Our staff work together as a team, providing on-going consultation to one another so that clients profit from the experience, knowledge and expertise of the entire group. Administrative responsibilities are shared by co-owners, Dr. Jocelin Saks, Dr. Erika Swanson and Karen Erickson, LMFT.
Jocelin Saks, PhD: Assessment Director
Dr. Saks has been with Clearwater since its inception, and has been the Director of the Assessment program since 2006. Dr. Saks graduated with honors from Brown University and received her doctorate degree from Alliant University (formerly California School of Professional Psychology). Dr. Saks has extensive experience working with children and families, including pre- and post-doctoral positions at Children’s Hospital in Oakland, and work facilitating support groups for new mothers. She is trained in DBT (completing the five-day intensive) and is also fluent in Spanish. Dr. Saks supervises assessments at Clearwater, in addition to performing them herself. She works with children and adults as a therapist, using DBT and other modalities to inform treatment, and she works with children using our CAMMP skills on an individual basis as well. Dr. Saks has two young adult children.
Karen Erickson, LMFT: Assistant Clinical Director
Karen is a senior supervising therapist at Clearwater. Ms Erickson was intensively trained in DBT in 2008. Prior to that, she specialized in trauma therapy, non directive play therapy, and attachment issues. Ms. Erickson works with children, teens, and adults, and provides parent coaching, with a primary focus on the young adult population (she teaches the young adult DBT skills classes). She is also one of the architects of the new DBT-informed child program, CAMMP, helping 3rd to 5th graders develop the skills to manage anxiety, depression and mood volatility. Karen specializes in trauma recovery and has completed level I training in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, DBT Prolonged Exposure (DBT PE), as well as attachment-focused EMDR, an integrative trauma therapy developed by Laurel Parnell, Ph.D. Ms. Erickson received her masters degree in clinical psychology from Saint Mary’s College in 2002 and has been a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 2009. Karen is not accepting new DBT clients. She maintains limited availability for short-term trauma-focused therapy for clients who have an existing therapist.
Erika Swanson PhD: Clinical Director
Dr. Swanson is a senior supervising Clinical Psychologist (PSY26599) at Clearwater. Since 2009, Dr. Swanson has specialized in DBT and trauma healing for adolescents, adults, and families. She has received intensive training in DBT Prolonged Exposure (DBT PE), which treats PTSD in adults and adolescents, as well as attachment-focused EMDR, an integrative trauma therapy developed by Laurel Parnell. Dr. Swanson is particularly interested in developmental repair from traumatic invalidation and attachment wounding. She is a lead instructor for adult and multi-family DBT skills classes. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.A. in School Psychology from Teachers College. She completed her undergraduate degree in a joint program with Columbia University and Manhattan School of Music. Dr. Swanson brings a strong research background to her clinical work. Her original research has been published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. Dr. Swanson is the mother of a middle-schooler and two elementary-aged twins. She currently supervises Esther Howe, M.A., and Sinclaire O’Grady, M.A., both doctoral graduate students at U.C. Berkeley. Dr. Swanson is not accepting new DBT clients. She maintains limited availability for short-term trauma-focused therapy for clients who have an existing therapist.
Hilary Ferris White, LCSW is a senior DBT therapist at Clearwater. She specializes in adolescents, parenting work and family therapy. Hilary is involved in training our intern staff and is a lead DBT skills class instructor for multi-family teen and younger teen (10-12 year olds) DBT skills classes, as well as an integrative DBT class for Binge Eating and Bulimia. She received her Masters in Social Work from Columbia University in New York where she was a member of the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Training Program in 2013. She trained for two years at an outpatient eating disorder clinic in Connecticut. She has also received intensive training in DBT Prolonged Exposure (DBT PE), which treats PTSD in adults and adolescents. Hilary graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a Bachelor in Fine Arts and an emphasis in photography. She continues to love the arts. In 2019 she welcomed her first daughter. She has two Australian Shepherds who often are at her feet while she works. Hilary’s is on maternity leave until January 2023.
Catherine Shaddix, Psy.D. is a licensed Clinical Psychologist (PSY29695) providing individual DBT therapy for children, adolescents, and adults at Clearwater since 2016. In addition, Dr. Shaddix has extensive clinical training in early intervention with mothers and children (pre-natal period to 3 years of age), with children ages 6-11, and contemplative practice in the Buddhist and yogic traditions. At Clearwater, Dr. Shaddix offers two treatments integrating her practice of DBT therapy with these specialized areas of training. These treatments are:
DBT-informed therapy for mothers during the pre- and post-natal period, combining the emotion regulation and mindfulness skills from DBT with contemplative practices tailored for each mother’s needs. Infants can be included in the treatment as needed.
DBT-informed therapy for children ages 6-11 and their parents, incorporating the CAAMP (Clearwater’s Affect Management and Mindfulness Program for kids) curriculum. This treatment can be individualized to meet the particular needs of the child and the family: https://www.clearwaterclinic.com/dbt-children/
Dr. Shaddix completed her undergraduate education at UCLA, and her doctoral training at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA, where she received extensive training in working with evidence-based modalities for mood disorders, emotion dysregulation, attachment disruptions, and trauma. Her predoctoral training focused on therapy with children, adolescents, and families, including a year at the SF General Hospital in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Infant-Parent Program. From 2012 until 2014 she worked under the guidance of Dr. Larissa Duncan at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine on research investigating the impact of pre-natal contemplative practice training for mothers and their birthing partners on parent and child functioning in the post-natal period. She has also been an intervention designer and facilitator at UCSF since 2014 on the TARA study, examining the effects of body-based contemplative practices on adolescent anxiety and medication-resistant depression.
Dr. Shaddix brings to her clinical work a 30-year practice of Buddhist meditation and classical hatha yoga. She was given meditation teacher authorization by Trudy Goodman and Jack Kornfield at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in September of 2021. She taught Mysore-style Ashtanga in the Bay Area from 2001-2016, under the guidance of her principal yoga teachers, Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor. She is also a Fellow of the Mind and Life Institute, serving on their contemplative faculty since 2010.
Catherine Anicama, Ph.D. is a licensed Clinical Psychologist providing psychological assessment services at Clearwater since 2014. Dr. Anicama has extensive experience conducting assessments across the lifespan (ages 5 to adult), with a focus on youth. She takes a collaborative approach that involves caregivers, school staff, and other providers to understand the assessment questions and the youth’s lived experience. Dr. Anicama is a bilingual, bicultural Latinx clinician that can provide assessment services in Spanish. Dr. Anicama also offers consultation sessions. Consultation sessions can help caregivers determine if an assessment would be helpful. Consultation sessions can also be used to help caregivers navigate school district’s individualized education program (IEP) assessment, understand IEP assessment results, and identify what services and accommodations caregivers should advocate for at school. Dr. Anicama completed her undergraduate degree in psychology at Barnard College, Columbia University. She received her doctoral degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Anicama completed her post-doctoral residency at WestCoast Children’s Clinic, a non-profit community clinic that services youth with Medi-Cal, where Dr. Anicama continues to provide therapy and assessment services to underserved and underrepresented youth who have experienced trauma.
Nadine Sidhom, Psy.D. is a registered psychological assistant (supervised by Dr. Jocelin Saks), with experience in providing cognitive, educational, and psychological evaluations for children and adolescents, and supporting families during this process. She has experience treating children, adolescents, and adults across a variety of settings including private practice, community mental health, and inpatient and outpatient facilities. She completed her pre- and post-doctoral training at WestCoast Children’s Clinic where she is currently providing therapy and assessment to her clients, as well as teaching an assessment course to pre-doctoral interns. Driven by the belief that understanding an individual’s strengths and needs is an essential first step, Dr. Sidhom uses her clinical skills, warmth, and humor to guide her work in providing diagnostic clarification for her clients, as well as assisting parents in understanding and supporting their child. Dr. Sidhom completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Irvine, and obtained her doctoral degree from Fuller Graduate School of Psychology in Pasadena, California.
Mark Abelson, AMFT is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and DBT therapist at Clearwater Clinic. He receives clinical supervision from Karen Erickson, LMFT. He studied Religion as an undergraduate at Vassar College, earned a Masters in Education from Queens College, and a Masters in Counseling Psychology from the Wright Institute. Mark came to a career in counseling after teaching classrooms of high-needs special education populations in New York City, and working as a collaborative Executive Functioning Coach for adolescents on the autism spectrum. He completed his clinical internship with the Piedmont Unified School District Wellness Center, providing individual counseling to young adults and middle schoolers, and has worked in care facilities with older adults and their families processing aging and loss. He has a special interest in trauma recovery, sleep disorders, autism spectrum challenges and the treatment of anxiety and depression. Mark is the father of two young children. In his spare time, he bikes, practices yoga, and plays guitar. Mark’s caseload for after school and evening clients is full at this time. He has limited daytime availability. If you are interested in working with Mark, please contact Karen Erickson at karen@clearwaterclinic.com
Esther Howe, MA is a 5th-year PhD student in UC Berkeley’s Clinical Science program. At Clearwater Clinic, she is a clinical extern/trainee DBT therapist working under the supervision of Dr. Erika Swanson. Esther has a BA in Gender Studies from Grinnell College, and a Masters in Psychology from UC Berkeley. Esther has worked in a wide range of clinical and research settings, including a mental health services program for refugees in Amman, Jordan, at the Depression Clinical and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA, and at the San Francisco VA. At UC Berkeley, she has conducted research investigating psychological responses to sexual assault and has recieved clinical training in cognitive-behavioral therapy. Outside of work, she loves rock climbing, backpacking, and cinnamon raisin toast. Esther has limited availability on her caseload. If you are interested in working with Esther, please contact Dr. Swanson at erika@clearwaterclinic.com
Stephanie Haft, MA is a 5th-year PhD candidate in UC Berkeley’s Clinical Science program. She is a clinical extern/trainee DBT therapist working under the supervision of Karen Erickson, LMFT. Stephanie has a BA in Neuroscience from Claremont McKenna College, and a Masters in Psychology from UC Berkeley. Stephanie’s clinical interests involve delivering evidence-based therapies to individuals facing acculturative stress or race-related stressors. Stephanie conducts research at UC Berkeley on the roles of bilingualism and discrimination in the adjustment of immigrant youth and their families. Her clinical research has involved understanding how DBT applies across cultures. Stephanie’s caseload is full and she is not accepting new therapy clients at this time.
Sinclaire O’Grady, MA is a 4th-year PhD student in UC Berkeley’s Clinical Science program. At Clearwater, she is a clinical extern/trainee DBT therapist working under the supervision of Dr. Erika Swanson. Sinclaire has a BA in Psychology from New York University, and a Masters in Psychology from UC Berkeley. Sinclaire has worked in numerous clinical and research settings, including at the child and adolescent inpatient psychiatry program at Bellevue Hospital in New York, at early intervention programs with mothers and children at Columbia University, and at assessment programs at UCSF. At UC Berkeley, she has conducted research on developmental pathways to self-harmful behaviors and how DBT applies across cultures, and received clinical training in CBT and DBT. She has a special interest in providing therapy for youth with histories of invalidation. In her free time, Sinclaire enjoys skiing, eating pizza, and spending time with her puppy “Obi-Wan.” Sinclaire has limited availability on her caseload. If you are interested in working with Sinclaire, please contact Dr. Swanson at erika@clearwaterclinic.com
Catherine Callaway, MA is a 4th-year PhD student in UC Berkeley’s Clinical Science program. She is a clinical extern/trainee DBT therapist working under the supervision of Karen Erickson, LMFT. Catherine has a BA in Cognitive Neuroscience and Evolutionary Psychology from Harvard College, and a Masters in Psychology from UC Berkeley. Catherine has received clinical training in cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and sleep treatments. Catherine conducts research focused on understanding health disparities and improving the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based treatments in community settings. In her free time, Catherine enjoys reading fantasy novels, attempting yoga poses, and baking chocolate chip cookies. Catherine has limited availability on her caseload. If you are interested in working with Catherine, please contact Karen Erickson at karen@clearwaterclinic.com