Ramona Friedman, Ph.D.

Founder/Director

I strive to bring warmth, compassion, and a sense of humor to my practice as a clinical psychologist. I provide evidence based treatments that are tailored to meet the specific and often unique needs of my patients. I work closely with each patient and their family in conducting a comprehensive, thoughtful assessment and in developing a clear and individualized treatment plan. My approach is collaborative and compassionate, yet challenging and change-oriented. The therapy is structured and goal-oriented. I ensure high quality care by drawing on the latest research and by closely monitoring each patient’s response to the interventions.

Beyond my clinical practice, I value being a mother of two children, a wife, a friend, and a community member. My professional work is a passion that continues to inspire projects and collaborations with my local community and beyond. I enjoy tennis, traveling, nature, and cooking.

  • In addition to her practice, Dr. Friedman serves as Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer for the Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, and organization dedicated to expanding access to hiigh quality, evidence-base youth mental health care.

    If you would like to learn more and or get involved please visit or email contact@ccamh.org.

  • Dr. Friedman completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology from University of California San Diego (UCSD). She went on to complete her masters and doctorate degrees (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science/Chicago Medical School. Dr. Friedman completed her pre-doctoral internship at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, and her post-doctoral fellowship training at UCSD, San Diego, CA. Her clinical training and experience has been focused primarily on comprehensive assessment and effective treatments for children experiencing anxiety, mood and related disorders. Dr. Friedman has extensive experience in providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for anxiety disorders (e.g. worry, OCD, social anxiety, phobias and PTSD), depression, adjustment disorders/life stress, insomnia and body-focused repetitive behaviors (e.g. Trichotillomania and skin picking). Moreover, she has specialty training in the treatment of childhood anxiety and related disorders, such as ADHD, selective mutism, separation anxiety, PTSD, depression and specific phobias. Dr. Friedman regularly attends local and national conferences, training seminars and workshops in order to stay informed on the most up to date treatments and apply state of the art science into her clinical practice.

  • Everyone has a story. We all struggle and experience hardship and loss, but many do so alone. Sometimes we choose to be private about our struggles and other times we reach out to others- it is a choice we make. It is always validating to realize that we are not alone in our challenges.

    Kerri’s journey has been both incredibly beautiful and paralyzingly painful. Her lived and professional experiences continue to inspire and motivate her passion for emotional well-being.

    Kerri is elated to be working with youth and family side by side, coaching, encouraging, and supporting them as they build their emotional muscles from the inside out.

    She is the Co-Founder of Connect Be Well, an innovative grass roots organization that creates high impact solutions to identify systematic challenges in student/family well-being. Her expertise is building programs to help strengthen social and emotional well-being for all to learn and thrive. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Human Development from Cal Poly, a Certified Professional Coach, Mental Health Educator, Certified Mediator, and an entrepreneur doing meaningful work.

    But most importantly, she treasures being a work in progress, perfectly imperfect mom, human, and friend. She is a recovering people pleaser and perfectionist.

    Kerri is a lover of food, family and conversation, seeker of knowledge, and researcher of life. She strives for balance, craves adventure, runs on love, and has a passion for helping others make the world a better place. She is passionate about providing trust, hope, and inspiration.

Kerri Mahoney

COORDINATOR & MENTAL HEALTH COACH

Amy Howes PhD, AMFT

  • Dr. Amy Howes is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT137225), training under the supervision of Dr. Ramona Friedman. She holds both a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and a master’s degree in Psychology from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

    While working with college students as a lecturer at Cal Poly, she was affected by the students’ needs for mental health support, specifically for various types of anxiety. To become educated in a new field, she pursued and earned her M.S. in Psychology from Cal Poly. Her training to identify developmental trajectories of mental health distress in youth, understand and utilize evidence-based practices for treating anxiety disorders, and recognize the effectiveness of programs supporting parents and families forms the foundation for her specialized training with Dr. Friedman. Amy also brings empathy and experience from her year-long traineeship at the Atascadero High School Wellness Center and her years as a parent.

    Amy Howes received her B.S. in Microbiology from UC Santa Barbara, then her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from UC San Diego. As a postdoctoral scientist she worked to develop better treatments for breast and brain cancers. In 2012, she relocated to San Luis Obispo, CA with her husband and two children. She lectured in the Department of Biological Sciences at Cal Poly State University for 8 years.

    “I aim to develop a warm and effective therapeutic alliance while providing ethical and evidence-based treatment. I am passionate about educating kids, teens, and families about how anxiety can show up, what effectively breaks the hurtful patterns anxious thoughts can perpetuate and sharing hope for learning to thrive with the gifts that all anxious individuals embody. I look forward to helping you and your child acquire new skills to facilitate growth in ways that align with your values and strengths.”

ASSOCIATE MFT (AMFT 137225)