Quality Care Comes from Qualified Clinicians who Care
Meet the Team
Monica M. Huston, MA, MA, LMFT
Clinical Director and Founder
Education and Training
Newport Psychoanalytic Institute: 5-Year Psychoanalysis Certificate Candidate
Boston College: MA in Mental Health Counseling
Boston College: MA in Theological Studies
St. Mary’s College: BA in Adult Psychology
St. Mary’s College: BA in Philosophy
About Monica
Monica received her masters in Mental Health Counseling and Theological Studies. She completed her graduate training at the Justice Resource Institute, a non-profit organization where she provided trauma counseling to disadvantaged, under-served and severely impacted youths. Her thesis was on the treatment of clinical depression and remedies for healing. Upon licensure, she devoted 2-3 years to the treatment of couples and families struggling with relationship issues. Currently, she trains at the Psychoanalytic Newport Institute and specializes in the treatment of individuals with severe mental health symptoms such as psychosis, personality disorders, and dissociative identity.
Monica knew she wanted to be a therapist as early as 8 years old. She was raised in the Catholic tradition in a family of seven kids. She observed the impact of mental health issues on her loved ones and saw that it deterred them from reaching their full potential. Determined to become a therapist for others that her loved ones may have needed, she devoted her carrer to seeking knowledge, truth, and valuable solutions to all mental health related issues.
Currently, Monica enjoys supervising and managing a team of therapists who are similarly compelled to improve the mental health of others. In her free time, she loves to read, hike and spend quality time with her loved ones.
Registered Associate Marriage & Family Therapist 141966
Registered Associate Professional Clinical Counselor 14806
Supervised by Monica Huston, LMFT 118825
Olivia R. Carr, MA, AMFT, APCC
Registered Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Registered Associate Professional Clinical Counselor
IFC Administrative Director
Education and Training
Azusa Pacific University: MA in Clinical Psychology, Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy
Newport Psychoanalytic Institute: Certificate in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy for Infants, Children, and Adolescents
Franciscan University: BA in Political Science
About Olivia
Olivia is a Registered Associate Marriage & Family Therapist and a Registered Associate Professional Clinical Counselor. She obtained her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Azusa Pacific University. Olivia holds a Bachelor of Arts from Franciscan University, where her studies incorporated philosophy, theology, and human life studies, among other disciplines. She has pursued further training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and play therapy. She is certified in Prepare/Enrich to provide premarital counseling for couples as they prepare for marriage. Olivia also holds a certificate from the Newport Psychoanalytic Institute, where she studied the development and treatment of infants, children, and adolescents through a psychodynamic lens.
Olivia believes the more we come to know ourselves through processing our emotional experiences, the greater capacity we have for connection with ourselves and others. She aims to create a warm and intentional space for clients to understand themselves and their relationships more fully. Olivia desires for each client to experience the restoration of their relationships to themselves and others, so they can live in freedom and fullness of who they were created to be.
As a therapist, Olivia’s clinical orientation is depth- and insight-oriented, focused in psychodynamic, attachment, emotionally-focused, and systemic therapies. These therapies focus on identifying, expressing, and experiencing healing of underlying emotions, needs, wounds, and desires so that deep and sustained transformation can be experienced. If desired, Olivia can offer an approach to therapy that intentionally incorporates the Catholic-Christian faith.
Olivia works with individuals of all ages, couples, and families at IFC. Some areas of focus include treating trauma, anxiety, relational issues, and family of origin issues, premarital couples, clients experiencing co-occuring mental health symptoms and medical diagnoses, parenting issues, perinatal mental health.
Olivia considers it a privilege to walk with clients and be a part of their journey towards greater emotional and spiritual flourishing.
Education and Training
Loyola Marymount University: MA in Counseling, Emphasis in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Loyola Marymount University: BS in Chemistry
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist 144806
Caitlyn M. Marr, MA, LMFT
Marriage & Family Therapist
Education and Training
Hope International University: Doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy Candidate
Hope International University: Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy
Carthage College: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
Additional trainings: Therapeutic Crisis Intervention | EMDR Trained
About Caitlyn
Caitlyn is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist who treats individuals, couples, and families. She uses multiple disciplinary treatment approaches to fit the specific needs of each individual client. Caitlyn works with clients to discover more of who they are and how their relationships have shaped their lives today. Caitlyn takes a collaborative approach with clients to dive deeply into their relationships to learn what may be causing the struggles they are facing. She also views psychoeducation for her clients as an important part of the therapeutic process.
Caitlyn has worked and interned in various clinical settings such as homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, women and children centers, and community mental health settings. She gained experience in the treating children, teens, and adults between the ages of 5-70+. Caitlyn is also trained in several specialty areas such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Informed Care, Group Therapy and Children’s Play Therapy. Caitlyn loves helping clients reach their fullest potential through collaborative work. She aims to come alongside each client in their mental health journey to develop a therapeutic plan that best serves the needs of the client. One of her goals for her clients is to create a safe, supporting, and comfortable space to help clients grow, develop, and heal during this process. She vows to walk beside you each step of the way during this intimate process.
Natalie M. Janji
Registered Associate Professional Clinical Counselor
Registered Associate Professional Clinical Counselor 15271
Supervised by Monica M. Huston, LMFT 18825
Publications
Author of “The Morning Miracle for College Students” published in July 2017
About Natalie
Natalie is a Registered Associate Professional Clinical Counselor. She received her masters in Counseling with an emphasis in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Loyola Marymount University.
Natalie provides clinical counseling to children as young as 5 years old and teens up to age 18. She focuses on helping young clients navigate the emotional and psychological challenges of their developmental stages, including anxiety, depression, and behavioral issues. Her playful and engaging therapeutic techniques are tailored to each child's unique needs, ensuring a supportive environment where they can express themselves freely and build resilience. Her work often involves collaborating with families and schools to create comprehensive support systems, fostering an inclusive approach to each child’s growth and well-being. Passionate about empowering youth, Natalie is committed to helping them build coping skills, self-esteem, and emotional intelligence that will benefit them throughout their lives.
Additionally, Natalie has a passion for helping adults navigate issues such as anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties and career transitions. Her therapeutic approach is rooted in a deep respect for each client’s unique life story and includes a blend of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), mindfulness techniques and strength-based strategies. Her warm, empathetic demeanor and her ability to foster a safe and trusting environment helps clients explore their concerns and work towards meaningful change.
Outside of her work as a therapist, Natalie values spending quality time with family and friends, and running around with her dog. Natalie appreciates quiet time by journaling, reading and going for solo hikes. She loves to travel and learn new languages.
Research Psychoanalyst Student RPS294
Laima S. Sappington, PhD
Research Psychoanalyst Student (RPS)
Education and Training
Newport Psychoanalytic Institute: 5-Year Psychoanalysis Certificate Candidate
New School: Ph.D. in Social Psychology and Sociology
New York Psychoanalytic Institutes (IPTAR and NYT): Training in Adult Psychoanalysis
New York Institute for Psychoanalytic Training and Research: Certification in Socio-Psychoanalytic Organizational Consultancy and Executive Coaching
Professional Memberships: International Neuropsychoanalysis Society and American Psychological Association
About Laima
Laima has over 15 years of clinical experience working with individuals who suffer from psychological distress, emotional challenges, internal conflicts, negative expectations, creative challenges, cultural clashes, anxieties and resistances in face of everyday life demands, including school and work obligations. Laima believes every person has a story to tell that is unique to them. It is her aim in working with clients to provide a safe, nurturing space where those stories can be received and reverenced in a way that promotes insight, growth, and healing.
Laima has trained nationally and internationally in psychodynamic psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, group and workplace socio-psychodynamics, and neuropsychoanalysis. She greatly appreciates the potential that psychoanalysis and psychoanalytically-oriented therapies have to alleviate human suffering and facilitate one’s ability to develop a clearer understanding of the depths and complexities of their own and others’ internal worlds. While some therapies focus on symptoms alone, the psychoanalytic approach that Laima takes respects and appreciates the intricacies of human existence and the role that a supportive, safe, and trusting environment plays in facilitating the self-healing process. Because of this, Laima has dedicated her life’s work to utilizing a psychoanalytic approach to treat her clients.
Through a wealth of experiences, Laima brings a culturally-informed and psychoanalytic perspective to her clients to facilitate the exploration of the psyche and its intricate inter-relationships. Her approach aims at addressing individuals’ life challenges and uncertainties and achieving emotional and psychological well-being.
Research Psychoanalyst Student RPS301
Supervised by Monica Huston, LMFT 118825
Education and Training
Newport Psychoanalytic Institute: 5-Year Psychoanalysis Certificate Candidate
New York University, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development Department, in the Music and Performing Arts Professions Program: Ph.D. in Education
New York University, Tisch School of the Arts: MFA in Dance Performance
Rutgers University: BA in Psychology
Lisa M. Naugle, PhD, MFA
Research Psychoanalyst Student (RPS)
About Lisa
Lisa received her PhD in Education and MFA in Dance from New York University. She currently trains as a research psychoanalyst student at the Newport Psychoanalytic Institute and also holds a faculty position in the Dance Department at the University of California, Irvine. She has over 30 years of experience as a choreographer and performing artist, working nationally and internationally with individuals seeking to advance the creative aspects of their lives. This work has equipped Lisa to support individuals, couples, and groups in becoming more aware of the connections between body, mind, creative expression, and well-being. Lisa brings her experiences of choreography, collaborative art making, music, and storytelling to her clinical work, believing that the body and mind are intimately connected and play a vital role in the healing of the other. As an artist and educator, Lisa desires every client she journeys with to become more fully expressive and alive in their relationships and overall mental health functioning.
Lisa’s approach to working with clients involves a shared process of listening, dialogue, curiosity, questioning, observation, and reflection to guide and develop the client’s sense of personal and relational well-being. Lisa’s work is rooted in collaboration and movement in many forms: physical, psychological, and emotional.
Lisa’s practice is supported by her ongoing research, experience and training to understand the systemic forces that underlie social, cultural, artistic, and human development concerns for all individuals in our diverse society.
Most impactfully, through her psychoanalytic training at the NPI, Lisa studies and applies psychoanalytic techniques in her practice to help clients understand their unconscious minds, deepen their understanding of themselves and how they relate to others, with the ultimate purpose of leading more fulfilling lives.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist 118825