MFT Program Faculty: Sacramento Location

MFT Core Faculty - Sacramento

Benjamin Caldwell
MFT Site Director; Assistant Professor, Sacramento, MFT Program
PsyD, 2004; Alliant International University, San Diego
Research interests: marital myths; couples therapy outcome; sex education; MFT cost-effectiveness research

Sean Davis
Assistant Professor; Clinical Training Coordinator, Sacramento, MFT Program
PhD, 2005; Syracuse University
Research interests: common factors across effective MFT models; MFT training and supervision; commonalities of healthy and distressed couples; process and outcome research; observational research; bridging the scientist/practitioner gap in MFT

MFT Core Faculty - Systemwide

Stephen Brown
Associate Professor, Irvine, MFT Program
PhD, 1966; University of Southern California
Research interests: quantitative and qualitative research design in MFT; measurement and evaluation in MFT; statistical analysis; professional education and teaching; performance improvement and quality assurance in mental health service delivery

Robin Denise Bullette
Assistant Professor, Irvine, MFT Program
PsyD, 2000; United States International University
Research interests: MFT teaching, training and supervision; courtship, marital therapy and family systems

Janice W. Cone
MFT Site Director; Associate Professor, Irvine, MFT Program
PhD, 1984; University of Pittsburgh
Research interests: chronic illnesses and family systems; AIDS; sexual abuse; sexuality; family and couple violence; MFT process and outcome research

Darryl Freeland
Associate Professor, San Diego/Irvine, MFT Program
PhD, 1972; University of Southern California
Research interests: family dynamics; epistemology; chaos theory; women’s issues; imagination and the therapy process

Susan Johnson
Research Professor, San Diego, MFT Program
EdD, 1984; University of British Columbia
Research interests: emotionally focused therapy, process and outcome research.
Dr. Johnson is the primary developer of emotionally focused therapy and is an internationally recognized leader in the area of couples therapy, theory and research. Dr. Johnson resides in Ottawa, Canada and visits Alliant’s San Diego campus to lecture and engage in research activities.

Ann Lawson
Professor, San Diego, MFT Program
PhD, 1988; United States International University
Research interests: family chemical dependency, intergenerational family processes, family therapy
evaluation

Marianne Miller
Assistant Professor, San Diego, MFT Program
PhD, 2003; Texas Tech University
Research interests: cross-cultural issues; feminist issues; post-modernism

Rajeswari Natrajan
Assistant Professor, Irvine, MFT Program
PhD, 2004; Purdue University
Research interests: family interventions and therapy; children in therapy; therapeutic outcome assessments; families in multicultural societies; family therapy training and evaluation; family therapy supervision; multicultural issues

Jason J. Platt
Program Director, MA Counseling Psychology, Mexico; MFT Site Director, Mexico; Assistant Professor
PhD, 1986; Syracuse University
Research interests: clinical competency, evaluation, supervision and family therapy training practices; gender and multiculturalism; clinical outcome research; brief family therapy

Brandon C. Silverthorn
Assistant Professor, Irvine, MFT Program
PhD, 2005; Michigan State University
Research interests: contextual family therapy; client suicide; MFT professional development; therapist well-being; fatherhood; cross-cultural issues

Narumi Taniguchi
Assistant Professor, San Diego, MFT Program
PhD, 2006; Texas Tech University
Research interests: cross cultural issues; family of origin; couples therapy, work/family/parenting issues; statistics; quantitative methodology

Luis Vargas
Assistant Professor, San Diego, MFT Program
PhD, 2005; Loma Linda University
Research interests: cross-cultural family therapy; therapy process

Linna Wang
MFT Site Director; Associate Professor, San Diego
PhD, 1996; Brigham Young University
Research interests: Native American studies; cross-cultural issues; women's issues; marriage and family evaluation; survey research; impact of family factors on children

Scott R. Woolley
Systemwide Director, MFT Programs; Professor, San Diego
PhD, 1995; Texas Tech University
Research interests: emotionally focused therapy; courtship, marriage, couples therapy; MFT process and outcome research; observational research; cultural issues in couple relationships; MFT supervision processes; MFT therapy training; chemical dependency