Staff and Board

STAFF 

Abigail Boggs-Moura (she/they)
Internship Coordinator
Abigail joined Grateful Heart as a local to Oakland and a current graduate student at USF for Marriage and Family Therapy. They received their Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley in 2014. They have since worked in the mental health care field and mission-driven organizations in the Bay and in New York that have focused on access to housing, advocacy, and research for reproductive rights. They also bring a strong personal and professional commitment to social justice and community that they are excited to bring to Grateful Heart. In their spare time, they enjoy watching and reading sci-fi, getting outdoors, and spending time at the local farmers’ market.

Angie Green
Payroll and Financial Manager
Angie joined Grateful Heart in October 2016 as Financial Coordinator and is tasked with overseeing most of the financial activities for the associates at Grateful Heart.  With more than 30+ years of marketing, business development, and customer service expertise, Angie enjoys supporting our associates prepare for licensure and launch their practices as therapists.

Grace Cain, MA, AMFT (she/her)
Clinical Training Coordinator
Grace joined Grateful Heart as a clinician in 2019 and has held the position of training coordinator since 2020. She helps keep the logistical gears of the training program turning, and loves getting to better know Grateful Heart’s therapists and trainers through this role.

Kelsie Phillips (she/her)
Administrative Assistant
Kelsie joined Grateful Heart as the Internship Coordinator in November 2020 and transitioned to Administrative Assistant during the summer of 2022. Originally from Washington state, she got her Bachelor of Arts in Human Services from Western Washington University. She has worked both direct and indirect service roles at several agencies, including at a community action organization, domestic violence and sexual assault service center, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. She enjoys working with new associates and helping them settle at Grateful Heart. When not responding to emails, you can usually find Kelsie out walking her dog or working on an art project. 

Laura Gardner, MA, LMFT (she/her)
Marketing Coach
Laura was hired as our Marketing Coach in 2017. In addition to her role as a member of our staff, Laura offers holistically-oriented psychotherapy in her private practice in Emeryville, California. Laura works with women, men and couples, including interracial couples. She has a special interest in supporting individuals who have experienced sexual abuse or who are struggling with anxiety. As a graduate of John F. Kennedy University, she was mentored by Marsha Hiller, MFT, in Berkeley, and spent her final 8 months as an intern at Grateful Heart Holistic Therapy Center.

Mary Vradelis (she/her)
Interim Executive Director
Mary has 30 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, capacity-building, and management coaching/training. As an Interim Executive Director, she has led 13 organizations, where she provided the stability and flexibility that is needed during a leadership transition. She has an Executive MBA (St. Mary’s College of CA)  and a Master’s in Expressive Arts Therapy (Lesley University).  During her time with us, she will guide Grateful Heart’s business operations and work closely with Rawna and the team to develop a newly separate position for the long-term Executive Director. This new staffing structure will provide new capacity to advance current and new programs.  Mary enjoys outings with her dog, quiet time on the couch with her cat and husband, and hanging out with friends and family.

Paul LeBars, MA, AMFT (he/him)
Referral Coordinator
Paul brings a passion for service and community to his position as Referral Coordinator. Paul completed his Master of Arts degree at John F. Kennedy University in 2013, focusing on the study of Transpersonal Psychology. He continues his life’s work at Grateful Heart both as a clinician and member of our staff, bringing his passion for healing to his work.

Rawna Romero, LMFT 
Director of Clinical Services and Programs
Rawna has been practicing as a licensed psychotherapist since 2005. In addition to her work as a clinician, she has been supervising trainees and associates since 2007, including through the auspices of the California Institute for Integral Studies. In 2014, Rawna completed The Psychotherapy Institute’s Supervision Study Program, further developing her capacity to support clinicians in training and one year later was hired by Grateful Heart to succeed Mary Owens, Grateful Heart’s founding Clinical Director. In addition to her experience as a clinician, supervisor, and consultant, Rawna has worked as an Executive Director, Director of Program Development, Director of Development and staff member for numerous social service and non-profit organizations including Hospitality House, The Arc, The Women’s Building, The TalkLine/San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center, TODCO, McAuley Neuropsychiatric Institute, and Stage Door Conservatory. She loves her work at Grateful Heart Holistic Therapy Center, considering it a beautiful integration of her managerial, programmatic, and clinical experience. She especially enjoys her roles as a supervisor and mentor, and the opportunities these roles provide for supporting our clinicians in their development.

Sarah Salazer-Tipton (she/her)
Executive Director
Sarah has 20 years of leadership experience in the military, private industry, and in the non-profit sector.

In 2012 she started the grassroots non-profit, Olympic Nature Experience to create accessible nature education programs for children and families in her area. She led this non-profit through 10 years of growth and transition as the founding Executive Director, Program Manager, and a lead teacher for the education programs. Her passion for trauma-informed care, social emotional learning, and social justice led her to a career switch from the field of education to the field of Mental health, where she became the Executive Director of Grateful Heart Holistic Therapy Services in August 2022.

Sarah centers her leadership style on building trusting relationships with her co-workers and the people she serves. She believes social justice is a way of life, making 100 small choices a day that lead to social change and a future where we can thrive and be resilient together. She is thrilled to work at Grateful Heart to support emerging therapists in becoming tomorrow’s Mental health field leaders.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Larisa Blum, MA, JD, LMFT
President of the Board of Directors, Program Development Focus
Larissa joined Grateful Heart upon graduating from JFK University with a degree in somatic psychology. She became licensed in 2015 and has continued on with Grateful Heart participating in the pilot Bridge Program which seeks to provide continued training for licensed clinicians, supporting their development as supervisors and building a multi-generational therapist community.

Sara Tehrani
Member of the Board of Directors
It is possible to make an impact everywhere you go. This is made evident through the life of Sara Tehrani. With over 15 years of experience as a leader, business professional, and mental healthcare advocate, Sara has and continues to make notable accomplishments in every environment and organization she steps foot into. With her fiery passion for service and her compassionate heart for people, she engages in opportunities that will grow her community for the better.
In addition to her involvement at Grateful Heart, she serves as the Assistant Secretary and Treasurer in the Aliso Viejo Community Association Board. Professionally, she is experienced in project management, Business Intelligence analysis, and building an exceptional team of professionals. Sara’s ability to identify and prioritize critical issues that are often overlooked has allowed her to kickstart movements unthought of. Namely, she has founded the first employee interest group, Women in Leadership, and has served on the Diversity and Inclusivity Committee.
As a member of the Board of Directors, she brings her expertise in business management, operational planning, project management, along with her passionate involvement in community and philanthropic organizations.

Sunny Hill
Treasurer of the Board of Directors
Sunny founded Sunny Books and offers bookkeeping and systems design for entrepreneurs, small businesses and non-profit organizations in the United States and Canada, working remotely throughout North America. Her experience in fiscal management, bookkeeping, human resources and non profit management have been an invaluable contribution to our agency and Board. In addition to her work in finances, Sunny is a devoted ceramicist and artist.