PROGRAM DIRECTOR, REGIONAL DIRECTOR

Richard Barnes, LMFT

Richard J. Barnes is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 15 years experience. He graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz with a degree in Psychology, completed his Masters in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco, performed his traineeship with the City of San Francisco Dept of Public Health EAP, and a one year post masters fellowship at Stanford University, Vaden Health Center.

Having witnessed life changing results with families and adolescents in hospital outpatient care over the years, Richard J. Barnes is confident that the strong residential treatment programs at Center for Discovery can bring positive shifts for adolescents struggling with eating disorders while building hope and bringing relief for parents.

FACILITY MANAGER

Nicole Johnson, BA

Nicole obtained her Bachelors in Human Development from CSU East Bay, graduating with the distinction of Summa Cum Laude. After graduation she joined the Center for Discovery Danville team as a counselor, working one-on-one with adolescents in the milieu, running therapeutic groups and collaborating with fellow team members to ensure the best care of every adolescent. After fulfilling the role of counselor for a year Nicole took on the role of Facility Manager for the Danville house. Nicole believes that with the support and tools offered through the therapeutic process recovery is possible and each individual can begin to thrive.

REGISTERED DIETITIAN

Amanda Adkison, RD

Amanda Adkison, RD is the Registered Dietitian at Center for Discovery in Danville and Brentwood, CA and specializes in nutrition therapy for eating disorders and disordered eating. She graduated from University of Texas at Austin where she completed her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetic Internship. She enjoys sharing her experiences and knowledge onto others and challenging individuals to adopt a non-diet approach and incorporate the All Foods Fit Philosophy into their lives. Her goal is to help people heal their relationship with food and have a more balanced and intuitive lifestyle. 

THERAPIST

Sarah Morgan, MA

Sarah is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#111637) who received her degree from University California, Davis in Psychology with a minor in Human Development, and her Masters in Counseling Psychology from The Wright Institute. Sarah’s approach is congruent with the philosophy of the Wright Institute, which emphasizes support focused on resiliency, recovery, and social justice. Sarah utilizes her training in client-centered therapy to create a therapeutic environment that is strength-based and trauma-informed. She believes in the importance of a relational approach to cultivating an authentic, supportive connection between therapist and client.

Prior to joining the team at Center for Discovery, Sarah worked as a school counselor at a non-profit organization providing school-based counseling services. In this position, Sarah worked with adolescents and families in providing individual and group therapy. Her work involved collaborating  with school administration and staff, as well as outside agencies and facilitators. Her areas of professional interest include trauma-informed care, grief and loss, addiction, and social issues from a strength-based approach.

PHYSICIAN

Dr. Sue Knight, MD

Dr. Knight received her BS degree in Biophysics from the University of California at Berkeley. She earned her medical degree from the University of California at San Francisco and completed her internship and residency training at the same institution.

She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is on staff at San Ramon Regional Medical Center.

PSYCHIATRIST

Dr. Dipti Bhakta

Dr. Dipti Bhakta completed medical school David Geffin School of Medicine at UCLA in 1993. She completed her psychiatry residency training at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, California in 1997.  She is board certified in psychiatry and has been in private practice in Pleasanton California for the past 19 years.  Her area of expertise is treatment of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and eating disorders.

REGISTERED DIETITIAN

Jamie Zhou, RD

Jamie Zhou, RD is the Registered Dietitian at Center for Discovery in Danville and Brentwood, CA, who specializes in nutrition therapy for eating disorders and disordered eating. She graduated with honors and received her B.S. in Clinical Nutrition from the University of California, Davis, and completed her Dietetic Internship at Texas A&M University. She utilizes the All-foods-fit philosophy and a non-diet approach in her practice. With curiosity and compassion, she aims to help clients meet their dietary needs and build a better relationship with food.

NURSE ADMINISTRATOR

Jigna Patel, RN, BSN

Jigna is a Registered Nurse with a passion in mental health nursing. She received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing and RN licensure from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock and plans to pursue a Master’s degree in Nursing. Before becoming an RN, Jigna worked as a Mental Health Technician for 4 years. In those years, she realized her interest and passion lies in the field of mental health, specifically working alongside children/adolescents. Jigna is a very compassionate, dedicated, and driven nurse who strives for the best care possible for all her patients.