Meet Our San Diego Team
Shari Finney, LMFT
Shari is thrilled to bring her more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit management and clinical experience to the clinic, with a long history of deep ties to the local community.
Shari has spent many years in nonprofit service in San Diego. For eight years she served on the Board of Directors of the Regional Task Force on the Homeless, as well as the Social Action Collaborative. Additionally, she served on the Council to End Homelessness during its inception. She also received commendations from the Mayor of San Diego from 2009 to 2014 for excellence in treatment programs; recognition for innovation from the United Way of San Diego for creating the Recuperative Care Unit for medically fragile homeless and in 2007 she received the San Diego Business Journal’s Woman of the Year award.
A licensed marriage and family therapist, Shari received her Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of San Diego. Prior to her appointment to the Cohen Clinic, she was the Executive Director of Peninsula Shepherd Center and prior to that was the Vice President of Clinical Programs for San Diego Rescue Mission. She enjoys utilizing her skillset and experience to manage effective treatment programs that assist veterans in attaining recovery, self-sufficiency, and healing.
Having grown up with a father who served in the Air Force and in a military city, Shari knows it is an incredible honor to provide care to those who served our country. She also understands the endless stress and sacrifice military families experience and looks forward to providing care for all military family members, including children and spouses.
Shari currently resides in San Diego with her family. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, swimming and playing with her dogs.
Kelly Williams, LMFT
Prior to joining the clinic, Kelly worked on Naval Base San Diego with active-duty sailors to help improve their day-to-day life challenges. She also worked with Marines at MCRD Miramar and their families to help them build resiliency against the challenges that a military lifestyle can provide. Prior to those roles, Kelly provided trauma therapy to youth in the foster care system and child therapy for families at emergency children shelters. She also has prior experience working with nonprofits focused on education and mental health. Most recently, Kelly has been working in private practice with adults, children, families, and couples.
Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Kelly received her bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University in Psychology with an emphasis on early childhood development. She later received her master’s degree from San Diego State University in Counseling. Kelly enjoys helping active-duty service members, veterans and military families in an environment that was created just for them. In her word, “It’s difficult enough to find a therapist who you can connect with, and then the added stress of finding one who can be sensitive to your specific military background can be even harder.” In her spare time, Kelly clinically supervises and mentors up-and-coming therapists in San Diego. Additionally, she takes part in public speaking opportunities in the community on the importance of mental health care, particularly for the military community. She is also a dog lover and enjoys reading, lifting weights, spending time at parks and exploring San Diego through kayaking, beach days and bay walks.
Giselle Vallejo, LPCC
Giselle is a bilingual clinician at the Cohen Clinic. Born and raised in Chula Vista, she received her Bachelor’s degree in religious studies at San Diego State University and received her Master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at the University of San Diego. During her graduate studies, Giselle completed her practicum at the residential program at Veterans Village of San Diego, providing services to homeless veterans with co-morbid diagnoses. Prior to becoming a part of the Cohen Clinic team, Giselle worked with non-profit organizations providing Flexible Integrated Treatment (FIT) to underserved communities, specifically to children between the ages of 2-21 and their families. Giselle has been trained in utilizing Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Parent-Child Interaction Treatment, and Prolonged Exposure. Giselle likes to take on a strengths-based, trauma-informed, and culturally-inclusive approach when working with individuals. She has a strong passion for working with people who have generational and complex trauma and believes every person should have their own space to feel heard. Giselle’s passion in working with the military population stems from having veteran family members and being a military spouse. Her husband is in the U.S. Air Force and they currently reside in Northern California. In her spare time, Giselle enjoys playing the violin, exploring new places, trying new foods, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.
Mark Shideler, M.D.
Mark Shideler M.D. serves as a Prescribing Psychiatrist at the Cohen Clinic at Veterans Village of San Diego. He joined the Cohen Clinic after 28 years in the Air Force and served as an operational physician in Aerospace Medicine (aka “Flight Doc”) and Group Surgeon for the 548th ISR Group. He also served as a psychiatrist teaching and mentoring at the 60th MDG at Travis AFB, CA.
Dr. Shideler earned his bachelor’s degree in Biology at the U.S. Air Force Academy, went to medical school at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), served as an operational, medical physician and later went on to complete psychiatry training at Wright State University.
He enjoys treating and helping people with psychological trauma and posttraumatic stress and, most importantly, helping them get their lives back. Dr. Shideler is trained and clinically experienced in Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) for nightmares.
In his spare time, he enjoys hunting, fishing and spending time with his daughter and wife. He was raised by a family that moved a lot and has called the following places home: Alaska, Ohio, New Mexico, Virginia, Colorado, Northern California, Alabama, Maryland and South Korea.
Maegen DeGroff, LPCC
Maegen is a licensed clinician with experience working primarily with adults struggling with mood dysregulation, mood disorders, trauma, substance abuse, and severe anxiety. She utilizes evidenced-based practices including CBT, DBT, and EMDR to assist clients in their treatment goals.
She says she truly respects and admires veterans, service members and their families. “I really appreciate the holistic and evidenced-based treatment approach that the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, San Diego and Cohen Veterans Network offers to veterans, service members and their families. I also really appreciate the amount of consideration and care that goes into offering culturally appropriate services for the military family community,” she said.
In her leisure, Maegen enjoys spending time with her two dogs, getting outside, listening to music or podcasts, and reading.
Celeste Gomez-Lozoya
As the Senior Business Office Manager, Celeste Gomez-Lozoya is responsible for all office administration at the three Cohen Clinics at VVSD across Southern California, overseeing clinical and financial operations. She also supports clinical, outreach, and case management staff, and supervises the administrative staff. Celeste has been with the team since the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, San Diego was still under construction and is honored to see the Cohen Clinics expand to Oceanside and Los Angeles!
Prior to her current role, Celeste was the Office Coordinator for the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, San Diego where she provided administrative support to the office by organizing daily client schedules, triaging incoming client reports to appropriate locations, preparing billing information, and documenting insurance pre-authorizations and pre-certifications, among other office responsibilities.
Celeste is bilingual and is tremendously proud she can help eliminate language barriers. Having Airmen and Marines in her family is what initiated her passion to help give back to the military community. Although born in Los Angeles, Celeste considers herself a San Diegan since she has spent most of her life in San Diego. In her free time, Celeste loves to spend time with her husband and toddler. She also enjoys road trips, decluttering, and reading as mental self-care exercises!
Ashley Tatum, MHA
After serving in the Navy for nine years, Ashley obtained her Bachelor and Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from National University. During this time, she also worked in the Department of Veterans Affairs office at National University in the Benefits and Enrollments Department.
While on active duty, Ashley was able to work alongside great people and see many amazing places. Her passion for wanting to help veterans with their mental health started after going through the transition from the military to civilian sector herself and realizing the importance of having a strong support system. As a Case Manager at the Cohen Clinic, she helps other veterans with their needs by connecting them to resources in the community that will ensure their success. And as a Substance Use Disorder Counselor, she provides addiction severity assessments, treatment goals and relapse prevention plans for clients, followed by tools to obtain and maintain sobriety.
Ashley is originally from Findlay, Ohio but thanks to the Navy, she has lived in Southern California for 20 years and is currently living in San Diego, California. She loves to spend her spare time with her family and reading.
Leslie Ann Amaya, LMFT
Leslie works with individuals, couples, and families, utilizing mindfulness-based approaches and focuses on client collaboration to offer person-centered treatment to clients.
Prior to joining the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Leslie worked with a range of clients from adolescents to adults, including military and civilian populations. During her time as a clinician, she has worked in outpatient, residential and hospital settings. Leslie has worked as a clinician at the VVSD Veterans Rehabilitation Program residential treatment program for substance use and co-occurring disorders, treating veterans and civilians. Additionally, Leslie has experience working with those who have an eating disorder diagnosis and co-occurring mental health diagnosis. Leslie began her career through utilizing equine-assisted therapy in her home state of Texas with veteran populations. Leslie enjoys helping military families in an environment that was created just for them and is honored to continue to serve clients who have served their country, and their family members.
Leslie received her Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Tech University in Community, Family and Addiction Sciences with focuses on psychology and human development and family studies. Subsequently, she graduated from the University of San Diego with a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Leslie resides full time in San Diego. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time outside at the beach and utilizing weightlifting and mindfulness approaches in her day-to-day life.
Kelly Grace Finney, LMFT
Kelly is a clinician at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, San Diego, working with individuals, couples, and families. She utilizes evidence-based practices to help clients reach their goals. An Associate Marriage & Family Therapist and a double alumnus from San Diego State University, Kelly moved to San Diego to pursue her degree in Psychology with a minor in Counseling & Social Change and graduated after three years before earning a degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Kelly has spent her career in both academic and community mental health settings, primarily working with queer and trans youth and adults, victims of abuse & trauma, and folks navigating major life transitions. She started practicing at the Center for Community Counseling & Engagement in City Heights, then spent her traineeship working with students and families at Monte Vista High School in Spring Valley. Once she graduated, she worked as a full-time therapist at SDSU’s counseling center seeing individuals and couples. From there, she served as a Transitional Aged Youth Specialist (ages 18-25) at Union of Pan Asian Communities, working primarily with young adults struggling with complex trauma and psychosis.
She has worked with many veterans in previous settings and knew she wanted to continue working with this underserved community. “I love the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, San Diego because it not only gives me the opportunity to work with veterans and active-duty service members, but their families and partners as well. Additionally, our team here is incredibly compassionate and dedicated to client wellbeing – it’s an honor to work with folks who share the same goals of serving the community,” she said.
In her free time, Kelly enjoys reading, making jewelry, spending time with her dog, Juno, and being in the ocean — ideally, doing those activities side by side with loved ones!
Emily Paddock, LMFT
Emily is a clinician at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, San Diego, providing high-quality mental health care to veterans, service members and their families.
Prior to her role at the Cohen Clinic, Emily worked as the cultural tourism coordinator for the San Diego Tourism Authority, where she promoted and advocated for San Diego’s cultural diversity through media, city, and grassroots objectives. Emily received her bachelor’s degree from California State University Northridge in Communication Studies and is currently in the second year of her master’s program in Marriage and Family Therapy at Alliant International University.
Emily firmly believes in taking a strength-based approach when working with clients—raising self-awareness and working with the whole self. She is the daughter of an active-duty Naval captain, with an undeniable passion for our military members and their families. This opportunity to work with a community she is so endeared to is a dream come true for Emily. Through plenty of moves because of the military, she has found home in San Diego for the past eleven years. In her free time, Emily finds herself enjoying the multitude of hikes, eats and treats, iconic music venues and ample scenery of the region.
Shawn Grant
As a Clinical Fellow at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, San Diego, Shawn helps the clinical team to assess and provide therapy to veterans, active duty service members and military family members. He is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, having earned a master’s degree in counseling from National University (2023), as well as a master’s degree in psychology research from Ashford University (2020).
A U.S. Marine Corp Veteran, Shawn worked in the field of Aviation Operations for 20 years, serving one tour in Iraq and two tours in Afghanistan.
Shawn says what resonates with him about the services at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, San Diego is that they are necessary services he wishes he was able to receive while on active duty. “ I had the honor and privilege of serving with the Marines, leading, and learning from them. And I know what it’s like to be active duty and all the hardships that go along with it,” he said.
In his leisure, Shawn enjoys spending time with his family and traveling.
Arturo Antonio Garcia
As Intake Coordinator, Arturo provides support for the Cohen Clinic at Veterans Village of San Diego (VVSD) as the first contact for services. He conducts screenings and intakes for veterans, service members and their families.
With 20 years of service in the United States Air Force, he is a seasoned logistic expert and a quality assurance team lead, managing administrative processes and providing support to service members. He developed strong analytical, communication, and leadership skills that enables him to excel in challenging and dynamic environments. He retired at the rank of Master Sergeant (MSgt). His career field was 2T2 – Air Transportation. Arturo earned a Transportation Management Associate of Applied Science (AAS) and Bachelor of Arts in Sociology.
When asked what resonated him most about the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, San Diego, he said, “Transitioning out of the Air Force, there were concerns that I would lose a bit of myself. Looking for a new career, I wanted to ensure I could find a way to continue serving. Being part of this incredible organization gives me a sense of pride and purpose
Carlos Cantú
As a CVN Fellow, Carlos provides mental health therapy to veterans, service members and their family members among the clinical team at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, San Diego. He provides therapy utilizing different theoretical modalities, with an emphasis on a mix between Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Reality Therapy.
Born and raised in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, Carlos moved to Brownsville, Texas when he was 14 years old and lived there until college. He graduated from American University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and from the University of San Diego with a master’s degree in counseling with a specialization in Clinical Mental Health. Then, he was an intern at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, San Diego for a year as part of his school requirement before receiving an offer to become a full-time employee for his current fellowship position.
“I really saw the positive impact the work at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD was having on the community and how much they appreciated that,” he said. “Additionally, I was able to adapt to the clinic’s culture and create very strong and meaningful relationships with many of my peers and supervisors, which I believe is a necessity when trying to foster an environment where I can succeed as a professional.”
Furthermore, he said he realizes the important role civilians, like him, play in supporting active-duty service members and veterans during their transition into society, as well as any challenging misconceptions of the civilian experience.
In his leisure, Carlos is a big fan of international football. He also enjoys playing video games, watching anime, playing board games, doing volunteer work, hunting with his father, and spending time with family and friends.
Gary “Alex” Santis
Alex is a bilingual licensed clinician with experience working with adolescence, transitional aged youth, and family systems in underserved populations. Prior to joining the Cohen Clinic at VVSD family, Alex was a crisis response clinician serving individuals throughout San Diego County involved in severe mental health circumstances, providing stabilization interventions and/or transporting these individuals to community agencies that provide higher level of care.
As a clinician at Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Alex’s treatment philosophy focuses on systemic and client centered perspectives of military service members and their families in outpatient settings. Utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Structural Family Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and Trauma Informed Care therapeutic models and techniques in addressing functional deficits and providing clients with the coping skills to live satisfying and healthy lives.
A retired U.S. Navy Mustang of 20 years, Alex hales from Miami, FL and began his service at 32nd Street Naval Station, San Diego onboard the USS John A Moore FFG-19 for five years, conducting three deployments and multiple exercises. His next duty station was at SIMA, Mayport in Jacksonville, FL where he was selected to the enlisted commissioning program and attended the University of North Florida where he doubled majored earning bachelor’s degrees in history and international studies.
Upon graduation, he transferred to Pensacola as a student naval aviator and upon completion of training reported to VP-40 “the fighting marlins” out of NAS Whidbey Island, WA; where he completed two deployments to Iraq and participated in various exercises flying the mighty P-3 Orion. His next duty station was JIATF-West at PACOM, Honolulu, HI, where he served as a training liaison officer for countries in Oceana and Southeast Asia collaborating with host nation officials, U.S embassy agencies, and SOF trainers. For his final tour of duty, he was deployed to Djibouti, Africa and served as international relations manager between U.S. forces and the nations of Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi.
Coming full circle, Alex returned to San Diego in 2013, and during his retirement transition discovered a family member was diagnosed with a mental health disorder. This was the catalyst and inspiration to learn more about mental health and change the paradigm of his professions, earning a Master of Arts degree in human behavior from National University followed by a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Alliant International University.
“What resonates with me about the Cohen Clinic is that it’s like coming home, I needed time away from the military fold to understand transitioning back into civilian community. Now that I have a confident clinical skillset, I can serve those that serve in capacities I never thought possible, it is an honor,” Alex said.
In his leisure, Alex enjoys spending time with family and friends, taking on projects in the garage requiring welding, fabrication and using a whole lot of tools. He also enjoys nature, hiking, kayaking, and camping as much as possible.
Kirsten Alfaro White, M.A., NCC, APCC
An Associate Professional Clinical Counselor, Kirsten serves as the Intake Coordinate for the Cohen Clinic at VVSD. In her role, she welcomes each prospective client with a clinically informed background to complete the initial referral screener as their first step toward receiving services.
Born and raised in San Diego, Kirsten received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University San Marcos. She then went on to receive her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of San Diego. She completed her practicum experience for her graduate program in a residential treatment center for homeless veterans with substance use disorder and other co-morbid disorders. Having a passion for the veteran population, Kirsten continued her clinical experience at the residential treatment center as she accrued hours towards licensure.
Prior to joining the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Kirsten worked as the Clinical Manager for PsychArmor Institute. At PAI, she managed their national Support Center and worked to help disseminate educational courses and resources to those who work with, live with, and care for military members, veterans, and their families.
Kirsten first started her clinical work as a behavior technician for children with autism in the field of applied behavior analysis, working mostly with military families.
As the daughter of a retired Navy veteran, Kirsten is excited and honored to continue her work to with veterans and their families.
Alyssa Retuya, MPH
As the Business Office Manager at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Alyssa oversees financial operations and general office administration. She is responsible for billing/insurance verifications, providing administrative support and assisting front desk duties as needed.
As she was completing her Bachelor of Science degree at University of California, Riverside in Sociology/Administrative Studies, Alyssa decided she wanted to pursue a career in Healthcare Administration. After graduating, she pursued her Master’s degree in Public Health with a specialization in Healthcare Administration at National University. Alyssa previously worked as a Complaint Management Specialist for Tandem Diabetes Care, a Community Medical Liaison for AccentCare Home Health, and most recently, was the Clinical Compliance Specialist at Veterans Village of San Diego for the Drug Medi-Cal Program.
Alyssa is a very proud daughter of a U.S. Navy Veteran and also has several uncles who served in the Navy. “No words can ever describe the amount of gratitude I feel for the life my dad and the U.S. Navy has provided to me,” she said. “I find it extremely rewarding to be part of an entity that serves those who have served, as well as those who continue to serve us. The older I get, the more I understand the value of mental health and how important it is to prioritize it. Our team is such an amazing support system, and I am grateful to be working with them.”
In her leisure time, Alyssa enjoys taking care of her houseplants, cooking and baking, traveling, attending concerts and music festivals, as well as hanging out with her dog and spending time with family and friends.