Omar Minwalla, Psy.D., PSY20244 (Clinical Director)
Lisa Meneshian, Ph.D., MPH
Will Damon, Ph.D.
Patti Britton, PhD, MPH
Robert Dunlap, Ph.D.
Adam Yerke, Psy.D.
Marnie Breecker, MFT, CSAT
Trish Haight, MFT
Catherine Roberts, MFT
Lenore Zion, Ph.D.
Shannon Chavez, Ph.D.
Dan Drake, MFT-I

Faculty Bios --

Omar Minwalla, Psy.D., Clinical Director

Dr. Omar Minwalla is a Licensed Psychologist, Clinical Sexologist and Clinical Director of The Institute for Sexual Health. Dr. Minwalla earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in Chicago and completed his Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Minnesota Medical School Program in Human Sexuality. Dr. Minwalla is the former Clinical Director of the Sexual Recovery Institute. His specializations include sexual compulsivity and sex addiction, sexual offending, professional sexual misconduct, psychosexual evaluation, sexual dysfunctions, transgender concerns, sexual orientation, paraphilias, BDSM and gender and sexual minorities.

Trained in both the compulsive sexual behavior model as well as the sex addiction model, Dr. Minwalla has developed an integrated sexual and relationship health model of treatment and currently oversees the Sex Addiction-Compulsivity (SAC) Program. He provides education and clinical trainings for professionals on a variety of sexual health topics and conducts intensives, consultations, workshops, lectures, and educational documentary research related to topics and populations in clinical sexology. He is also a member of The Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH).







Will Damon, Ph.D.

Dr. Will Damon is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Sexologist. Dr. Damon earned his Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed his Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Minnesota Medical School Program in Human Sexuality. He is the former Clinic Director of Sharper Future Los Angeles, a forensic treatment center specializing in the treatment of adult male sexual offenders. Dr. Damon currently conducts psychosexual evaluations for the Department of Mental Health, evaluating Sexually Violent Predators (SVP) and providing expert testimony in SPV cases. He is a member of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA).






Lisa Meneshian. Ph.D., MPH

Dr. Lisa Meneshian is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, specializing in the treatment and evaluation of sex addiction and sexual offending, primarily providing psychological testing services. Dr. Meneshian received her Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology from the University of Southern California and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from UCLA. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in Los Angeles.

Dr. Meneshian was a treatment specialist at the Sexual Recovery Institute, where she received extensive training in treating the sex addict and sex offender populations and conducted psychological testing. Her practice experience includes working with convicted sex offenders on parole. Dr. Meneshian has also received extensive training in psychodynamic therapy at the Valley Community Clinic and at the Saturday Center for Psychotherapy. Dr. Meneshian is trained in numerous modalities including psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, and crisis-intervention.

Patti Britton, PhD, MPH

Dr. Patti Britton is at the very top leadership in the field of sexology:
As Immediate Past-President of the American Association for Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (www.aasect.org); Clinical Fellow, American Academy of Clinical Sexologists; Diplomate, American Board of Sexology; AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator; Lifetime Member of the American College of Sexologists; Member of the Society for Scientific Study of Sexuality; Associate Professor of Sexology, for the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality; and as Director/faculty for the Sexuality Certificate Track at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology/Westwood Campus. She is the author of four books, including the seminal standard textbook, The Art of Sex Coaching:
Expanding Your Practice (W.W. Norton & Co.), the first teacher training manual on HIV/AIDS prevention education for youth; The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Sensual Massage and an illustrated, erotic-romantic novel.

Dr. Patti is co-founder of Sex Coach Institute (SCI), the world’s premier credentialing and training institute on sex coaching (www.sexcoachinstitute.org) She has been a leading trainer and educator nationwide in the field of clinical sexology and has a vast media career---over 150 TV show appearances, hundreds of radio shows as host and guest, and is quoted monthly in popular magazines on the subject of sexuality. She is currently working on a new project for couples’ sexual enhancement for the Alexander Institute, where she hosts a variety of programs on DVD worldwide. Dr. Patti is known globally as the consummate clinician, entertaining speaker and brilliant provider of evidence-based learning in all venues. She brings her expertise to the Institute for Sexual Health as Director of the Clinical Sexology programs where she also leads training and educational events, some of which provide CE’s from the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (www.aasect.org). Dr. Patti believes that women and men have a divine birthright to experience their sexual power, eroticism and ultimate pleasure.

Robert Dunlap, Ph.D.

AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator; Board-Certified Clinical Sexologist (ACS)
Dr. Robert Dunlap is a graduate of The Institute for The Advanced Study of Human Sexuality where he did research and his doctoral dissertation on "Aphrodisiacs: Herbals , Botanicals and Supplements." He is a member of The Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, The American College of Sexologists, The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists and The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Dan Drake, MFT-I

Dan Drake is a Clinical Sexology Intern at The Institute for Sexual Health. He has earned two masters degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary: A Master of Science Degree in Marital and Family Therapy and a Masters Degree in Theology. Currently, he is training under Dr. Patrick Carnes to receive his certification as a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT). Dan is also a member of the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH) and California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT). In addition to lecturing domestically and internationally, he has successfully worked with a diverse population of adults, couples, families, adolescents, and children along a spectrum of presenting concerns.

Dan has had years of experience using Cognitive-Behavioral techniques, and he incorporates these techniques with a psychodynamic approach to therapy. Additionally, he utilizes the 12-steps within his therapeutic work with those with sexual or chemical addictions. Because of his unique training in both the scientific and the spiritual, Dan specializes in opening a space for clients if they desire to explore their own notions of spirituality as they work to recover physical, emotional, mental, sexual, and spiritual wholeness.

Adam Yerke, Psy.D., Post-Doctoral Fellow

Adam Yerke received his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) from The California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University in San Francisco. In his career, Adam has provided individual and group psychotherapy, as well as performed psychological and forensic assessments. He has spent considerable time working with clients who have substance abuse and dependence issues, chronic mental illnesses, and criminal behaviors (including sex offenses). In particular, Adam has enjoyed working with people from diverse backgrounds and life circumstances, including low socioeconomic status, homelessness, people of color, the transgender community, persons with HIV/AIDS, and the lesbian, gay and bisexual community. He has particular research interest in the transgender population, and has presented at various professional organizations about his research and clinical work with this community.

Marnie Breecker, MFT, CSAT

Marnie Breecker earned her masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University in Los Angeles. Marnie began her career as a trainee at Del Amo Hospital in Torrance working with children, adolescents and adults in the treatment of acute mental illness, dual diagnosis, trauma, eating disorders and chemical dependency. After graduating, Marnie continued her training at Del Amo as as a program therapist in the national treatment center, working with both survivors of childhood sexual abuse and adults struggling with sex and love addiction.

Marnie has worked at SRI (Sexual Recovery Institute) since March 2008 as a treatment specialist, facilitating a weekly spouse/partner support group, psychoeducational program and sex addiction group. Marnie has facilitated psychotherapy groups and lectures focusing on such topics as setting and maintaining boundaries, disclosure, healthy sexuality, relapse prevention, anger management, coping skills, family of origin and trauma. Her groups are both psycho-educational and interactive, encouraging all members to play an active role in their own recovery.

Marnie is a member of Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH) and has a private practice in West Los Angeles. She is currently studying and training under Dr. Patrick Carnes to become a CSAT (Certified Sex Addiction Therapist) and completing her IMAGO certification at the Pasadena Institute for relationships. Marnie specializes in working with couples, grief, sex addiction, spouse/partners of sex addicts, cancer, intimacy and sexuality.

Marnie is the Director of the Institute for Sexual Health’s Cancer, Sexuality and Intimacy Program. She is passionate about her work and committed to helping her clients grow, learn, discover and, ultimately, heal their lives one day at a time.

 

Catherine Roberts, MFT

Catherine Roberts is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She graduated from the University of Arizona, and received her Master’s degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Art Therapy and Marriage and Family Therapy from Phillips Graduate Institute.

She began her clinical training at the Alcott Center for Mental Health, facilitating groups and treating individuals with chemical dependencies and serious mental illness. She continued her training at The Women’s Clinic and Family Counseling Center treating women, men and couples on a variety of issues including early trauma, eating disorders, intimacy issues, boundaries, healthy sexuality and spirituality. Her interest in the attachment model led her to work with parents and children at The Early Childhood Parenting Center and Grammercy Housing Group treating at risk young families. Catherine has extensive experience and training in somatic psychology and holistic healing. She combines her passion for somatic psychology, art therapy and neurobiology into her practice.