Our Local Roots
Community Involvement
Great Basin Behavioral Health, founded in 2013, is determined to provide premium therapeutic services that positively impact the members of our community.
Our founders have been determined from day one to create an agency that impacts all of the residents of the Reno/Tahoe area, both directly and indirectly, one client at a time.
By Locals, For Locals
Our community is important to us, and making a big difference is goal one. Founders Rudy von Ravensberg and Chris Edwards were both born, raised and educated in Reno, Nevada. In fact, most of our staff are from the area and a majority graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno. Northern Nevada is our home and we are committed to improving the life of all members of our community.
Giving Back
We believe giving back is at the core of our mission and drives us to work hard every day to simply do good and pay it forward. Some of our more recent commitments to our community include:
- Establishing the Great Basin Behavioral Health - Jason Walenta Memorial Scholarship through the University of Nevada, Reno. This scholarship has provided financial support to graduate students preparing to work in mental health since 2015.
- Developing an agreement with the University of Nevada, Reno and other academic institutions to train student interns during their final year of study, while providing access to care for those without insurance coverage and who would otherwise be without services.
- Providing both educational and financial support to our schools, local non-profit organizations, and local athletes.
- Great Basin has historically donated to Swope Middle School as a Gold Sponsor, sponsors families in need during the holidays through the Children's Cabinet and the Childrens Cancer Foundation, and has paid our staff to volunteer at Casa De Vida's House of Hope.
- Great Basin regularly donates to the Crisis Call Center as a means to provide 24/7 crisis support for our local community.
- Great Basin's Anjie Silveira provides her time annually and at a significantly reduced cost teaching sexual health, interpersonal boundaries, and bullying prevention at Mountainview Montessori in Reno, Nevada.
Measurement and Evidence Based Care
Great Basin Behavioral takes quality care to the next level through our current partnership and involvement with the Leadership and Organizational Change for Implementation study being funded by the National Institute of Mental Health!
As part of this study, our agency leadership is being trained over an 18 month period by a collaborative team headed by Boise State University and also involving the University of California San Diego and the University of Central Florida.
Being one of only 21 agencies nationwide chosen for this study, Great Basin will be implementing and utilizing Measurement Based Care (MBC) as a means to support our use of Evidence Based Practice, such as CBT, Prolonged Exposure, and DBT. The utilization of MBC, such as the Outcomes Questionnaire Analyst (OQ-A) has been demonstrated to improve quality outcomes and reduce negative outcomes by 40%-75%!
Of course, involvement in this study is completely voluntary for our clients. Please ask us more if you are interested in learning about MBC, the OQ-A, or our involvement!
About Our Founders
Rudy von Ravensberg, PsyD, LMFT
The founder and co-owner of Great Basin Behavioral Health, Dr. Rudy von Ravensberg is a Native Nevadan and a two time graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno.
Rudy completed his PsyD at California Southern University, with a focus on the modification of lifestyle as an adjunct to CBT and uses his knowledge as a basis for interventions for agency programs, as well as his clientele.
Further, Rudy has Trained with Aaron and Judith Beck, Robert Hindeman, Amy Wenzel, and Alan Miller while completing Core 1 and 2 CBT Intensive Training, as well as training in CBT, CPT, and PE for trauma with the renowned Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Philadelphia.
Rudy is a Nevada Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, was previously a Board Certified Counselor through the NBCC (self resigned), and a health and wellness enthusiast. Additionally, Rudy has completed training as a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and completed the NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist certification program.
Rudy lives in Reno with his spouse and two kids, enjoys trail running, CrossFit, beekeeping, camping, travel, and a good book.
Chris Edwards, PsyD, LCSW
The co-founder and co-owner of Great Basin Behavioral Health, Chris Edwards grew up in the Reno/Tahoe area and graduated from UNR. He completed his graduate degree in Hawaii and is published in various journals regarding Native Hawaiian youth and substance use.
In early 2015, Chris began doctoral studies at California Southern University in order to further his understanding and integration of lifestyle and behavioral health issues, with specific focus on the use of CBT to address anxiety disorders and trauma. Chris completed his doctorate in early 2021 with his dissertation, titled QSLR Examining Evidence on Formal Recognition of CPTSD and Treatment Approaches.
Chris is a Nevada Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has been comprehensively trained in Prolonged Exposure Therapy by Dr. Foa at the University of Pennsylvania as well as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy by Dr. Alan Fruzzetti with the University of Nevada Reno and Harvard Medical School. Further, Chris has completed Core 2 Intensive Training in Anxiety disorders with Amy Wenzel, PhD, as well as training in CBT and Cognitive Processing Therapy with Alan Miller, PhD, from The Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Chris and his wife enjoy domestic and international travel, as well as everything outdoors for fun, especially camping in the woods while listening to a good audiobook or playing his banjo well into the evening.
Lilly (aka, "The Pig")
Lilli is our local Frenchie. She's got energy, a lot of attitude, and is conviced she's in charge...
Our Clinical Team
Anjie Silveira, PsyD, LMFT, LCADC, NCC, Clinical Manager
Anjie Silveira is our Clinical Manager and is licensed as both an LMFT and a LCADC in the State of Nevada with years of experience working with both adolescents and adults in a variety of capacities and in numerous levels of care, including acute, residential and outpatient practices. Further, Anjie is an AAMFT approved supervisor and is the primary supervisor for our clinical interns at Great Basin.
Anjie completed her Masters in Counseling and Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy at the University of Nevada, Reno. After graduate school, Anjie completed an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Addiction Treatment and Prevention Services at UNR. More recently in 2021, Anjie completed her doctorate, with a focus on trauma relative to the law enforcement population.
Anjie has completed several trainings focusing on CBT, including a multi-day intensive through The Beck Institute with a focus on anxiety. Furthermore, Anjie has training in risk assessment and working with trauma, as well as in Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD and DBT through several years of supervision with Alan Fruzetti, PhD, as well as training in Cognitive Processing Therapy with the Beck Institute.
In addition to the above, Anjie is also a Certified Positive Discipline Parenting Educator and has led parenting groups based on this philosophy.
Anjie enjoys spending her time outside, is an accomplished plant lover, ultra trail-runner, skier, globe trotter and backpacker.
Diane Schroder, MA, LCPC, LSC, RPT, Clinical Supervisor
Diane is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who received her Master’s in Counseling with a double emphasis in Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling. Diane works with children, teens, and adults. In addition, she is a Licensed School Counselor and a Registered Play Therapist (RPT). She finds it rewarding to work with both children and adults who are experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, and grief & loss and has attended comprehensive training in CBT, DBT, Prolonged Exposure, and Cognitive Processing Therapy. She utilizes Child-Centered, Gestalt, Sand Tray, and other interventions with children.
As a long-term resident of the Reno/Tahoe area, Diane loves the outdoors and spending time with her extended family. Diane loves to travel with her husband, enjoys walks with her dog Toby, and explores her creativity.
Janet Laxalt, MSW, LCSW
Janet completed her MSW at the University of Kansas, with a concentration in advanced clinical practice after her completion of a bachelors in Social work with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Subsequently, Janet worked in numerous environments related to mental health, including acute hospital work as a case manager, in a group home working with dual diagnosis individuals and their families, as well as a therapist in residential and outpatient environments. Further, Janet worked as the executive director for a local group home for adolescent boys.
Janet has lived in the Reno/Tahoe basin for 25+ years and could never consider leaving the Sierra Nevada mountains. Further, Janet loves her work and holds dear her family history of aiding others with life challenges, including growing up as the daughter of a prominent French psychologist, while raising a daughter who now practices therapy in Portland, Oregon.
As a Great Basin practitioner, Janet lends significant attention to lifestyle choice, spirituality, social and relational issues, while utilizing empirically proven methodology, such as CBT, CPT,and PE (intensively trained), in her work. In her free time, Janet enjoys her family, her dog Biscuit, spending time outdoors, traveling, enjoying theater, music, volunteering, and opportunities to broaden her personal growth through new experiences.
Rachel Martinez, MSW, LCSW
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Rachel attended the University of Nevada, Reno where she received her bachelors and masters degree in Social Work. During her own teen years, Rachel recognized the importance of mental health and made it her goal to give back to others. Following graduation from UNR, Rachel continued her career focusing on direct work with children, adolescents, and their families in residential placement.
Rachel primarily utilizes Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and both CPT and PE for trauma and is always open to new learning opportunities to best support her clientele. Prior to her graduate training, Rachel advocated and worked with teens at risk of dropping out in Washoe County School District which allowed her to have a closer look and understanding of the difficulties several teens and families endure.
Self care, physical, mental, and emotional health are huge priorities for Rachel and she continues to practice these daily. In her free time, Rachel enjoys weightlifting, yoga, crafting, baking, walking and playing with her dog, spending time outdoors, traveling, and of course Netflix.
Lisa Millar, EdS, LMFT
Lisa enjoys working with families, couples and individuals and uses an eclectic blend of theories to help people with anxiety, depression, grief/loss, relationship and communication problems, and family difficulties. Further, Lisa has been intensively trained in both CBT and DBT and has significant experience working with at risk adolescents in outpatient settings, as well as juvenile detention system and residential treatment. Further, Lisa has been trained in CPT and PE for trauma by the Beck Institutes's Alan Miller, PhD. In 2022, Lisa completed a certification course involving grief in children, teens, and adults.
Spending much of her life living in the Reno/Tahoe area, Lisa received both her Masters and Educational Specialist Degrees from the University of Nevada, Reno. Her Professional paper and research addressed the issues of at risk adolescent females with a program to help with restorative justice for a community.
In addition to her work with Great Basin, Lisa enjoys golf, boating and water sports with her husband. Her loves of her life include her three grandchildren and two dogs!
Keegan Pollak, LCPC
*** Keegan offers telehealth as her primary point of access/care ***
Keegan is originally from Oklahoma and moved to the Biggest Little City from Arkansas in 2020. Moving to Reno was an unplanned blessing and occurred by happenstance due to her partner relocated here for work.
Keegan received her B.S. in Psychology at Oklahoma State University and her M.S. from University of Arkansas. She has experience working with diverse groups such as Native American population, college students and athletes, those struggling with co-occurring disorders, lower SES programs, and children.
For clinical practice, Keegan operates from an integrative, holistic approach and most often uses CBT and ACT interventions. Further, Keegan also enjoy helping clients through EMDR interventions and have seen great success in alleviating symptoms and promoting change and acceptance. Keegans clinical interests are primarily anxiety and trauma and she believes knowledge and awareness are the key to learning to manage life's stressors.
In her spare time, Keegan enjoys numerous hobbies and interests, including kayaking, running/working out, walking/playing with her dog, and traveling. Keegan lives by her motto of "appreciating the moment" which can be spontaneous at times and lead to some fun adventures... one time landing her on an unplanned flight to London on her birthday to watch one of her favorite music artists)! Nutrition is a huge interest as well and Keegan believes it can have a significant impact on ones mood. With that being said, Keegan enjoys watching documentaries and videos involving nutrition, food, and exercise.
Heather Kaminsky, MSW, LCSW
Heather was born and raised near Chicago, Illinois, and moved to Reno with her husband in 2017 (sight unseen!) and has since fallen in love with the area. Upon arriving in Reno, Heather began work at the Crisis Call Center where she provided crisis intervention services for the Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Heather then began working for the Crisis Call Center's Sexual Assault Support Services Program, providing advocacy for survivors of interpersonal violence, including domestic violence and sexual assault. Through working with individuals at the Crisis Call Center, Heather gained a passion for trauma informed care and learning how an individual's experiences shape their story. She then pursued an opportunity to coordinate a grant through the Office on Violence Against Women on UNR's campus which aimed to reduce domestic violence and sexual assault on the campus through outreach and education. During that time, Heather completed her MSW at UNR and pursued her ultimate goal of Clinical Social Work.
Heather believes strongly that the therapeutic relationship is one that is based in providing clients with an intentional space to turn curiosity and self-reflection into growth, understanding, and behavior change. Heather believes in a trauma informed approach that seeks to create connections between our past experiences, core beliefs, and their impact on our everyday lives. Heather is interested in becoming more familiar with trauma informed therapeutic approaches such as Cognitive Processing Therapy and Narrative Therapy. She is working towards a client-centered, integrative approach that can evolve based on a strong foundation within the therapeutic relationship.
Outside of work you'd likely find Heather spending time with her two dogs and husband, learning about and caring for her house plants, and going to see live music as much as possible. She is known to travel far and wide to catch concerts all over the country, and believes that it's impossible to be upset while dancing!
Brooke Wilson, MSW, LCSW
Brooke grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, the land of horse racing, bluegrass and bourbon. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology then moved to North Carolina and completed her Master’s of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In an unexpected twist of life events, she found herself in California, fell in love with the West, and now calls Reno home and loves the high desert/Sierras life.
Brooke has been working with a diverse range of clients in a coaching and educational capacity for the past decade. The main throughline in her various work experiences has been her love of working with people to improve their mental health, specifically anxiety, and believes in the importance of understanding how our mental health ties holistically into all facets of our lives.
As a client- centered social worker, Brooke believes everyone already has within them the power to heal, take control of their lives, and overcome challenges and that the therapeutic relationship is powerful in providing support and healing. Brooke is interested in becoming more familiar and adept using CBT, DBT, and EFT to support clients. Additionally, Brooke is a Holistic Nutrition Consultant and Certified Natural Chef through Bauman College in Berkeley, CA.
Brooke loves to cook and spend time at local farmer’s markets. She and her husband also love to hike, cycle, camp and spend time in nature. She is currently learning to ski, which turns out is quite a thing to learn as an adult, but is having a blast doing so.
Molly Cole, MA, LMFT Intern
Molly grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee and graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Global Politics and Economics in 2005. After graduating, Molly moved to North Lake Tahoe to enjoy the beauty of the lake and the Sierra Nevada. Molly moved to Reno in 2016 and completed her degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from UNR in 2021.
One of Molly’s greatest passions is the practice of yoga and mindfulness. She has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and teaching yoga, meditation and mindfulness practices for 10 years. Being from the volunteer state, Molly also values giving back to her community. For four years, Molly has volunteered and worked for Urban Lotus Project, bringing yoga to at-risk youth in Reno. Molly has experienced that using connectivity of the body, mind and spirit, e.g. mindfulness, can help us heal and grow on a whole other level.
Molly enjoys working with youth and adults of all ages and uses a client-centered and mindful approach in her work. She believes in holding space for people to be themselves, celebrating their strengths and working through individual challenges. Molly is interested in better learning and familiarizing herself with CBT and DBT and existential therapeutic approaches.
In her free time, Molly hikes, bikes, paddles, and plays in the outdoors with her husband and their dog, RayRay. She loves to read, rock out to music, prepare and eat delicious meals and spend time playing cribbage with friends.
Brooke Whitley, MA, LMFT Intern
Brooke grew up in San Diego, CA where she found a love for sunshine, academics, and sports. Alongside her affinity for Southern California, she maintained a deep appreciation for Reno, NV during summer, spring, and winter vacations with her dad. Brooke graduated from high school in Denver, CO and later received bachelor degrees from the University of Nevada, Reno in both International Affairs and Spanish in 2010. More recently, Brooke completed her degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from UNR.
Brooke began working with clients as a nutrition and personal training coach in 2010. She found great success with client physical transformations, but loved seeing their mental transformations just the same. Her philosophy has grown throughout the years to meet the client where they are at, maintaining a flexible and client-centered approach. Her shift to the counseling academia and profession has brought deeper meaning to her belief that the client has the ability to reach full potential.
As a client-centered counselor, Brooke employs mutual trust, acceptance, and spontaneity to build the counselor/client relationship. She believes in using an integrative approach with her clients, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, and Adlerian, or systems theory concepts. As an integrative and systems counselor, she is able to provide counseling service to individuals, couples, and families.
Outside of work, Brooke’s favorite things include her family, her dog, the gym, and the outdoors. Mental growth, physical health, and spirituality remain close to her heart.
Mark Friedlander, MA, LCPC Intern, NCC
My approach to therapy starts from a person-centered, humanistic perspective. I believe that everyone has the potential to overcome the obstacles preventing them from becoming their best self and I feel honored have the opportunity to assist in that process. My work primarily utilizes an evidence-based, Cognitive-Behavioral approach to assist my clients in changing maladaptive thinking patterns and finding new ways of being. I emphasize the importance of mindfulness and emotional awareness to assist my clients in learning how to live more fulfilling and meaningful lives. My treatment is tailored to the individual and is strength-based so that my clients can find their own unique solutions for dealing with the many problems life presents to us now and in the future.
I began my career in the helping profession by providing support to individuals with severe cognitive disabilities with the Easterseals organization in southern Nevada. After moving to Reno to obtain my undergraduate degree, I worked providing behavioral tutoring for children with autism and then engaged in psychosocial rehabilitation with at-risk youth in Reno’s foster care community. After obtaining my undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Nevada Reno, I provided counseling to adolescents in a residential treatment center for over 5 years. I received my master’s degree at the University of Nevada Reno in clinical professional counseling in May of 2021. While practicing I have enjoyed working with clients from a wide range of diverse cultural backgrounds and have found success treating trauma, depression, and anxiety.
In my downtime, I enjoy being active and getting outside. My greatest passion is playing Lacrosse, but I also enjoy reading, snowboarding, traveling, and attending shows with live music
Somakhanden "Soma" Park, MS, LMFT Intern, LCPC Intern
Somakhanden Park was born and raised in Stockton, CA. She graduated from A.A. Stagg High School in May 2010 with a passion for working with animals. While pursuing a biology degree at California State University, Stanislaus, she wanted real-world experience to expand her working knowledge of the field. As local opportunities were scarce, she decided to study abroad in Accra, Ghana and dedicated her time to her internship at the Accra Zoo working with endangered primates. It was during her internship with the West African Primate Conservation Action that she developed a love for behaviorism, rehabilitation, and intimate interactions.
Thrilled to put her fresh and once-in-a-lifetime experience to use back at home, she changed her major to psychology to further her studies in behaviorism. To her surprise, her last semester as an undergrad would introduce her to the world of counseling. She found that mental health, wellness, and helping families improve their relationships was much more of her calling to make an impact on her community.
Following graduation in December 2015, she volunteered at youth shelters and adult day centers, and worked with children with autism—all of which validated her newfound love for mental health and working with children and families. She later received her Counseling Psychology, M.S. degree at California State University, Bakersfield in May 2019. Since then, Soma has worked with children, teens, adults, and families with struggles ranging from substance use, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, ADHD, opposition-defiance, and sexual abuse.
Soma uses an integrative blend of person-centered, solution-focused, and mindfulness theories, where she believes that people are the experts of their own lives; have the skills and resources to improve their relationships with others and themselves; and can increase their abilities to regulate their emotions and decrease their stress.
Soma believes that engaging in self-care is most productive for self-preservation and wellness. Outside of her clinical work, she is most likely tending to her indoor garden, snuggling her three dogs and one cat, trying new restaurants with her husband and family, creating an itinerary for her next trip, and watching reruns of The Office, Brooklynn Nine-Nine, or New Girl.
Kamea Sandstrom, MA
Samantha Rivera, MA, LMFT Intern
Samantha Rivera, MA, LMFT Intern
Kamea was born and raised in Northern Nevada before she ventured to the Pacific Northwest to complete her B. A. in Psychology from Gonzaga University. Kamea then returned to the University of Nevada, Reno and completed her M.A. in Counseling for Marriage and Family Therapy.
Kamea values the client centered approach of counseling with the acknowledgment that clients are the experts of their lives and may need varying approaches. The approaches she has explored range from Narrative and Existential to her current expansion into CBT and DBT.
Most vitally, Kamea believes the therapeutic relationship involves an open space for reflection, curiosity, and growth between the client and therapist to slowly build together as they discover the client’s true strengths. Kamea enjoys working with all populations, though shows specific interest in working with the LGBTQIA+ community.
During her leisure time, Kamea enjoys spending time with her partner, family, friends, and her cats, as well as delving into anything “nerdy”—from playing video games, watching anime, and listening to music to perfecting make-up looks, engaging in amateur photography, and everything in between. Notably, her favorite color is red too (if you can’t already tell)!
Samantha Rivera, MA, LMFT Intern
Samantha Rivera, MA, LMFT Intern
Samantha Rivera, MA, LMFT Intern
Samantha graduated with her Masters Degree from Palo Alto University in late 2022 after completing her final year of clinical training at Great Basin.
Samantha was born and raised in San Francisco, CA and moved to Reno in 2016 to attend the University of Nevada, Reno. Samantha graduated from UNR in 2018 with her undergraduate degree in psychology.
Samantha works from a client centered approach and is interested in becoming more familiar with CBT and DBT. She will be graduating from Palo Alto University in 2022 with her MA in Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling.
Samantha played volleyball for 18 years and spent a lot of time traveling throughout the country coaching and playing. In her free time, Samantha enjoys working out, baking, binge watching television shows and spending time with her two dogs, Kingston and Kyzer.
Lindsay Nance, MSW, LCSW
Samantha Rivera, MA, LMFT Intern
Lindsay Nance, MSW, LCSW
Lindsay was born and raised in the Reno/Tahoe area, growing up in the outdoors and exploring the Sierra Nevadas. She studied at the University of Nevada, Reno, obtaining an undergraduate degree in psychology and later obtaining a Master of Arts in social work initially inspired by work with children living in foster care. In her free time, Lindsay enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog, snowboarding and touring, hiking and exercising at the gym. She loves reading, playing her guitar and singing, and spending time with family and friends.
Lindsay has over a decade of experience working with children, adolescents and families. Lindsay comes to Great Basin Behavioral Health with a desire to address the needs of the community with intention, drawing on her experience in short term psychiatric care.
Lindsay’s approach to counseling is one that focuses on a client’s application of personal strengths and the importance of self-determination to a fulfilling life. Lindsay hopes to foster acceptance and self-respect coupled with a growth mindset by focusing on mindful awareness, and skill building to break down self-limiting behaviors, thoughts and beliefs. She provides clients with the tools to move through life with insight, confidence and self-sufficiency with treatment that integrates cognitive behavioral, dialectical behavioral and gestalt methods.
Maintaining a mindset of growth herself, Lindsay values that there is always something new to learn and is interested in becoming a better clinician through feedback, self reflection, education and collaboration with peers.
Zoey McKenna, MA, LCPC-Intern
Desiree Cowden, MSW, CSW-Intern
Desiree Cowden, MSW, CSW-Intern
Zoey was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. She worked throughout her undergraduate studies at UNR as a teaching assistant, studying the psychology of trauma, eventually earning her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies. After graduating, she worked within the Washoe County School district with children across classroom and counseling settings. More recently, Zoey has earned her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from UNR.
Zoey enjoys working with teens and adults and uses a client centered, creative approach when working with clients. She enjoys incorporating music, art, and journaling into work with clients. She continues to familiarize herself with CBT, DBT, and narrative therapies, with hopes of integrating nature-based tenets into her work.
Zoey is a BIG movie buff and in her free time, enjoys reading and playing with her puppy, Dodger. She enjoys camping and spending as much time outside and at the lake as possible.
Desiree Cowden, MSW, CSW-Intern
Desiree Cowden, MSW, CSW-Intern
Desiree Cowden, MSW, CSW-Intern
Desiree was born and raised in Southern California. After high school, Desiree worked as a in home personal care giver were she met social workers and learned a bit about their role. Soon thereafter, Desiree took some entry level courses and quickly feel in love with the profession!
While studying and completing her work as an undergrad, Desiree volunteered with a Domestic Violence agency based in Pomona, CA and was involved in preventative education with the local school districts. Upon completion of her BSW at California State University Los Angeles and internship with Kaiser Permanente, Desiree completed her MSW at Azusa Pacific University while interning with Vitas Hospice.
After moving to Reno, Desiree worked in Care Management with Renown Regional on the Neurology unit, which gave her the opportunity to work with individuals who sustained life altering conditions such as traumatic brain injuries or major strokes.
After Renown, Desiree decided to focus more on acute mental health and worked as an intake counselor at Reno Behavioral Healthcare for nearly five years. This position have her the opportunity for crisis intervention and working with people battling addiction, however, Desiree wanted to learn and work more toward prevention at a lower level of care, bringing her to Great Basin.
When I’m not at work you can find Desiree at Disneyland with her husband, building Lego sets, exploring the hills in her UTV or hanging out with her French bull dog.
Graduate Student Interns
Christine "CC" Porras
CC was born and raised in Reno and got her undergraduate degree at UCSB in Santa Barbara, CA where she majored in psychology. Upon graduation, after a stint teaching English in Mexico, CC decided to get a teaching credential and went on to teach general and special education in both Santa Barbara and Reno. After some time teaching, CC decided that her true calling and passion was for psychology, so she enrolled in a master’s program in clinical mental health counseling at Adams State University in Colorado, to be completed in Spring 2024.
CC believes in a client centered approach for counseling and has enjoyed exploring approaches such as Jungian, Humanistic, and Existential therapies, but is interested in learning more about the solution focused therapies such as CBT and DBT. She believes in creating a safe and supportive space for clients to explore their own thoughts, feelings and beliefs and feels that counseling is a collaboration between client and counselor with the client being the true expert of their inner and outer worlds.
CC enjoys hiking and backpacking in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains with her husband and their golden retriever Jasper. She loves to travel to visit family in the pacific northwest and to visit the ocean and friends in Santa Barbara.
Our Admin Team
Carrie von Ravensberg, CPA - Finance/Office Manager
Carrie has lived in the Reno area since 1999 after relocating to Northern Nevada to study accounting at the University of Nevada, Reno. Upon graduation, Carrie worked in public accounting and has spent a majority of her career working in health care finance at several major local hospitals as a CPA.
In 2017, Carrie left her career in the corporate accounting world to join the team at Great Basin and take the lead on managing day to day office and finance management of the company.
In her free time, Carrie enjoys spending time outdoors camping, hiking and backpacking, as well as CrossFit and, above most anything else, getting lost in a good book. Despite growing up in Montana, Carrie is very committed to our local community and finds it difficult to imagine leaving the beautiful Sierra Nevada region.
Kristin Nicholson
Kristin hails from the bay area of California and moved to Reno in 1980, graduating from Edward C. Reed High School in Sparks. She attended Truckee Meadows Community College, graduating with a Certificate of Achievement in Dental Assisting, Nursing Assistant and Emergency Medical Technician.
At the suggestion of her high school counselor, Kristin's medical career started when she was 16 years old as a nurses aide in a Los Angeles nursing home. That is where her passion for helping people started. A large part of Kristin's medical career was spent at Reno’s trauma center.
For relaxation, Kristin likes to take day trips with her husband and spend time with her 2 adult sons (when they’re not busy)! As an American history buff, she loves to walk through old cemeteries reading and photographing headstones. She also enjoys having coffee with friends, taking her dog to the river and the lake, deer hunting (with a camera) and just being outdoors!
The mountains are calling…I must go. (John Muir)
Taylor Lowery
Taylor was born and raised in Reno, NV and has lived in the Reno/Sparks area her whole life. At 17, Taylor taught herself how to play guitar and began to pursue her passion for music. Singing and playing whenever she got the chance, even auditioning for shows such as The Voice and America’s Got Talent. (Now she just plays for fun).
After graduating from Reno High, Taylor attended Paul Mitchell the School Reno where she earned her cosmetology license. After five years of doing hair , Taylor decided it was time for a career change and that’s when she joined the healthcare community. Now, after 11 plus years in the work force, Taylor is headed back to school to earn her Bachelors in Business in hopes of becoming a CPA.
In her free time, Taylor enjoys playing with her two cattle dogs and hanging out with her two year old son. She loves reading books of all kinds, watching scary movies, and continues to sing whenever and wherever she can. If you can’t find her at home she is most likely in Disneyland, traveling back east to visit her cousin in Boston or going to another concert. Right now her main goal is to complete her schooling and hopefully one day move to New York to begin a whole new adventure.
“Have courage. Be kind.”
Tori Benson
Tori was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. She moved to Reno in 2008. She has been working in the medical industry for over 7 years now. She started as a medical records and referral specialist at Skin Cancer and Dermatology Institute and then moved onto the front desk check in. She was at Skin Cancer and Dermatology Institute for over four years before moving onto the surgical industry working for Western Surgical Group for almost three years doing check in and check out, patient intake among other responsibilities.
For fun, Tori likes to spend time with her family, going on vacations, amusement parks, watching scary movies and playing with her French Bulldog puppy Frankie. Tori also has a passion for helping the elderly.