Who we are
Our Board of Directors
Psychotherapy Now is guided by a board of clinicians and community members committed to making quality mental healthcare accessible to everyone in Santa Barbara.
Rudy Ruderman, LMFT
Chair
[Bio coming soon]
Rob Balloch
Co-Chair
[Bio coming soon]
Brett Buchea
Treasurer
Brett Buchea, a physicist and hardware engineer in quantum computing at Google, brings a blend of scientific rigor and community dedication. As a board member of Psychotherapy Now, he supports expanding mental health access and has a deep interest in cultural practices and ceremonies to foster personal growth. His work reflects a commitment to both scientific advancement and holistic community care.
Eli Talen
Board Member
Eli Talen is a psychotherapist in private practice in Berkeley, California. He works with individuals and couples, focusing on attachment, shame, life transitions, personality organization, and the integration of Buddhist psychology with contemporary psychodynamic psychotherapy. He also provides clinical supervision to associate therapists and teaches psychodynamic theory and technique at the Psychotherapy Institute in Berkeley.
Eli earned his M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute and also holds a J.D. from Stanford University and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to his clinical work, he has been active in nonprofit leadership, serving on the boards of organizations supporting foster youth and bringing Buddhist practice to people who are incarcerated.