DEL MAR OUTPATIENT EATING DISORDER PROGRAM

Susan Zelenak, RD

Susan is a registered dietitian who obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in foods and nutrition from San Diego State University. She then completed her dietetic internship through Utah State University as well as her Master of Dietetics Administration degree with an emphasis on dietetic management.

Susan is passionate about helping patients on their journey to recovery. She has worked with adolescents and adults in residential and outpatient settings since 2017. Susan takes pride in creating a supportive space for individualized care centered around the principles of Intuitive Eating and aligned with the Health at Every Size® (HAES) approach.

Susan is currently working toward becoming a certified eating disorders registered dietitian (CEDRD) and is the secretary for the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP) San Diego chapter.

Cyndi Pulsinelli, LMFT

Cyndi Pulsinelli is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who serves as the Clinical Supervisor on the Del Mar Outpatient and La Jolla Residential teams. As Clinical Supervisor, she provides supervision and oversight to clinical interns on the treatment teams. Cyndi obtained her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Azusa Pacific University in San Diego and also holds undergraduate degrees in Communication Studies and Psychology with a minor in Civic Leadership.

Cyndi has worked with Center for Discovery since 2013, holding positions at residential, PHP, and IOP levels of care as Primary Therapist and Program Director, as well as serving as the Southern California Regional Director of Eating Disorder Outpatient Programs.

Outside of her Clinical Supervisor role, Cyndi has a private practice specializing in treating individuals with eating disorders and trauma. The heart of her practice is the very essence of equipping individuals and families to live a life where they thrive. To thrive is a means of growth, to flourish, revive, change-state or turn.

Cyndi practices using evidence-based treatment modalities including EMDR, ERP, DBT, and CBT, while cultivating hope through a strengths-based approach. Over the years, Cyndi has had experience working with a broad range of issues including eating disorders, body image, grief and loss, perinatal loss, mood and anxiety disorders, substance abuse, family struggles, PTSD, and crisis intervention.

Liz Hardeman-Fikes, MA, AMFT

Elizabeth Hardeman-Fikes is an Associate Marriage & Family Therapist who has been working in the eating disorder field for the past several years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Westmont College, and graduated with her Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of San Diego. 

Elizabeth has experience working with adolescents and adults, and has received specialized training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and family systems modalities. In addition to her work with eating disorders, Elizabeth has experience treating individuals with a variety of diagnoses, including anxiety, OCD, major depressive disorder, and ADHD. Elizabeth is passionate about using a strength-based and client-centered approach. Outside of work, she enjoys playing guitar and spending time outdoors.

Emily Andersen, AMFT, APCC

Emily Andersen is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) and Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC).  She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Texas A&M University and graduated with her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University.

Emily has experience working with adults struggling with substance abuse and primary mental health concerns at detox, residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient levels of care.  She also has experience working with men and women with eating disorders, as well as treating individuals with a variety of diagnoses and comorbid disorders including anxiety disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia, body dysmorphia, bipolar disorders, and personality disorders.

Emily is passionate about working with clients with eating disorders. She integrates Health at Every Size, Anti-Diet, and Intuitive Eating into her therapeutic approach with clients and is passionate about using a strengths-based, client-centered approach.  Emily believes that every client is different and therefore will have different needs in therapy and likes to pull from multiple therapy modalities including family systems, psychodynamic/psychoanalytic, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and motivational interviewing.

Outside of work, Emily enjoys doing calligraphy and other projects, home décor, and exploring San Diego.

Halima Saeed

Halima is a registered associate professional clinical counselor (APCC) with an M.S. in multicultural community counseling and social justice education. She received her B.A. in psychology at San Diego State University. Halima is passionate about normalizing mental health care and providing accessible services to multicultural communities.

As a clinician, she has over three years’ experience working with college students, immigrant and refugee populations, and providing therapy in Arabic. While pursuing her graduate studies, Halima was a counselor at University of California, San Diego, and Cuyamaca College, where she worked with college students with various issues including relationship conflicts, racial trauma, homelessness, familial conflicts, being a first-generation college student, religious and cultural barriers, etc. Halima works with individuals from a holistic approach, taking into account all aspects of the individual’s life (social, relational, emotional, mental, physical, cultural and environmental) that may impact their overall wellness. Halima utilizes cognitive behavioral techniques, gestalt therapy, feminist theory, solution-focused therapy, self-compassion work and emotion focused therapy.

Alyssa Dahlbergp

Alyssa is an associate marriage & family therapist. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Point Loma Nazarene University, and graduated with her Master of Arts degree in marriage and family therapy from the University of San Diego.

Alyssa has experience working with adults and children with trauma, eating disorders and substance use disorders. Alyssa has training in therapy modalities such as acceptance & commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), internal family systems (IFS), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and other family systems theories. Alyssa enjoys work with adults, families and couples, and has training and experience working with eating disorders, substance abuse disorders, PTSD, bipolar and other mood disorders, as well as psychotic disorders. Outside of work, she enjoys surfing and diving, going to concerts and enjoying the San Diego weather.

Adrienne Pamintuan

Adrienne earned her Bachelor of Science degree in foods and nutrition from San Diego State University (SDSU). During her time at SDSU, she became an intern for BrightSide Produce, an organization that reduces food insecurity by providing affordable, fresh produce to the underserved communities in San Diego. Adrienne became an active member of the Student Nutrition Organization and was nominated by SDSU to the National Society of Leadership and Success for academic accomplishment and leadership potential. In addition, she was a volunteer in the dietary department at San Diego Post-Acute Center, which helped her gain clinical hands-on experience within a long-term healthcare facility. Adrienne is excited to be working as a dietetic technician at Center for Discovery’s outpatient eating disorder treatment clinic, where she has the ability to work with a population she hopes to inspire and motivate by implementing principles that benefit their journey to a positive relationship with themselves and food.

Adrienne is currently pursuing her graduate degree in nutritional sciences at SDSU. She aims to complete the dietetic internship shortly after to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). As a practitioner, she aspires to specialize in eating disorders and sports nutrition and wishes to open her own private practice one day.

Sarah Firebaugh

Sarah is a dietetic technician who is currently working towards earning her Bachelor of Science degree in foods and nutrition at San Diego State University. Through this program, she is also focused on achieving her certificate in the didactic program in dietetics. She is looking forward to earning her master’s degree for nutrition in the near future, as well, along with completing an accredited dietetic internship. She is pursuing a career as a registered dietitian and is excited to gain experience working with patients at Center for Discovery Del Mar outpatient center.

Sarah is a Bay Area native who moved to sunny San Diego to further her education at SDSU. Outside of her studies, she has become an active member of the Student Nutrition Organization, the Women in Science Society, the Rho Lambda Leadership Society, and is on the executive board for her Greek organization. In addition, Sarah is an avid volunteer at the All About the Kids Food Pantry and Girls on the Run International. She has experience working with adolescents and various aspects of nutritional and medical organizations. Sarah enjoys spending time at the beach, surrounding herself with friends and family, traveling, experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, and exploring all that San Diego has to offer. She is focused on growing in the field of clinical dietetics and exploring the many aspects and specialties that the career has to offer. Sarah has a passion for health, wellness and helping others, and is so excited to bring these interests to Center for Discovery.

Ashley Hopkins

Ashley graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a bachelor of arts in psychology. After graduating, she returned to San Diego and gained experience as a direct care worker for clients with mental illness. Ashley then switched career paths and started working in management where she enjoyed creating systems and organization that improved efficiency. Her passion for helping people and experience in management created a perfect fit for becoming a milieu manager.

As the milieu manager, Ashley handles daily operations and works closely with the program director to make sure the staff has all the necessary tools and education to successfully run a client-centered program. Ashley is passionate about creating functional systems that will enhance the employee and client experience with Center for Discovery.

Flannery Nielson

Flannery Nielsen is a registered dietitian with a master’s in nutrition and dietetics from Bastyr University in Seattle, WA. She moved to San Diego to complete her dietetic internship at UC San Diego Health and has been enjoying life in Southern California ever since. Flannery was first introduced to Intuitive Eating during graduate school and immediately felt aligned with its principles and the All Foods Fit philosophy. She is passionate about helping her patients challenge beliefs created by diet culture and work towards finding food freedom. In her free time, Flannery enjoys traveling, cooking with friends, beach days and photography.

Jessica Lester

Jessica is a registered dietitian nutritionist with experience working with both adolescent and adult populations. She is a graduate of UCLA and California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) where she completed her master’s degree in nutritional science. Jessica completed her dietetic internship with Cedars-Sinai and Kaiser Permanente and is now a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is passionate about helping individuals heal their relationship with food through proper nutrition care and education. By utilizing the All Foods Fit philosophy and Intuitive Eating principles, Jessica guides her clients to discover their own path to eating disorder recovery. She works alongside both clients and their families to provide support for recovery in program and at home.