National Executive Director

Ashley joined the Constellation Behavioral Health team with over ten years of experience working in the care and treatment of adults with severe mental illness and co-occurring disorders. She has a wealth of experience working with diverse populations including adolescents, homeless teens, collegians, and adults and has provided care to individuals, couples, families and groups within the juvenile justice system, outpatient, and residential treatment settings.

During her tenure at BrightQuest Treatment Center in San Diego, CA, Ashley facilitated the start-up and management of several residential treatment homes providing both short and long-term care for patients with severe mental illness and co-occurring disorders. As the Director of Residential Services, she was responsible for the facility administration, staff supervision, patient care coordination, and clinical services. Ashley relocated to Chicago, Illinois to facilitate the opening of the Chicago intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs for Foundations Recovery Network as the Director of Outpatient Services. Ashley most recently located to Nashville, Tennessee to facilitate the opening of BrightQuest Nashville as its Executive Director. Ashley is passionate about bringing her clinical, leadership and management expertise to create a place for individuals and families to find comfort, support and healing.

Ashley received her bachelors degree in Psychology with minors in Business Administration and Sociology & masters degree in Marital and Family Therapy from the University of San Diego. Ashley is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California & Tennessee.

Executive Clinical Director

William Coombs is a Doctor of Social Work and Licensed Clinical Social Worker currently serving as the Executive Clinical Director for BrightQuest. After completing 15 years of honorable service in the United States Marine Corps, William chose to become a Social Worker and Therapist, which placed him in a variety of roles and working with many different populations. William has worked in crisis response and intervention, palliative care, alcohol and substance use treatment, and private practice. Throughout his career, William has learned that despite the population, authenticity, understanding, and transparency are the keys to truly understanding the needs of his clients. Few things bring him more joy than to connect with clients on a human level, and William is most at home when working to understand the specific needs of the people he serves. William believes that helping to provide a familiar environment for his clients is the best way for them to find the versions of themselves they seek in treatment.

Medical Director

Dr. Sean Ryan was born and raised in Northern California. He began practicing psychiatry in 2003 after completing his residency at The University of California, San Diego Department of Psychiatry. He is board certified in Psychiatry as a diplomate of The American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology. He earned his medical degree from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in 1999. He completed his undergraduate studies at The University of California, Los Angeles, graduating cum laude with a B.S. in Biology.

Dr. Ryan has been part of the BrightQuest community since December of 2017, having taken on the role of medical director in May of 2019. In addition to his role at BrightQuest, Dr. Ryan has an outpatient private practice in La Jolla where he treats adults dealing with mood, anxiety, trauma and substance use disorders. He also works part time for The County of San Diego at one of their outpatient clinics providing care to homeless mentally ill with primarily psychotic, mood and substance use disorders. Dr. Ryan has a strong medical background and continues to provide Consult & Liaison Services to Scripps Green Hospital for medical patients with psychiatric needs.

Dr. Ryan completed additional training with the San Diego Psychoanalytic Society and Institute in their Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Training Program in 2014. As a result of this additional training, Dr. Ryan uses a combination of psychopharmacology and psychotherapy to meet the needs of his patients. Dr. Ryan has vast experience with a variety of diagnoses including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, cognitive or attention problems, eating disorders, stress, relationship struggles and personality/interpersonal issues.

During his leisure time, Dr. Ryan enjoys spending time with his family and friends, traveling, camping, hiking, and playing ukulele.

Director of Admissions

Director of Operations

Christa has been a resident of San Diego since 1978 when her family relocated from the East Coast. After a lengthy career in Retail Management Christa decided to change careers and completed her Masters degree in Criminal Justice in 2013. After focusing much of her graduate research in the area of addiction Christa decided to pursue becoming certified as a Substance Use Disorder counselor. In her pursuit of her SUD certification Christa has worked with juveniles with SUD and has spent a great deal of time coaching clients with Co-Occurring disorders and guiding them to make better life choices. She then worked as a Clinical Supervisor at a Medically Assisted Treatment facility where she saw firsthand the devastation of the Opioid crisis. Christa has a passion for helping others navigate the road to recovery and has experience in the different modalities geared toward substance use recovery treatment. Christa runs a non-profit that sponsors an annual retreat into the mountains of Julian geared towards folks new to recovery. In her spare time Christa enjoys hiking, biking, road trips, spending time at the beach, and visiting family all over the United States. SUDCC #8668.

Training and Development Specialist

Brooke was born in Southern Eastern Kentucky and raised in East Tennessee. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, specializing in Marriage and Family Therapy from Argosy University, San Diego.

Brooke began her journey with BrightQuest San Diego in August of 2015 as a Clinical Intern and briefly held the role of a Residential Support Staff before shifting into the role of Clinician until April of 2018. She then relocated to Nashville, Tennessee to support the opening of BrightQuest Nashville. Brooke was promoted to Clinical Manager and provided oversight to the clinical team, residential team, and medical team before stepping away briefly in January of 2020.

Brooke returned to the BrightQuest Nashville team as a Clinical Supervisor and Onboarding/Training Facilitator in July of 2020. Brooke is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Tennessee (1492) and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor Candidate since 2020.

Training and Development Specialist

Born and raised in Edwardsville, Illinois, just outside St. Louis, Missouri, Stephanie left home to attend the University of Colorado in Boulder where she received her Bachelor’s Degrees in Psychology and English. After several years of working in marketing and sales, Stephanie moved to San Diego in 2008 and worked as the director of a national communication and assertion program for families, based on Carl Rogers’ humanistic approach. It was at this point she decided to pursue a career in therapy where she could work more closely with families. Stephanie then returned to school to receive her Master’s in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage & Family Therapy. Stephanie joined the BrightQuest community in August 2010. A competitive rower, she also enjoys skiing, cooking, and playing the piano in her free time. Stephanie is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT 85956).

Lead Therapist

Kate-Robin is originally from Niagara Falls, New York with family roots in the New York City metropolitan area. She received her Bachelor of Arts in History from Kenyon College in Ohio and her Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpinteria, California. She views the therapeutic process as a journey towards greater self-understanding during which healing and recovery happens. Kate-Robin has worked with children, adolescents, and adults struggling with mental illness and has found that pairing more experiential modalities, like art therapy, with evidenced based practices leads clients to create change. She has extensive experience working for the County of San Diego Mental Health, YWCA of San Diego, and Vista Hill’s Merit Academy. In her free time she enjoys yoga, running, hiking, watching sports, cooking and entertaining family and friends. Kate-Robin is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT 96683)

Lead Therapist

Born and raised in Bakersfield California, Cynamon graduated with her bachelor’s in psychology and Child Adolescent studies in 2016 from California State University Bakersfield. Shortly after, Cynamon went on to receive her master’s in counseling psychology from California State University Bakersfield and is currently pursuing her dream of being a licensed marriage and family therapist as well as a licensed professional clinical counselor. Cynamon worked her way through college, often working in multiple different industries at once and volunteering for the National Awareness for Mental Illness walks during her free time. She has experience in public mental health working with individuals, families, couples and adults most of whom have severe and chronic mental health concerns. Cynamon also has worked for a private agency in a group setting, conducting groups from a mindfulness-based approach. In her free time Cynamon enjoys gardening, barbequing, playing with her bunny and spending time with loved ones. Cynamon joined the BrightQuest team in 2020. Cynamon is an Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT 131762).

Therapist

Born and raised in New York, Michelle graduated from State University of New York in New Paltz with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography with a minor in Psychology. After experiencing the cathartic outcome of creating art, Michelle moved to Brooklyn in 2013, graduating with her Masters in Professional Studies in Creative Arts from the Pratt Institute. She began her career working with the homeless population in Brooklyn, working with folks suffering from addiction and mental illness. She has worked with teens, transitional youth, and adults, most of whom had mental health concerns.

Michelle enjoys using creative arts, yoga, and mindfulness in her practice and sharing this healing approach of communication with others. She enjoys introducing others to these healing modalities to help them on their journey to emotional and physical wellness. In her free time, Michelle enjoys lifting weights, practicing yoga, beach volleyball, scuba diving, hiking, paddle boarding, roller skating, and spending time with friends.

Michelle is an Art Therapist (ATCB 19-074) and Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT 130193), under the supervision of Stephanie Coyle, LMFT (CA #85956).

Therapist

Adrian Lopez Salinas was born and raised in Boyle Heights, Ca. He graduated with his Bachelor of Arts, in Sociology from the California State University of Los Angeles and received his Master of Science in Multicultural Community Counseling with an emphasis in Social Justice Education (CBB) from San Diego State University.

The majority of his previous employment has revolved around working in the field of education with youth and transitional-aged youth for over 10 years. He worked as an Instructional Aide, Counselor Trainee, and in his most recent position as a Therapist Intern at MAAC Community Charter School. Throughout his time within each position, he was able to provide therapeutic services using various modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotion-Focused, Psychodynamic, Motivational Interviewing, and Solution-Focused to diverse students from different backgrounds. He looks to continue to pursue his work in the mental health field by providing folks with a safe space for therapeutic services and resources that serve them.

In his free time, Adrian loves watching movies and TV Series, playing board games, dancing, snorkeling, art, and other outdoor activities.

Adrian is a registered Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (CA #12155) under the supervision of Stephanie Coyle, LMFT (CA #85956).

Therapist

Jason was raised in the Bay Area, and served four years in the United States Navy after high school. He earned his Bachelor of Art in Psychology and Master of Science in Multicultural Counseling with an emphasis in Social Justice Education (CBB) from San Diego State University. He is now a CA-registered APCC (11817).

Jason has worked in different roles in the helping profession that served various cultural backgrounds, including veterans, formerly incarcerated individuals, college students, differing range of age and racial groups, and more. As a therapist, Jason values the connection with his clients first, and strives to provide as a facilitator of change with different approaches such as CBT, MI, Multicultural, Psychodynamic, and SFBT. In his free time, he enjoys the beach, watching sports, working out, cooking, playing video games, and hanging out with family and friends.

Jason is a registered Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (CA #11817) under the supervision of Stephanie Coyle, LMFT (CA #85956).

Therapist

Kadirah earned her Master of Science in Clinical/Counseling Psychology from CSU San Bernardino in 2019, where she completed an extensive internship at the University of Redlands Counseling.

As a clinician at three outpatient community mental health programs she developed her therapeutic, crisis, and case management skills while seeing a diverse population of clients whose symptoms fluctuate in presentation and severity. Over the years, she has learned to prepare diligently, manage time efficiently, and occasionally improvise swiftly when the unexpected erupts. Kadirah has a passion for working with clients to navigate through mental health and substance use along with difficulties unique to each individual over the life span.

Kadirah is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (CA #115390) under the supervision of William Coombs, LCSW (CA #104607).

Lead Dietitian

Tiffany is a native San Diegan and Registered Dietitian. After earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Nutritional Biochemistry from the University of California at Davis, she briefly worked as a chemist before finding her way into the field of health coaching. She first started counseling clients in 2010 to help guide them towards improving their relationship with food and create more sustainable lifestyle changes. With kindness and compassion, Tiffany practices a non-diet approach to nutrition counseling and education. Furthering her professional studies, she went on to earn a Master’s of Science in Nutrition Education and completed her Dietetic Internship through the California State University at Chico. As a clinical dietitian, Tiffany gained a wide variety of experience working for UC San Diego Health from 2015 to 2022 in both the inpatient medical centers and several outpatient clinics. Her most recent experience at the UCSD Eating Disorder Center allowed her to effectively support patients as they learned how to fully embrace radical body acceptance and intuitive eating practices. She truly believes that “all foods fit” as food is one of the many ways we build those crucial connections to our communities that make a life worth living.

Milieu Manager

Born and raised in San Diego, Darren brings us his experience from an emergency isolation shelter and transitional housing for the Country of San Diego. Prior to the Program Operations Supervisor, Darren was a Customer Solutions lead supervisor for digital marketing and spent 11 years at Cox Communications. Darren’s pragmatic approach to client and guest solutions comes with 15+ years for experience and success. Darren in his spare time enjoys working out, and traveling.

Client Care Coordinator

A California native, Tania started her journey during her undergraduate years working with survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence. After receiving her Bachelors in Psychology, Tania joined the Constellation Behavioral health team where her passion for working in the mental health community started. Tania continues to pursue her Masters in Psychology with a concentration in Marriage Family Therapy and Licensed Clinical Counseling in hopes to pursue her dreams of becoming a therapist. During her off time, Tania loves to spend time with her loved ones traveling and finding adventures to get into.

Client Care Coordinator

After 12 years in the Philippines, Reydel moved to San Diego with his immediate family. As a first-generation immigrant, Reydel learned and adapted to American culture. Along the way, he found many interests and passions, one of them is Psychology. Reydel graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with focuses on Psychology, Sociology, and Political Science. Before the pandemic, he was looking for a career path. In late 2020, he worked as a Site Coordinator for COVID shelters and High-Risk Population shelters with Equus Workforce Solutions. As he moved up the company and became a Site Supervisor, he realized that helping underserved communities such as the majority of the guests that he would serve in the shelters, is a career path he would like to pursue. In his spare time, he likes to watch movies, play sports, and try new restaurants.

Work Development Program Coordinator

Born and raised in San Diego, California, Billal is one of our locals with a passion for bringing healing to people who have survived a traumatic and stressful life experience. Billal started his career at BrightQuest back in 2016 as the healthcare coordinator and transitioned to a leadership position for the residential team where he played a major role in leading and developing new staff. Billal was also an integral piece in the opening of our newest residence. Billal has since transitioned into the role of Work Development Coordinator where he supports our clients with continuing their education, finding volunteer opportunities, and re-entering the work field. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports, listening to comedy or music, reading, cooking, traveling, and spending time with his family and friends.

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapist

Kathy holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and an undergraduate degree in Marketing and Organizational Psychology. She is an active member of the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association and holds certifications in Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy and Equine-Assisted Personal Development. Kathy has worked in a number of settings including private practice, colleges, churches, and other non-profits and is known for her success with clients who have failed to thrive in the traditional “office therapy” environment. She has a long history of providing support within the community including more than 25 years of counseling and outreach services to youth and young adult survivors of trauma, those suffering from mental health disorders, the blind and disabled, as well as those just wanting to overcome life’s challenges. Kathy has been a part of the BrightQuest community since 2007.

Schedule Coordinator

Daisy grew up in Missouri where she attended High School and went to Missouri State University where she majored in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. Daisy worked with adolescents with developmental disabilities after college and at the psychiatric hospital in her hometown.  Daisy moved to San Diego in 2019 and desired to work with a different population. She worked as a job coach at MCRD before coming to BrightQuest.  Daisy was hired November 2020 as Milieu support staff and quickly worked her way up to House Manager.  Near the end of 2021 Daisy was promoted to Schedule Coordinator.

In her spare time, Daisy likes to hike, paint,  and participate in outdoor sports. Daisy travels frequently to see family since she has 8 brothers and sisters all over the US!

Administrative Coordinator

Cynthia moved to San Diego over 11 years ago from Arizona, where she spent most of her childhood. After graduating high school, she spent most of her working career in the Food & Beverage Industry. Her goal has always been to serve others while still focusing on her interests in cooking and baking. Since the beginning of the pandemic, she has had a shift in her career goals, but not in her attitude of service to others. She has a deep desire to help others in regards to metal health within their day to day lives.

Much of her life has been spent learning to serve others around her and her community, teaching her leadership and humility. She has spent 10+ plus years coordinating community outreaches that bring resources to families, youth and individuals struggling with addictions, mental instability and homelessness. Within this past year, she has been able to realize and cultivate the change that she’s desired.

In her spare time, she enjoys helping others, spending time with her son, reading, and enjoying time with family in Mexico. She believes we are always growing and learning, and enjoys investing her downtime in researching topics that interest her.

Facilities Manager

Prior to coming to BrightQuest, Mo worked in the construction industry for 28 years in a multitude of roles.  They were a licensed contractor who specialized in remodels and additions and spent many years in the industry working on a multitude of specialized projects.   Mo also spent 6 years as a Sales Consultant and Project Manager for The Home Depot.

Mo came to BrightQuest in October 2020 with a desire to have a different type of Construction/Project Management experience.  Mo has the ability to fix, schedule, and manage all of BrightQuest housing needs in a timely manner as well as instrumental in flipping houses in short time frames.

In their spare time, Mo spends a lot of time with their dog Thumper, a pit bull rescue, anything outdoors and on the ground like yoga, biking, running, and paddle boarding. Mo also spends their spare time helping friends with upgrades and repairs to their homes.

Admissions Advisor

Admissions Advisor

Sarah was born and raised in Chicago, IL.  Her passion for mental health began during High School when she took an AP psychology course.  Sarah moved to Bloomington, IN where she completed both her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and master’s degree in Counseling at Indiana University.  Sarah’s first experience during graduate school was in a residential and acute mental health facility working with those with severe mental health issues. Following completion of her master’s degree, Sarah moved to Nashville, TN and began working as a clinical therapist with children and adolescents with trauma histories in a residential treatment center.  From there Sarah gained additional experience working with insurance providers and transitioned into Admissions.  Sarah found balance working in Admissions by utilizing clinical skills and helping guide families through the process often when they are in-crisis.  Sarah strives to provide a warm and welcoming experience to anyone seeking treatment by understanding the difficulty navigating treatment options and providing guidance along the way. Sarah joined the BrightQuest team in December 2020.

Client Account Representative

Lauren is a proud Nashville, TN native and an alumni from Middle Tennessee State University. She earned her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Microbiology with a minor in Psychology in 2014. She has always had a passion for helping others, building relationships, and working in healthcare. She worked in marketing and customer relations for 5 years until she found her real passion- mental health and addiction.

Lauren began her career working in healthcare at Foundations Recovery Network in 2017. She worked in the business office as a charge analyst and grew quickly into new roles as a billing specialist, patient account representative, and self pay representative. Lauren joined Constellation Behavioral Health in December 2021 as a client account representative. Lauren strives to provide optimal customer service for all BrightQuest’s families regarding finances, billing, and insurance.