Meet our Exam Prep Faculty

Gerry Grossman, MA, MFT

Gerry has been successfully training MFT and LCSW candidates for their BBS licensing exams since 1985. He has an extensive knowledge of clinical practice. His teaching style is clear, incisive, humorous and empathic. Gerry has helped thousands of therapists gain additional clinical skills. In private practice, he specializes in working with young children and has conducted therapeutic enrichment groups for twenty years. Additionally, he is a trained hypnotherapist.

Vivian Aizpuru, MA, MFT

Vivian is a bilingual marriage and family therapist for San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services. With the help of Gerry Grossman Seminars, Vivian passed both licensing exams on the first attempt. She found the MFT prep courses to be so helpful and enjoyable, that she readily accepted when asked to join the instructional team. In addition to a Master's in Social Clinical Psychology, Vivian holds BA degrees in International Relations and Spanish Language from UC Davis and spent one year attending university in Mexico. Vivian works full-time at a residential treatment facility for high-risk youth, where she facilitates DBT skills-building groups, and provides individual, family, and milieu therapy.

Adriane Beck, MA, LMFT

Adriane received her master's degree in Counseling from California State University, Fullerton. Using Gerry Grossman study materials and courses, Adriane passed both the written and clinical vignette MFT licensing exams on her first attempt. She is now teaching Gerry Grossman courses and provides tutoring services for those licensing candidates in the Orange County area.

In the past, Adriane has worked in the school system, providing therapy for elementary aged children. Adriane is currently working, and has worked for the past four years, with families who have experienced domestic violence and abuse at a local agency. As a licensed therapist Adriane is pursuing a practice that will integrate a holistic approach to psychotherapeutic healing.

Elizabeth Dandenell, MA, MFT

Elizabeth is celebrating 20 years in the counseling field. Twenty years ago she did an internship for her Addictions Certification at Haight Ashbury, then decided to go to graduate school. She engaged in study at the California Institute of Integral Studies receiving her Masters in psychology - counseling and then became licensed as a Marriage Family Therapist.
For the past eight years a large portion of her private practice work has been devoted to developing a significant substance abuse program with Marin County Department of Alcohol, Drugs and Tobacco programs know in the criminal justice system as PC1210.01 or Prop 36.

Currently, she is Clinical Supervisor and Assessment Specialist for Marin Outpatient Recovery Services. In addition, she enhances her private practice with writing substance abuse and treatment amenability assessment for public and private attorneys and provides counsultation regarding these clinical issues for criminal justice personnel. Also, she works with medical health professionals in the area of using psychotherapeutic methods for pain management for clients dealing with chronic or acute pain. She has an expertise with individuals, couples and families primarily in the areas of substance dependency, eating disorders, depression, sleep problems and anxiety management. She has offices in Kentfield, Alameda and Walnut Creek.

Samantha Deming, MA, MFT

Samantha has been part of the Gerry Grossman instructional staff since January 2000. Samantha is an asset to the seminar because she has had many years of teaching experience prior to her teaching for the seminar. Students find her easy to follow because she very organized in her presentation. She is also very animated and brings a lot of her natural humor into the classroom.

In addition to teaching for Gerry Grossman Seminars, Samantha maintains a full-time private practice split between Santa Clarita and Encino. Her specialities include couples, anxiety, depression, trauma, E.M.D.R., grief, survivors after suicide, and the treatment of twins.

Renee A. Duffey, Psy.D., MFT

Renee has been teaching with Gerry Grossman Seminars since 1995. She enjoys helping people learn to think critically and utilize their own learning style while preparing for the exams.

Renee has master's degrees in Communications, Applied Spirituality and Counseling Psychology and completed a Doctor of Psychology from the Graduate Theological Foundation with an emphasis on Clinical Family Therapy. She is the Director of Guidance in a private high school and a lecturer in the Counseling Psychology and Gerontology program at Notre Dame de Namur University. Her private practice in Burlingame specializes in the integration of psychology and spirituality and she frequently consults with churches and schools regarding issues of abuse and crisis management.

Tim Elhard, MSSW, LCSW

Tim received his Master's degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. A recent transplant to California, Tim is licensed in Texas, Ohio and California.
Tim has 20 years of experience in social work including state hospital work, medical social work, child and family therapy, private practice and managed care. He is proud to be affiliated with the excellent materials of Gerry Grossman Seminars. Having recently passed the CVE on 1-25-2010, Tim has an empathetic understanding of the challenges facing license candidates.

Kristen Ewers, MA, MFT

Kristen has been teaching and providing individual tutoring for Gerry Grossman Seminars since 2003. She completed her Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy at Western Seminary in 2001 and obtained her license in 2003.

Kristen is the director of the Sacramento area Meier Clinics Day Treatment Program as well as the Marriage Intensive Program. She enjoys working with adolescents, families and couples in crisis.

Melanie Haro, MA, MFT

Melanie is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Certified Expressive Arts Therapist. As an intern, Melanie counseled at-risk youth and their families both in drug treatment and at a nonpublic school. After obtaining her license (thanks to GGS), Melanie turned her focus to utilizing the expressive arts for the purpose of facilitating healthy relationships among parents and children.

Melanie created "Belly Bonding," a series of workshops that encourage the development of early attachment between a mother and her unborn baby. This unique specialty combines her passion for the arts with her training and experience as a therapist.

Rocio Hernandez, MFT

Rocio, or "Cio", is an instructor for Gerry Grossman Seminars, Northern California Division. She is an Adolescent Mental Health Practitioner for Marin County Health and Human Services, where she specializes in Spanish speaking survivors of sexual abuse, teen pregnancy and issues of reproductive health. She is involved in many community building efforts in Marin County and has a small private practice in San Rafael. She is also on the Institutional Review Board for Kaiser Foundation Research Institute.

Kelly Holstein, MS, MFT

Kelly is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist currently working on building a private practice while continuing to work at the Cal-Safe School Program for pregnant and parenting teens. While an intern, she gained experience with a wide range of populations including at risk youth, domestic violence and couples. She has facilitated anger management, substance recovery and process groups. Kelly has also worked as a Biofeedback technician and continues to do research on the topic.

After completing the GGS study course, Kelly passed both board exams on her first try and became licensed as of February 27th, 2008.

Kristen Hudson, MA, MFT

Kristen received her Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from Loyola Marymount University. She passed both her written and clinical vignette exams with the help of Gerry Grossman Seminars courses, as well as her own organizational skills and attention to detail. Kristen began working for Gerry Grossman Seminars shortly after earning her license in 2008, where she teaches seminars helping students prepare for the MFT and LCSW state exams. She also provides research and writing for continuing education courses and other study materials. As an instructor for Gerry Grossman Seminars, she especially enjoys teaching the legal and ethical aspects of clinical practice.

Kristen has a private practice in West Los Angeles, providing psychotherapy for individuals, couples and families. Before earning her MFT license, Kristen worked for ten years in the weight-loss industry, helping people by providing an understanding of the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral aspects of weight management and eating-disordered behavior.

Donald M. Krikorian, MA, MFT

Don is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in Fresno California. He currently is the Therapist for the Fresno County Juvenile Behavioral Health Court, has a small private practice, runs the therapeutic milieu at a 6 bed girl’s level 12 group home and is an adjunct instructor at California State University Fresno, teaching the Counseling Practicum.

Past experiences include: being a high school teacher and counselor for 24 years, working for the Fresno County Psychiatric Assessment Center for two years and being a clinical supervisor for a team of 12 therapists and case managers in a community based treatment program run by EMQ FamiliesFirst for 5 years.

Don’s past and present experiences with children, adolescents and their families gives him the knowledge that he loves to pass on to others in this field. He has a sense of humor and genuineness that is evident in his teaching abilities.

Specialties include: work with children and conduct disordered adolescents; PTSD; depression; anxiety, trauma and family reunification issues.

Sharon Law, MA, MFT

Sharon has been part of the Gerry Grossman Seminars crew since July 2004. She earned her Bachelor of Social Sciences Degree in Social Work from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and worked as a Social Worker in Hong Kong for 4 years before coming to the U.S. in 1997 to pursue her graduate study in Marriage and Family Therapy.

Sharon is a licensed therapist, has extensive training in Structural Family Therapy and is currently in advanced training with the Pacific Gestalt Institute in Los Angeles. She has written mock clinical vignettes and uses her own experience in passing the WCV exam to offer specific test taking strategies to GGS students.

Sharon has extensive outpatient clinical experience working with clients having a wide range of mental illnesses; she has also delivered school-based counseling to students at elementary and high schools from LAUSD. She also has supervised MFT Interns while coordinating an intensive intervention program for high risk children and youth of different ethnicities. Sharon's Asian background and acculturation experience in coming to the US help her to have sensitivity to diversity issues. She is also a world traveler who has traveled to more than twenty countries.

Suzanne Mell, MA, MFT

Suzanne has been teaching courses and providing one-to-one tutoring for Gerry Grossman mostly in the Sacramento area, since September 1999. She received her Masters degree from National University - Sacramento in 1995 and passed her licensing exams in January 1999. Her area of expertise is working with children, adolescents and their families, but over the years she has worked with many different ages and stages.

Suzanne has worked for Amador County Mental Health as a child clinician and as their Children's System of Care Coordinator, and has also provided clinical supervision for MFT and CSW Interns. Currently she is in private practice in the Amador & Sacramento County areas and is a contract clinician at Rite of Passage - Sierra Ridge group home.

Suzanne is empathetic to those preparing for their exams. She presents the course materials in a well organized manner and also uses humor to decrease her students' test anxiety so that they can remember that they are competent human beings.

Chuck Moshontz, MA, MFT

Chuck is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a diverse private practice specializing in men's issues, couples counseling, and working with parents and children.

In addition to his private practice and teaching at Gerry Grossman Seminars, Chuck is an adjunct faculty member at Antioch University. He supervises interns at the Antioch Counseling Center and at Southern California Counseling Center, where he is also a faculty member in the clinical training program and the community counselor certification program. Chuck's first career, in television and radio broadcasting, helped him to develop skills in language and oral presentation which come in handy preparing GGS students to pass their licensing exams.

Jorid Nygard, MA, MFT

Jorid has been preparing therapists for their MFT licensing exams since 1991. Through the many years of helping develop course materials and teaching courses for the MFT Written and WCV exams, Jorid has developed a comprehensive mastery of all the subject areas involved in passing the exams.

Her high level of energy and wonderful sense of humor make her a popular teacher. Many exam candidates experience the exam preparation process as an overwhelming and daunting challenge and greatly appreciate her command and overview of the many subjects involved, finding her teaching style and structure extremely beneficial.

Jorid has been a practicing psychotherapist since 1988 and has specialized in the areas of couples therapy, addiction, trauma, divorce and chronic illness. She runs divorce support groups as well as groups for people in early recovery from addiction. Jorid combines a contemporary psychodynamic approach with an experiential style. In addition to teaching for Gerry Grossman Seminars, Jorid is an adjunct faculty member at Pepperdine University.

Patricia E. Patton, Ph.D.

Patti is a clinical psychologist (PSY 13266) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFC 27419). She created such Gerry Grossman Seminars Continuing Education courses as Domestic Violence, Anxiety Disorders and Anger Management. She was also instrumental in the development of the Gerry Grossman Seminars BBS exam prep courses for LCSW candidates, and continues to teach those courses.

Amanda Rowan, MSW, LCSW

Amanda earned her BA in Psychology and Biology from Dartmouth College and her MSW from UCLA. Working in the field of social services for more than ten years, she has experience with a wide range of populations including families with young children, pregnant and homeless adolescents, the elderly, women in prison, and individuals affected by HIV/AIDS. Amanda is particularly passionate about home-based therapy. She is currently working as a bilingual home-based therapist at Saint John's Child and Family Development Center where she provides individual, dyadic, couples and family therapy to high risk families with children age 0-5.

Amanda's teaching experience includes working for Kaplan Test Prep where she taught for the SAT, MCAT, and the DAT. As an undergraduate, she created the "Studying for the Sciences" curriculum for the Academic Skills Center where she also worked as a tutor for biology courses. Amanda believes that Gerry Grossman Seminars offer the best preparation for the LCSW exams and she is excited to help other MSWs gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to pass.

Pam Sirota, Psy.D., MFT

Pam has a private practice in West Los Angeles and Encino specializing in social skills groups, family issues, children and adolescents, grief support, and parenting. Her extensive experience as a special education teacher and pre-school director makes her an ideal instructor. She has been working as a private GGS tutor since becoming licensed in 2005. Pam has received her doctorate as a Clinical Psychologist.

Mary Catherine Snyder, MA, MFT

Mary Catherine has her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. She received her Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, California. She additionally did post-graduate studies in art therapy at Phillips Graduate Institute in Encino, CA.

Mary Catherine is the Clinical Director of a non-profit outpatient substance abuse agency in Hollywood, CA. She supervises interns and manages the Proposition 36 court mandated substance abuse program. The agency has a diverse population of clients including dual diagnosis, HIV, homelessness, drug and alcohol dependence, and a wide range of mental illness. In addition she has a small private practice. She began working with Gerry Grossman Seminars in 2005 after taking the GGS classes and passing her Board exams. She enjoys all aspects of working with the students during the exam process.

Christina J. Stimmann, MSW, LCSW

Christina earned her BA in biochemistry from Mills College, her MS in Health Services Administration from St. Mary’s College, and her MSW – specializing in public child welfare – from California State University, Stanislaus. Over the last 18 years Christina has worked in various health and social service settings including HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, sexual assault, child welfare, child forensic interviewing and health education. Currently, Christina is working as a Social Services Supervisor for Solano County Child Welfare Services.

Christina’s teaching experience includes her work as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon, West Africa, an outreach educator for domestic violence and HIV/AIDS prevention and intervention, and she has spent the last fours years as an instructor for UC Davis Extension teaching social work courses to adult learners. Christina has taken the entire Gerry Grossman Seminar preparatory program for both the written and clinical vignette portions of the LCSW exam. She is very confident that you too will gain the study skills, knowledge base, and testing focus needed to pass the both exams. Best of luck!!

Andrew Teton, MA, MFT

Andrew received his Masters in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, Santa Barbara, and has also participated in the Hakomi Body Inclusive Therapy training. He studied with Gerry Grossman for both his written and orals exams, and, after passing both on the first attempt, Andrew started offering Gerry Grossman Seminars classes for both the written and WCV exams in Santa Barbara where he has found interns in the Central Coast area extremely receptive to having locally based licensing classes.

Andrew is noted for his sense of humor and has served as the "comedy break" entertainer at several local CAMFT functions.

Anne Wilford, MA, MFT

Anne received her Masters degree from John F. Kennedy University and has been an instructor with GGS for 14 years. Her clinical experience includes working with adolescent psychiatric in-patient programs and adult, dual diagnosis day treatment. For the last 15 years, she has had a private practice in Berkeley working with individuals in long-term, in-depth therapy and transformational couples work. She has over 35 years of teaching experience and truly enjoys the balance of teaching and practicing in-depth psychotherapy.