Core Faculty

Elizabeth Wolfson, PhD, LCSW  is the Chair of the Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology (MACP) program.  Dr. Wolfson received her Ph.D. in Clinical Social Work from New York University School of Social Work.  Her experience includes thirty years in clinical practice and sixteen years as an administrator in social service agencies.   She has been teaching for over nineteen years (including nine years as an Antioch instructor and ten years at Columbia University in New York).  She has strong background and interest in psychodynamic, humanistic-existential, narrative, and systemic theories. Her clinical approach is integrative and systemically oriented.

Dr. Wolfson’s professional accomplishments include; the creation of an innovative intervention program which pairs at-risk youth with Holocaust survivors to address diversity and combat youth violence.  She was also Project Associate in two film collaborations with UCSB Department of Film and Media Studies which screened in the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (2006, 2007).  Dr.Wolfson was an innovator of the soon to be launched “Santa Barbara Village,” a pioneering program supporting the ability of people to remain in their homes and communities as they age.   She has presented at national and international professional conferences on a range of topics including; “Gender Issues In Psychotherapy” “Diversity and Dialogue Through the Arts: A Community Endeavor,” “Practicing Poetically: Harnessing the Essential Magic of Language In Psychotherapy.”  “The Holocaust Survivor and Gang Member: An Unlikely Pair"  and “Assessment and Intervention with the Aged: A Systemic Approach.”  Among her publications are included “Practicing Poetically: A Client-Centered Multi Theoretical Response To Trauma.” and “The Fee In Social Work: Ethical Dilemmas For Practitioners.”   In 2003, Dr. Wolfson was named Administrator of the year by NASW Santa Barbara Chapter and in 2006 she received the AJFCA Kovod Award for Excellence in Media.

In addition to overseeing the Master’s in Clinical Psychology Program at Antioch, Dr. Wolfson also serves as Vice President of Professional Development on the Board of NASW, is a co-Editor of the Psychotherapy section of the website “All Things Healing,” and maintains a private practice of psychotherapy in Santa Barbara.

Catherine Radecki-Bush, PhD,  earned a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Delaware in 1982.  She has been a member of the Antioch faculty since 1996. Prior to her appointment at Antioch, she was an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University where she directed a doctoral psychology training clinic that provided services to the Richmond community.  Dr. Radecki-Bush has also held adjunct positions at Capella University, Eastern Carolina School of Medicine, and the University of Delaware. 

Albert “Al” Munoz-Flores, PsyD, is a Core Faculty member and the Director of Clinical Training in the Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology Program. Dr. Munoz-Flores also oversees the program’s Latino Mental Health Concentration and is adjunct faculty in the Doctor of Clinical Psychology Program. He holds a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Forensics from the Phillips Graduate Institute in Encino, California. Dr. Munoz-Flores has completed an APA Certified Predoctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology from Casa Pacifica Residential Treatment Center in Camarillo. Dr. Munoz-Flores also completed advanced studies in chemical addiction and crisis evaluation at Tarzana Treatment Centers. Before joining the AUSB faculty, Dr. Munoz-Flores worked at the Child & Family Center in Santa Clarita, Calif. as a crisis therapist. He is bilingual in Spanish and English.

Adjunct Faculty

Deborah Allen, DCSW, LCSW, has been an Adjunct Faculty Member of Antioch University since 2000. She received her MSW from UCLA in 1985. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, holds a Diplomate in Clinical Social Work and holds an EMDR Certificate. Her theoretical orientation includes family systems and integrative approaches to therapy. Debbie practices at the Family Therapy Institute of Santa Barbara and maintains a small private practice in Ventura. She has worked with children, adolescents and families in a broad range of treatment programs including psychiatric hospitals, day treatment programs, residential programs, and both public and non-public schools. She has held various positions with the State Chapter Board of the National Association of Social Workers, the local Board of NASW, and has served on the Santa Barbara Mental Health Commission. She was the recipient of the Social Worker of the Year Award in both Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties

Judy Bruton, JD, MSW, received undergraduate, law and social work degrees from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. She practiced law as a criminal prosecutor and a corporate trial attorney for many years before getting her LCSW in Missouri. Judy also trained in a two-year post-graduate program at the St. Louis Psychoanalytic Institute. She worked for several years in the field of eating disorders, starting as a therapist who worked with individuals, groups and families at a residential treatment center, and then doing supervision for other therapists at the center. Judy co-founded a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the complexity of eating disorders and has held community workshops and taught classes for therapists in St. Louis and nationally in that field.  In addition to this work, Judy had a general private practice as a psychotherapist before her recent move to Santa Barbara.  Judy is also a trained mediator.

Wendy Elliott, M.Ed, LCMHC, BC-DTR has taught at Antioch University New England for the last 25 years in the Dance- Movement Therapy Program, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program, and Organizational and Management Program. In addition, Wendy has worked as a licensed clinical mental health counselor and board certified dance movement therapist for the last twenty five years in hospitals, community mental health agencies, and private practice. Wendy’s specialty is in integrating body oriented and mindfulness based approaches into the counseling room. Wendy’s theoretical perspective includes a self-in –relation approach along with somatic psychology, narrative therapy, positive psychology, CBT, Jungian psychology, and internal family systems. She works from a culturally sensitive framework and enjoys working with clients who suffer from trauma, depression, anxiety, and somatic issues. Wendy is bi-cultural with Latina roots and speaks conversational Spanish.

Jay Fortman, PhD., MFT, received his PhD from University of California Santa Barbara. He works as a school psychologist in the elementary school system. He also has a private practice. He has published numerous articles in several journals and authored two books.  One titled Between Two People, published by ACA for counseling with couples and an upcoming book titled AD/HD and the Whole Family. He conducts workshops on stress, AD/HD, Learning Disabilities, Aspergers and Self-Esteem.

Neil Friedman, MSW has been adjunct faculty at Antioch University Santa Barbara since 1989. Most recently, these courses have included Working with Couples and Families, Psychopharmocalogy, Psychopathology, Community Mental Health and Effective Mental Health Interventions. Neil has 30 years experience as a therapist working with individuals, couples, adolescents and families. During this time, he has also managed and helped to develop a variety of treatment programs, including The Phoenix of Santa Barbara and The CRMHS Hospital Alternatives Program. Neil has also had extensive experience dealing with severe and persistent mental illness as well as counseling people with transitional crisis and PTSD issues. He has been extensively trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and directed the DBT program for CRMHS for ten years. DBT helps people with severe impulse control problems and has a focus on increasing emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal relations and mindfulness skills.

Dr. Elisa A. Gottheil has been teaching at Antioch University Santa Barbara since 2009. Her love for teaching stems from her early formation as a trainer of trainers in the Adult Learning modality. The years she spent as a trainer, assisting professionals with their personal development and organizational skills, between 1994 and 2000, led her to further commit to the field of psychology. She went on to attain a doctoral degree in clinical psychology in 2007 from Pacifica Graduate Institute.
In addition, Dr. Gottheil has developed clinical expertise in the field of drugs and alcohol. She has been working with addicted teens and adults since 2001 in the context of the juvenile justice. In this environment she has developed an expertise in identifying fetal alcohol spectrum disorders as well as training others on the topic since 2004. She has also been teaching various courses at the Alcohol and Drugs Certification program at Santa Barbara City College, for the last six years.

Dr Gottheil has published in the field of spirituality; therapeutic narratives to spiritual images. She plans to dedicate her time to teaching and training in her areas of research and expertise.   

Louise Jansen, MSW, a 1983 graduate of the University of Wisconsin is a licensed clinical social worker who has more than 25 years experience in clinical work and public mental health services. She has been a clinician, coordinator, and manager of county services and has specialties in treatment programs designed to serve clients with the most serious mental illnesses. Now as an adjunct professor, Louise teaches with a philosophy of engaging the students in understanding the experience and issues related to mental illness and providing them valuable skills and tools to work in the community mental health field.

Stuart S. Light, MA, MEd, received his Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from UCSB and his Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University.  He has completed post-graduate MFT internships at PathPoint, Inc. counseling dually-diagnosed clients with serious mental illnesses, Santa Barbara City College working with a diverse population of students through individual, couples, and family counseling, and UCSB as an individual and group therapist in the Alcohol and Drug Program.  Mr. Light is currently employed in the position of Lead Clinician on the Santa Barbara County ACT (Assertive Community Treatment) Team working with severely mentally ill clients and their families.

Stuart is member of the adjunct faculty at Santa Barbara City College in the Alcohol and Drug Certification Program, and Antioch University, teaching courses in the Master’s Program in Clinical Psychology, and the Bachelor’s Program, psychology concentration. Mr. Light has written numerous articles, columns and essays on political, social and psychological issues over the years that have been published in the Los Angeles Times, Santa Barbara News-Press, Santa Barbara Independent, Montecito Journal, Coastal Woman Magazine, and the CAMFT Newsletter, among many other publications.  

Taryn Lawrence, MS, has been adjunct faculty at Antioch since 2006. She earned her Masters in Clinical Psychology from California State University, Sacramento. Taryn is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and holds certification as a Domestic Violence Counselor and Rape Crisis Counselor.  She is currently pursuing her PhD in psychoanalysis in L.A. Taryn has a private practice in Santa Barbara and her orientation draws from attachment, experiential and psychodynamic theories.  She received her MFT licensure in 2004.  Her clinical focus is developmental trauma and she works with individuals and couples.  Taryn was awarded an Osherson Fellowship from Fielding Graduate University in order to pursue a deeper understanding of trauma theory and research. She is a Member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.

William Peters, MFT, William has a B.A. from UC Berkeley, an M.A. from Harvard Graduate School of Education focusing on Human Relations and Systems Theory, and an  M.A. in Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. He also did extensive course work in Mysticism and Psycho-Spiritual Development at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. William works with individuals, couples, families and groups in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

William’s practice has a strong focus on couples and families. He also specializes in anxiety, grief/loss/bereavement, trauma, chronic pain/illness/disability, shame, psycho-spiritual development, Eastern and Western spirituality, mystical experiences, paranormal experiences (near death or out of body experiences), death and dying, discernment about important life decisions, life transitions, cultural reintegration from living in foreign environments, adolescence, young adulthood, men’s issues, work issues/relationships, addiction and recovery.

Suzanne E. Rapley, PhD, has been adjunct faculty with Antioch University 1983.  She is a Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, ASSECT Certified  Sex Therapist Diplomate, as sell as an ASSECT  Certified Supervisor.  Dr. Rapley has been in private practice in Santa Barbara for over 25 years.  Her areas of interest include relationships, intimacy, sexuality issues, sex therapy, gender identity, addictions including internet and cybersex  issues; other areas of treatment include anxiety, depression.  She sees individuals, couples, families and occasionally offers speciality, time-limited groups. Dr. Rapley has been a professor and trainer for over 30 years.  She currently holds adjunct positions with Pacifica Graduate Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara and in the past was affiliated with University of La Verne.

Robert Tauber, MA, LMFT, has been an Adjunct Professor at Antioch Santa Barbara for 17 years.  He also has served as an Associate Faculty at Antioch, with a focus on curriculum development in the areas of community mental health and serious mental illness.  Bob previously was the Clinical Director of the Mental Health Association in Santa Barbara County for 5 years;  the Director of the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute's Public-Academic Liaison Project for16 years;  the Coordinator of Mental Health Services at Work Training Programs, Inc for 10 years; and Staff and Family Therapist at Belmont Hills Neuropsychiatric Center and Bill Wilson Center for 8 years in the 1970's. He has presented at numerous conferences including the Adult System of Care Conference in San Diego and the Diversity and Cultural Awareness Forum in Santa Barbara. His publications include "Enlisting Indigenous Community Supporters in Skills Training Programs for Persons with Severe Mental Illness" in the journal Psychiatric Services. He is a member of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Consultants as well as the Mental Health Arts Festival Coordination Team.

Andrew Teton, MA, MFT: Andrew earned his Masters in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, Santa Barbara and completed a 2-year program in Hakomi Integrative Body Therapy Training. At CALM Family Therapy Agency, Andrew leads groups for adults dealing with childhood sexual abuse. Andrew has taught Theories of Psychotherapy, Family Systems, Professional Ethics and the Law, Clinical Skills I, II and IV, and Group Psychotherapy at Antioch University. Andrew also leads workshops and CEU classes for Gerry Grossman Seminars and has trained more then 300 Central Coast MFT interns who passed their California licensing exams.  Andrew has participated in neuropsychiatrist Dr. Daniel Siegel’s Interpersonal Neurobiology "MindSight" study group for the last three years.  Andrew has been a Board Member of the local chapter of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and has published a series of featured editorials and book reviews related to mental health issues. In 2003, he was given a Special Recognition for Leadership Award from CAMFT. 

Lynn Wierdsma, MA, earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Chapman University College in 2006. She will receive a PsyD in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Family Forensics from Antioch University Santa Barbara in June of 2011. Her research interests are eclectic and include the effects of electronically mediated communication and digital culture on interpersonal relationships, as well as the etiology and treatment of Psychopathy and other populations at high risk for violence.

Lynn has conducted forensic and clinical psychological evaluations for the Juvenile Court of Santa Barbara, as well as the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Her experience includes providing long term individual therapy, group therapy, and case management for adult male inmates at CDCR in addition to providing brief treatment and crisis intervention with incarcerated youth. Lynn has also conducted non-forensic psychotherapy with individuals, families and couples in a community based clinic. Her theoretical orientation is based on an ecosystemic perspective utilizing cognitive behavioral and integrative approaches to therapy. She has taught in the Masters of Psychology program at AUSB since 2009 and is a member of the American Psychological Association and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.