Staff and Board

STAFF 

Ruby Elmer
Operations Coordinator
Ruby joined Grateful Heart as the Operations Coordinator in August of 2020.  Ruby has worked in Mental Health as an Administrative Director of a dual diagnosis treatment facility and has worked within health care as a Clinic Manager.  She is currently working on her M.P.A with a concentration in Health Policy at American Public University and has just completed a Project Management Certification through the University of California Berkeley.  When not working, Ruby enjoys spending time with her family doing outdoor activities, such as bike riding, hiking, and exploring the coast.

Grace Cain, MA, AMFT
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.

Laura Gardner, MA, LMFT
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.

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.

Jen Herrington
Administrative Assistant of Operations
Jen has worked in non-profit administration for 15 years. She enjoys organizing and “sorting through pages of data, culling processes that no longer serve, and helping to create a strong and effective team.” Jen enjoys supporting our associates to begin their practices and preparing for licensure. Outside of work, she enjoys conversing about swimming, knitting, and architecture.

Sunny Hill
Chief Financial Officer
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. In addition to her work in finances, Sunny is a devoted ceramicist and artist.

Jeffrey Lawton
Records Coordinator
Jeffrey works as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist with Grateful Heart as well as with Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care and OPICA Adult Day Care Center. In his role as Records Coordinator, he manages our client records and our agency’s digital records platforms ensuring that the requirements set forth by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences and HIPAA are both met and exceeded. Whether at work or at home, Jeffrey enjoys social connectedness and collaboration in every form including as much time with his dog as possible.

Paul LeBars, MA, AMFT
Referral Coordinator
Paul brings a passion for service and community to his position as Referral Coordinator. Paul completed his Masters 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.

Kelsie Phillips
Internship Coordinator
Kelsie joined Grateful Heart as the Internship Coordinator in November 2020. 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 get settled at Grateful Heart. When not responding to emails, you can usually find Kelsie out walking her dog or working on an art project. 

Mary Vradelis
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.

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.

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.

Kathryn Sills-Payne, LMFT
Member of the Board of Directors
Kathryn studied at University College London, consistently ranked a top ten university for psychology worldwide. At the University of Southern California and Pepperdine University, she further developed her clinical psychology expertise. She developed a strong Relational-Gestalt framework by training intensively at the Relational Center in Los Angeles. She also trained in Brainspotting, a brain-based revolutionary new therapy for rapid and effective growth which was discovered by David Grand, PhD. In 2018, Daniel Franklin, PhD, acknowledged her support and intellectual contributions to his book Helping Your Child with Language-Based Learning Disabilities, published during her time as a director at Franklin Educational Services in Southern California. She built a thriving telehealth practice with the help of Grateful Heart and is now delighted to return as a board member to help further the mission of the organization. She values dismantling systems of oppression, lowering barriers to mental health care, and trusting the intuitive self-healing process of the mind.