Who We Are

Tod DiCecco, MA, LPCC

Executive Director

Tod, who received his Master’s degree from Southwestern University, takes a holistic approach to the transformational and healing process by offering the opportunity to explore personal growth through the mind, body, and spirit. He also uses mindfulness practices to guide individuals and families through relationship challenges, grief & loss support, and issues related to substance abuse, trauma, and other life stressors.

He believes when people connect with their purpose and what brings meaning into their life, they experience greater connection with themselves, their family, and community. He also believes that using creativity supports the heart’s true authentic expression, which brings about joy and inspiration. A deep connection to the heart can develop feelings of safety and expand compassion towards others and ourselves.

Niccole Toral, MA, LPCC, CDWF, TEP 

Clinical Supervisor

Niccole holds a master’s degree in Counseling, is a Certified Daring Way Facilitator (CDWF) and holds a Certificate in Transformational Eco-Psychology (TEP) from Southwestern College, a Consciousness Centered Program. She has been shaped by integrative wellness both personally and professionally is passionate about combining therapies and modalities that inspire others. Niccole loves that Mesa Vista Wellness integrates many different forms of wellness within their services.

Over the course of her professional career, Niccole has spent several years in the implementation and integration of behavioral health care in rural primary care clinics.

Rosemary A. Nowak, Ph.D., LPCC

Clinical Director

Rosemary holds a Ph.D. in Human Services from Capella University in Minneapolis and a Master of Arts degree in Counseling from Southwestern College in Santa Fe. She is licensed in New Mexico as an LPCC and in Colorado as an LPC, and she also holds a certification for counseling supervision in New Mexico. Rosemary has a rich and diverse work history in behavioral health and clinical supervision, including time spent conducting psychological and forensic evaluations and work as a juvenile reentry specialist.

Rosemary has advanced training in children’s mental health and in grief, loss and trauma, and in addition, has extensive professional and volunteer experience working with adults impacted by grief, loss and stigmatized death. She has volunteered for PMS Hospice in Santa Fe for approximately 15 years.

Courtney Lee, MA, LPCC

Courtney is a trained family therapist and specializes in helping families navigate the challenges of divorce, blended families, school failure and the stresses that are common with parenting.  Additionally, Courtney’s years working with adolescents have given her an appreciation and passion for supporting kids through the ups and downs of the teenage years.  Along with her work with those facing depression, anxiety and life transitions, Courtney is also committed to supporting caregivers of all kinds and working with those in helping roles and professions to manage the stress and burnout that is common. She implements various family therapy approaches and incorporates mindfulness and a variety of art interventions in her work.

Julia Lucero, MSW, LCSW

With 26 years of experience as a social worker, supervisor, program director, adjunct professor and program administer, Julie has worked with diverse populations and relies on the strength, resiliency and uniqueness of the individuals she works with to guide her practice.

As a 9th generation Chicana from northern New Mexico, she embraces the values, culture, language, traditions, and healing practices handed down to her from the women in her family. Through a holistic approach, she honors the place of strength clients bring to the therapeutic relationship and works to help them realize their full potential.

Tim Valentine, MA, LMHC

Tim Valentine comes to Mesa Vista Wellness with a lifetime of experience helping others through therapy, teaching, and as a musician. Tim believes that the experience of emotional and spiritual connection between people, as a therapeutic alliance, creates an atmosphere and energy that can be utilized for healing and for healthy transitional movement.

He uses a variety of techniques to enhance a foundational talk therapy approach, especially music: be it playing and singing songs, listening to music, and even songwriting.

Julie Price, MA, LPCC 

Julie has spent years exploring the way in which art assists the therapeutic process. By merging creative expression with the therapeutic process, Julie finds unique approaches to foster growth and healing.  She received a master’s degree in marriage and family counseling, as well as in child counseling with an emphasis on art therapy from Notre Dame De Namur University. She has also trained at Stanford University’s child and adolescent psychiatry department. Julie works with people of all ages and specializes in crisis counseling and EMDR.

Dana Dean, MA, LMHC

Dana holds a Master’s degree in counseling from Southwestern College in Santa Fe. She is passionate about working with clients who are struggling with grief and loss, relationship difficulties, major transitions, depression, anxiety, addiction, codependence and trauma. She believes that everyone has within themselves a natural drive to heal and grow, and she strives to help each client discover, strengthen and trust in their own ability to become their best selves. While this work together will include unique approaches for each individual, Dana believes that the most important ingredient for healing is the sense of safety, trust and connection between the client and therapist. She is also trained in EMDR, an approach that can be effective in alleviating many types of distress.

Andrea Serna, MA, LPCC

Andrea is a native of northern New Mexico who has over 25 years of experience working with children, adolescents, adults and the elderly. She believes in a holistic approach to healing involving psychological, emotional, physical and spiritual work. Andrea believes that people have their insight into their experiences and utilizes empowerment within the person. Developing self-awareness, skills and strategies that work in their world is what she strives for.

Andrea uses play therapy, art therapy, genograms, lifelines, ecomaps, CBT and more in helping clients to develop strategies to cope with life’s challenges.  Andrea is a client-centered therapist and knows that no matter what, there is always hope.

Heather Hines, MSW, LCSW

Heather has an affinity for working with children, teens and adults coping with grief and loss, as well as people struggling with nightmares, anxiety, mood swings and trauma. She was trained in family therapy at the Sky Center in Santa Fe and in infant mental health at Las Cumbres in Espanola, and is currently working on a PhD in Integrated Therapy and Healing Practices at Pacifica Graduate Institute. Heather’s approach is that of a heartfelt partnership with individuals and families to inspire the positive transformation they desire. This approach, which has out of
her studies of psychoanalytic theory and depth psychology, allows her to serve as a guide and witness to healing through dreams and engagement with the personal and collective unconscious. Heather meets each client exactly where they are on their journey, and helps them walk the path toward healing. Underscoring the work is her deep respect for the human condition and genuine enjoyment of the therapeutic relationship.

Sangeet Ram, Ed.D, LPCC

Sangeet holds an Ed.D in Counselor Education and Supervision and a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Argosy University in Sarasota, FL. She is licensed in New Mexico as an LPCC and in Florida as an LMHC. Sangeet also has certifications in grief and loss, trauma and holistic health and nutrition.

Sangeet utilizes a variety of humanistic techniques, such as exploring the connection between nutrition and mental health, familial patterns, attachment/abandonment/inner child, empty chair/psychodrama  and other creative techniques to help her clients find a sustainable, transformative path to healing.

She believes that our experiences and perceptions define the path in front of us and can lead to discomfort and stagnancy.  In her practice, Sangeet provides a safe environment that allows clients to take ownership of their life’s journey and begin their transformation through awareness.

Christine Miller, MA, LMHC, CYT-200

Christine received her Master’s in Counseling from Southwestern College in Santa Fe. She has also completed a 200-hour Certified Yoga Instructor training with YogaSource. Christine primarily serves children and adolescents and utilizes art therapy, play therapy, mindfulness, yoga and sensory self-soothing techniques into her sessions. She is particularly interested in building motivation and self-esteem and identifying healthy coping skills for life experiences. Utilizing art therapy, journaling and talk, Christine hopes that her clients will walk away with stronger self-expression and communication skills.

Stephanie Murphy, MA, RN, MEd, LPCC, ATR-BC

Art Therapy Supervisor

A board-certified art therapist with over 24 years of experience in the healthcare field, Stephanie strongly relies on the mind/body/heart connection of each individual to inform her therapeutic practice and guide clients all on their paths to reach their full potential as human beings.

As an art therapist, she utilizes many creative modalities, such as sand tray, SoulCollage ™, and intuitive painting to integrate both left- and right-brain functioning to help clients find a whole-brain solution to life’s challenges.

Celedina Coss, MSW, LCSW, CCTP
(Certified Clinical Trauma Professional)

Clinical Supervisor, Santa Fe Indian School Site

Celedina is a native New Mexican with more than 10 years of experience working from a trauma-informed perspective. Utilizing a blend of mindfulness techniques, CBT, DBT and talk therapy, Celedina specializes in treating LGBTQIA issues, substance abuse, and trauma stemming from sexual and domestic violence and incarceration. Her background includes time spent working with clients at Solace Crisis Treatment Center, Southwest Care Center, and the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico. Celedina has deep love and respect for the varied and beautiful cultures that make up the state’s population.

Niccole Toral

Shamanic Practitioner and Yoga Teacher

Niccole has studied and apprenticed with many indigenous elders in Earth-based methods, including vision quest, a wilderness rite of passage, Native American spiritual practices, and Andean (Peruvian) spiritual cosmology.

As an Earth-based healer, counselor and teacher, she has always resonated with the spiritual and nature-based culture that is found throughout New Mexico. She is a strong believer in getting healthy, being healthy, and staying healthy. Niccole instills balance in her own life: hiking, running, yoga, travel, and lots of time with her family and pets.

Rick Bastine, CHT/NLP 

Rick Bastine integrates a wide variety of techniques into every unique, customized healing session. He is a shaman, sound healing artist/practitioner, certified hypnotherapist (CHT), neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) practitioner, intuitive polarity therapist, and is experienced in self-healing activation, energy balancing, spiritual healing, guided imagery, Reiki I/II, Pranic healing and collaborative coaching.

Rick Bastine is an intuitive facilitator in the rediscovery, unfolding, and development of an individual’s inner healing abilities. His healing sessions promote a more grounded, rejuvenated, and peaceful return to emotional and physical health. Believing that healing only happens when a person is an active participant in the healing process, Rick uses his intuitive talents to guide individuals through a release of blockages and a restoration of the flow of natural Pranic energies. Each session is uniquely customized to the individual, with the goal of balancing the autonomic nervous system, providing clarity, confidence, connection, love for self, motivation, and a sense of calm, centered healthfulness.

Áine Pierand McCarthy

Yoga and Meditation Teacher

​Áine studied religion at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, and has also spent time in Bodh Gaya, India studying meditation and Buddhist traditions. She is a graduate of the Buddhist Chaplaincy Training at Upaya Zen Center and served as co-director of that program from 2014 to 2017. In 2016, she completed the 200-hour Yogic Study & Teacher Training Program at YogaSource in Santa Fe, accredited by Yoga Alliance. She is currently a student in the Living School at the Center for Contemplation and Action in Albuquerque.

Elizabeth Jaramillo-Lopez

Registered Dietitian

Elizabeth, a native New Mexican, has a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Food Science from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. She completed her dietetic internship with Sodexho Dietetic Distance Education, and ever since, she has worked in a variety of areas within the nutrition field. Elizabeth has experience in sports nutrition, child obesity, adult and child weight management, family nutrition, prenatal and lactation nutrition, infant nutrition and community health nutrition.

She’s passionate about long-distance running, a hobby that led her into the field of dietetics. She was a Division 1 collegiate athlete in cross-county and track and now runs marathons. Being an athlete has helped her understand the role of nutrition and performance. Her varied experiences have resulted in an interest in working with athletes, eating disorder recovery and those who are interested in non-diet, intuitive-eating approach. Elizabeth helps her clients learn how to cultivate a healthy relationship with food and the body, how to have satisfying eating experiences, self-compassion, and how to add joy to eating.

Ellen Anne Shapiro

Certified Qigong Instructor

Ellen began studying qigong in 2013 as part of her recovery from a knee injury and was happily surprised to find that it helped with anxiety, balancing moods  and becoming more confident.

Ellen’s original wake-up call came in her 20s when she was working in finance in New York Intense overwork left her depleted and severely stressed. Her quest for healing and a healthier life led her eventually to becoming a transformational coach, Reiki Master and bodyworker—and to qigong.  Ellen understands the stresses of modern life—both in urban life and even here in New Mexico–and the need for healing and ongoing self-care.

Amy Jelliffe 

Yoga Teacher

Amy Jelliffe doubles as a physician with Board Certification in Psychiatry and a certified gentle therapeutic yoga teacher. She graduated from Stanford University and attended medical school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Her psychiatric residency was completed at the University of New Mexico, but after three years of private practice and teaching in Albuquerque, she moved to Arizona to practice rural psychiatry within the Arizona state public mental health system.

Her interest in integrating physical and behavioral health under one roof, along with complementary and alternative medicines, led her to pursue studies in healing yoga, mindfulness, and meditation for children and adults- particularly as empowering tools for self-care. In addition to teaching at Mesa Vista Wellness, she can also be found teaching warm water yoga at the Aqua Therapy Center of Santa Fe and gentle yoga at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center.

She has previously provided workshops on yoga for chronic pain, depression, anxiety, trauma and for self-transformation and growth.