Meet Our Oceanside Team
Shuna Ball. M.A., LMFT
Regional Clinic Director
As Regional Clinic Director, Shuna Ball provides executive leadership and strategic oversight of all clinical operations across the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinics at VVSD in San Diego, Oceanside, and Los Angeles. In this role, she ensures the delivery of high-quality care to active-duty service members, Post-9/11 veterans, and military families. Shuna brings over two decades of experience supporting the military community through a range of clinical, operational, leadership, and volunteer roles across diverse settings.
A Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Shuna holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Southern California Seminary’s School of Behavioral Sciences and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Averett University. She also holds a professional teaching certification from the University of West Florida, reflecting her commitment to continuous learning and professional development.
Shuna began her counseling and leadership journey by facilitating support groups for military spouses in San Diego, where her passion for service and advocacy took root. Clinically, she specializes in working with individuals, couples, families, military populations, and older adults. Her areas of expertise include depression, anxiety, trauma, stress management, marital conflict, career transition and development, and severe and persistent mental illness. She is trained in evidence-based practices and is dedicated to delivering high-impact, person-centered care.
Her leadership portfolio includes utilization management, clinical consultation, professional development, and systems-level consultation. She is skilled in building and sustaining collaborative community partnerships and cultivating clinical teams through mentorship, training, and operational excellence.
A proud Navy veteran, Shuna served honorably as a Hospital Corpsman at both Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms and Marine Corps Base Quantico. She is also the spouse of a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer who served honorably for 23 years. Her deep, personal connection to military service is grounded in a family legacy of proud and honorable military tradition.
Outside of her professional role, Shuna enjoys spending quality time with her family, exploring new destinations, and appreciating good food. She is also committed to lifelong learning and continuously seeks opportunities to strengthen her leadership and clinical expertise.
Kirsten Alfaro White, M.A., LPCC
Clinic Director
Kirsten White is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and serves as the Clinic Director for the Cohen Clinic at VVSD-Oceanside.
Kirsten was born and raised in San Diego, California and 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 a national non-profit organization where she oversaw their national Support Center and worked to help create and 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. Kirsten initially joined the Cohen Clinic at VVSD team as the Intake Coordinator and part time Clinician. She has been trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Children and Adolescents, Prolonged Exposure, Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy, Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality, and Image Rehearsal Therapy.
As the daughter of a retired Navy veteran, Kirsten is excited and honored to continue her work with veterans and their families. “At the end of the day, our active duty service members, veterans, and their families made a commitment to serve and sacrifice. It’s a privilege to play some part in serving them back.”
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family on mini adventures around the city and trying new food.
Destin R. Williams, CRC, LPCC
Clinician
As a Clinician at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Oceanside, Destin provides high-quality, evidence-based mental health care to veterans, service members and their families. A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army, Destin served in OIF/OEF and received his Combat Action Badge (CAB) during those operations. He began his journey into the field of therapy with a venture in Interpreting American Sign Language (ASL) for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing populations. This introduction to the population of differently abled people allowed him to express his passion for helping people in a non-intrusive manner. In his pursuit to make a bigger and more direct impact, he learned of the counseling field.
He says, “The Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Oceanside has provided me with the opportunity to connect with active-duty, veterans, their family members, and people close to them. As a post-9/11 veteran, I look forward to utilizing my experience in the military, coupled with my knowledge of the human psyche to address challenges endured by those who have given so much for the masses.”
In his spare time, Destin enjoys activities like hiking, camping, paddleboarding, biking, board gaming, electronic gaming, and puzzle solving. He also enjoys traveling out of the country to grow his life and cultural experience.
Tracie Covey Borchard MA., LMFT
Clinician
As a Licensed Therapist at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Oceanside, Tracie has experience working with children in school settings and has also worked with children and women who have experienced various forms of abuse, including substance use/recovery. She also worked with active-duty service members as an embedded Military Family Life Counselor (MFLC) on Camp Pendleton.
When thinking about the work at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Tracie says, “I appreciate the mission of the Cohen Clinic, providing care to active duty, veterans and families with cost not being a barrier to care.” Her father served in the Navy, and she has uncles and a grandfather who also served in the Navy.
In her leisure time, Tracie enjoys silversmithing and metalsmithing
Carly Rowe
LCSW, Clinician
As a clinician at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Oceanside, Carly provides high quality, evidence-based mental health treatment to veterans, service members and their families.
Carly was born and raised in San Diego, California and received her bachelor’s degree in child and family development from San Diego State University. She then went on to complete her master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern California. She completed two practicum programs while attending USC, providing socio-emotional skills to children in the foster care system and providing in-home counseling to active-duty military and their families.
After graduate school, she worked on MCB Camp Pendleton with the UCLA F.O.C.U.S program, supporting military families and couples by strengthening their resilience skills through individual sessions, presentations and workshops while working towards her licensure. Once licensed, Carly transitioned into private practice where she provided individual and group therapy to civilian and military children, teens, adults, and families.
Carly’s fiancé is a Marine veteran, and her maternal grandfather proudly served in the Army during World War II, which sparked her passion for supporting the military in every way. “I am truly honored and excited to join the Cohen Clinic at VVSD team. I deeply appreciate the clinic’s unwavering commitment to providing compassionate and effective mental health care to our nation’s heroes. I’m inspired by the team’s dedication to evidence-based practices and their passion for making a positive impact. I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues and contributing my skills to help ensure that all military and their family members have access to the support they need to thrive,” she said.
When she’s not working, Carly can be found embarking on adventures with her friends, family, and beloved dog, Waylon. She finds joy in baking sweet treats, swimming in the ocean, immersing herself in good books, and discovering hidden treasures at estate sales.
Dorothy M. Cunningham
AMFT/APCC Clinician
As a Clinician at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Oceanside, Dorothy provides evidence-based therapy to various populations associated with the military. Her career in mental health began in local agencies that collaborated with public schools providing mental health counseling to children in grades kindergarten through high school. Through other agencies, she has provided therapy to teenagers in outpatient facilities, as well as direct care and training to developmentally disabled adults in group homes and has also facilitated domestic violence groups.
“Working with post-9/11 veterans, active-duty service members and their families has allowed me to give back to the men, women and families who have put themselves in harm’s way or have lost loved ones for my safety,” Dorothy said. “I am honored to provide these warriors and their loved ones with high quality mental health care.” She added that she is very proud of her brother who is an Airforce veteran, as well as her nephew and his wife who are active-duty Marines. She has many other members of her family, including uncles and cousins, who are veterans and active-duty service members.
In her leisure, Dorothy enjoys volunteering in women’s shelters. She also likes to travel, go to plays, the beach, jazz concerts, basketball, baseball, and soccer games, as well as social gatherings with friends. Additionally, she enjoys watching mixed martial arts on television.
Jess Raddatz, B.A.
Case Manager
As Case Manager, Jess is a client advocate who researches, coordinates, and provides much-needed resources to support and improve client outcomes, so that they can achieve wellness and autonomy. Jess is from Chicago, Illinois and received her Bachelor of Art’s Degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Psychology from Northeastern Illinois University. She moved out to sunny San Diego following her completion of school.
Prior to her role at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Oceanside, she worked as a Case Manager for an organization whose focal point was for persons with developmental disabilities. While there, she provided in-home service coordination to clients ages 0-3 with developmental disabilities and their families, connecting them to resources in the community. In addition, she worked with the local school district as the children transitioned to school base services. She frequently went to Camp Pendleton to work with the military families that lived on base. Here, her passion grew for the military population and complexity that encompasses serving your country. She also participated in county committee meetings in collaboration with community partners to ensure parents and caregivers had the resources they needed to foster their children’s development and behavioral health.
Jess’s grandparents both served in the Army during World War ll. “I am so grateful and excited to be a part of the Cohen Clinic at VVSD team, as we break down barriers and create accessibility to mental health services. Veterans, active-duty, and their families have made significant sacrifices and it’s an honor to serve them and their families so they can live their best lives.”
In her spare time, Jess enjoys being outdoors, spending time with her two dogs, and braving cold plunges.
Joshua Sheahan Suárez
Intake Coordinator.
As Office Coordinator, Joshua facilitates front desk responsibilities, including answering incoming calls, scheduling therapy appointments for clients, and supporting the various other roles within the Cohen Clinic at VVSD in San Diego. Whether it is scheduling, organizing information, or being the first point of contact for clients, he helps to make sure the office runs smoothly. Prior to working at the Cohen Clinic, Joshua worked in software testing.
He was attracted to the Cohen Clinic, “particularly because of my personal history with mental illnesses, both with myself and my family. It’s good to see an effort toward these things, not only to spread awareness, but also to emphasize accessibility to these services,” he said.
In his spare time, Joshua enjoys being a father, a musician, and a woodworker.
Angela “Angie” Beeson
APCC, Clinical Fellow
As a Clinical Fellow at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Oceanside, Angie provides clinical therapy services to veterans, active-duty service members and military families. She earned a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling and is working toward licensure to become a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). She enjoys providing mental health treatment to individuals impacted by various challenges, with a passion for helping those impacted by trauma. Angie completed her practicum at a nonprofit agency in San Diego serving people impacted by intimate partner violence, sexual assault and stalking. After graduate school, she began working at a private practice. Angie has had family members serve in the military, including cousins and grandparents. In her leisure, she enjoys spending time with her partner, two children, and her dog, as well as eating ice cream, spending time outdoors and enjoying company with friends and other loved ones.
Joseph Geletko
MA, APCC, CSCS, Clinical Fellow
Joe Geletko serves as the Clinical Fellow at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD Oceanside. He holds a master’s degree in clinical counseling from the California School of Professional Psychology. With over a decade of experience as a certified strength and conditioning coach, Joe has cultivated a deep understanding of the connection between physical and psychological health. His holistic approach integrates movement and lifestyle interventions into his clinical practice to support overall well-being.
Joe specializes in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). Coming from a military family—his father, mother, and brother are all Marine Corps veterans—Joe has a personal and profound connection to military culture and values. This unique perspective drives his commitment to providing servicemembers and their families with the psychological support his own family needed during the post-9/11 and Iraq War era.
Outside of work, Joe enjoys practicing Muay Thai, lifting weights, cooking Mexican food, mentoring aspiring strength and conditioning coaches, and taking his German Shorthaired Pointer puppies to the beach.
Anna Espino, M.S.
Front Office Assistant
As a Front Office Assistant at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Oceanside, Anna provides assistance to the Business Office Manager with greeting clients for their appointments, as well as administrative responsibilities.
For over 20 years, she was a Senior Executive Assistant in the leadership management training and consulting field. Anna is passionate about helping people to achieve their full potential. She said, “I have a strong passion for ‘caring’ about others, and what resonates with me about the Cohen Clinic at VVSD is the desire to improve the quality of life for veterans, National Guard, Reserves, Active Duty, and their families. I have spent the last few years working in the mental health field and I look forward to working at the Cohen Clinic to help people lead fulfilling and productive lives, as per the mission and vision of the organization.”
In her spare time, you will find Anna chasing sunsets by the ocean or capturing pictures of the sand. Her favorite time is anytime she gets to spend with her daughter and son.