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Trainees & Interns
Post Doctoral Fellow
Agustina Bertone, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow
Agustina Bertone, Ph.D., is an Early Childhood and Integrated Care Postdoctoral Fellow in the Nathanson Family Resilience Center at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. As part of the Family Development Program at UCLA, she provides psychotherapeutic support to parents of infants who are currently experiencing or have previously experienced stays in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Her work focuses on supporting families by providing relational and attachment-focused interventions through a trauma-informed lens.
Dr. Bertone earned her Ph.D. in Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology at the University of California Santa Barbara. She completed her predoctoral internship at Providence Saint John’s Child and Family Development Center and was part of the Therapeutic Preschool and Early Childhood Assessment and Treatment teams. As a Spanish-bilingual clinician and researcher, Dr. Bertone is passionate about the study, implementation, and dissemination of culturally-responsive practices for supporting Latinx children’s mental health and development in early childhood and their families.
Holly Paymon, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow
Holly Paymon, Ph.D., is an Early Childhood and Integrated Care Postdoctoral Fellow in the Nathanson Family Resilience Center (NFRC) in the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. Dr. Paymon specializes in early intervention and development during early childhood, supporting healthy parent-child interactions, and in providing trauma-informed care for children and families. Through the Family Development Program, she provides psychotherapeutic support to vulnerable families with a baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Dr. Paymon earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She also holds master’s degrees in Clinical Psychology and in Infant Family Practice. Prior to Dr. Paymon’s fellowship at UCLA, she completed her clinical internship at UC Davis Children’s hospital in the Child and Adolescent Abuse Resources and Evaluation (CAARE) Diagnostic and Treatment Center, where she specialized in infant mental health and complex childhood trauma treatment, with an emphasis on providing Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), as well as psychological and child welfare evaluations.
Fun fact: she loves to travel and visits a different country each year.
Laura P. Minero, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow
Laura P. Minero, Ph.D. is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the DMH + UCLA Prevention Center of Excellence and EMPWR Program in the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. Dr. Minero presently provides bilingual/bicultural, trauma-informed, affirming, and evidenced-based treatment to LGBTQ+ individuals across the lifespan and their families. She also specializes in working with undocumented immigrants, people of color, and Spanish-speaking populations across the lifespan. Dr. Minero also trains and develops curriculum for Los Angeles County professionals regarding provision of trauma-informed and LGBTQ affirming services.
Dr. Minero earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to Dr. Minero’s post-doctoral fellowship, she also completed her clinical internship at the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior in the Stress, Trauma and Resilience (STAR) Clinic. Her scholarly work has included contributing to scientific consensus studies used to inform national policy as a 2019 Christine Mirzayan Science Policy and Technology Fellow with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Her research with undocumented and asylum-seeking transgender immigrants and the intersections of transphobia, racism, and mental health was supported by Ford Foundation Predoctoral and Dissertation Fellowship awards.
Nicole Hisaka, PsyD
Post Doctoral Fellow
Nicole Hisaka, PsyD is a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Stress, Trauma and Resilience (STAR) Clinic in the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. Dr. Hisaka specializes in treating youth and families who have experienced trauma and other stressors, with an emphasis on parent-child interaction therapy, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, and child and parent group therapy. Dr. Hisaka earned her PsyD. in clinical psychology from Alliant University. Prior to Dr. Hisaka’s fellowship at UCLA, she completed her clinical internship at UC Davis Children’s Hospital where she specialized in complex childhood trauma treatment and child-welfare evaluations working with underserved, foster-care, and adopted youth populations.
Dr. Hisaka’s research interests center on children with complex trauma histories, with an emphasis on pediatric chronic medical trauma and the effects on family dynamics. She is interested in empirically supported care among underserved groups and is trained in various trauma-informed and evidence-based treatments.
Practicum Student
Alyssa Morris, MA
Practicum Student
Alyssa Morris is a practicum student at the Stress Trauma and Resilience Clinic. She has experience working with children and families to support them through stressful periods, manage challenging behaviors, and enhance family communication. Alyssa obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Child Psychology and Genetics from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. She received her Master’s in Psychology from the University of Southern California and is now working towards in Ph.D. Her focus is on helping children and families who have experienced stress and trauma, particularly those who have faced challenging medical experiences. In her free time, Alyssa loves to run near the beach - she finished her first half marathon last year!
Clinical Psychology Intern
Evelyn Cho
Clinical Psychology Intern
Evelyn Cho is a Clinical Psychology Intern at the Stress, Trauma and Resilience (STAR) Clinic in the NFRC/Division of Population Behavioral Health (Room A7-361). Evelyn is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Missouri. Through the STAR Clinic, she will be providing mental health services to youth and families who have been affected by trauma. In her free time, Evelyn likes to read, draw, and go on hikes with her family.
Sierra Kuzava
Clinical Psychology Intern
Sierra Kuzava is a clinical psychology intern in the Stress, Trauma, and Resilience (STAR) track, in the DPBH. Originally from Santa Fe, NM, she is completing her PhD in clinical psychology at Stony Brook University in New York and is loving the LA weather! Sierra’s office is located in room A7-361 in Semel. For the 2020-2021 training year, she will be delivering clinical services to children and families affected by trauma and other forms of adversity through STAR as well as UCLA’s Training, Intervention, Education, and Services (TIES) program for foster and adoptive families. In her free time, Sierra loves gardening, cooking, and being outside.