Therapists

Claudia Vernon has been a Mental Health Therapist at Coastline since the department’s inception in January of 2019. Claudia earned her B.A. in Social Work from Cal State University Long Beach and an M.A. in Social Work from Barry University, Florida with an emphasis in trauma-informed clinical practice. She has been practicing as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (L.C.S.W.) for approximately 20 years. Claudia has also provided clinical supervision to countless graduate student interns and post graduate associates in the mental health field for over 15 years.

Claudia offers a breadth of knowledge to Coastline’s Student Mental Health Services as she has had experience working in multiple settings with all age groups. She had begun her professional career in social services working with children who had experienced abuse - and their families. Her career path has led her through Community Mental Health agencies as well as private higher education institutions.

Day to day, Claudia reaches out to students about mental well-being and presents mental health informed webinars. She sees students individually and in groups. Additionally, Claudia oversees many of the administrative tasks of Student Mental Health Services and provides clinical supervision and consultation to mental health associate and intern therapists at Coastline.

She loves working with college students - no matter what age - because she gets to be part of a transformative time in people's lives. She enjoys helping students become a more wonderful version of themselves, transforming from chrysalis to butterfly.

Ms. Hurst comes to Coastline's Mental Health Counceling with a B.A. in Psychology, a M.A. in Counseling, and an APCC (BBS Registered Associate Professional Clinical Counselor). She also belongs to the CA Association for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (CALPCC).

Since 2011 Ms. Hurst has worked with students of all ages and their families in a Cognitive-Educational Therapy setting, providing assessment, consultation, intervention and case management, as well as being a part of an IEP team. She also provided counseling services to at-risk youth (ages 5-18) in an outpatient clinic based setting.

Alexandra (Alex) Concepcion, is a bilingual (English-Spanish) Licensed Marriage Family Therapist with an extensive background in multicultural therapy and student services. Alex is a second-generation immigrant and the first in her family to attend college. Her personal experience, clinical background, and connection to the community college system allows Alex to have compassion, empathy, and personal understanding of the unique experiences of students of all backgrounds and life challenges.

Alex earned an AA degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences in 2006 and transferred to the University of California, Irvine where she graduated with a BA in Psychology and Social Behavior. While attaining her AA and BA degrees she worked in different roles of Student Services for programs including EOPS, CalWORKs, DSPS, and Continuing Education. Alex Obtained her MA in Counseling Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage Family Therapy from National University in 2016.

Alex has 8 years of experience in mental health services addressing a wide range of mental health/relational issues. She has acquired extensive experience working with marginalized communities/individuals including trauma, LGBTQ+ issues, substance, intergenerational/immigration family issues, people living with HIV, and more. Alex approaches individual and family issues from an integrative multicultural client-centered approach to create a therapeutic alliance that facilitates a interpersonal restorative process that can lead to change and personal growth.

Robert Henning (you can call him Bob) comes to Coastline with a B.S. in Criminal Justice, an M.S. in Psychology, and an M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy. He is a registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) with the Board of Behavioral Sciences.

Born to deaf parents, Bob is fluent in ASL and earned an A.A. and certificate in American Sign Language Interpreting. He is also a military veteran, having served in the United States Marine Corps for six years. Bob has always possessed an inner desire to provide support to those who need it, where they need it, and when they need it. Through his many experiences within the Deaf community, educational system, and military, Bob has seen the scarcity of available mental health services and is eager to help close the gap.

Prior to becoming an AMFT, Bob worked alongside many professional individuals: MFTs, LPCCs, LCSWs, licensed psychologists, and educators. Equipped with the knowledge he gained from them, coupled with his educational journey and life experiences, he strives to provide guidance and support to those who need it.

William Alisca is a first-generation Haitian, and a dedicated mental health advocate committed to breaking the stigma surrounding therapy. Growing up in a culture where mental health struggles were often overlooked, William learned to navigate these challenges and now works to create spaces where others can find the support they need.

With experience supporting low-income and at-risk youth, William brings a compassionate and informed approach to his work. He specializes in addressing issues such as depression, neurodivergence, and eating disorders, and is deeply connected to the unique challenges faced by first-generation immigrants.

William is also passionate about encouraging more men to embrace therapy, challenging societal norms and fostering open conversations about mental health and well-being.