Chyna Tucker
ACSW, MSW — THERAPIST
The ups and downs of teen and young adult life are making you dizzy. Some days you grab your phone and lay on your bed like a human chicken breast, marinating in fear. The more you think about your future, the more worried and depressed you feel.
You feel suffocated by stress and all the things you have to think about — grades, friends, college, getting a “real” job and how crazy the world is becoming.
Maybe you’re a woman struggling to make sense of the problems that are constantly being hurled your way. If it’s not a fight with your partner or an unexpected expense, it’s your babysitter canceling and you have to leave work to pick up your child.
Last night you promised yourself that you’d wake up at 7:00 a.m. today and go to the gym. Working out is the only thing that prevents your nerves from buzzing like bees.
But it’s 7:45 a.m. and your depression feels like a gravity blanket, pinning you to the bed. Meanwhile your anxiety is rising, making you dread the day ahead.
Some days you think “is it me, or is the world working against me?!”
Hey, I’m Chyna. The world isn’t working against you. You just need a safe, judgment-free zone to figure things out, master your feelings, and resolve your problems, so they don’t bury you in overwhelm. Life can be great and I can’t wait to show you how.
FUN FACT: Chyna loves to watch sports — basketball, football, even golf! Just don’t ask her to play.
Kama Richetta
MS, LMFT — THERAPIST
Are you ready to find freedom from the negative chatter in your head? You know the kind – it’s on a constant loop saying you aren’t good enough for that partner or that you shouldn’t start your own business because you’re just going to fail.
Do you need a place to talk about how tough it is being a mixed-raced person? Because if one more person asks, “So, what are you? Where are you from?” (when what they really mean is, “Why do you look the way you do ?”), you’re going to scream.
Has someone special in your life died, and even though everyone says, “They’re in a better place” and “You should be over it by now,” you’re not.
You deserve to have freedom from the anxiety, sadness, and grief that come with living this thing we call life. Together, we can make that happen.
Hi, my name is Kama! I work with adults and teens who are tired of making unhealthy decisions and missing out on blessings because of overwhelming emotions.
In my sessions, I create a light-hearted, safe place where clients feel comfortable kicking back and being real. A place where you can address and resolve what’s holding you back from living an amazing life.
FUN FACT: “Kiss” by Prince is Kama’s go-to karaoke song.
SAGE HUBACEK
AMFT, MS — THERAPIST
Your heart is shattered because a teen or young adult that you love is “going through it.” You do your best to help, but everything you try makes them say “it’s whatever,” boil with anger, or cry and disappear in their room — lost to social media.
Maybe you have experienced something traumatic like abuse, the death of a loved one, bullying or a mass shooting. These experiences infiltrate your dreams and turn them into nightmares. They hijack your thoughts during the day, making it hard to concentrate and take care of your responsibilities.
You need a safe place to figure out why you have emotional tornadoes that make your friends and family duck and run for cover. You don’t blame them for running, at least not all the time. Because sometimes you scare yourself.
Being a human is hard and it hurts sometimes. I can help you soothe your pain.
As hard as you try, your feelings get the best of you and you end up making emotional decisions that you regret instead of making good decisions that you’re proud of.
Hi, I’m Sage! I work with teens and adults who have experienced trauma that steals their happiness and stirs up bad moods and behaviors.
I help you keep overwhelming feelings and behaviors in check so you can focus, enjoy happy relationships and feel comfortable in your skin.
FUN FACT: Sage loves to play soccer — LA Galaxy watch out!
Joseph Hamilton
AMFT, MA – THERAPIST
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can’t get your life to turn out the way you envisioned it – whether it’s being a better parent, getting your anxiety under control, or recovering from trauma.
Do you feel STUCK making the same few mistakes over and over on a loop, like getting into unhealthy relationships, putting yourself last, or ignoring your partner or mental health?
After each time, you swear it won’t happen again – but it does. This is out of character, and it’s not who you want to be. But you don’t know why you started acting this way, and you can’t figure out how to stop.
Maybe you have a teen in your life who has big emotions they can’t keep under control. It’s causing problems with “errbody” including you. The frustrating part is you can’t get them off their phone long enough to figure out what’s going on.
Did you bring the unhealthy family dynamics from your childhood into your adulthood? A lot of us do, and it’s hard to shake, especially when “momma-and-them” are around. To make it worse, when you tell them the drama needs to stop, they blame you.
Life and relationships are hard, but there are ways to make it easier. I can show you how.
Hi, my name is Joseph! I can relate to feeling stuck and confused about how to move forward and do things differently. The person you want to become is within reach! I’d love to help you get there.
FUN FACT: Joseph likes to rock out on the guitar.
Brittany Oliver
MA, LCSW – THERAPIST
You are tired of talking about the same things to family and friends — because they are not getting better and — they are tired of hearing about them. You find yourself having the same problems with different people — partners, kids and colleagues. But you aren’t able to resolve them, you don’t know why and it’s really disrupting your life.
No matter how hard you try, or what changes you make you just can’t find the happiness you know you deserve.
What if you had someone to help you sort things out? To help you see the world through a different lens and help you understand why you do what you do. And how your childhood, family and relationships impact how you live your life today. Someone who makes you feel safe digging into the parts of your life that you’ve kept secret because of embarrassment and shame.
That someone is me. Hi I’m Brittany! Sometimes we need a neutral and non-judgmental person to help us navigate through the bumps and bruises of life. I can help you unpack the toxic, emotional stuff and replace it with happiness, emotional comfort and joy. Together we can rebuild parts of your life, piece by piece, until it looks like the life you’ve always wanted to live.
Fun fact: Brittany loves to sing R&B; Music – off-key though.
Kim Simmonds
MA, LMFT – Clinical Director
Do you put yourself dead last on your to-do list, making sure that everyone in your life is ok – husband, children, parents – except you? Then, when you do carve out a sliver of time to go to a doctor’s appointment or get your hair colored, pesky feelings of guilt creep in.
Maybe you struggle with anxiety and depression that keep you from doing things you know will make your life better, like taking a class to get a raise at work or holding a boundary with an overbearing family member.
Does this ring a bell? You’ve had a trauma or crisis in your life, and you know it’s having a negative impact on you. But you can’t seem to figure out how to get past it. You isolate yourself because it’s hard for you to trust others. You rarely stand-up for yourself, and when you do, it comes out as an explosion!
Hi, I’m Kim. If you’ve experienced any kind of emotional pain, anxiety, depression, or trauma in life, you will find that it helps to have a safe place to sort it out without fear, judgment or shame. I’ll help you uncover the cause of your emotions, so they can be resolved and are no longer controlling you. I’ll teach you skills to say no when you mean it and get relief from sadness, guilt, and overwhelming emotions. I’ll meet you where you are in life and help you get to the place you want to be.
Fun fact: Kim sang background vocals for a popular sitcom that aired from 2000-2008.Schedule an appointment with Kim
Denise Brady
LCSW, MA — Clinical Supervisor
Are you worried that you may not know enough about theories and interventions to help your clients meet their goals?
And – the interventions that you did learn in school don’t really resonate with the clients you serve.
I wonder if this rings a bell – you’re in a session, your client makes a statement, and you think, “I have no idea what to do or say next.” You wish you could phone a friend. But that seems a little unprofessional, so you wing it until the session is over.
Do the letters BBS make your eye twitch? I get it. Making heads or tails of BBS rules and documentation requirements can easily put you in a tailspin because – it’s just a LOT.
Do you fall in the paperwork procrastination trap? You know you need to complete your documentation, but the thought of doing it makes your head spin, so you put it off. And you keep putting it off until it’s been two weeks, you’ve seen 35 clients, and you have ZERO notes completed.
Hi, my name is Denise! When I was an associate, I faced all the issues above and then some. That’s why I’m dedicated to helping associates alleviate the stress and overwhelm that comes with the administrative and clinical parts of therapy.
Fun fact: You can find Denise binge watching reality TV.
Jill Drenth
MSW, LCSW – Clinical Supervisor
Do you feel like you are just going through the motions? Have you been on auto-pilot for so long you can’t remember the last time you felt joy or had fun? Maybe you’ve completely neglected yourself. So, when you get home from work you just collapse. You don’t talk or hangout with your family because you have nothing left to give — plus you still have some progress notes to write.
Being rundown and burnt out, has made you discouraged about your future. You doubt if you’ll achieve success and satisfaction working in community mental health and enjoy a full and happy life.
Hello! I’m Jill. I know what you’re going through because I’ve been there. I’m a recovering burnt out, self-neglecting therapist. I don’t want you to stay stuck in that ‘burnout life’ as long as I did. Let me hold space for you to decompress and get the support you need to level-up your clinical skills and restore your well-being.
Imagine how it will feel to hold space for clients, provide quality care – and have room for yourself, your family, and clinical growth. The career and life you planned is possible. Let’s work together to get you there.
Fun fact: Jill plays the piano. It’s rusty – but it still counts.
Nicole Orsini
MS, LCSW – Director of Operations
Nicole is a lover of soccer and mother of two cookie-eating boys. She is the Director of Operations at K&S and has almost 20 years’ experience in behavioral health. Nicole manages day-to-day operations and ensures systems and procedures are carried out properly.
Her keen attention to detail is innate and is complemented by a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California, where she was a Dean’s Scholar. At USC, Nicole learned the ins and outs of social work, mastered social welfare policies, and made life-long friends.
Nicole’s career took a few twists. She managed fundraising efforts at UC Irvine’s Annual Fund where she raised more than a half million dollars. After USC, she was a diversion court liaison for clients in a Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention program. She has also provided therapy in a private practice setting.
Because Nicole has unparalleled administrative and management skills, when her friend from UC Irvine, her undergraduate alma mater, mentioned the need for an administrator at K&S, Nicole jumped at the chance. Now, she can be found working from her home office, which is beautifully decorated by her sons’ artwork, skillfully keeping all the balls in the air – and all the ‘Is’ dotted and ‘Ts’ crossed.
Fun fact: Nicole has played stopper on her soccer team since 2012.
Yeshiva Davis
LMFT, MBA – President & Founder
Yeshiva is a licensed marriage and family therapist, and owner of K&S Therapeutic Services, Inc.
She is passionate about helping working women who feel overwhelmed by all the hats they wear every day: mother, wife, divorcee, chef – I could go on.
Yeshiva loves to use humor, music, and pop culture to make therapy more approachable and relatable. She is on the Advisory Board of the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, a non-profit created by Taraji P. Henson, in honor of her father. She has appeared on the OWN Network’s #LoveGoals, Entertainment Tonight, and VH1’s Couples Therapy.
Fun fact: Yeshiva is likely to sing or rap during sessions.