Health and Wellness Services
Our Wellness Center at College of Alameda is dedicated to providing accessible, compassionate, evidence-based and trauma-informed mental health support services to empower our community college community. Through innovative programming, personalized counseling, and collaborative community partnerships and engagements, we strive to foster holistic well-being and resilience for all students, faculty, and staff on our campus.
Remote and in-person appointments available.
MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING HOURS:
Wednesday: 10am – 5pm
Thursday: 9am – 5pm
Location: Cougar Village CV – 124
Any questions: Contact the Wellness Center at 510-748-2320 or johnnguyen@peralta.edu
Our Services
Students can access nursing services and mental health counseling. Medical nursing services include: HIV and STI testing, first aid, flu shots, health information and referrals, condoms, pregnancy tests, and over-the-counter medical supplies, at no cost.
Meet Our Wellness Center Clinical Team
Rashmi Guttal, MSW Intern
Rashmi Guttal (she/they), Master of Social Work trainee, is a Queer, Differently-abled,South Asian woman born and raised in the South Bay (San Jose). She is in her second yearof a three-year Social Work Graduate program at California State University, East Bay. Inaddition to school, Rashmi is a mediator, restorative justice practitioner, and racial justicefacilitator, supporting the community with alternative ways to handle conflict andunderstanding identity dynamics. She is passionate about supporting the students of theCollege of Alameda with their mental health and whole-body healing. Rashmi enjoysteaching yoga, dancing, eating good food, meditating, hiking with friends, and petting dogsin her free time!
Mirisen Ozpek, MFT Intern
Mirisen, MFT Trainee (she/her) is an immigrant to the U.S. from Turkey. Currently pursuing a Master’s in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling at San Francisco State University, she is passionate about creating spaces where every part of a person’s story is welcomed and valued. Mirisen holds an MA and PhD in linguistics and worked in education prior to starting her journey in counseling. She is particularly interested in working with clients navigating LGBTQIA+ experiences, life transitions, identity development, and neurodiversity. When she’s not in the therapy office, you can find her reading, spending time with her partner, cat,and dog, or enthusiastically starting a new hobby.
Debbie Green, LMFT Supervisor
Debbie Green (she, her), a licensed Marriage Family Therapist, and a retired College of Alameda SAS academic counselor. She brings a variety of expertise focusing on culturally sensitive counseling and diversity training in a wide variety of settings. Specializing in working with students with disabilities, multicultural awareness and inclusive practices,Debbie has successfully led initiatives in higher education, including innovative programs for incarcerated students. Her work in fostering inclusive learning communities and supporting diverse student populations has earned her prestigious awards and recognition.Debbie has provided clinical supervision and consultation for clinical interns working on licensure over the years. In her retirement, she enjoys not waking up to an alarm every day and traveling to all parts of the world!
Destiny Walker, AMFT
Destiny Walker (she/her) is a Black woman born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. In Spring 24′,she graduated with her master’s in counseling from St. Mary’s College of CA. Over the last year, Destiny has served an MFT trainee with College of Alameda Wellness Center and is excited to return for another year as an MFT associate under Peralta’s Faculty Diversity Internship Program. Before her shift to counseling, Destiny was a program lead for a software engineering bootcamp supporting adults with technical and professional skills development. She also worked with the YMCA of the East bay and Oakland Unified School District to develop sustainable and supportive extended day learning programs with a social-emotional learning emphasis. In her free time, she enjoys connecting with friends and family, watching standup comedy, taking scenic walks, and being in or around bodies of water.
Ismael de Guzman, LMFT
Ismael (he/him/siya), is a queer, 1.5 generation Fil-Am cis-male and was raised in the Bay Area. He is excited and thrilled to be returning to College of Alameda as a licensed clinician. With a rich background in higher education, Ismael has honed his skills in providing clinical care for a variety of clients, developing prevention education programs, mentoring college students, and fostering a community rooted in care. His therapeutic approach is grounded in CBT principles, DBT-informed and positive psychology framework. His client-centered philosophy guides his practice, and he integrates mindfulness techniques while maintaining a solution-focused mindset. Outside of the clinical setting, you can find him roaming the streets of San Francisco on his daily walks (at least 10K steps), taking a cardio class/lifting at his local gym and scrolling through YouTube late into the night searching for the latest Southeast Asian recipes and vicariously experiencing the nomadic adventures of van-lifers.
FAQ
How can I access mental health counseling?
New location: Come visit us in Cougar Village C-124
To schedule an appointment with a mental health counselor, contact, the main Wellness Center line at 510-748-2320, or email Ismael de Guzman at ideguzman@peralta.edu.
*Please note that due to California Telehealth laws and regulations, students must be currently residing in California in order to access telehealth appointments.*
How can I access nursing services?
For free or low-cost health services, check out the resources here: https://alameda.edu/students/health-wellness-services/health-resources-and-referral-information/
What is the cost of services?
All enrolled students pay a health fee each semester that is used to fund health services. There are no additional costs for students.
our contacts
Ismael de Guzman, Mental Health Counselor
E: ideguzman@peralta.edu
P: 510-748-2320