Meet Our Team

Our team brings together licensed clinicians and experienced behavioral health leaders who share one goal: making high-quality mental health care feel personal, clear, and within reach. Many of us have walked our own path through healing, and we bring that understanding to every client and family we work with here on the San Clemente coast.

Our Mission & Philosophy

Much of our clinical and leadership team has had its own journey of healing and self-discovery. We came together to try and replicate the things that worked for us and build into our program the elements we wish we had access to along the way. We work to build a sense of community with our clients and assist them in building more adaptive and sustainable strategies for navigating life on life's terms. Our ultimate objective is that by the time our clients have completed their time with us, they've learned how to connect with others, developed more regulation and resiliency, and have a framework for life they can carry with them into all things moving forward.

Doug Pleiman

LCSW, LAADC

FOUNDER & CLINICAL DIRECTOR

Doug founded Stillmark Mental Health to give South Orange County a program that sits between weekly therapy and inpatient care. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than a decade of clinical experience, he oversees every treatment plan and supervises the program's clinicians.

Doug is known for making therapy concepts practical. He uses real-world examples and a good sense of humor to help clients understand what's happening in their minds and what to do about it. Having worked through many of the challenges he now treats, he brings an empathy that clients notice right away. He believes healing should be meaningful, and that it's allowed to be enjoyable too.

Education: M.S.W., University of Southern California · B.A. Psychology, Virginia Tech

Licensure: Licensed Clinical Social Worker, California BBS #107943 · Licensed Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LAADC)

Focus: Skills-based treatment, DBT, client engagement, clinical supervision

Austin Hooper

DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS

Austin Hooper brings more than a decade of experience in behavioral healthcare. He began his career working directly with clients, then moved into admissions, business development, marketing, program growth and leadership roles. That range gives him a clear view of both the personal and the operational sides of care.

Austin's approach is rooted in genuine relationships, transparency, and treating people like people, not numbers. He believes reaching out for mental health support shouldn't feel confusing or impersonal, and he works to make sure individuals and families feel heard, supported and confident in the care they receive. He helped build Stillmark Mental Health to be the kind of program he would comfortably recommend to someone he cares about.

Outside of work, Austin is a husband and father who values family, personal growth, humor and authentic connection. He brings that same down-to-earth personality to admissions, and believes great behavioral healthcare starts with compassion, trust, and doing the right thing for the person in front of you.

Eric Nesper

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Eric brings more than 20 years of business management experience and 12 years of hands-on field experience to Stillmark Mental Health. Over the course of his career, he has built a strong background in business operations, leadership, and client relations. As a business owner, he understands the importance of building a solid foundation, earning people’s trust, and creating relationships that last. He takes pride in his work and in the people he works alongside, and he believes that how you treat people matters just as much as what you accomplish.

Those who know Eric know how deeply he cares about the people in his life. He has always been the one who shows up when someone needs him, often going out of his way to help without expecting anything in return. Whether that means lending a hand, offering support, or putting someone else’s needs ahead of his own, it comes naturally to him. His friends and family have always known him as someone they can count on, and that is something he takes to heart.

That same instinct to help others is a big part of what drew Eric to mental health care. He understands how much it matters to have people in your corner, especially during life’s hardest moments. He is passionate about being part of something that gives individuals and families access to the support, understanding, and care they deserve. For Eric, the chance to make a real difference in someone’s life is what makes this work so meaningful.

Above all, Eric is devoted to his wife and two daughters, who are his greatest motivation and the heart of everything he works toward. He hopes to set an example for his girls through the way he treats people, the way he shows up for others, and the value he places on doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. The people closest to Eric know that his greatest strength has never been what he can accomplish for himself, but what he is willing to give to others.

Dr. Ruta Sternbergs

PSY.D., ED.D., CADC-II

CLINICIAN

Dr. Ruta began her career as a registered nurse before earning doctorates in clinical psychology and education. Her work with the Trauma Intervention Program of Orange County, supporting people in the immediate aftermath of loss and crisis, shaped the compassionate, creative approach she brings to every session. She helps clients navigate grief, trauma, and major life transitions by recognizing and building on their own strengths.

Education: Psy.D., Clinical Psychology · Ed.D., Education · former Registered Nurse

Certification: Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor II (CADC-II)

Focus: Trauma and PTSD, grief and loss, life transitions, anxiety, depression, chronic pain

Approaches: CBT, ACT, DBT, narrative therapy, psychodynamic therapy

Briant Stringham

CATC-II

CLINICIAN

Briant values humanness and genuine connection above all. His own experience navigating mental health challenges informs an approach that is professional, direct, and deeply empathetic. He works best with clients who want more than symptom relief and are ready to grow into the person they've always wanted to be.

Certification: Certified Addiction Treatment Counselor II (CATC-II)

Clinical supervision: Doug Pleiman, LCSW #107943

Focus: Men's mental health, ADHD, anxiety, depression, co-occurring conditions

Approaches: DBT, existential therapy, positive psychology, coaching

Tracy Marshall

APCC, CADC-III

ASSOCIATE CLINICIAN · APCC #[PENDING] · SUPERVISED BY DOUG PLEIMAN, LCSW #107943

Tracy describes her style as warm, collaborative, and direct. With eight years of clinical experience, seven of them in dual-diagnosis treatment settings, she helps clients understand the deeper patterns behind what they're struggling with and build a life that feels more connected and manageable. She brings mindfulness and a calm, steady presence to every group.

Education: Graduate studies in Psychology, Concordia University Irvine · Southern New Hampshire University

Licensure: Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC), California Board of Behavioral Sciences

Certification: Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor III (CADC-III) · Member, American Counseling Association

Focus: Depression, self-esteem, co-occurring conditions, relationships

Approaches: CBT, DBT, ACT, Emotionally Focused Therapy, compassion-focused therapy

Our Clinical Standards

Every treatment plan at Stillmark Mental Health is reviewed by a California-licensed clinician. Our clinicians use approaches with strong research support, including DBT, CBT, ACT and trauma-focused therapy, and associate clinicians practice under regular clinical supervision while completing hours toward full licensure.

WHAT OUR CREDENTIALS MEAN

LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker, licensed by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences to diagnose and treat mental health conditions independently.

APCC: Associate Professional Clinical Counselor, a master's-level clinician registered with the state and practicing under licensed supervision.

LAADC: Licensed Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor, an advanced credential for treating co-occurring conditions.

CADC / CATC: California-recognized counselor certifications for treating co-occurring conditions.

Psy.D. / Ed.D.: Doctoral degrees in psychology and education.

You can verify any California license with the California Department of Consumer Affairs at search.dca.ca.gov.