Faculty
Lisa Cochran, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dr. Cochran received her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Birmingham, England (2018). Her research and thesis centered around autism spectrum disorder symptomatology in Cornelia de Lange Syndrome. Prior to her graduate studies in the UK, she worked for several years at the UC Davis MIND Institute.
Dr. Cochran, a native Californian, got her B.A. in Psychology from the California State University, Sacramento (2007). She has a long work history in neurodevelopmental disorders and neuropsychological testing (as a psychometrist). She has worked in research, hospital, and private practice settings.
Brenda Gaffney, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Assistant Professor
Dr. Gaffney started off her academic career at California State University, Sacramento where she received a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She continued her education with a master’s in counseling from the University of San Francisco and a doctorate degree in clinical psychology from Alliant International University, Sacramento.
Dr. Gaffney has had the opportunity to work and learn in a variety of settings including pain management, the VA, prison mental health system, inpatient hospital setting, intensive outpatient program (IOP) and partial hospital program (PHP). Dr. Gaffney currently provides therapy at a local hospital specializing in working with anxiety disorders.
Kristee Haggins, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Founding Faculty Member
Dr. Haggins received her B.A. in Psychology with Honors from the University of Southern California in Psychology and her M.A. and PhD in Counseling Psychology from The Ohio State University. She worked at UC Davis for 18 years as a psychologist, supervisor, professor and administrator in Counseling and Psychological Services where she served as the Associate Director of Training. After leaving UC Davis, Dr. Haggins worked as a project manager for five years at the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions, where she led projects focused on promoting excellence and the integration of cultural competence into mental health and substance use services. Dr. Haggins is also an adjunct faculty at the California School of Professional Psychology-Sacramento/Alliant International University. Her areas of interest include: supervision and training; diversity issues; African-centered psychology; and spirituality and mental health.
Dana Matalon, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Assistant Professor
Dr. Matalon earned her Psy.D. and M.A. in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Children and Families from the California School of Professional Psychology. She received her B.A. in Psychology with Highest Honors from the University of California, Davis. She is a licensed psychologist in California and Oregon. Prior to joining California Northstate University, Dr. Matalon worked in a variety of clinical settings, including community mental health, specialized treatment programs, forensic services, and private practice. Her professional experience includes managing an intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization program specializing in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders and anxiety disorders, as well as providing crisis intervention services in both the emergency department and community mental health settings. Dr. Matalon is currently in private practice, where she provides psychotherapy to individuals across the lifespan and specializes in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, anxiety disorders, treatment-resistant depression, and trauma. She previously taught at the UC Davis School of Medicine and continues to provide training, supervision, and consultation to multidisciplinary professionals and mental health clinicians in a variety of settings. Dr. Matalon is committed to increasing awareness of mental health, reducing barriers to treatment, and helping individuals from diverse backgrounds feel safe seeking psychological care.
Krystal Piumatti, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Assistant Professor
Dr. Piumatti works in private practice with the Solano and Yolo County Child and Welfare Services, the California Victim Witness Compensation Board, and the Superior Court of California in Yolo County as a supervised visitation professional. She provides forensic assessment for competency (1368) and not guilty by reason of insanity (1027) evaluations. She has extensive experience in a variety of psychological evaluations and is very active in community outreach.
Haleigh Scott, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Assistant Professor
Dr. Haleigh Scott received her PhD in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Psychology from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. She completed her internship at the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and received postdoctoral training at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the MIND Institute at UC Davis. Her research focuses on the health and wellness of people with neurodevelopmental disabilities, particularly on diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders in this population. Dr. Scott is a licensed psychologist and specializes in assessment and treatment of mental and behavioral challenges in people with neurodevelopmental disabilities. She is also a passionate advocate for the environment and human powered recreation and serves on the board of CRAGS- Climbing Resource Advocates of Greater Sacramento.
Andrew Smith, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Assistant Professor
Dr. Smith received his BA in Psychology from Pitzer College and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from California School of Professional Psychology. Since then, he has worked in numerous substance use disorder treatment settings, served as Associate/Training Director at University of the Pacific Counseling and Psychological Services, and held a UC Davis appointment as behavioral science faculty in a family medicine residency program. He has also maintained a private practice since 1998, specializing in health psychology, working with medical professionals, and contemplative psychotherapy. For 2025 he is serving as President of the Sacramento Valley Psychological Association, having previously served as Behavioral Medicine and Neuropsychology chair.
Eric Vogel, Psy.D.
Professor
Licensed Psychologist
Dr. Eric B. Vogel is originally from the East Bay Area. He obtained his BA from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and his Psy.D. from John F. Kennedy University. He was a professor at John F. Kennedy University from 2002 to 2021, and at National University from 2021 to 2023. He was the 2009 winner of the Eugene Benjamin Sagan award for Outstanding Teaching in Psychology. His best-known publication is Land of Psymon (2004, 2017), a psychotherapeutic board game that teaches cognitive restructuring skills to children. He specializes in qualitative research, and his most recently published study is Townsell, A., Vogel, E. B., & McLean, A., Jr. (2021). Black Men’s Experience of Police Harassment: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study, in the Journal of Phenomenological Psychology. He also designs board games for the hobby-game market. His published hobby games include The Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game (2017), Kitara (2020) and First Empires (2022).
Craig Wetterer, Ph.D., J.D., MSCP
Associate Professor
Licensed Psychologist
Founding Faculty Member
Dr. Craig Wetterer earned his PhD in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University in 2015 and an MS in Clinical Psychopharmacology from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2024, as he progresses toward becoming a prescribing psychologist. He began his professional path in Sacramento, earning a BA and MA in Psychology from Sacramento State University.
Specializing in forensic and neuropsychological assessment as well as trauma-focused interventions, Dr. Wetterer brings extensive clinical experience to his work. He has served as the Clinical Director of an inpatient crisis bed unit at California State Prison, Sacramento—a maximum-security forensic hospital—and has worked in correctional and public safety settings. Dr. Wetterer is also licensed to practice psychology in Nevada and is part of a forensic psychological practice group, where he conducts comprehensive forensic psychological evaluations across multiple states.
Dr. Wetterer’s teaching expertise spans psychopharmacology, psychological assessment, and psychometric theory and test development, reflecting his commitment to training the next generation of clinicians and researchers. He frequently serves as an expert witness in cases involving complex trauma, PTSD, and psychological factors related to police and public safety practices. His dual licensure as a psychologist and a California attorney enables him to offer unique insights by bridging forensic psychological expertise and legal applications in the criminal and civil justice system.
Deanna Young, Psy.D.
Assistant Professor
Deanna Young, PsyD, received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Alliant International University in Sacramento, California (2025). Her clinical training spans community mental health, outpatient, and residential treatment settings, including an APA-accredited predoctoral internship at The Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders in South Florida.
Dr. Young earned a dual BA in Criminal Justice and Psychology from San Francisco State University, where her undergraduate work examined the impact of systemic structures on individual and community well-being. Her clinical and research interests include personality dynamics, relational and attachment processes, and the psychological effects of developmental, systemic, and interpersonal trauma. Her clinical orientation is grounded in psychodynamic, relational, and trauma-informed approaches. She is currently completing postdoctoral training with a focus on narcissistic pathology and depth-oriented psychotherapy. Dr. Young is committed to expanding access to mental health care for underserved communities and increasing advocacy within the field of psychology.