Who We Are

Image_20231204_210951_678_edited

Our Vision

Founded in 2012, The Haven at College works to help college students with mental health and substance use challenges thrive in school and life. Today’s students face unprecedented challenges and unique pressures, yet few college-focused treatment options exist for them.

We believe students should be able to work through, heal from and overcome these issues while also enjoying a vibrant collegiate experience. Students who complete The Haven programs have a 94% graduation rate, much higher than the 63% national average. 

We work in an independent, customized way with our university partners. This makes it possible for us to provide programming that compliments existing services to provide for students who need specialized or heightened levels of care. Students appreciate our ability to confidentially meet their unique needs. 

We’ve been accredited by The Joint Commission, an independent, non-profit organization that accredits over 20,000 healthcare facilities in the United States. Joint Commission accreditation is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality. We’re also a member of the Hazelden Betty Ford Patient Care Network, an invitation-only collaboration between pioneering addiction treatment and recovery services organizations nationwide.

Meet the Team

CoFounders2

Sharon Weber and Holly Sherman

 Founders

The Haven at College Co-Founders Holly Sherman and Sharon Weber got sober together in 2005 at a West LA sober living facility. They forged a lifelong friendship and a shared dedication to helping others find recovery. As a result of their experience working with younger residents in the sober living community, they discovered an unmet need for supporting college students. In 2012, they founded The Haven at College, in collaboration with University of Southern California.

Sharon’s previous consumer products and brand strategy career with Fortune 500 companies like Nestle, Unilever, Kellogg’s and Warner Lambert provided the ideal background to formulate The Haven’s brand position and strategic direction. Holly was able to leverage her training as an attorney and her work with non-profits dedicated to assisting at-risk youth to support The Haven mission. They both are at home on university campuses after receiving multiple degrees in higher ed — Sharon with a B.A. in Liberal Studies from University of the Pacific and an MBA from California State University, Sacramento, and Holly with a B.A. from Vassar College and law degrees from The London School of Economics and The University of Texas.

When not at The Haven working with students, parents or the university administrators, Holly enjoys surfing, ocean swimming and “wet-sand cycling” at the shoreline. Sharon is an avid golfer and hiker and is passionate about spending quality time with family and friends. Both Holly and Sharon enjoy traveling and have attended recovery meetings in cities around the world including New York, London, Sydney, Prague and Amsterdam.

 

Ashley 2024

Ashley Giesler

Chairman of the Board

As the Chairman of the Board of The Haven at College Ashley Giesler is passionate about creating innovative programs to meet the behavioral health needs of college students. Ashley first learned of The Haven at College while pursuing recovery programs for a college-age loved one. Upon learning of The Haven’s mission and purpose, Ashley became determined to become involved as a key member of the team. As Chairman of the Board, Ashley brings over 25 years of experience advising, operating and investing in high growth companies. Ashley is currently also an Operating Partner at Anacapa Partners, a private equity firm focused on investing in lower middle-market companies and sits on the boards of directors of six companies in the business services sector. Immediately prior to joining Anacapa, Ashley was an executive at Sunrun (NASDAQ: RUN), where she led the project finance and legal teams. Prior to Sunrun, Ashley was a member of the senior management team at Asurion Corporation, a global leader in technology solutions services. As a corporate transactional attorney, Ashley worked with companies of all sizes, from start ups to Fortune 100 companies, advising on mergers and acquisitions and capital finance transactions. Ashley earned a B.A. in history from U.C. Santa Barbara and a J.D. from UCLA. Today Ashley lives in Reno, Nevada, with her husband and two dogs. She enjoys playing pickleball and golf, hiking and watching San Francisco-based sports teams. Her two young adult sons also keep her busy with frequent trips to visit them in Seattle and Los Angeles.

DR 2024 cropped

D.R. Rockwell

M.S., MBA

Chief Operating Officer

As Chief Operating Officer of The Haven at College, D.R. Rockwell is passionate about delivering high quality behavioral healthcare that is accessible, scalable and well-coordinated for students, families, and colleges and universities. Prior to joining the Haven at College, D.R. was the Founder and Managing Partner of Trinity Forest Partners, a behavioral healthcare private investment firm. Prior to Trinity Forest Partners, he served as Vice President of Campus Development of Arizona College of Nursing, where he was responsible for opening new campuses in Arizona, Florida, Michigan and Utah. Before that, he worked at LeaseQuery, a lease accounting SaaS, which in 2020 had a three year average growth rate of 500 percent. Prior to that, he worked in William Blair’s San Francisco office in Technology investment banking. D.R. began his career at Boeing and worked his way up to being an engineering project investigator and project manager in Boeing advanced prototyping division Phantom Works. He developed advanced manufacturing technologies for future aircraft, rotorcraft, and spacecraft. He collaborated on early stage research with Oak Ridge National Labs, the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Center and global suppliers. D.R.  earned an MBA from the Harvard Business School, a M.S. in Applied Systems Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a B.A. in Aeronautics & Astronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In his free time, D.R. works with his church and attends arts and cultural events.

George 2024 Cropped

George Stoddard

Executive Director

George Stoddard has been with The Haven at College since 2015 when he helped launch the Haven Recovery Residence in Isla Vista, serving University of California Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara City College students. He has worked on a number of Haven campuses helping university administrators design and attain their goals around treatment and support access for students with mental health challenges. In his role as Executive Director, George connects with struggling students and helps them find clinical and inclusive community support both on campus and online. George earned a B.A. from the University of California Santa Barbara. In his free time, George can be found on the golf course and spending time with family and friends.

Tahleen 2024

Tahleen Varian

M.S.W., LCSW

Senior Director of Clinical Programs 

Tahleen Varian, LCSW, earned her B.A. in Communications from Manhattan College in New York, where she received an NCAA Division I volleyball scholarship. She earned her M.S.W. at the University of Southern California, where she was a member of the Phi Alpha Honor Society and a Dean’s Scholar. Tahleen spent the first decade of her career as a marketing and communications expert, working in publishing, consulting, and corporate events. After completing her post-graduate studies, Tahleen spent seven years as a clinician, trainer and field instructor at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, Calif. While at Harbor-UCLA, she served as the DBT Clinical Lead for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, where she collaboratively developed an unprecedented 10-month training program to build DBT teams across Los Angeles County. Tahleen was also elected as Chairperson of the Policies & Procedures committee. Most recently, Tahleen served as the Director of Employee Experience at Camden Center in Los Angeles, where she was responsible for developing and implementing employee-focused organizational systems. Tahleen currently maintains a private practice, where she provides third-wave cognitive-behavioral therapies to adults. Tahleen is certified as a CBT therapist and supervisor through the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies, and certified in Prolonged Exposure through the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Stacy Headshot 2023_edited

Stacy Cohen

MD

Medical Director

Stacy Cohen, MD, Medical Director for The Haven at College, is a double-board certified general and addiction psychiatrist, licensed in both New York and California and based in Los Angeles. She completed her residency training at the University of Chicago and Rush University and her fellowship at UCLA Medical Center.

Dr. Cohen has served as Medical Director of several large addiction treatment programs in the Los Angeles area, which included all levels of care: detox, residential treatment, and intensive outpatient treatment. In addition to her work in addiction and general psychiatry, Dr. Cohen specializes in working with peripartum/women’s issues and LGBTQ patients.

Dr. Cohen has and continues to be involved in community education regarding mental health treatment and has published medical literature on a variety of mental health topics including Addiction in the Older Patient and Managing Unipolar Depression During Pregnancy. Dr. Cohen serves as a Clinical Advisory Board Member of Backline, a mental health organization for musicians and was accoladed as a keynote speaker at the National Alliance on Mental Health.

Seth 2024

Seth Meyers

 PsyD

Clinical Director

Dr. Seth Meyers is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 20 years of clinical and mental health administration experience. He earned his undergraduate degree in psychology from Vassar College and his doctorate of psychology from Yeshiva University in New York. He has worked in almost every type of clinical setting, including inpatient, partial hospital, outpatient, and college mental health. He has been trained in multiple clinical practices, has experience in threat assessment, and is an engaging trainer on a range of mental health topics.

Allison 2024

Allison Barmore

B.A., M.Ed., APCC

Clinician and Group Facilitator

As a Staff Therapist at The Haven at College, Allison's commitment to holistic therapy is fueled by a profound passion for supporting students on their journey to success. What drew her to The Haven was the opportunity to channel her enthusiasm for fostering student achievement within the dynamic realm of educational environments, along with personal experiences with friends and family experiencing substance abuse.

With a therapeutic background spanning over three years, Allison has devoted herself to enhancing the well-being of youth through personalized one-on-one therapy, collaborative team building, and the creation of tailored treatment plans. Her academic foundation includes a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Gender Studies from Seattle University, along with a Masters in School counseling and an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor degree from the University of San Francisco.

Allison is eager to contribute to a role that allows her to continue making a meaningful and positive impact on the lives of students. She is enthusiastic about the prospect of furthering their growth and well-being.

Miranda-square-small-300x300

Miranda Ordoñez

B.B.A., B.A., M.A. Candidate

Clinician and Practicum Intern

As a Clinician and Practicum Intern at The Haven at College, Miranda is passionate about college mental health and helping as many young people as possible achieve safety, happiness and success! Through personal experience with loved ones struggling to navigate their substance use, she identified the desire to support others who are up against similar obstacles. She aims to meet clients where they are and remain in their corner as they grow and learn to escape destructive cycles. Through a decade-long marketing career catering to many different industries, including health and wellness, Miranda mastered connecting and communicating authentically with people from all walks of life. Miranda has earned multiple certificates, including Counseling on Access to Lethal Means. She is also a registered yoga instructor, and ACA member. She is currently completing her master's degree in Mental Health Counseling at Loyola Marymount University, where she also graduated with a B.B.A. in Entrepreneurship and a B.A. in Dance. She describes herself as a lifelong learner and deeply creative person, seeking to learn something new each day!

 

 

Cortney 2024

Cortney McClure

Student Care Manager

As the Student Care Manager for The Haven at College, Cortney McClure is an enthusiastic champion for college students overcoming mental health and substance use struggles. Cortney’s background in the Narcotics and Crime Lab of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department gave her hands-on experience with the severity of drug dependence in our communities. Additionally, her personal experience with close friends and family members battling addiction drives her passion for recovery. Cortney brings a unique blend of empathy, relatability, and confidence into her work with The Haven at College, believing every student’s experience is important and relevant. Cortney earned a B.A. from Southern New Hampshire University and is continuing her education by working toward her M.F.A.