PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Marjorie O’Connor, MPsy, LPC, LCDC

Marjorie O’Connor, MPsy, LPC, LCDC is a licensed professional counselor and a licensed chemical dependency counselor who moved to the Houston area in 2013 to practice after completing her Masters in Psychology at the University of Dallas in 2013. Marjorie utilizes a variety of therapeutic methods in sessions with a focus on strengths based client-centered therapy, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused sessions.

Marjorie has worked in inpatient, residential, and private settings with a focus on treating co-occurring issues. Marjorie specializes in working with individuals who are struggling with trauma/PTSD, eating disorders, mood disorders and substance abuse. She has completed training in EMDR, an evidence-based trauma treatment, provided by the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA). Art has been a lifelong passion for Marjorie and she has enjoyed incorporating expressive arts as a method for client healing for the past 4 years.

REGISTERED DIETITIAN

Amreen Bora, RD

Amreen is a graduate of the University Of Texas where she received her Bachelors of Science in Nutritional Sciences and became certified in Health Information Technology. She completed her dietetic internship at Baylor University Medical Center where she continues to practice as a Clinical Dietitian. Amreen has treated adults and adolescents in various levels of care in the acute, long-term, and outpatient settings. She believes in providing compassionate and individualized nutritional counseling to help her clients foster a healthy relationship with food.

PRIMARY THERAPIST

Jessica Straus, LPC

Jesse Straus is a Licensed Professional Counselor Intern who is supervised by Lindsey Irons, M.Ed., LPC-S. She has her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN and her Master of Arts in Counseling from St. Edward’s University. Jesse has a wide range of counseling experience, which includes working in a residential treatment center for children who experienced trauma, an intensive outpatient setting for adults and adolescents with substance use disorders, and a partial hospitalization program for adults and adolescents with eating disorders. She is passionate about helping others learn how to cope with challenges in more effective ways in order to gain self-confidence and reach their full potential in life

REGISTERED DIETITIAN

Elizabeth Brown , RDN, LD

Liz Brown is a registered dietitian licensed in the state of Texas, who moved to Austin from Nebraska. She attended the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and then a Master of Science degree in Community Nutrition & Health Promotion with a minor in Educational Psychology. She completed the distance dietetic internship through Iowa State University. Liz has experience treating both adolescents and adults in an inpatient mental health-focused setting. In her free time, Liz enjoys walking and hiking with her dog and cooking new recipes.

REGISTERED DIETITIAN

Abigail Ploch, RDN, LD

Abigail earned a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and completed the Coordinated Program in Dietetics at the University of Texas at Austin. Abigail has experience treating adults and adolescents in partial hospitalization and outpatient settings. Abigail has a passion for eating disorder recovery and promoting a healthy relationship between self and food for all individuals. In her free time, Abigail enjoys going to concerts and hiking.

PRIMARY THERAPIST

Julia Thompson, LMSW

PRIMARY THERAPIST

Rachel Foster M. A., Lpc-Intern

Rachel is a Licensed Professional Counseling Intern supervised by Kimberley Mead, M.A., LPC-S. Rachel holds a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute and a Bachelor’s in Social Work from the University of North Texas. Her M.A. studies emphasized both Marriage/Family Therapy and Depth Psychology. Rachel has 10 years of combined experience as a community service provider in a variety of roles including oncology social work, residential treatment counselor and crisis intervention advocate. Rachel offers a holistic, integrative approach to client-centered therapy which is informed by her creativity, compassion and humor.

PRIMARY THERAPIST

Breanna Stogner, MA, LPC-Intern

Breanna is a Licensed Professional Counseling Intern, supervised by Dr. Ellen Melton, PhD, LPC-S. She holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree from Texas State University in San Marcos and a Master’s of Counseling graduate degree from St. Edwards University. Breanna has an extensive background in youth and family focused non-profit organizations, where she has worked with clients of all ages using a variety of methods, such as Solution Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems, person-centered therapy. She believes in creating strong therapeutic relationships using compassion and humor, and she is passionate about working for Center for Discovery, where she can assist clients with achieving recovery goals. In her free time, Bre enjoys discovering new albums, attempting difficult recipes with her wife, and hanging out with her two kittens, Chicken and Beanie.

Psychiatrist

Dr. Ziba Rezaee

Dr. Rezaee completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin, graduating with highest honors with Bachelor of Arts in Biology and minor in Psychology. She obtained her medical doctorate from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. During her medical education, she began taking an academic interest in the organic brain pathologies culminating in the genesis of psychiatric disorders and the evolving field of neurology and psychiatry. During this time, she recognized her passion in connecting with her patients on a deeper level and addressing the often overlooked treatment of patients with comorbid medical and psychiatric issues. Her particular area of interest lies in the underlying pathophysiology of primary and secondary traumatic brain injury with consequent neuropsychiatric insults that evolve as a result.

Following her interest, Dr. Rezaee completed her residency in general psychiatry at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. She is board certified by the American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry. Additionally, Dr. Rezaee is currently working toward board certification in the newly established field of Brain Injury Medicine and plans on expanding her focus toward the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with mild to severe brain injury along with care of developmental and organic neuropsychiatric conditions.

In her personal life, Dr. Rezaee values family greatly and spending time with her husband, Dr. Ellis Doan. In her downtime, she enjoys relaxation, traveling, exercising, and music. She also dedicates time to appreciating and caring for nature and animals.

REGISTERED DIETITIAN

Ana Csitkovits, RD

Ana graduated from the University of Texas at Austin’s Coordinated Program in Dietetics. Ana’s experience at a residential eating disorder facility allowed her to combine her value of connecting with clients along with her belief in a health at every size and intuitive eating approach. Ana encourages her clients to develop healthy relationships with food by challenging them to question common food and diet myths that are prevalent in our culture. Her goal is to provide individualized care to help clients find peace with food and their bodies.
While working in a research lab for 2 years, Ana believes in an evidence-based approach to nutrition and enjoys translating the research into easily-digestible information for her clients (pun intended). She also advocates for analyzing research literature through a critical lens in order to avoid taking wild claims at face value. She has a passion for researching women’s health issues and their intersection with eating disorders/disordered eating patterns.

Although she has lived in Texas most of her life, Ana is Mexican and a native Spanish speaker. She strives to provide culturally sensitive care to people from all backgrounds, and she is specifically interested in the way cultural practices impact relationships with food. She enjoys getting to know her clients in a holistic way in order to provide the best care possible.

In her free time, Ana enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time outdoors with her friends. She loves using food to bring people together, and is always looking for a new recipe to try – especially if it uses any combination of chipotle, lime, and cilantro.

MILIEU MANAGER

Emma Peacock, MS

Emma Peacock has a Master’s in Human Services concentrating in Forensics from Capella University and A Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and a minor in Communications. She has joined the Austin team as our milieu coordinator. Emma has experience in residential level of care for adolescents and brings with her expertise in trauma informed care. Emma is compassionate about mental health care and supporting clients and family through the recovery process.

PROGRAM THERAPIST

Kenda Woolfson, ASW

Kenda Wooflson is a registered Associate Social Worker and Therapist at Center for Discovery. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Occidental College in English Literary Studies with a focus on creative writing and minor in Philosophy. After earning her undergraduate degree, Kenda worked as a write in the non-profit sphere and has been deeply involved in advocating for policy reform pertaining to survivors of sexual assault. In 2015, Kenda returned to graduate school at the University of Southern California, where she earned her Master of Social Work degree and was part of the Phi Alpha and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Societies. Kenda previously worked with youth experiencing homelessness at My Friend’s Place, where she was involved in program development for the organization.

Kenda has served as a mentor to individuals struggling with eating disorders for the past five years and has studied Intuitive Eating under co-founder of the Intuitive Eating Movement, Evelyn Tribole. Kenda is thrilled to work at Center for Discovery where she can continue to support individuals as they navigate the ups and downs of recovery and find their way out of darkness and into fulfilling lives. Outside of work, Kenda is an avid reader, musician, and animal lover who can often be found at the dog park or searching for the best oat milk latte in Los Angeles.