Our Team

Reasons Eating Disorder Center places high importance on utilizing highly skilled and trained eating disorder treatment professionals in our programs. We believe in a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment. Spanish speaking therapists are available to clients and their families.

Meet the Team

Medical Director:
Wakelin McNeel, MD: Dr. McNeel has over 8 years of experience working with patients with the eating disorders. He is board certified and has been the Chief of Staff at BHC Alhambra Hospital for 9 years.  Dr. McNeel practices on the principle that respect of the patient’s individual beliefs on medications is of utmost importance and does not impose medications, rather makes recommendations which support the therapeutic process of recovery.

Clinical Director:
Norman H. Kim, Ph.D.: Dr. Kim completed his undergraduate studies at Yale University where he studied music and psychology, and was the recipient of a Mellon Fellowship for Research in Psychiatry.  He completed his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at UCLA, where he was the recipient of an individual National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health to study the neurobiologic underpinnings of the recognition and processing of affect in high-functioning Autism. Most recently he has been involved in a large-scale, multi-site, longitudinal prospective follow-up study of children and adolescents at risk for developing bipolar disorder.

In conjunction with his research, Dr. Kim has developed an expertise in the psychodiagnostic assessment and treatment of psychiatrically complex populations, often with overlapping medical and multiple psychiatric illnesses, particularly in inpatient and residential settings.  He completed his internship at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Hospital on the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatient and Consultation-Liaison services and worked as a clinician in the Inpatient Eating Disorders Program.  While rooted firmly in the medical model, he has also incorporated practices emphasizing somatosensory integration and practices from eastern and traditional medicine to develop a clinical approach that builds upon a foundation of empirically validated and supported treatments. This integrative emphasis was brought to bear not only in Dr. Kim's most recent position as the Clinical Director of a Residential Treatment Program for women with eating disorders, but is the foundation upon which the Reasons Residential Treatment program is built.

Director of Nutrition Services:
Lisa Arroyas, RD: Lisa is a registered dietitian practicing in many fields of dietetics including eating disorders, chemical dependency, diabetes, PCOS and weight management. She has graduated from California State University Long Beach and extensive experience working with people with disordered eating and weight management.  She also has a background as a personal trainer, which allows her to use an approach to meet the special needs of individuals struggling with disordered eating and poor body image. She has worked with both male and females; children, adolescents, and adults.

Her focus is on nutrition therapy using a non-diet approach, providing nutrition counseling and exercise education. She specializes in Athletes and Compulsive Exercisers, Food Addiction, Binge Eating Disorder, Obesity, Compulsive Overeating and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).

Lisa has been working with adolescents and adults with eating disorders for over 6 years in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She is extremely passionate and dedicated to helping individuals struggling with food and body issues.

Director of Development, Admissions, and Operations:
Nikki Damiani, MA: Nikki completed her Master's Degree at State University of New York at Binghamton, where she studied social sciences and was the recipient of a research scholarship for developing a mobile science program. She completed an internship in Belize, Central America directing social programming for children, and an internship at the Refugee Resettlement Office working with families seeking political asylum. She graduated from Alliant International University with a master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and is currently enrolled at Pacifica Graduate Institute where she is pursuing her Ph.D. in Depth Psychology.

She is the founding chair of International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals, San Diego Chapter, and currently serves on the iaedp Central Coast board and co-chairs the membership and chapter committee for the international organization.

Nikki has worked clinically with the eating disorder population for 5 years and began marketing for eating disorder treatment facilities in 2006. She has worked for BHC Alhambra Hospital's eating disorder programs since 2007 in both business development and admissions and most recently accepted the position of directing the operations of Reasons Residential.

Call today and get connected with your team of treatment professionals- 1.800.235.5570.