Clinical and Medical Treatment Staff

Courtney’s vision for this treatment center was created when she recognized that there was a need for addiction treatment that truly acknowledges the humanity within each client. A place where clients have space to find out who they really are and which problems in their lives they have been ‘solving’ with their current addiction and/or mental health presentations. Having graduated with an undergraduate degree in psychology and a Master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern California, she added a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology to her educational background, focusing solely on the interventions and outcomes utilized at Good Heart Recovery. With her past experience of directing a luxury alcohol and drug treatment center and working in several non-profit agencies, including the recovery residence she owns and operates, she is dedicated to healing others using her entrepreneurial and clinical abilities. She sought out Good Heart’s staff based on individuals whose luxuries were of internal substance, something she realized is what fuels the true positive outcomes of clients in treatment. She is happily married, cares deeply for her only son, and is honored and truly blessed to watch her own personal life, the lives of those she loves, and the lives of her clients excel beyond all expectations based on the programming and history of Good Heart’s mission and philosophy.

Trever has been working in the field of addiction and recovery for five years. He is a certified addiction treatment counselor who graduated from the Addictive Disorders program in Oxnard, CA and is currently working furthering his education in psychology. He started working in the non-profit sector of rehabilitation and then worked for three years at a luxury treatment center in Malibu, CA. Trever has a passion for helping individuals break their own cycles of addiction, while finding new freedom and sense of purpose. Trever truly believes that each individual is unique in their process of recovery and meets each client where they’re at, and models a client-centered treatment approach. Trever’s goal is to empower each person with the tools and skills needed to live a life free from addiction, while finding their new purpose in life. He feels very blessed to be a part of the Good Heart Team and looks forward to continuing to grow with the organization.

Nicole received her Master’s in Counseling Education and Pupil Personnel Credential from California State University, Sacramento in 2005. She combined her passion for education and counseling and graduated with a dual specialization in Marriage and Family Counseling and School Counseling. Nicole has been a licensed MFT since 2009, a licensed PCC since 2012, and a Clinical Supervisor since 2013. While in Sacramento, Nicole counseled at-risk youth from diverse cultural backgrounds at multiple inner-city schools and nonprofit settings. In 2011 Nicole moved to Santa Barbara and taught Master level students at Pacifica Graduate Institute. In 2013 she took on the role of Clinical Supervisor for Casa Pacifica’s Wraparound program in Santa Barbara County. In 2017 Nicole took on the role of Director of Clinical Training and Clinical Teaching Faculty at Antioch University Santa Barbara. In her capacity as Director of Clinical Training, she developed and grew the strength of the program, streamlining processes and procedures, sustaining meaningful partnerships with agencies in the community, and supporting students in their progress through their academic and practicum experiences. As an instructor, Nicole has fostered student’s professional growth through her consistent guidance and mentorship.

Dr. Marjorie Gies graduated Magna Cum Laude in Psychology from Princeton University. She got her Medical Doctorate from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. She completed her residency at UCLA in Psychiatry and was the Academic Chief Resident and later the Chief Resident of the UCLA – NPI Adult Outpatient Eating Disorders Program. Dr. Gies started her Santa Barbara Psychiatry private practice in April of 1993. She got her Ph.D. in psychoanalysis from ICP-LA in 1999 and was later deemed the medical director of Cottage Hospital’s eating disorder program from 1995 – 1997. Prior to working at Good Heart Recovery, she was La Ventana’s Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Medical Director for four years. She is now the Medical Director for Good Heart Recovery IOP & PHP. At Good Heart Recovery, Dr. Gies provides all clients with weekly medication management, psychiatric evaluations, and a compassionate, psychoanalytical experience of one-to-one sessions between clients and their psychiatric experience.

Natalie has a reverence for bearing witness to those who are telling their story with the hopes of healing. Due to this, she was drawn to the Good Heart Recovery philosophy when she discovered it in the Summer of 2017. She believes that the compassionate and non-judgmental environment provided by Good Heart can foster the ability for people to develop self-acceptance and find out who they truly are. After receiving her undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Applied Psychology, she completed her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University Santa Barbara. She strongly believes that we are all connected, and that pain can be used as an opportunity for growth. Over the last year, she has been working towards her MFT and LPCC licensures at the Community Counseling and Education Center and on Cottage Hospital’s psychiatric and addiction unit. Her motivation and determination drive her passion for working with LGTBQ+ populations and people struggling with their mental health and substance abuse. She is honored and grateful to be a part of the Good Heart team, where she feels she can continue to meet clients where they are at. In addition to her therapeutic and case management work, she is passionate about spirituality, writing, meditation, exercise, and nature as tools for her personal growth. She is happily engaged and enjoys spending time outdoors and working on her own personal growth.

Crystal joined the Good Heart team in 2019 to expand upon her interest and training in person-center, humanistic, and holistic healing in order to best assist others in finding their genuine and authentic selves. After receiving her undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Applied Psychology, she completed her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University Santa Barbara in 2020. Prior to joining Good Heart, she worked as an admissions counselor at Antioch University Santa Barbara, harnessing the skills to meet people where they are at and to assist them in the pursuit of their continued growth. Since joining the Good Heart team, Crystal has gained clinical experience as a case manager, primary therapist, and group facilitator as she pursues MFT licensure. She is honored to work on the front line with members of the community, fellow clinicians, potential clients and their loved ones all while bearing witness to the amazing growth in each and every person she comes across.

Danielle has extensive experience working with individuals and families suffering from co-occurring disorders. She spent most of her career working with underserved populations as a program director on Hawai’i Island with a focus on supporting families healing from addiction and mental health concerns. Danielle has a heart for those not seen by society and believes everyone deserves to be seen through the lens of love, which is what attracted her to the Mission and Vision of Good Heart. She taught substance abuse courses at Hawai’i Community College and facilitated professional workshops and trainings on Hawai’i Island. Danielle is currently working on her dissertation, seeking a PhD in Educational Psychology from Walden University, her concentration is on those with co-occurring disorder seeking higher education. She received her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Phoenix in 2002. Prior to pursuing her master’s degree, Danielle completed her undergraduate program at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo where she double majored in Sociology and Communication, Danielle was an internationally certified substance abuse counselor while working in Hawai’i.

Mike has lived many lives. He’s been a singer and a songwriter, a baseball player and an engineer and an Art Director and, one day hopefully, a blacksmith. Mike’s most recent life started when he found himself in the care of many of the Good Heart clinical team some years ago at a different recovery home. They helped him find a new life and set him on the path of becoming a therapist. Mike will graduate with an MA MFT from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena in Spring 2019. Mike has been drawn to helping his clients find meaning through an existential lens but also believes whole-heartedly in directly treating trauma and behavior as a means to freedom. He is a fully trained EMDR therapist. Before coming to Good Heart, in addition to practicing EMDR, Mike was responsible for the Family and Couples therapy at Refuge Recovery Center. It is family therapy that he’ll be primarily focused on at Good Heart. Mike loves his family, friends, and dogs. He also loves making things and having baseball break his heart.

Austin White is honored to be the grounding force of spirituality and meditation at Good Heart Recovery. Having managed sober living residences in Santa Barbara and embarking on the courageous journey towards his own recovery, Austin is fusing his meditative and spiritual practices with evidence-based interventions and higher education in the field of substance use disorders. Every week, he works with our clients teaching them how to be present, how to let go, and how to obtain the inner workings of the mind to help them heal. He knows struggle and how to see it and mirror the strength to push through. Steadfast in safety and compassion, Austin creates a spiritual path of recovery for each human being he sits in front of. He’s our facility’s go-to when it comes to building the lost, but not forever gone, purpose and meaning in each of our clients again. Looking at our existence and exploring what it means to be alive, Austin seeks to radically change people’s lives for the better.

Jessica has worked in the addiction treatment field for four years. Harnessing her life experience, education, and time in various roles in the field, she is able to advocate for her clients with passion and authenticity. Jessica is currently enrolled at Santa Barbara City College to finish her internship to be a certified drug and alcohol counselor and was recently accepted to Arizona State University’s online program to pursue her bachelor’s degree. She works tirelessly to ensure her clients come first. Jessica is a mother to two young boys and looks forward to integrating more into service in the Santa Barbara community.