Two new additions to the Alexander Valley Behavioral Health Team
Welcome, Marla Bourgea, LMFT
We’re excited to welcome Marla Bourgea to the Alexander Valley Healthcare team. Marla is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 18 years of experience helping individuals, families, and groups navigate life’s challenges. She earned her MA in Counseling Psychology and Drama Therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies and holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Women’s Studies from UC Santa Cruz.
Marla has a warm, client-centered approach and brings expertise in areas like attachment, trauma, mood disorders, neurodiversity, and affirming care for the LGBTQIA+ community. She’s skilled in a variety of therapeutic approaches, and has worked with clients ranging from young children to adults across community mental health, residential, and private practice settings.
Please join us in giving Marla a warm welcome!
Welcome, Nicole Sahlin, LMFT
We are also thrilled to welcome Nicole Sahlin to the Alexander Valley Healthcare team. Nicole is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who brings a truly unique background to her work — combining clinical expertise with over 20 years of experience in crisis intervention and community service through the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department.
Nicole earned her MA in Marriage and Family Therapy from Touro University Worldwide and holds a BA in Criminal Justice Administration from Sonoma State University. Most recently, she served as an inpatient therapist at Santa Rosa Behavioral Health Care Hospital, where she provided individual and group therapy, developed treatment plans, and trained new staff. She also spent two years at West County Community Services providing counseling to seniors, children, and adolescents.
Nicole is passionate about building rapport, meeting people where they are, and creating a safe, nonjudgmental space for healing. She’s skilled in CBT and DBT approaches and has extensive experience working with individuals in crisis and from diverse backgrounds. A Cloverdale local, we’re especially excited to have her serving the community she calls home. Please join us in welcoming Nicole!
Thank you to our Granting Partners
At Alexander Valley Healthcare, the generosity of our granting partners allows us to care for our patients above and beyond their basic health needs.
We appreciate the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, whose 2025 Access to Care grant funded new equipment purchases and whose 2026 funding will support provider outreach into low-income senior communities. These awards help us to focus on assistance for older adults currently forgoing dental care due to cost, and will increase preventive utilization among seniors.
We also thank Providence Healdsburg Hospital for their support in implementing a Chronic Care Management program for our Medicare patients, strengthening our ability to coordinate ongoing care for seniors managing complex health conditions.
And finally, we are grateful to the ongoing support of Redwood Credit Union, who provide short term, targeted emergency assistance for our behavioral health patients whose social needs place them at immediate risk for worsening mental health or crisis.
Partnerships such as these make it possible to improve health and quality of life for the communities we serve.
Alexander Valley Health and Wellness Center
Permit applications for the new Health & Wellness Center are still under review. A detailed update will be provided in the next newsletter.
As the healthcare landscape evolves, Alexander Valley Healthcare remains steadfast in our mission to serve our community. The new Health and Wellness Center represents our commitment to expanding access and strengthening care for all — especially our most vulnerable neighbors. Your support of our capital campaign or of ongoing operations helps us to continue to serve our community.