Insight Treatment Staff

Dr. Daryn Plancher is dedicated to helping individuals and families learn to better express and manage their emotional worlds. She approaches her work with compassion and encouragement. She has experience treating behavioral, emotional and addictive disorders. She focuses on the integration of thought and feeling. Dr Plancher attended Columbia University School of Social Work pursuing her Master’s degree in Social Work. While in school she worked in a Hospital Psychiatric Emergency Rooms and learned the benefits of being part of a multidisciplinary team. As a result of the experience she chose to seek employment in a hospital setting. She worked at Bellevue Hospital in their Inpatient Unit for Drugs and Alcohol where she provided counseling, discharge planning, facilitated groups and managed a 30-day rehab program. Dr. Plancher was interested in furthering her education. This decision took her to Alliant University (CSPP) in Fresno, California. It was there she received a Master’s in Psychology. She completed her dissertation and her internship and was awarded her Doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Plancher worked with various populations but her interest in helping people who struggle with addictions and those who prove to exhibit inadequate resiliency remain constant. She dedicates her time to both the private and public sectors. Dr. Plancher’s job responsibilities at Insight include facilitating groups, offering individual and family therapy, providing staff trainings and supervising interns and applicants for licensure. Dr. Plancher has an interest in the relevance of psychoanalytic thinking in the modern-day world and attended the Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Studies. Dr. Plancher has a private practice and continues to strive to better understand the balance between the persona and the true self.

Dr. Jaeggi, a licensed psychologist and board-certified art therapist, is a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and administrator with 25 years of experience working with individuals and families of all ages. In his role as the clinical director at Insight’s Pasadena IOP, Lukas conducts clinical intake assessments, hosts parent and multi-family groups, and leads the clinical team to provide comprehensive, in-depth therapeutic services. Lukas aims to understand the psychological functioning and emotional wellbeing of teens and their families and to assist them in their efforts to grow and heal by using neuroscience, trauma theory and depth psychology. In his leisure time, Lukas enjoys spending time with family, gardening and do-it-yourself home improvement projects. Lukas lives in Altadena. He is married and has three children.

Karissa Provost is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a grief specialist. She has worked with children, adolescents and adults of all ages in various settings including residential programs for transitional age youth, families impacted by domestic violence, and families at-risk of homelessness. She has had the opportunity to work on high school campus drop-in centers providing mental health care, support, and crisis management. She has worked extensively with at-risk and grieving adolescents and their families throughout Los Angeles in the course of her career. She has trained and supervised hundreds of pre-licensed therapists as well as grief specialist volunteers who have provided therapy or support services to children, adolescents and their families in community-based organizations, and schools. She has presented at several professional local and national conferences and is a guest lecturer at Antioch University. Additionally, Karissa has provided grief trainings and workshops to USC medical students, school personnel, parents of grieving children, and has provided on-site grief responses at schools, businesses and religious institutions in the direct aftermath of a death. As a professional speaker, educator, consultant, advocate and clinician, Karissa has dedicated her career to serving individuals and families by providing quality care from a family systems and wholistic approach so individuals and their families can lead healthy, productive, and meaningful lives. In her spare time, Karissa enjoys being with family and friends, reading, dancing, singing in her car, and being near the ocean.

Frederik Schulin grew up in Denmark where, after obtaining his master’s degree, he started a pharmaceutical trading company that imported prescription medication. After these events Frederik received an offer to move to Los Angeles where he worked for three years in the fashion industry, pioneering the online clothing market. Eventually, he transitioned into the mental health treatment industry, where he applied his knowledge in online marketing to help those suffering from addictions. This led him to Insight Treatment, a program aimed at helping teenagers through mental health and addiction problems. Frederik joined Anthony Lopez, who had started the program, in helping it grow. When Anthony chose to step down, Frederik was brought in to run Insight Treatments in his place. Since then, he has dedicated his life to further improving the programs and the lives of its patients. Insight Treatment has two facilities: Pasadena and Van Nuys. The center provides a program for teens and their families who are struggling with mental health and drug and alcohol addictions. Frederik enjoys being around the teens attending Insight Program and sees their transition and evolution. “I grew up with nature around me and has always enjoyed the outdoors. I love to bring a bit of my passion for the outdoors and our environment into the program” says Mr. Schulin. One of his aspirations in the near future is to integrate outdoors in a bigger way in the program. “I want to ensure that there are more opportunities for the kids to be inspired by the amazing nature that Los Angeles has to offer”.

Annette Valdez has her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from DeVry University. She’s worked in the mental health field for over 20+ years as a floor counselor, facility manager, intake coordinator, and in the marketing department. She’s always had a passion to work with families and their adolescents. Annette is also known as Nettie. She has experience working and connection with families for many years. She started off as a floor counselor and worked herself up to Program manager. She has a daughter of her own, so she’s able to connect and understand the struggle that each parent is going through. Nettie also enjoys reading, listening to music, is part of an outreach group that helps those in need, loves to go on nature hikes, and plays competitive slow pitch softball.

Hello my name is Luther Graves, Academic Coordinator for Insight SC. I’ve worked with youth for about 6 years. I am a new father of 1 child. I love sports of all kinds but my favorite is basketball. I’ve been involved with helping others since I was a youth myself. My mother would have all of my siblings help out with feeding homeless and giving back to those in need since my middle school days. I’ve worked with youth as a mentor, coach, and much more. I like to play and watch basketball on the weekends but nothing beats spending time with family.

Jillian has worked in Human Resources Management for more than 20 years. Working in large corporations and spearheading startups, she has worked in many industries, including healthcare, tech, and construction. With her diverse background, she brings seasoned experience in team building, compliance, policy writing, as well as payroll and benefits administration. Jillian is passionate about animal rights, welfare, and rescue. As longtime resident of Las Vegas, Jillian enjoys spending time with her family, which includes her many animals.

Susan Reuven has been working in the behavioral health field since 2007. With her personal and professional understanding of the treatment process, she has supported thousands of families, navigating the difficult, challenging, and scary journey of raising struggling teens. Susan has had the honor to support families in many capacities such as admissions, parent support, parent groups, consulting and coaching. She has held countless parents’ hands from that initial phone call, to admission and through the treatment process. Her certification in Life Coaching and Integrated Body Psychotherapy, as well as life’s experiences, have assisted her in the ability to listen, understand, and compassionately guide parents to exploring and expanding their own emotional well-being. By gaining awareness of how one feels in their body, they can learn techniques to successfully come out of fragmentation, get grounded, and be present and attuned to themselves and, in turn, their loved ones. Witnessing parents learn how to best support their children and watching parents grow alongside them, brings her tremendous joy. In her spare time, Susan loves traveling, watching sunsets, and spending quality time with her growing family.

Gabrielle is a first-generation American citizen and the eldest daughter of Filipino immigrants who emphasized the far-reaching importance of education, health, personal morality, and family values. She graduated with honors from Notre Dame Academy Girls High School in West LA; graduated with honors from SMC and three AA degrees in the areas of Public Policy, Arts & Humanities, and Letters & Social Sciences; and finally, graduated magna cum laude from UCLA with a BA in English Literature as well completing UCLA’s distinguished College Honors program for independent studies. In her previous career as an educator, Gabrielle aided many students to achieve their various academic goals, from successfully public speaking for the first time to winning an academic decathlon state championship; for the latter, she was awarded a Certificate of Achievement in Service by the City of Los Angeles in 2017. Gabrielle finds as valuable, if not even more so, her individual work to grow in recovery, family unity, and faith. She completed residential and intensive outpatient treatment herself as a teen, which then helped her practice an innate resilience while going through the years of school, work, and raising her daughter Ellie with her husband Tyler. However, recovery also allows her to find a fulfilling balance in practical responsibilities with recreational pursuits: Gabrielle has earned a 2nd-degree black belt in two martial arts disciplines, has traveled to over a dozen different countries, performs poetry and live music as a singer, songwriter, and pianist, and enjoys cooking, camping, caring for her beloved Pomeranian Annie, and off-road driving in her trusty Jeep Wrangler.

Christina has worked in the mental health field for 6 years now and graduated from Cal. State Channel Islands with a B.A. in Psychology. She has also completed an internship with Ventura County Behavioral Health as a Mental Health Associate Intern. She has worked in a variety of fields including doing behavioral therapy with kids with autism, case management for low income communities, and most recently working with people struggling with eating disorders and helping them find treatment. She is so excited to now work with adolescents and help them create a solid foundation to grow upon! On a day off she loves to travel with friends and go to the beach with her dog, Kaya!

Jennifer Campoy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a passion for working with adolescents and families. She obtained her Masters Degree in Social Work at Columbia University in New York and has worked with teens and families in a range of treatment settings, helping teens and parents connect & communicate, with a focus on emotional regulation and expression, and treating all types of trauma. She was the creator and Director of the Co-Occurring Disorders Department at Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services, creating programming for teens & young adults struggling with substance abuse, recognizing the need to incorporate screening & treatment of substance abuse with mental health services. Interested in psychoanalytic theory, Jennifer continued her education at Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Studies, completing a psychoanalytic psychotherapy program in May 2017. Jennifer has a private practice in Pasadena, CA.

Cecilia Carr is an Associate Clinical Social Worker, with a passion for working with children, youth and families. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Maryland followed by a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California. Her experience includes providing therapeutic services in outpatient and school settings, addressing a range of emotional and behavioral disorders. Cecilia strongly believes in the value of utilizing strengths-based, needs-based and family-centered approaches in order to support clients in building resilience and recovering from their mental health challenges.

Bio coming soon.

I earned a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences from Morgan State University, a Master of Science in Psychology with a concentration in child and adolescent development from Southern New Hampshire University, and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from California Southern University. I have worked in various settings, providing services for children and adolescents with autism, mental health disorders, and substance use. Additional work includes forensic/jail mental health, severe mental illnesses, co-occurring disorders, crisis prevention, and family therapy. I am DBT, ACT, and psychodynamic oriented; however, I utilize various approaches that suit the individual’s needs such as client-centered, family systems, trauma-focused, and strength-based. I enjoy working with teens because it provides an opportunity to assist with identifying their autonomy, while also acquiring tools and skills to navigate through life challenges.

Melanie earned her bachelor’s degree from CSUN in deaf studies, and her Masters in Psychology from Brandman University. Melanie has experience working with children, teens, and adults on the spectrum. Melanie grew up with Deaf family members and decided to use her skills to work with Deaf children and teens. She has a passion for working with teens and adults to help them cope and get through difficult challenges. On her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her three cats and her family. She also enjoys working out, drawing, and fashion.

Hello, my name is Celina Serna and I am currently an Associate Clinical Social Worker. I have been working with youth and adolescents for four years. I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts from CSU, Sacramento and with a Masters in Social Work from CSU, Stanislaus. I hope to complete a doctoral program in a few years in clinical psychology. However, we will see where life takes me in a few years. I have experience working at group homes, school settings, and a state correctional facility. During my experience, I was given the opportunity to co-facilitate group sessions, run individual sessions, and participate in family sessions. My experience has allowed me to learn skills such as CBT, motivational interviewing, psychoeducational groups, process groups, and skills groups. In my free time I enjoy exercising, hiking, the beach, dancing, trying new foods, and spending time with my family.

Nessa Lee Esparza is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, and has a passion for working for teens and young adults. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at UC Santa Cruz, followed by a master’s degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling at Cal State Fresno. Her experiences include providing therapeutic services with teens, young adults, and families in outpatient settings. Nessa Esparza believes in eclectic therapy, which is an approach that draws on multiple theoretical orientations and techniques that is flexible and multifaced to address each patient’s needs. She also values and utilizes humanistic and person centered practices in order to support and guide patient’s through processing and managing their mental health challenges.

Angela ‘Angie’ is an associate clinical social worker with a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Denver. In 2017, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology and has been working with teens and families ever since. Most of her work experience has been in residential treatment centers for teens with child welfare involvement and complex trauma. Angie likes to use a trauma-informed, strengths-based, and individualized approach with each client. In her free time, she enjoys getting vitamin Sea through beach volleyball and surfing with friends and family.

Curtis is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, who specializes in developmental and complex trauma. He utilizes trauma-focused treatments such as somatic therapy and EMDR to help his clients heal. Curtis is a Los Angeles native, and in his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, reading and writing, and watching movies.

Johnathon has been working with at risk youth population for 3 years and worked with adults for a very long time. He’s been in the field for about 8 years and he has his personal experience. What he’s learned with working within both populations is that it’s easier to raise a good man then it is to heal a broken one. He’s also in recovery himself and been sober for many years. So not only does he help others but he also chases after his own recovery. Working in this type of field helps to add that I can use my personal struggles to help those see that recovery doesn’t stop after treatment. He currently has his CAADE and plans to transfer to a 4-year college to a bachelor’s degree on Psychology. He oversees all counselors at all 3 facilities. He was the first to start a Teen specific all A meeting in LA County. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with friends and traveling. If addiction is a family disease then recovery is a family affair.

Ivan likes to hang out with positive people, spend quiet time with his family and friends. His passion is working with adolescents who struggled with the same issues he did when he was young. He enjoys going out on adventures with his family and passionate about the 12 step. He can relate to our kids and is able to give support because of his own personal experience.

Olivia is an Insight Alumni and graduated the program in 2018. She currently goes to school at Santa Monica Community College and plans to major in Psychology at Pepperdine University. Olivia loves to speak about her battle with mental illness to help people who are struggling. During her free time, she loves to go on adventures with friends and cook or watch a soccer game with family.

Hi, my name is Jermaine and I have 8 years of continuous sobriety. I have a passion for working with addicts and alcoholics in the field of recovery. I have a working knowledge of the 12 steps as well as other programs of recovery. I also have a deep love for philosophy and personal development. It has become my purpose in life to help others achieve sobriety and establish a new way of life through spirituality and sobriety. My goal is to lead by example and show others that recovery is possible. I was also a troubled youth and I Truely understand the struggles that come with being a teenager and living with drug addiction, family dysfunction and mental illness. Having overcome tremendous difficulties in my own life, it’s become my life goal help others do the same. I spent many years working with adult addicts and Alcoholics in residential treatment centers as well as IOP’s. I have made the transition to working with teens and families and it’s been very rewarding and fulfilling. Helping the youth realize their infinite potential for unlimited growth is something you can never buy with money or simply read about, it’s something that you can only experience through selfless dedication to recovery and a belief that every human has infinite potential for good, especially our youth because our youth are our future.

Steven has been a counselor at Insight since 2022. Prior to working at Insight he was running groups for teens struggling with mental health and addiction in Riverside, California. As a teen Steven also struggled with issues of addiction and his own mental health. These struggles inspire him to help teens avoid the same costly mistakes he made.

Kelso is a Program Aid for our Modesto and Merced as well as the counselor for Merced. She is completing an A.A. in Human Services, A.A. in Chemical Dependency and holds a certificate for Psychosocial Rehabilitation. Born and raised in Modesto, Kelso went on to live in Northern California right after high school and explored the country, visiting almost every state along the way. Now, she has come back to her hometown with more perspective and experience, ready to connect with the community and help teens gain the confidence necessary to face the world. When she’s not in school, or at work, she enjoys fishing, camping and kickin’ back to good music.

Genevieve has been working in the mental health field since 2013. She graduated with a BA from Northeastern University in her hometown of Boston, Massachusetts. She has worked with a variety of populations, including those suffering from eating disorders, opiate addiction, homelessness, and childhood trauma. She loves to explore by going on cross-country road trips and living in different cities. She spent the last few years in Denver, CO learning to train and rehabilitate at-risk dogs before landing here in sunny California. In her spare time, she likes to foster dogs, swim in the ocean, play hockey, and follow Boston sports teams.

Pablo Rodriguez holds a Bachelor in Arts degree in Marketing and Business from the Universidad Intercontinental in Mexico City, Mexico and has an Associate degree in Commercial Art from the Centro Diseño, Cine y Television Design, Cinema, and Television Center in Mexico City, Mexico. Originally from Mexico City, Pablo is influenced by his European roots, extensive international travel, and love of entrepreneurial endeavors. Pablo specializes in international marketing. For the past few years he has traveled extensively on an international level supporting and attending mental health conferences while assisting Gregory Consulting, Inc., a psychiatric consulting company based in Los Angeles. He is trained in supportive case management and has received training in transporting and working with individuals with co-occurring diagnoses. Pablo believes in maintaining an equilibrium of mind, body, and spirit as a means to increased personal wellness. In his free time, Pablo enjoys sports and architecture, particularly soccer and running. He can also be found spending time with his family and dogs. Pablo is bilingual in Spanish and English.

Blanca, better known as Bea, is a program aid at the Van Nuys and Pasadena facilities for Insight. As a teenager, Bea was part of a prevention program for teens which lead to an interest in Psychology and resulted in a bachelor’s degree from Cal State University, Fullerton in 2016. Currently, Bea is looking into schools to earn a degree in Human Resources. When not at work Bea spends time planning trips and activities with her seven nieces and nephews or volunteering as a youth leader and singer in her local community. Outside of Psychology and volunteer work, Bea enjoys reading, writing, drawing, playing video games and learning new information and skills through classes and videos.

Evette, also known as Evie, is a Program Aid at the El Segundo and El Monte facilities for Insight. Evie is a skilled multitasker who juggles multiple roles with ease. From being a dedicated single parent to someone whose passion is working with adolescents who struggle with childhood trauma just as she did. Aside from always being up to experience and learn new things, Evie, loves to motivate others to embrace their passions and pursue their aspirations. Evie is a Los Angeles Native and during her free time, she loves to play and watch softball, amongst other sports, and enjoys spending time with her family and her two dogs.

Shae works as the program aid in the Modesto office. She has previously worked with teens helping them build on their educational and vocational skills and career development. Shae has experience with 12-step programs and has helped others work with 12-step programs. She also has personal experience in recovery and graduated from an intensive outpatient program in March 2023. She also works as a house manager at a sober living environment for women working their recovery programs, and gaining custody of their children. Shae has a passion for helping others and is an advocate for those battling substance abuse, mental health issues, and domestic abuse. Shae is a mom to two girls, ages 16 and 12, and a son age 8. She loves music, especially punk rock, tattoos, art, food, and animals.

Hi! My name is Michael (he/him/his) and I began my career in mental health working with survivors of sexual violence and sex trafficking, providing support and advocacy to teens, transitional age youth, adults, and elders in the aftermath of trauma. In addition to this work, I’ve also worked a number of years in other community mental health settings with individuals and families managing the challenges of other forms of trauma, difficulties with substance use, anxiety, depression, and more. I have a passion for facilitating spaces that allow folks to feel heard and empowered to meet their goals. Outside of therapy, I like to spend my time reading, playing piano, and trying to pursue my goal of trying pizza from every pizza place in Southern California!