DEL MAR EATING DISORDER PROGRAM

Betty Blanc, LMFT, MBA

Betty is the program director for Center for Discovery’s Del Mar residential treatment center overseeing the clinical and administrative operations of the facility. She comes to us with a master’s in marriage and family therapy from Northcentral University and a master’s in business administration from Loyola Marymount University. Betty is an active member of The National Society of Leadership and Success.

Betty has gained valuable experience working in clinical settings with school-based children and youths, with an emphasis on the special education field. Betty also has experience working in an all-female residential substance abuse treatment center where she utilized trauma-informed care and provided therapy to clients with co-occurring disorders such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, severe mental health, grief and loss. Her approach to therapy is to treat the client with empathy and genuine compassion and to create a safe environment for the client to feel supported and empowered.

Dr. Martin Schulman, MD

A native of Long Beach, California, Dr. Schulman majored in biochemistry at UC Berkeley in 1981. He graduated from the UC San Diego School of Medicine in 1985 then completed the Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program in Long Beach in 1988. After spending a year working in a small group practice, he joined the clinical faculty at UC San Diego, where he spent the next 15 years splitting his time between administrative, clinical, and teaching duties.

In 2005 Dr. Schulman opened a solo family medicine practice in nearby Encinitas but he maintains his ties to the UC San Diego Medical Center as an affiliate medical staff member and a non-salaried clinical professor of family medicine. Prior to joining Center for Discovery, he spent four years as the medical consultant for a eating disorders residential treatment center for adolescents and adults.

Jenna Cochrane

Jenna is the milieu manager at Center for Discovery’s Del Mar residential treatment facility. She received her bachelor’s degree in human services from Western Washington University. She has experience working with adults with disabilities at a supportive employment agency as well as shadowing an IOP program for severe mental illness and substance abuse. Jenna spent the first year of her employment with Center for Discovery working as a full-time counselor. She thoroughly enjoyed working directly with patients and being able to support them in their recovery process. She took the opportunity to move into the milieu manager position in order to help create a smooth-flowing day-to-day schedule for the patients as well as to make adjustments to improve the overall functioning of the program. Jenna is passionate about providing a safe, welcoming and supportive environment for patients. She truly believes in a patient-centered approach and that everyone’s recovery process is unique.

Sheri Chen, RD

Sheri Chen is a Registered Dietitian specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, emotional eating, unhealthy relationships with food and exercise, and other disordered eating patterns. Sheri graduated from the University of Arizona where she earned her Bachelor’s in Nutritional Sciences, and Master’s in Applied Nutrition. She completed her clinical dietetic internship at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, TX.

Sheri believes in a Health at Every Size® approach and is an “anti-diet” dietitian. Her approach comes from the philosophy that All Foods Fit—in balance, variety, and moderation. Sheri strives to create a safe place for people of any body size or shape.

Sheri’s mission as a clinician is to provide professional, compassionate, and transparent individualized nutritional counseling to help patients rebuild and nurture a healthy relationship with food and their body

Courtney Valero

Courtney is a primary therapist at Center for Discovery’s Del Mar residential treatment facility. She earned her master’s in clinical mental health counseling from Villanova University in Pennsylvania and has a background in special education and applied behavior analysis. She has experience working with children, adolescents and adults in outpatient settings and in schools struggling with addictions, trauma, eating disorders, anxiety and depression.

Courtney originally joined the CFD team as a full-time counselor and quickly grew to love the treatment model offered here before being promoted to primary therapist. Courtney is passionate about mental health and seeing clients progress in their recovery journeys. She holds the belief that patients heal best when they feel valued and strives to show unconditional kindness and empathy to everyone she works with. When she’s not working, Courtney loves to travel or spend time with her dog.

Arianna Escobar, APCC

Arianna is an associate therapist at Center for Discovery’s Del Mar residential treatment facility. She received her BA in psychology from San Diego State University and her MS in multicultural community counseling and social justice education. As a registered associate professional clinical counselor (APCC), Arianna has worked with diverse populations including young adults, adolescents, system-involved youth and families. Her clinical experience includes helping patients manage depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, self-harm, substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, personality disorders and eating disorders. In addition to utilizing an eclectic therapeutic model, Arianna has experience integrating CBT, DBT and EFT interventions to empower her patients and meet their therapeutic needs in a variety of therapeutic settings such as group homes, residential treatment centers, private practice and schools. Arianna’s commitment to addressing cultural factors, social injustices, systemic issues and familial dynamics has influenced her therapeutic work. She is passionate about strengthening patients’ relationships with themselves and increasing their sense of compassion in order to live a more fulfilling life.