Lisa Padilla, LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker & Clinical Manager

Lisa Padilla has been working in the field of social services for 7 years; Her counseling style is empathic, empowering and straight-forward. She believes you are the expert in your own life and together she will help will forge a path for your individual destination. She believes in the power of being present in the moment and utilizing that as an agent of change. Her approach is respectful, utilizing a combination of evidence-based interventions depending on your individual need. She has been trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Mindfulness, Psycho-Dynamic, and Solution Focused Behavioral Therapy (SFBT). Lisa began by working crisis intervention for domestic violence survivors and providing on-going counseling to survivors and families as well as facilitating psycho-educational groups for self-help and parenting. She also has experience in substance use disorders, ranging from in-treatment residential, full-time care with co-occurring mental health disorders; to organizing a community-based outpatient treatment program. Reaching out for help is the first and hardest step; it’s also the one that leads to a healthier, happier tomorrow. Lisa joined Grow Through Life Counseling in 2021 as a provider and the Oceanside Clinical Manager helping support the team! 

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Yang Jiang, AMFT, Phd

Associate Marriage and Family Therapist Supervised by Russell Sprague, LMFT

Yang is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist who received her Master's Degree in marital and family therapy and PhD in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego. Yang is passionate about helping her clients achieve a sense of purpose, power, and fulfillment through growth in areas such as identification of strengths, socio-emotional skills, and a desire to change. With families and couples, Yang brings a balanced and multi-faceted approach to uncovering and transforming unhealthy relationship dynamics and patterns. Yang has a strong background in substance abuse with adolescents and adults (including working with the families of those struggling with addiction) as well as anxiety and depression. She has also worked with diverse populations and understands how different identities (e.g. race, ethnicity, class, gender) can intersect and influence an individual's well-being. 

Bret Klausen, APCC

Associate Professional Clinical Counselor Supervised by Russell Sprague, LMFT

Bret is a warm and empathic APCC who received his Master's degree from National University in 2020. A Socal native, Bret is passionate about working with children and has spent the last three years working across diverse populations. He has worked with at-risk youth and students with special needs, in addition to those experiencing anxiety, family issues, anxiety, depression, and more. He takes a multifaceted approach to treatment, drawing on techniques from client-centered, play therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and mindfulness approaches. In addition to in-person treatment, he has experience working with clients via telehealth, utilizing various tools and resources in order to facilitate an effective and engaging environment for clients from the safety of their own homes. Bret meets his clients from a place of deep understanding and desire to help, which he believes is foundational to the work he does

Holly Kempler, LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Holly Kempler is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of California. She supports her

clients through a client-centered and strengths-based approach. Holly views her clients from a Systems

perspective, looking at the client and their interactions with the world around them. She earned her

master’s degree in social work at the University of Southern California with a concentration in mental

health. There she also obtained her Pupil Personnel Services Credential in School Social Work, making

her an expert in navigating support services within the school system. Holly has experience working with

clients throughout a majority of the lifespan and specializes in working with children and teens.

Throughout Holly’s career as a social worker she has provided clinical services in many settings

including: schools (elementary, middle, high school, continuation/ court schools), mobile crisis

community-based services, outpatient clinics, group homes, and juvenile/ adult detention centers. She

has experience supporting client’s with a wide range of concerns, such as trauma (including complex

issues such as human trafficking), depression, anxiety, anger, ADHD, grief, substance use, relationship or

family issues, life transitions, and self esteem. 

Katherine "Kasey" Hartdegen, LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Kasey is a San Diego naïve who has been working with children and families in non-profits and school based settings for the last 5 years. She has a Master’s degree in clinical psychology from Azusa Pacific University and is a licensed marriage and family therapist. Kasey has experience working with children ages 2-18 and their families who struggle with anxiety, depression and difficulty adjusting to new situations including divorce, Child Welfare involvement and trauma. Kasey has specialized training in play therapy and trauma focused CBT. Kasey utilizes a person-centered approach and believes parent’s are the expert on their children and views therapy as a space for children and families to explore their values and grow. She assists children and teens with creating more harmonious adjustments to life stressors including: blending families, grief and loss, family moves and transitions. She enjoys supporting communication in the parent-child and parent-teen relationships via family therapy. Kasey is passionate about helping youth have a happier, better emotional quality of life. 

Melanie Carrion, LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Melanie Carrion is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with the state of California. She has a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from National University, a Bachelor of Art in Psychology from California State University, Fresno. Melanie has worked with families for over twenty years and has worked in a variety of settings including inpatient, outpatient, correctional facilities, group homes, school, and in the home. Melanie has a great deal of experience working with struggling adolescents and families, working to build support systems, and working on family dynamics.  As a licensed clinician at Grow Through Life Counseling she supports clients who struggle with anxiety, depression, anger, self-esteem issues, gender identity, substance abuse and trauma. 

Greta Meyerhof, LMFT

Licensed Marriage Family Therapist

Greta Meyerhof has over 25 years of experience as a marriage and family therapist in many different treatment settings including working therapeutically with incarcerated youth, working with families housed in domestic violence shelters, providing therapy for young adults and family members in a residential treatment program for substance use disorder and working in a medical clinic. Greta also created and implemented a Parent Education Program that is probation approved. She has considerable experience treating depression, anxiety, trauma, parenting concerns and uses evidenced based tools in her practice such as CBT and mindful based stress reduction. She is confident she can assist families and young ones with life’s challenges whether it is managing stress, resolving conflicts or developing self-empowerment.