Micaela Meile I am a student in USC's MFT program. In my free time, I love being outdoors, spending time at the beach, loving on my pets, going to concerts, being with my boyfriend/ family/ friends, watching the sunset every night, traveling, and trying out local coffee shops/ restaurants. A fun fact about me is that I have always been a "dog person" my entire life, but recently my love for cats has grown so much that I adopted a rescue kitty a couple months ago. Her name is Kora and I am obsessed with her to say the least. Before training with CPLA, I was working with low-income individuals suffering from mental illness and or co-occurring substance use, was a research lab assistant in SDSU's Motivational and Social Identity Lab, volunteering in Integrative Healing Department at Sharp Memorial Hospital to promote healing, wellness, and managing personal change with patients. In 10 years, I see myself having a healthy work-life balance. I see myself working in a private or group practice providing trauma-informed care to victims of relationship and sexual violence. I also see myself traveling and spending time with my family and friends. I wanted to work at CPLA because the organization looks at each client with a lens of love and attachment. As someone who strives to show each child unconditional positive regard and acceptance I couldn't agree more with this. I knew working with CPLA would allow me to stay true to my values and create an environment that facilitates personal growth and healing for my clients. I love working at CPLA because I appreciate the sense of community that CPLA offers. All of the staff are wonderful and truly care about all of the counselors. I have felt so supported professionally and personally. Last, I hope to always provide a safe space for children to be vulnerable and genuinely feel seen and heard. I want to empower my clients to feel confident and capable. In a world that can be so dark, my goal is to show love, kindness, and empathy to my clients in hopes that they will not only feel good about themselves, but also take this healthier mindset into their relationships. Shake Hovhannisyan I am student at the The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. I also am an international student in the USA. In Armenia I ran a small bakery and sold baked goods to local restaurants and supermarkets. One of my favorite pastimes is baking and knitting: I love being able to create something beautiful from nothing. I was born and raised in Armenia. In my hometown I used to do gardening. I loved spending hours in my garden. The most interesting fact about my garden was, that it was attracting different animals and insects: the roses were attracting tortoises, and lavenders were attracting different kid of insects , including butterflies, honeybees and ladybugs. It was very interesting to watch baby tortoises eating rose petals! In 10 years I see myself working in the field of Clinical Psychology both in the practice and the research. I wanted to work for CPLA because the research has shown that hopeful kids are more likely to thrive and less likely to be depressed or anxious. I chose to work with CPLA, because my personal and professional values align with CPLA's values in terms of strengthening hope and mental health in children. Working with CPLA has increased my confidence as a future professional in this field. This is a place where I feel that I belong and that my unique skills matter. I feel that my unique needs are recognized and taken care of by my field support persona and my clinical supervisors. I am a firm believer of putting good in to the world and breathing positivity and love in to the all aspects of life. I strive to provide empathetic , genuine and compassionate care to children I work with. Melanie Altamirano I am receiving my education from Pepperdine University. Some of my hobbies and interests include watching sunsets, beach days, heated yoga, reading, reality tv, live music/concerts, camping and hiking, traveling, psychology and relationships (obviously)! A fun fact about me is that I want to have a pet pig one day. When I'm not at CPLA, I work as an assistant preschool teacher. I wanted to work with children because I think I am good at connecting with the youth. Children deserve mental health resources, and I want to be part of providing that for the next generations. I love working at CPLA because I am so welcome and accepted at my school. I love connecting with a younger generation and giving them a space to express themselves and feel unconditional support. I love that I get to encourage vulnerability and self-growth, and introduce mental health to this population. In 10 years, I would love to be part of a group practice or have my own private practice. I am interested in working with children, families, and couples. I hope to give people hope in trusting others, inspire people to not feeling shameful about accepting help or being vulnerable. I want to support people through life's challenges. My goal is to make sure people don't feel alone and know at least one person can listen to them, care for them, and not judge them. Every human deserves to know what that feels like. Montana Logan I am a student at Pepperdine University (pursuing dual licensure as a MFT & PCC). I love to read, crochet, dance, listen to music, watch movies and socialize with my friends and family! A fun fact about me is that I got into all PsyD programs I applied for and a PhD program! I am also a Disney MagicKey holder! I am also a counselor working with dependent adults and I a tutor! In my undergraduate career I held various leadership roles in my sorority and in the psychology department as a mentor. In 10 years I will have my license as an MFT and PCC. I am still in the midst of gaining exposure working with different modalities, populations, and illness, therefore I can't say whom I will be working with. However I know I will be providing a safe space by practicing nonjudgmental and empathy for those I'll work with as I help guide them in making a positive impact in their lives. I wanted to work at CPLA because school-based behavioral and mental health services are essential! Around 700,000 school-aged children have mental health and behavioral needs and the majority of children receive services through school. I wanted to work with CPLA, because I believed I could make a positive impact on children and their families' lives and a positive influence a school's culture to be more accepting of counseling services provided in school. I love CPLA because I appreciate the support I'm given that allows me to confidently grow as a person and clinician. I love the children and faculty I get to work with. CPLA has only strengthened my passion for working in this field and with children. Having the ability to reach 1 child is more than enough! Most importantly every child should experience happiness and joy and if I'm able to help them experience that more often that would be great! I also want a child to have the tools needed to cope with difficult emotions that may arise in any environment and in any relationship. I would like to promote growth that leads to their version of success! Thalia Grant I am currently studying at Mount St. Mary's University for my MFT degree. In my free time, I love baking cookies and cobblers! I also have an interest in listening to true crime podcasts, traveling, reading, and concerts. A fun fact about myself is last year I self-published my first children's book and am currently in the process of publishing my second book. When I'm not at CPLA, I work as a Youth Engagement Specialist for a non-profit that houses homeless and foster youth. I've also spent a couple of years as a behavioral therapist for children diagnosed with autism and other developmental disabilities. In 10 years, I see myself as a child and adolescent therapist in private practice. I also hope to have the flexibility to travel and try different types of food from around the world! I wanted to work at CPLA because I was determined to find a practicum site where I could work with children in a school-based setting, and luckily came across CPLA. From the beginning, I sensed CPLA's genuine care and unwavering commitment to providing unparalleled support to children and their families. I love the assistance and guidance CPLA offers that empowers counselors to excel in their roles and create a lasting impact on the lives of those they serve. I want to help the youth find their voice and embrace their true self. Cybele Perry I am a student at Antioch University, Santa Barbara. I love to travel, garden, cook for family and friends, go dancing, explore new restaurants in LA, hike, camp, and spend time with my family and friends! My favorite thing to do is watch live music at venues throughout Los Angeles! I have seen over 200 concerts, but in all fairness, I am 52! My previous positions include working in television production and development and working on gameshows and reality programming. I then had the honor to raise my two beloved children who are now young adults. I now have this incredible opportunity to work in mental health with the hopes of being able to empower others by helping them find their truth.
I was born and raised in Los Angeles and I have a deep love and connection to the people and communities of this city. CPLA is an organization that truly cares for the well-being of the people they serve and their commitment to be of service and lift people up is very inspiring for me and makes me feel proud to be a part of their organization. Working at CPLA has been one of the most rewarding experiences for me and having the opportunity to meet and work with so many wonderful and incredible young people has been life-changing! I also greatly appreciate the kindness and support the CPLA staff have generously shared with me. Their time and commitment have provided me with such a positive and empowering opportunity to learn and grow. After this incredible experience working with CPLA I hope to always have the opportunity to work with children. I am also interested in having a private practice and working with community health agencies. This experience has confirmed a truth I know, that human connection, feeling heard and being seen are some of the most powerful things we can share with each other. I hope to help people find their voice, feel empowered, recognize their inner strengths and have the confidence to advocate for themselves. If I can help just one person find the tools that can improve their life and help them feel better about themselves, that is what it is all about for me and I feel grateful to be in a position to be of service to others.
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