Counseling Services

The Counseling and Psychotherapy services include individual, couples, and family therapy. We work with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. We provide low-cost counseling support to the community.

What type of counseling is available?

• Individual Counseling
• Family Counseling
• Couples Counseling
• Counseling Children & Youth
• Career Counseling
• Tele-mental Health & In-Person Sessions

Counseling Clinic Coordinator

Dr. Rachael C. Marshall (they/them/their)

Dr. Rachael C. Marshall is a Tenured Associate Professor and Clinic Coordinator at Sac State Counselor Education Program. With their master's in counseling, they worked as clinical and career counselor in universities, homeless shelters, and schools.

Their work focused on trauma, grief, and advocacy with first- generation college students, immigrants, international students, and LGBTQ+ clients.

They completed their PhD in Counselor Education from the University of Tennessee Knoxville, where they worked as a career counselor. They currently research career identity development for specialized populations and counselor identity development in relation to self-care, wellness, and mindfulness. The impact of the Pandemic on education, mental health, and Sinophobia is a present focus.

Who Provides Services

Practicum Program

Each spring, we have approximately 60 students in the Practicum Program that support counseling and psychotherapy services for individual/couple/family clients under the supervision of licensed/certified experienced program faculty. This allows us to meet the greater Sacramento, and California need, via both in-person and telemental health services with providing greater availability.

Internship Program

Each fall/spring, we have trained Internship students that maintain a caseload and work with community members, as well as current students, providing counseling and psychotherapy services for individuals/couples/families under the supervision of licensed/certified experienced program faculty. This allows us to meet the mental health need within the Sacramento, and California, community through ongoing interventions provided via both in-person and tele-mental health services.

Internship Supervisor and Trainees

Meet our 2025-2026 Counseling Interns! Through our Internship Program, during the fall and spring semester each year, our Counseling Interns are available to meet with clients to provide ongoing psychotherapy services. If you are interested in individual, couple, or family counseling, we are here to support! For more information, email us at ccds@csus.edu.

Bailey Lechner-Luke (she/her) : Instructor, CCDS 480 Clinical Supervisor

Bailey Lechner-Luke is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Clinical Supervisor at the Center for Counseling and Diagnostic Services (CCDS). She also serves as adjunct faculty at California State University, Sacramento in the Counselor Education Program and as an adjunct professor at American River College in the Chemical Dependency Studies Department. With clinical experience across inpatient and outpatient settings, Bailey has worked with individuals across the lifespan, supporting clients facing a wide range of concerns. Her clinical focus includes trauma, substance use, and mood and anxiety-related disorders. She brings a person-centered, strengths-based approach to both her clinical and teaching work.

Bailey is currently engaged in research exploring how clinicians are navigating therapy and assessment in the age of social media and evolving digital identities. She is passionate about ethical, compassionate care and supporting the next generation of counselors through supervision and education

Jovanna Justo-Sanchez (she/her/ella) : Clinical and Career Trainee

Jovanna is a First-Generation college student at California State University, Sacramento, where she is currently in her final year of her Master’s program in Counseling with a Career Counseling specialization. With experience in both clinical and academic settings, Jovanna brings a thoughtful and culturally informed perspective to her work

Her counseling approach integrates Multicultural Counseling, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Person-Centered techniques, allowing her to meet clients where they are while addressing a range of mental health and career development concerns. She is especially passionate about promoting mental health in underrepresented communities and giving back to the community that shaped her.

Jovanna has published research on the benefits of bilingual education and has explored the mental health experiences of First-Generation and Undocumented students. Her work reflects a deep commitment to equity, advocacy, and culturally responsive care.

Brianna Ashley (she/her) : Clinical and School Trainee

Bri has completed her Bachelor’s in Psychology, a Master’s in Forensic Psychology and is currently pursuing her second Master’s in Counseling, specializing in School Counseling. She has many years of experience working in the K-12 public school systems, previously serving as a school counseling trainee at an elementary site. While also interning at a local elementary school, she is excited to broaden her client experience to the CCDS.

She approaches counseling from a person-centered perspective, allowing the therapeutic relationship to be solely about the client and tailoring the interventions to best meet the client where they are at. When working with youth, she loves to incorporate therapeutic art interventions to help younger clients in their processing, while also incorporating Child Centered Play Therapy, which gives young clients the environment to express their feelings and process their emotions through their primary form of communication; Play.

Her passion for counseling and seeing her clients grow and heal is what drives her to accomplish her goal of being a counselor. She plans to work as both a School Counselor and in private practice as an LPCC, serving the many needs of our students while also serving the broader needs within our community.

Ren Arevalo (she/her) : Clinical and Career Trainee

Ren Arevalo is currently a third-year graduate student pursuing a master's in counseling with a specialization in both clinical and career counseling. She has experience in both clinical and career- focused settings, supporting clients across home, clinic, and school environments. This background allows her to integrate mental health and career development, creating a holistic approach to counseling.

With a strong interest in clinical counseling, Ren works from an Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) and multicultural framework. She strives to promote resilience, insight, and values- driven action, while honoring each individual’s cultural and personal context.

Looking ahead, she hopes to continue her work as a licensed clinical counselor, supporting diverse populations in achieving their personal, academic, and overall growth.

Leonardo Torres-Garcia (he/him) : Clinical and Rehabilitation Trainee

Leonardo is a first-generation student with a Bachelor's in psychology and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Counseling, specializing in rehabilitation and clinical counseling. He served families in the Autism community in clinical, public school, and in-home settings. These opportunities have helped him create a patient, hopeful, and curious approach into mental health. Leo continues to integrate himself into clinical counseling utilizing a Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT) approach and keeping sessions person centered. He provides resources for clients to continue their growth outside of sessions.

Leo works to build strong therapeutic relationships to foster strength, resilience, and growth with clients. With a deep appreciation of diversity and community, he is passionate about the client receiving great care aligned with their values.

Leo is continuing to pursue his career here at the CCDS.

Practicum Supervisors

Dr. Anthony Rivas, LMFT, LAC, MAC, AAMFT Approved Supervisor and a Tenured Associate Professor in the MS in Counseling program at California State University- Sacramento (CSUS). Dr. Rivas currently teaches in both the Masters of Counseling and Doctorate in Education programs at California State University, Sacramento (CSUS). Prior to teaching at CSUS, he taught at the undergraduate and graduate level at MSU Denver & the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. At UCCS, he also taught within the Air Force Officer Commanding (AOC) Leadership program. Dr. Rivas is an approved trainer for Clinical Supervision I & II for the State of Colorado, and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor Mentor. Dr. Rivas holds clinical licensure in Colorado as both a Licensed Addiction Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He holds national credentials of Master Addiction Counselor and AAMFT Approved Supervisor. Dr. Rivas provides clinical supervision training as well as clinical supervision in Colorado and at California State University, Sacramento. His research interests focus on effective clinical supervision, equity and access to care, disparity in treatment for those with SUD, bullying & incivility, and the effect of socio-economic-status on clinical relationships, diagnosis, and prognosis. Dr. Rivas has over 20 years of clinical experience, which includes providing mental health & substance abuse counseling, individual and group counseling in both private practice and within community agencies, with adolescents, couples, families, and adults. In private practice Dr. Rivas worked with veterans and their spouses, first responders, medical professionals, and civilians with mood disorders, trauma, grief & loss, and SUD. He has worked with court-mandated offenders and individuals with chronic and severe mental health diagnoses, and individuals with disabilities and families. Dr. Rivas is foundationally Existential with an integration of Motivational Interviewing, Psychodynamic, and Structural Family Therapy.

Dr. Bita Ashouri Rivas, LMFT, LPCC, LPC, LAC, NCC, MAC, ACS is a Tenured Associate Professor in the MS in Counseling program, specializing in marriage, couple, and family counseling; clinical mental health counseling, addiction counseling, and holds her doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision. She joined the Sacramento State Counselor Education program in 2018. She is currently serving as the Program Coordinator for Counselor Education. Dr. Ashouri Rivas has been a Counselor Educator since 2013. Prior to joining CSUS, Dr. Ashouri Rivas held faculty positions at Western Connecticut State University and University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Dr. Ashouri Rivas recently completed service on the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) board of directors having served from 2020-2025. Dr. Ashouri Rivas has extensive experience in mental health having worked in mental health since 2008, she has experience ranging from inpatient residential treatment working with adolescents providing individual, family, and group counseling; to community mental health providing group counseling for court mandated clients. She owns and operates a private practice, Alchemy of Healing Counseling, working with individuals, adolescents, couples, and families in addition to providing supervision for individuals seeking licensure since 2010 starting in Colorado. Counseling and psychotherapy specialization areas include adults, couples, and adolescents in the areas of bereavement, trauma, life and family transitions, dissociative disorders, anxiety, depression, and grief and loss related to hearing loss and cochlear implants. In addition to expertise in supervision, providing post-graduate supervision to counselors-in-training working toward Colorado licensure for LPC, LMFT, and LAC; and consultation for programs seeking CACREP accreditation. Research interests include: substance use disorders; the impact of the opioid epidemic on rural communities, children, and families; domestic violence/intimate partner violence; group cohesion; and bullying/incivility in higher education. She holds three licenses in Colorado, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC); and in California she holds her Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) licenses. She also holds her credentials as a National Certified Counselor (NCC), Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), and Master Addiction Counselor (MAC). Dr. Ashouri Rivas has an integrative approach that is foundationally Gestalt and integrates Jungian, and Person Centered Therapies with Developmental Counseling Theory; her family systems approach is foundationally Structural and integrates Intergenerational, Psychodynamic, and Satir Family Therapy. Dr. Ashouri Rivas is bilingual, Farsi speaking.

Dr. Daniel Cisneros, LPCC, NCC, PPSC (He/Him/El). Dr. Cisneros is a bilingual (Spanish-speaking) Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), National Certified Counselor (NCC), and an Assistant Professor in MS Counseling specializing in Career Counseling. He has extensive experience clinically in providing bilingual (Spanish-speaking) counseling in community mental health, school-based mental health, and LGBTQ+ affirming mental health. The theories and treatment practices he uses include humanistic/person-centered, multicultural framework, solution-focused, dialectical behavior therapy, play therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions in both clinical and supervision work. Prior to working in Higher Education, he served as Coordinator of Mental Health for the Sacramento County Office of Education and previously at Sacramento City Unified School District where he worked to provide access to social emotional, and mental health needs of students. Dr. Cisneros obtained his PhD in Counselor Education & Supervision and Oregon State. His research is focused on the LGBTQ+ coming out process, anti-racist mentorship, working with diverse populations including Latine bilingual populations and the Pacific Islander communities. In the clinical practicum setting, Dr. Cisneros is looking forward to providing supervision to Spanish-speaking counselors and seeking opportunities to conduct individual and group supervision in Spanish to aid counselors in their work with bilingual populations.

Bailey Lechner-Luke, MS, LMFT, is a lecturer for the Counselor Education Program. Bailey currently teaches at California State University, Sacramento, and American River College. Bailey holds a clinical license in California as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with certifications in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Chemical Dependency in Human Services. Her specializations and experience are in substance use counseling, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, commercial sexual exploitation of children, foster youth and their families, and adolescent treatment for youth with mood disorders, trauma, SUD, anxiety, and depression. Bailey Lechner-Luke is a compassionate therapist and supervisor who integrates psychodynamic and person-centered approaches in her practice. Using psychodynamic theory, Bailey helps clients and supervisees explore unconscious patterns, past experiences, and relational dynamics to foster insight and emotional healing. Complementing this, her person-centered approach emphasizes empathy, unconditional positive regard, and authenticity, creating a safe and collaborative space for growth. Bailey is currently completing her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision at Walden University.

Rene Nevarez, MS, LMFT, LPCC, NCC, is a lecturer for the MS Counseling Program and a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), National Clinical Counselor, and Clinical Supervisor with over a decade of clinical experience. Her approach toward therapy is goal oriented and humanistic in nature. She believes that therapy has a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning phase of therapy is focused on building connection, coping skills and understanding. Change happens during the middle phase of therapy, where strength and confidence for a client builds in the experiential learning of life. The successful completion and end of therapy is when a client have reached your goals and have developed healthy functioning and balance. She has an eclectic and multidisciplinary framework and adapt to the needs of each individual client. Her approach each client, family, and group uniquely because she sees everyone as their own person with different needs and experiences. She takes a person centered approach, combined with evidence based practices such as Acceptance Based Therapies (EFT & ACT), Behavioral therapies (DBT and CBT), Solution Focus and Trauma Informed interventions.

Olga Prizhbilov, MS is a lecturer and alumni (2014) of the Sacramento State MS Counseling Program specializing in the Career Counseling Specialization. She has over 15 years of experience working in the California Community College system as well as experience in the CSU and UC systems helping students pursue their academic and career paths. Olga also runs a private practice in Career Counseling where she helps individuals in the community with the career navigation process. She currently works as the Director of Refugee Career Pathways with Los Rios Community College District. She is bilingual, Russian speaking. Olga is currently completing her Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation degree with Arizona State University.

Dr. Asianya Jones Vargas, LMFT (she/her/ella) is a lecturer in the MS Counseling program and a bilingual (Spanish Speaking) Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the founder of Art of Heart Therapy. Dr. Jones earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Sac State, where her work focused on advancing equity and culturally responsive school-based mental health practices to eliminate the School-to-Prison Pipeline. She earned her Master's in Counseling at USF, and her Bachelor's in Psychology and Philosophy at UOP. She has extensive experience in community mental health, having provided therapeutic services to children and their families for over six years before transitioning into private practice. Dr. Jones' clinical orientation is grounded in humanistic frameworks, with an emphasis on interpersonal relationships, trauma-informed care, Internal Family Systems, attachment theory, and polyvagal theory. She is also trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and provides therapy in both English and Spanish. She believes in helping folks realize their potential, passions, and purpose beyond their childhood traumas. She also emphasizes community empowerment, culturally responsive care, and cultural wealth.

Dr. Cesar Castaneda, LMFT (he/him) is a lecturer in the MS Counseling program and a bilingual (Spanish Speaking) Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He holds bachelor’s degree in Business Management, a master’s degree in Counseling, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. He is licensed in the State of California as a Marriage and Family Therapist, and has over 20 years of experience counseling children, adults, couples, families, groups, court-ordered individuals, persons involved in the foster care, educational, and criminal justice systems. He is a faculty member of Glasser Institute for Choice Theory where the past three years he also serves as a board member for the U.S Board of Directors. As an immigrant from Peru, Dr. Castaneda experienced higher education as an English learner and this experience drives his passion for equity, diversity and inclusiveness, as well as the alignment between education and mental health.

Cost of Services

Counseling and Psychotherapy services are FREE. We request 24 hour notice for a cancellation. Please email ccds@csus.edu or ccdsscheduler@csus.edu with cancellation requests.

Our counseling services are provided at no cost. If you are able, we invite you to make a donation to help sustain our work. Your support allows us to continue offering free services to the community while training future counselors in a supportive, educational environment.

Donation link: CCDS Counseling Program Donation

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have emergency services available?

We are generally available between 9am- 9pm for appointments. We are not a crisis center and are not available for emergencies. If an emergency arises, please contact emergency services. If a higher level of care is needed, we will provide referrals to the community. Cell phones and texting are only to confirm appointments. There are no emergency services or emergency counseling services available. The graduate trainees, and supervisors, are at the center and available only during their scheduled times. The center is not equipped to provide intensive psychiatric services. If you are experiencing an emergency please call 911.

Community: Resources

Sac State Students: Student Health Services/The Well

Can I receive counseling if I am a student at CSU Sacramento?

Students are welcome to come to the Center for counseling services, but students have free access to the Student Health & Counseling Services located at the WELL.

Will I receive a diagnosis or a prescription?

We are a training clinic and our trainees work under the direction of a licensed mental health professional as their supervisor, therefore we can provide a preliminary/provisional diagnosis and are able to perform mental health assessments to accompany the preliminary diagnosis to implement a symptom based treatment plan. A diagnosis is not always necessary and for couples and families, a theory based treatment plan will be utilized. Our clinic is not equipped with a physician or medical staff to provide medication, a medical diagnosis, nor any medication related recommendations. The clinic will be assessing and referring out if a higher level of care is necessary, or referrals out for diagnoses that require a medical assessment and intervention. Due to the nature of our training clinic, our trainees are unable to provide accommodation letters.

What public transportation is available near CSU Sacramento?

The Sac Regional 30 Bus Line can drop you off on campus. The Gold Line for the Light Rail can drop you off at the 65th and Folsom Station.

Make an Appointment

To make an appointment submit the request for services form or check out the booking appointments available:

• Request for Services Form
• BOOKING LINK COMING SOON

Group Counseling Services

Our clinic will offer various group counseling experiences both virtually and in-person. Group counseling topics include: anxiety, depression, teens, couples, relationship, LGBTQ+, and support for helpers. In addition, we partner with Midtown Church and Mutual Housing for groups specific to our partners needs.

• Stress Management Group