Ariana Cabral is a licensed clinical social worker. Prior to joining the C&PS clinical team, Ariana worked with youth on probation for nearly 15 years. Ariana was honored to be a part of and walk along these young men’s journeys.

Ariana is now excited to work with and support the students at SDSU. Ariana is passionate about breaking the stigma of mental health, using her knowledge and training to help young adults improve their lives, reach their goals, and feel more connected in their relationships and communities. Ariana loves to travel and is always seeking new adventures. 

Fabian Escobedo earned his Bachelor’s and Master's in Social Work from San Diego State University and is a Bilingual (English and Spanish) Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Fabian has worked with youth experiencing homelessness, K-12 students, state agencies, non-profits, and colleges, providing 1:1 and group therapy. Fabian has experience providing psychotherapy to young teens/adults (12-21) who are survivors of human trafficking (sex and labor trafficking) to help with their healing and recovery journey. In this work, he was exposed to various systems, including the child welfare system, foster care system, and juvenile justice system.

Fabian is well versed in treating substance use disorders, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and complex traumas (specifically sexual traumas) with various modalities, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and EMDR. He advocates for harm reduction and trauma-informed approaches, and meets clients where they’re at mentally and emotionally to begin their healing journey.

Dr. Patricia Murillo is excited to form part of the Counseling & Psychological Services team. Dr. Murillo is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and also holds a Pastoral Care and Counseling Masters degree from the University of San Diego.

Dr. Murillo works within a holistic approach to well-being and makes use of client centered, trauma informed, and strength based practices. Prior to forming part of the C&PS team, Dr. Murillo worked with individuals, families, and couples in several community mental health settings. Dr. Murillo deems it an honor to walk with individuals in their personal journeys and looks forward to working with and providing support to students at SDSU.

Gabriela Contreras Navarro, or “Gabby”, is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She is originally from Texas, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Texas State University and enjoyed being a part of many organizations including Greek life. Prior to her position at C&PS, Gabby worked in various settings including non-profits, schools, and an intensive outpatient setting providing therapy and crisis services. Gabby has experience in and enjoys working with individuals, families, and couples.

Gabby has a love for working with the college population, as she recognizes the growth and personal development that can take place and the hard work that is needed to do so. She uses a client-centered and culturally sensitive approach in all of her work, collaborating with the student to try and reach the best possible outcome.

Tri Nguyễn is a bilingual licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in California and Washington State. When Tri was 10-year-old, his family immigrated from Việt Nam and settled in San Diego. He is a first generation college graduate from UC San Diego and San Diego State. He is an alumnus of the Community-Based Block multicultural counseling program at SDSU (c/o 2008) where he also earned a master degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. 

Tri’s therapeutic approach is structured around collaborative, solution-focused and narrative frameworks. His work integrates social constructionist ideas, restorative justice, multicultural counseling and decolonial practices. He also has experiences and training in couple’s therapy including emotionally-focused therapy and the Gottman Method (Level 1 & 2). 

Prior to joining C&PS, Tri worked with service members in the US Navy, the Union of Pan Asian Community, Community Research Foundation, and International Rescue Committee. He is also a part-time lecturer/practicum supervisor in the MFT program at SDSU and he operates a small private practice offering telehealth therapy to individuals, couples and families.

Dr. Alicia Nuñez is a bilingual clinical psychologist and is excited to have joined the Counseling & Psychological Services team in 2023 as a faculty member. She received her Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Additionally, Dr. Nuñez trained at the University of Arizona College of Medicine as a pre-doctoral intern and at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles Medical Center as a post-doctoral fellow in Behavioral Medicine. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Spanish and a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion and Behavioral Science from San Diego State University.

Dr. Nuñez enjoys providing psychological services to clinically diverse students to support mental and physical health as well as academic success. Throughout her career, Dr. Nuñez has worked with individuals from a wide range of sociocultural backgrounds and identities. She is also passionate about teaching and conducting research. Dr. Nuñez has led several research projects in areas such as clinical health psychology, neuropsychology, and health disparities. She has published in prestigious journals including JAMA Psychiatry.

Manuel Rivera has worked at Counseling & Psychological Services since 2011. Besides providing individual, couples, and group therapy to the SDSU community, Manuel is the developer and facilitator of C&PS’s Everyday Mindfulness & Meditation workshops. He is also one of our clinical supervisors and provides individual supervision, training, and consultation to a multi-disciplinary team of interns.

Manuel was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, and is bilingual in Spanish and English. He has lived in Puerto Rico, Texas, and the Bay Area, calling San Diego home since 1996. He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley (B.A., History) and SDSU (M.S., Marriage and Family Therapy). Before coming to Counseling & Psychological Services, his clinical experiences included working with military service members and their families, adolescents and families involved with San Diego’s Juvenile Court and Community Schools, couples work, and community mental health. Manuel’s approach to therapy is collaborative and inclusive, and he is particularly interested in supporting people as they develop autonomy, personal agency, relational skills, and resilience in order to live life more fully.