FACILITY MANAGER/NURSE ADMINISTRATOR

Amanda Smith, MA, IMF 77055

​Amanda completed her Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Psychology at Vanguard University of Southern California. From there she pursued a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Azusa Pacific University. Amanda began her journey with Center for Discovery as a graduate student and found a passion for working with young adults with eating disorders and has been with the company now for over four years. Beginning as a floor counselor Amanda has taken on many responsibilities and brings her dedication and strong work ethic to the facility manager role.

REGISTERED DIETITIAN

Ashley Rist, RD

Ashley Rist completed her undergraduate degree in Foods and Nutrition at San Diego State University. In May 2017 she completed her Dietetic Internship at Sodexo’s Distance with a concentration in Pediatrics. Ms. Rist’s employment with Center For Discovery began shortly after completing a rotation during her internship at both the PHP/IOP and RTC levels of care. Since then, Ms. Rist has experience working in all levels of care with mental health and eating disorders. In her spare time, she enjoys travelling, hiking, practicing yoga, and spending time on or around the water. Ms. Rist thoroughly enjoys the field she works in and it shows through her interactions with clients and her colleagues.

ADOLESCENT MEDICINE

Dr. Christine Wood, MD, FAAP

Dr. Christine Wood is a pediatrician with a special interest in pediatric nutrition. Dr. Wood is the author of the book, How to Get Kids to Eat Great & Love It! and has been in private practice at El Camino Pediatrics in Encinitas since 1990. She often consults with parents, children and teens in the practice on nutrition concerns ranging from picky eaters and overweight children to eating disorders in children.

Locally, she serves as the Co-Chair for the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative and as the Co-Medical Liaison for the San Diego Chapter International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals. She is a frequent speaker at medical conferences on nutritional issues for children, including dealing with overweight children, body image issues, eating disorders and the impact of environmental toxins on health. She graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School and went on to Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles for her pediatric residency.

PRIMARY THERAPIST

Emily Kron, MA, AMFT

Emily Kron is a Primary Therapist at Center for Discovery La Jolla Residential Treatment Center treating adolescents, emerging adults, and families impacted by eating disorders, mental health, and substance abuse. Emily is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and earned her Bachelors of Science in Psychology at Loyola University Chicago and her Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy at the University of San Diego. Her clinical theory of practice is a client-centered approach within the framework of Family Systems and Narrative Therapy. She is interested in how one’s experience with attachments, relationships, and narratives can be used in the healing process. Emily practices using evidence-based treatment modalities including DBT and CBT, while cultivating hope and resilience through a strengths-based approach. She has experience working with a broad range of issues including eating disorders, grief and loss, mood and anxiety disorders, family conflict, attachment issues, developmental disorders, trauma, co-occurring disorders, gender identity issues, and crisis intervention. Emily previously worked in a DBT private practice setting treating couples, families, and individuals. During her graduate studies, she worked as a therapist at UCSD Eating Disorders Center, providing psychotherapy to adolescents struggling with eating disorders and their families. Emily has previously worked with special needs and developmental disorders in a school setting as well as high-risk youth in a residential foster care setting.

PRIMARY THERAPIST

Maria Wilson, MA

Maria Wilson is a primary therapist at Center For Discovery La Jolla Residential Treatment Center, treating adolescents, emerging adults, and families impacted by eating disorders, mental health and trauma.  Maria earned her Bachelor of Arts in psychology at San Francisco State University, and her Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at John F. Kennedy University in Berkeley.  Her clinical theory of practice is a client-centered approach within the framework of Narrative therapy and Attachment therapy, which provide clients with the opportunity to rewrite their life story, and to strengthen their relationships with loved ones and most importantly the relationship to themselves.  During her graduate studies, Maria has previously worked in a school-based system working with children and their families for two years as a floor counselor, providing psychotherapy to young children and families suffering from a variety of mental health issues.  Maria has also had experience working in a community setting for one year as a therapist working with adults suffering from a variety of issues such as suicidality, eating disorders, low self-esteem, transitional hardships, and significant loss.  Maria has experience working with a number of mental health issues such as eating disorders, mood disorders, trauma, grief and loss, family and relationships problems, and crisis interventions.   She has worked with Center For Discovery as a counselor and therapist for 1 ½ years, and continues to enjoy working with a multidisciplinary team in order to provide clients and their families with the best continued care.

Psychiatrist

Dr. Timothy Liu, MD

Timothy Liu MD is a Board Certified Child, Adolescent & Adult Psychiatrist. He graduated from the adult psychiatry residency at Yale University School of Medicine. He also completed fellowship training in child and adolescent psychiatry at the Yale Child Study Center, as well as an internship at the Mayo Clinic. His clinical research on impulse-control disorders, problematic Internet use, and depression has appeared in numerous scholarly publications. He is a co-author of four psychiatric texts including the Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience (Cambridge University Press; 2010) and The Oxford Handbook of Impulse Control Disorders (Oxford University Press; 2009).

Dr. Liu enjoys working with families and children. He provides psychiatric assessment, comprehensive treatment planning, medication management, and psychotherapy. He received training in Parent Management Training and is most familiar with methods developed by Alan Kazdin Ph.D. and Russell Barkley Ph.D. During his fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center, he also underwent elective training in Habit Reversal Therapy for the treatment of tic disorders. In the past few years of practice, he has been devoting much of his time in helping parents and children communicate, and navigate through the excitement and confusion of teenage years.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Dr. Liu is trilingual in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. He is very interested in the cultural aspects of psychiatry, in particular, mental health awareness among immigrants of diverse cultural backgrounds. He was selected to be a Diversity Leadership Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association in 2009-2010. He continues to consult at community agencies that reach out to underserved minorities and give periodic health education seminars to the Chinese-speaking community.

Dr. Liu has been in practice in San Diego since 2011. In addition to clinical practice, he organizes a peer consultation group for the San Diego Psychiatric Society to support fellow psychiatrists in the area.

Dr. Liu is married with two young children. He is a humble parent who is learning to perfect his love for his children one day at a time.

Dietitian

Amanda Hibshman

Amanda Hibshman is an award-winning San Diego based Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. Amanda received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition and Food Science from San Diego State University and went on to complete her dietetic internship through the VA Medical Center in La Jolla, CA. During her time at the VA and in her early years of pursuing dietetics, her focus was geared heavily towards clinical Medical Nutrition Therapy in an inpatient setting.

Today, Amanda splits her time between culinary nutrition and 1:1 counseling work. While wearing her culinary hat, she can be found at the naval hospital, teaching healthy cooking classes to active duty military for the wounded, ill and injured program. In her private practice and consulting work, she predominately works with those struggling with disordered eating and/or behavioral and mental health issues, but also has expertise in gastrointestinal disorders, sports nutrition, and diabetes management. She is fascinated with the psychology of eating and always looks for the root cause of our nutritional dilemmas. She is passionate about helping clients reach their full potential and find lasting solutions to their health. As a life-long foodie, Amanda especially enjoys helping others discover the pleasure in eating and preparing meals and strives to spark a similar passion in those she works with.

Throughout her career, she has served on the board of several non-profit and professional organizations, most notably in the role of President for the San Diego Chapter of the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is the 2015 recipient of the “Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year” Award through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Her interests outside of nutrition include theater (singing, dancing, and acting), running, yoga, going to the movies, and all things pop-culture Disney.