Our Director & Staff

About the Center | Board of Directors | Our Founder | Our Director & Staff | Our Sponsors

Carol Castanon,
Executive Director

Carol has been working with families for 30 years both here in Ojai, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles.  Her work began as a volunteer with the Los Angeles School District in Special Education, nurturing a love for, and honoring the unique gifts in children and families.  “I was incredibly fortunate to work with colleagues who became mentors, and whose profound respect for children continues to inspire me today. They created a foundation of observing children, and asking the questions necessary to uncover what a child and adult perceives and needs.”  Carol has a degree in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College, and is a professional mediator with families, schools, foundations, and small businesses.  Her business includes facilitating communication and planning, parent education, staff development and training, observation and consultation for individual children and groups, and community workshops.

Carol is the parent of two sons, Ben (22) and Gabe (18).  Along with her husband, Dave, they home-schooled their boys for eight years.  “We took child-centered learning to the next level.  It was important that we followed the passion and interests of the boys, young men who now are passionate about music, history, literature, science, math, and friendships.  Schooling is a family choice, and finding the right match for your own family can be extremely satisfying.”

A note from Carol:

“I am honored to be part of this community, supporting the enduring and profound work of Nan Tolbert.  Nan and I worked together for several years, sharing the love and challenges of young families.  Our past director, Elizabeth Thasiah sustained Nan’s legacy and commitment to families pre-birth to three years of age.  I thank them both for the foundation on which the Ojai Valley Birth Resource and Family Support at the Nan Tolbert Nurturing Center will continue to grow.  My dream is for caregivers, parents, and children to have a second home to love, learn, play, support each other, and simply get good at being together.”

 

Renee Mandala,
Program Manager / Facilitator

Renee Mandala, M.A., C.D.(DONA) CLC, is the Program Manager and a facilitator at the Nan Tolbert Nurturing Center. Also, she is the owner of Mothers Guild, a Certified Lactation Counselor/Educator, and a Birth/Postpartum doula.  She has supported hundreds of families for over the last 14 years. She holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology and Bachelor’s in Early Education/Sociology.

Renee attended her first homebirth in 1998 and has since served at over 125 home and hospital births as a professional birth doula certified by Doulas of North America. She has spent even more of her career as a postpartum doula, assisting hundreds of new families in their homes, many of these families of multiples. Prior to her birthing work, Renee provided Medical Social Work Services in hospital settings, most recently at UCLA Medical Center.

In 2000, Renee took her first of many lactation trainings offered at UCLA and the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition. These days, she is pursuing International Board Certification as a Lactation Consultant. Renee has an additional Master’s level certification in Consciousness, Health, and Healing. She also studies and shares about pre- and peri-natal psychology.

 

Kate Bell Russell,
Core Class Facilitator  

All her life, Kate has known that her calling has been to work creatively with children.
She received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Child Development and also became a Child Life Specialist (the emotional care of the hospitalized child). This took her to Children's Hospital of L.A. where she worked on the surgical, rehabilitation, and the cancer unit. She has also taught courses in Child Life at the university level.

Kate moved to Ojai in 1990 to start a family where she knew the value of connection with children and families would be honored.  Teaching and volunteering in Ventura County have been her passion and focus.  She is honored to be part of the Nan Tolbert Nurturing Center Staff and believes whole heartedly in its mission.

 

Marsha McKeon,
Clinical Supervisor

Marsha McKeon, Ph.D. directs the doctoral internship program at the Nan Tolbert Nurturing Center.  She is a licensed clinical psychologist, with a special interest in early infant attachment and its effects throughout the lifespan.

She has been training and supervising Ph.D. and MFT psychology students since 1997 in her capacities as Clinical Director at Jewish Family Services, adjunct faculty at Pacifica Graduate Institute and Clinical Supervisor in private practice. She is currently supervising the Ph.D. interns at Nan Tolbert and leading the Attachment Seminar for staff and interns.

Dr. McKeon also has an active private practice in Ventura, California where she sees adults and couples for psychotherapy.

 

Brenda Murrow,,
Psychotherapy Intern

Brenda Murrow is a Ph.D. practicum student from Pacifica Graduate Institute where she is studying clinical psychology.  Brenda provides donation-based counseling support to individuals and families.  Prior to coming to the Nan Tolbert Nurturing Center, Brenda worked with children and adults with experiences of trauma and abuse, in both Boulder, Colorado and Santa Barbara.

Brenda's dissertation research is focused on animal-assisted therapy with children who have experienced abuse.  She has worked with horses in the modality of equine-assisted psychotherapy, and also in services with the assistance of therapy dogs.

Brenda provides the Nan Tolbert Nurturing Center donation- based counseling support to individuals and families who have children in their home 0 - 5 years of age.

Brenda is available for referral by contacting her clinical supervisor, Dr. Marsha McKeon, at 805.656.6644.