens, men, women and mental health clients and found that the Clear model of recovery works for everyone who is interested in living a healthy lifestyle. She takes a real interest in learning about a clients background, building rapport, assessing their immediate needs, building a relationship with them and their family, all while meeting the client where they are at. She believes that identifying the problem and living in the solution is key.
Peter Ehrenfried, AMFT
Teen Mental Health Program Director, South Bay
I have a strong passion for recovery both in my own lives experience and experience as a clinician. It is truly a gift to help others down their path to wellness and I love building relationships with people that extend beyond groups and individual sessions. I am eager to continue learning more about being a supportive, caring figure for those in need.
Keefer Wurmstich, CADC
Outpatient Dual Diagnosis and Virtual IOP Program Director
Keefer is a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor who brings 5+ years of experience in substance use and mental health treatment. Keefer is passionate about helping others that struggle with mental health and substance use to achieve sustained recovery and emotional stability. Keefer’s personal experience, and his belief in the 12-step model of recovery, serve as the foundation of his framework in guiding others on a spiritual journey to health, wellness, and continuous sobriety. Stepping into a director role, Keefer has found that he is just as passionate about the operations side of treatment, as he has been in counseling.
When he is not serving his clients, Keefer enjoys working with others in a 12-step program, surfing, and spending time with his wife, family, and friends.
Celina Serna, ACSW
Outpatient Mental Health Program Director, Van Nuys
Celina is an Associate Clinical Social Worker. Celina graduated with her Bachelor of Arts from CSU, Sacramento and with a Masters in Social Work from CSU, Stanislaus.
Celina has experience working at group homes, school settings, a state correctional facility and an intensive outpatient program for teens and families. She has the experience facilitating groups, individual sessions and family sessions.
Her career path and experiences has allowed her to learn skills such as CBT, DBT, motivational interviewing, psychoeducational groups, process groups, and skills groups.
Logan Vournas, ACSW
Outpatient Mental Health Program Director, Redondo Beach
Logan Vournas is an associate clinical social worker, therapist, and program director at Clear’s Adult Redondo Beach location. They are a culturally competent, trauma-informed therapist who has worked with adults and adolescents in homeless shelters, community resource centers, and intensive outpatient programs.
Logan attended California State University, Long Beach obtaining a Master’s Degree in Education, the Social and Cultural Analysis of Education, and attended the University of Southern California and has a Master’s in Social Work with an emphasis on trauma-informed care.
Their career path and experiences has allowed them to learn skills such as internal family systems, seeing safety, mindfulness based self compassion, CBT, DBT, psychoeducational groups, process groups, and skills groups. They are focused on collaborating with clients to foster their self determination and agency to support their most authentic and genuine growth and change.
Melissa Rojas, AMFT
Residential Mental Health Program Director
Melissa is an associate marriage and family therapist and program director at Clear’s Residential Locations. She is a soft and direct trauma-informed therapist who has worked with adults in community settings. Melissa has worked in various levels of behavioral healthcare including residential LGBTQIA+ affirmative program and intensive outpatient programs.
Melissa is a Los Angeles native and has always been very involved with her community whether it be volunteering and now helping individuals with their mental health. When not working in the mental health field she is participating in her other passion, dancing and fire performance.
Matthew Jarvis
Outpatient Mental Health Program Director, LA
Matthew Jarvis is a seasoned mental health professional, with over a decade of experience specializing in dual-diagnosis treatment, clinical intervention support, and addiction recovery. As a Marriage and Family Therapy Trainee (MFTT) and Registered Addiction Counselor (RAC), Matthew brings expertise in managing complex mental health cases, offering a holistic approach to care. He is set to graduate with a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University in December 2024 and is actively pursuing licensure as a therapist.
Matthew’s career has been defined by his commitment to client advocacy, family support, and the development of multidisciplinary teams to address acute and long-term recovery needs. His integrative therapeutic style combines humanistic values with evidence-based practices, drawing from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), ensuring tailored, effective treatment plans for each client.
His approach to care and leadership is deeply informed by his own personal journey, where he sees himself as a fellow traveler. This perspective allows him to relate authentically and meaningfully with those he serves, blending professional insight and personal experience to inspire sustained healing and resilience.
Tyler Suran, MA, APCC
Outpatient Mental Health Program Director, Pasadena
Tyler Suran is an empathetic Mental Health Professional and Associate Professional Clinical Counselor with over 5 years of hands-on experience providing quality in-patient and out-patient psychological services to adults and adolescents. Tyler obtained his Master of Arts in Professional Mental Health Counseling while specializing in Addictions Counseling from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Tyler’s clinical focus during his master’s program was with individuals within the LGBTQIA+ community in which he is allied, as well as those suffering from substance use disorders. Tyler currently works as an Interim Program Director within Clear Behavioral Healths adult and teen mental health outpatient programs division. Tyler came into Clear as a counselor and Case Manager, where he was able to showcase his skills in providing evidenced-based treatment to meet clients’ needs while prioritizing building rapport along the way.
Tyler is skilled in identifying, assessing, and diagnosing mental health and emotional issues, developing and implementing interventions and treatment plans, and facilitating group counseling sessions and skills groups. Tyler aims to provide a non-judgmental space that is ideal for personal acceptance and change. Tyler offers a holistic approach through cultural relational theory of counseling to understand the influences of biopsychosocial factors contributing to an individual’s mental health concerns. Tyler often utilizes CBT and DBT interventions in his counseling through a trauma-informed lens to ensure evidence-based outcomes for his clients.
Tyler states that his values in his therapeutic style is “believing in the powers of connection and compassion, as well as, challenging conflicting beliefs that may be a barrier to their desired outcome.” While not at work, Tyler enjoys spending time exploring Los Angeles music scene, enjoying time outdoors and traveling to learn about new cultures. One fun fact about Tyler is that he worked abroad for two years in Bangkok, Thailand where he had the opportunity to learn about Thai culture and enjoy endless amount of local cuisine while working and exploring the Southeast Asia.
Aaron Mostin, MA, AMFT
Outpatient Mental Health Program Director, El Segundo
Aaron Mostin is a seasoned behavioral health professional with over 16 years of experience. As a Program Director at Clear Behavioral Health, Aaron leads with integrity, compassion, and a results-oriented mindset, ensuring clients receive the highest quality care.
Aaron’s expertise spans from holding positions as a director of admissions, director of social work, and an associate marriage and family therapist. Aaron holds a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Phillips Graduate Institute and a Bachelor of Science in Family Studies from California State University Northridge.
Committed to making a positive impact, Aaron builds strong relationships with clients, families, and colleagues, bringing empathy and professionalism to every interaction.
Brittani Skinner, ACSW
Outpatient Mental Health Program Director, Santa Clarita
Brittani Skinner is the Program Director at Clear Behavioral Health’s Santa Clarita intensive outpatient program, where she leads therapeutic services for teens and adults navigating mental health challenges. With over seven years of experience in social work and behavioral health, Brittani combines her expertise from diverse settings, including schools and hospitals, to provide compassionate and effective care.
Prior to joining Clear Behavioral Health, Brittani served as an Educational Program Manager in a school district, where she connected students and families to critical resources and implemented mental health interventions. She also worked as a Medical and Psychiatric Social Worker in hospital settings, supporting patients with comprehensive treatment planning, counseling, and crisis management.
Brittani is dedicated to fostering recovery and resilience through evidence-based approaches and collaborative care. Her leadership ensures that individuals in the Santa Clarita community receive the support they need to thrive.
Administrative Team
The members of our administrative team are deeply passionate about mental health and substance use treatment and have dedicated their careers to helping individuals and families regain a sense of stability, purpose, and healing.
Michael Joly
Chief Executive Officer
Michael Joly is the CEO of Clear Behavioral Health, with over 25 years of experience in addiction and mental health recovery. Mike has devoted his entire career to helping individuals and their families heal and recover from substance abuse and co-occurring disorders.
His passion for recovery is unparalleled. He has built a wealth of knowledge and experience that translates across many disciplines.
Mike spends his days educating and helping others create systems and programs within Clear Behavioral Health and outside in order to deliver more effective, efficient, and compassionate substance abuse and mental health treatment. He is a Redondo Beach resident, his children attend Tulita Elementary in Redondo Beach, and he is actively involved with the Education Fund, giving back to the community that he is a part of.
Chris Mijares
Chief Financial Officer
Lindsey Rae Ackerman, LMFT, CHHC
VP of Clinical Services
Lindsey Rae is a Certified Health and Life Coach and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. In addition to her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, she has also completed a specialized study in Addiction and Eating Disorders at The Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Studies.
An ever-evolving student and teacher who’s compassionately driven journey to healing her own trauma led to a dynamic career in the pursuit of helping others. Combining years of interpersonal-organizational management and creative visual merchandising experience with personal therapeutic endeavors, spiritual studies, and professional training in a number of healing modalities, Lindsey Rae creates a unique environment for her client’s transformational healing.
She is committed to gently challenging individuals to drop beneath the surface level chaos of the self-help and wellness world to focus on the real (inner) work. Guiding them along the path and encouraging them to cultivate more depth and beauty in their life while reminding them of their collective responsibility and connection to one another.
Shane Herbert
Executive Director of Operations
Shane is an accomplished healthcare executive with over two decades of experience in leadership roles spanning start-up ventures to Fortune 10 healthcare giants.
Their career reflects a deep commitment to integrating extensive industry knowledge with a comprehensive approach, emphasizing people-centric leadership strategies, optimized processes, and sustainable profitability.
Before joining Clear, Shane served in leadership roles at Carbon Health, Omnicare, and CVS Health.
Their key competencies include driving market growth initiatives, crafting effective branding strategies, maintaining compliance standards, and fostering organizational agility.
Shane’s passions outside of work are traveling, board games with family and friends and raising a precocious 2-year-old.
They also have a passion for community service, serving on the board of several volunteer organizations including the Phoenix Zoo, the California Pharmacist Association, and the Southern California chapter of the Urgent Care Association.
Sara Ghassemy, M.A., LAADC, ICAADC
Director of Operations
Sara has over 10 years of experience working with individuals struggling with substance use and mental health disorders. Sara is a graduate from Pepperdine University with her Masters in Clinical Psychology and Licensed as an Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor.
Sara has extensive work experience in all levels of behavioral healthcare including psychiatric hospitals, inpatient residential, and outpatient treatment programs for adults and teens. Her clinical knowledge and work experience has allowed her to be key in building in provider relations and navigating clients into clinically appropriate treatment.
Sara is from the South Bay and she’s extremely passionate about helping the people in the community she was born and raised in. In her time-off, Sara enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, backpacking, surfing, rock-climbing, running, and hanging out with friends and family.
Howard Barker, B.S.
Director of Business Development
Howard Barker works to engage, educate, and support the South Bay community for Clear Behavioral Health. He is focused on spreading education and awareness on issues surrounding mental health and substance abuse as well as helping families navigate the difficult waters of getting a loved one help. Howard has spent the past 7 years working with young adults and their families, being a support during times of crisis.
Rob Juhasz
Director of Admissions
Rob serves as the Director of Admissions for Clear Behavioral Health. His personal experience in the field of mental health and recovery is what drives his passion towards helping others succeed in their own recovery process. Rob has worked in the mental health and recovery field for over 4 years where he gained the knowledge and experience to be effective in connecting with others in the field. In his free time he enjoys golfing and hanging out with his dog noodle!
Kirsten Uppercue
Payor Relations Manager
Kirsten has worked in the field of mental health and recovery for the past 6 years. She found her passion in the field by watching those closest to her struggle as well as her own recovery.
Kirsten is dedicated to sharing her love of spirituality with others, and she hopes to help them find their own path. In her free time, Kirsten enjoys yoga, surfing, meditation, and anything outside in the sun.
