Meet Our Staff
Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) at UC Santa Cruz is a part-centralized, part-decentralized service, with professionally trained master's- and doctoral-level clinicians located in our central counseling office within the Cowell Student Health Center complex, as well as in various locations across campus. Our staff members come from diverse backgrounds and have a special interest in and experience with helping students explore a wide range of issues. We offer a variety of mental health and wellness services to UCSC students and the broader UCSC community.
Please note that while some of us have particular areas of specialization, all of us at CAPS recognize the social pressures and cultural factors that affect different groups in unique ways. We have been trained in aspects of multicultural counseling, including working with LGBTQIA+ students, addressing rape and sexual abuse, and supporting students with disabilities. CAPS staff also engage in ongoing mandatory and voluntary continuing education to further enhance their skills as mental health professionals.
The following is a list of our staff members and their locations. Note that we do not provide drop-in counseling, so if you are interested in finding out about and/or starting services with CAPS, please stop by our central office or call us during business hours at (831) 459-2628. You can also find more information about our services on our Counseling Services, Psychiatry, and Groups & Workshops web pages.
- Pronouns he/him
- Title
- Multicultural Psychotherapist
- Division Student Affairs and Success
- Department
- Counseling & Psychological Services
- Phone 831-459-5346
- Office Location
- Merrill College Academic Building, #107 A
- Mail Stop CAPS
Summary of Expertise
Dean’s approach to therapy is person-centered, gender-affirming, neurodiversity-affirming, strength based, and trauma informed. He partners with students to find the therapeutic approach that best meets their needs; his integrative approach often includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic, solution focused, and Feminist therapies. Dean has a special interest in working with students of color, Queer identified students, gender identity, and sexuality. Dean also has extensive experience working with identity development, neurodiversity, substance use concerns, chronic suicidality, mood and anxiety disorders, those previously incarcerated, and unhoused populations.
Biography, Education and Training
Dean is a Queer, Trans, Parsi, second-generation Indian-American, multi-racial man born and raised in the Bay Area. Dean is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a Multicultural focus. He earned his Master of Counseling from Palo Alto University and Bachelors of Arts in History of Art from UC Berkeley. Dean came to his work as a therapist through a background of sex-positive sex education and Queer peer support groups. Prior to UCSC, Dean worked in residential co-occurring treatment, college student mental health and community-based outpatient settings. Dean uses a Social Justice and anti-racist clinical lens. He collaborates with students to provide the emotional safety necessary to meet their goals. Dean prioritizes advocating for students. He feels it’s a privilege to support them on their journey.
