Meet Our Team

Executive Director

Qemal Shaholli is Executive Director of Bridges to Recovery and has been with the company for over twelve years. Qemal’s role is focused on leading the company’s growth and development, and directing initiatives including expansion of the core program curriculum, implementation of process improvements, and spearheading operational enhancements to facilitate and improve client experiences and outcomes. Qemal also serves as Bridges’ Certified Adult Residential Facility Administrator and is responsible for acting as the company liaison with state and local regulatory and licensing bodies. Prior to his current position, Qemal served as Chief Operating Officer and Controller for Bridges.

In addition to over a decade of experience in the behavioral healthcare field, Qemal has a strong background in business management and corporate finance. Before Bridges, his previous positions have included Corporate Finance and Accounting Manager for Babcock and Brown Communities, Ltd., and the Royalty Response Coordinator for the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC Audiobooks. Qemal obtained his Bachelor of Commerce with Honors of High Distinction in Taxation from La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, along with holding a Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA) certification.

Program Director

Katherine Niemela has worked within the Mental Health field since 1986, in acute care, outpatient, residential, and academic settings. She received a Masters of Mental Health Nursing from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and is a PhD. candidate at the Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis. Additional postgraduate work includes training in Gestalt Therapy, Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Group Theory. Recently she has developed a clinical focus on the complex grief responses experienced by family-member caregivers.

Her work with Bridges to Recovery began in 2007, first as a Primary Therapist, then Associate Clinical Director and Program Director of the San Remo House. Katherine was offered an opportunity to design a specialized program for Borderline Personality Disorder, co-developing one of the first residential treatment homes for this diagnosis. The Clearview Women’s Center opened in 2009, and as Clinical Director she supervised and managed this program through its initial 2½ years of service. In private practice and here at BTR, her work is relationally-based, using a contemporary psychoanalytic framework. This type of therapy provides a space for reflection on past experiences while also actively engaging with present day emotions, needs and desires.

Psychiatrist

Dr. Harris received her medical degree from Drexel University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, and completed her training in adult psychiatry at UCLA’s Neuropsychiatric Institute. She pursued fellowship training in integrative medicine and has advanced training in anti-aging and preventive medicine. She is board certified in both adult psychiatry and addiction medicine.

Dr. Harris has worked in a variety of clinical settings, providing psychiatric consultation services to community mental health organizations as well as serving as an attending physician at the UCLA Dual Diagnosis Program. She maintains a private practice in Brentwood, California where she specializes in women’s integrative mental health and personalized lifestyle medicine. She has been with Bridges to Recovery since 2014.

Psychiatrist

Dr. Gandin has many years of experience in treating various psychiatric disorders. His areas of expertise include the following:

-Mood, Anxiety and Psychotic Disorders
-Addiction – Substance, Sex/Love, and Others
-Geriatric Psychiatric Disorders, with the utilization of comprehensive memory evaluations
-Women’s Mental Health, including the use of psychotropic medications during pregnancy and breast feeding and the treatment of post-partum depression
-Transgender Issues

Dr. Gandin received his Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Philosophy from the University of California at Berkeley. He subsequently completed a Masters of Science in Physiological Psychology from California State University. After completing medical school at Sackler School of Medicine, Dr. Gandin performed his Internship and Residency in Psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuro-science and Human Behavior at UCLA. As a resident, he received Honors include having been awarded the 21st Century Psychiatry Prize by UCLA Faculty and having been named an American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry/Bristol-Myers Squibb Fellow and a U.S. Psychiatric & Mental Health Care Congress/Eli Lilly Fellow. He served as Chief Resident during his final year of Residency. He also completed both a Fellowship in Geriatric Psychiatry and Community Psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. Subsequently, he has received psychoanalytic training at the New Center for Psychoanalysis.

Consulting Neuropsychologist

Dr. Judy Ho is a board licensed clinical psychologist and specializes in neuropsychological and psychodiagnostic assessments/evaluations. She spent three years post-doctorate conducting psychiatric research at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, and worked with community mental health providers to improve the delivery of evidence-based care to high-need populations in Los Angeles and New Orleans.

Dr. Ho’s clinical specialties include child and family interventions, culturally responsive treatments for ethnic minority individuals, and treatments for depression and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and borderline personality disorder.

Shedding Light on the Value of Psychological Assessment

Clinical Psychologist and Psychoanalyst

Deborah Sandy received her degree from Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Studies. She has expertise in eating disorders and addictions, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, schizophrenia, personality disorders, sexual abuse, trauma, couples therapy.

Psychotherapist / Psychoanalyst

Dr. Schreiber is a licensed marriage and family therapist, and he has been working in both private practice and residential treatment for the past ten years. He received his Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, and has completed his doctoral psychoanalytic training at the Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis in Los Angeles.

Dr. Schreiber specializes in family therapy, as well as treating adults with severe trauma histories. In addition to these specialities, Dr. Schreiber uses a psychoanalytic approach in treating adults with severe depression, anxiety and co-occurring disorders. Dr. Schreiber’s work at Bridges to Recovery includes leading groups during regular programming, as well as facilitating and leading both the Family Intensive and the Trauma Intensive programs – specialized, off-site weekend programs in which patients and their families experience immersive, focused treatment for two to three days

Clinical Psychologist

Jan Witkoski, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist, specializes in work with psychoses, trauma, mood and personality disorders, and addiction in adults. Her expertise also includes psychoanalytic psychotherapy with couples, families, adults and adolescents to address relationship issues and life transitions. Dr. Witkoski has a particular interest in group dynamics and leads both process and didactic groups at Bridges to Recovery. She has more than 20 years’ experience working in mental health.

She received a doctorate in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles. She supervises therapists in training, and also provides consultation to seasoned colleagues. For many years, she has supervised both groups and individuals at a non-profit community clinic. A former journalist, Dr. Witkoski enjoys helping people access their creative energy in treatment through writing and journaling, dreamwork, mindfulness, and artistic pursuits. She also believes in the benefits of exercise to enhance overall mental health!

Clinical Psychologist

Eric Strang has a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, with an emphasis in both psychodynamic and existential/humanistic psychotherapy. He has provided mental health services since 1989. Areas of expertise include: emotional dysregulation, disrupted Attachment, mood instability, existential/spiritual conflicts/crises, trauma, shame, disorders of the self, impulse control, couples work, and executive dysfunction. Methodologies practiced include: Psychodynamic, Existential/Humanistic, Mentalization Based (MBT), Interpersonal (IPT), Acceptance and Commitment (ACT), Dialectical (DBT), Mindfulness, Dream Analysis, motivational interviewing, and relapse prevention. His areas of interest include integrative models of psychotherapy, spirituality, philosophy, neuroscience, and metaphoric communication.

Psychotherapist / Psychoanalyst, Director of Family Program

Dr. Mendenhall serves as a couples and family therapist at Bridges as well as providing individual psychotherapy to Bridges clients. She has 45 years of experience as a psychotherapist. She has a doctorate in contemporary psychoanalysis from the Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis and is a Training and Supervising Psychoanalyst at that institute. In addition to couples and family therapy and parenting work, Dr. Mendenhall has extensive experience in working with issues of anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, trauma and sexual abuse.

Somatic Experiencing and EMDR Therapist

Cheryl Grant is a Trauma Therapist and specializes in helping people feel better about themselves and eliminate suffering. She is also a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist and became interested in this field when she realized that sexual trauma is often at the root of sexual compulsivity and other addictive behaviors. Both of her parents survived the Holocaust and their productive lives were the inspiration for her interest in working with various types of trauma and mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Cheryl has worked with many people in recovery and believes that our society encourages addictive behaviors and is dedicated to promoting balance and well being through fitness and self care. She also has a special interest in animals and their welfare and has two cats and two dogs and hopes some day to have a pig and two goats.

Somatic Experiencing Therapist

Ellen received her training at USC School of Social Work and has been in the field for over 25 years. She specializes in working with survivors of trauma, and this interest led her to being trained in EMDR in 1994. She has also been practicing Somatic Experiencing since 2003. Additionally, Ellen specializes in working with couples and relationship issues.

Somatic Experiencing Therapist / Adaptive Living Program Facilitator

Katie, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who served as the Program Director and a Primary Therapist for Promises, Malibu Vista, a program for women diagnosed with mood and personality disorders, as well as PTSD, in an all-women’s residential setting. She also served as a Primary Therapist at the Sexual Recovery Institute. She received her MA in Psychology from Antioch University.

Earlier in her career, Katie served as an Account Manager for Chiat Day and Davie Brown Entertainment.

Art Therapist

Naomi Tucker is a registered Art Therapist (ATR) and licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Adjunct Professor at Loyola Marymount University’s Department of Marital and Family Therapy. Naomi facilitates art therapy groups for teen moms at LMU’s Helen B. Landgarten Art Therapy Clinic and also supervises students and interns. In her private practice in West Los Angeles, she utilizes mindfulness and art therapy to provide expansion-focused therapy for individuals, couples and groups.

Drumming Group Facilitator

Russell “Buddy” Helm is a classically trained musician since the age of eight. He has recorded and toured with many greats including Frank Zappa, Tim Buckley, Baba Olatunji, Allman Brothers, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Big Joe Turner and many others. He has written two books on drum healing: “Drumming the Spirit to Life” and “Way of the Drum”. He recorded, “No 2nd Chance”, a martial arts drumming CD for Master Martial Arts teacher Guro Dan Inosanto(Bruce Lee’s partner). He was also a Star Wars comic strip writer for George Lucas, has extensive music and film production experience and was post production supervisor at Lorimar. With extensive research into therapies, he developed HelmTone Healing Drum Protocols, a drumming based meditation for relieving stress, balancing metabolism, increasing life energy and self esteem. His drumming protocols are used by counselors, therapists and healing centers across the nation, in Japan, Australia and Europe. He has been teaching weekly drumming meditation workshops in Santa Monica, California and around the country for over twenty five years.

Acupuncturist

Masters in Traditional Oriental Medicine from Emperor’s College in Santa Monica. Licensed to practice acupuncture, acupressure, and herbal medicine by the State of California. Acupuncture treats the body, mind, and spirit to create balance in your life and restore your body’s own healing abilities. Elena specializes in the treatment of anxiety, stress, depression, pain, and other emotional conditions. She is also a trained Reiki practitioner.

Admissions Director

Born and raised in Southern California, Tonda Williams completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. She worked as an administrator in the Los Angeles educational system before transitioning to UCLA’s outpatient chemical dependency program as the Admissions Director. Her love for mental health and respect for those in suffering lead her to join Bridges to Recovery in 2007.

As the Director of Admissions, Tonda works closely with the client, their families and outside treatment team to help determine the best program to fit the client’s personal needs and goals.  She takes great pride in representing Bridges to Recovery and strives to provide a seamless, compassionate and world class experience.

Admissions Coordinator

Nicole attended California State University, Channel Islands, and graduated early with a BA in Psychology. Her interest in behavioral health has been lifelong and was explored in her study about heavy alcohol consumption and risky behaviors as her capstone project. Nicole has been drawn to work in mental health treatment and is grateful to be a part of Bridges to Recovery. She gained admissions experience with Elements Behavioral Health in both mental health and substance abuse treatment programs. Her passion is playing a part in the transformation of recovery, starting with the first phone call. She finds purpose in working with the caller to ensure you are not alone and there is someone ready to help you.

Personal Trainer

Mike is a Certified Fitness Instructor specializing in fitness lifestyle management. He enjoys teaching clients how to maintain regular and consistent exercise as a way to increase fitness level, self esteem, and overall wellness.

Personal Trainer

Michael has been an ISSA certified personal fitness instructor for over fourteen years. His passion for personal training started while working with physical therapy clients at Beverly Hills Physical Medicine. He since then has become proficient in Circuit training and Boxing instruction. He is very happy and grateful to have been part of the Bridges to Recovery staff for over seven years.