Hello! My name is Sarah Mast, Psy.D. and I am a Psychological Assistant at The Vine Counseling and Psychological Services, supervised by Dr. Christine Duong-Perez. It has been a long and wonderful journey to reach this point in my area of specialty and expertise. I would love to share my wide range of experience, knowledge and professional growth to benefit you in your emotional healing. Your step in a healthy direction is courageous and I hope to earn your trust as we journey together. I am a military spouse; my husband is an active duty Marine currently stationed on Camp Pendleton. We have two children, ages 10 and 6 who attend school here in Temecula Valley. Our journey has not always been simple or easy, but we have found our place and are happy to be a part of the Temecula community.
A bit more about myself; I received my BA in psychology and education from The University of California Davis in 2007. While there, I worked with children with Fragile X syndrome at the UC Davis MIND Institute. After that I worked as a one-to-one Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapist with children on the Autism Spectrum both in schools and in homes. Working with these amazing children and their families motivated me to continue to increase my education and to further develop my clinical effectiveness.
I received my MA in Developmental Psychology from San Francisco State University in 2010. While there I assisted in the creation of an afterschool program in the San Francisco Unified School District called, Integrated Play Groups, working with children and families to promote learning through imitation and play.
When my oldest child began school, I devoted myself to working in public education. While living on Camp Pendleton, I worked in the Oceanside Unified School District for several years as a part of their behavioral intervention team assisting with psychological and educational assessments and supporting children in special education programs. I spent much of my time working with military children and the families living on Camp Pendleton.
I also helped facilitate a women’s support group at True North Psychological Services in Oceanside. We had many wonderful women at different stages in their lives come together to help support one another, both military and civilian. During this time, I completed my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at California Southern University so that I can provide for my clients the best that the field of psychology and mental health has to offer.
The pursuit of a fulfilling and healthy life is a great balancing act. I hope to bring comfort, support and expertise to you and/or your child or family. Life can be complicated, challenging, and beautiful; finding our way is not always easy, but with effective treatment and tools that are tailored to your lifestyle, strengths and personality, I believe that we can overcome even the biggest obstacles. My approach is compassionate, accepting, directive, and collaborative. I would love to help you in all areas of mental health, including anxiety, depression, life stress, and maladaptive behavior patterns. My specialty is in helping children, women, families, couples and military personnel.
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7
Please do not hesitate to reach out if you would like to inquire about any psychological services, including counseling and testing. You may contact me by email at smdovi@gmail.com, by text at (951) 252-7578, or by phone at (951) 231-1667 ext. 6.