Our Experienced Team of Professionals

Cindy Busto, LCSW and Jody Frank, LCSW, created West Coast Counseling Center in 1985 and have dedicated themselves to helping clients attain optimal happiness and well being. Their vision has been to create a nurturing environment and provide exceptional therapeutic services to guide people toward making positive change in their personal and professional lives. After completing their graduate work at the University of Southern California, Jody and Cindy dedicated themselves to helping clients attain optimal happiness and well-being. In their extensive work with emotional, behavioral and addictive disorders, they realized the importance of bringing together a comprehensive team to address the individualized needs of each client.

They have found the most effective approach to treatment is through group, individual, family and couples therapy. WCCC's adjunctive team includes psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, interventionists, education professionals, and nutritionists.

Jody and Cindy have made TV appearances and have been interviewed as experts by national newspapers, magazines, authors and radio hosts. They are featured as regular contributors on hollywoodmomblog.com. In their extensive work with emotional, behavioral and addictive disorders, they realized the importance of bringing together a comprehensive treatment team to address the individualized needs of each client.

The WCCCLA Team - Licensed and Professional

Jody Frank, LCSW

Jody Frank, LCSW, DCSW Cindy Busto, LCSW, DCSW

Master’s in Social Work 1985, Licensed Clinical Social Worker 1988, Diplomate in Clinical Social Work 1994, Certified Addiction Specialist, 2003.

Jody began her clinical career in 1979 at Crossroads Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital as a psychiatric aide working with a multidisciplinary team. “They took me under their wings giving me the guidance and training in process groups, addiction, adolescents and family work, 12-steps, and a myriad of psychiatric disorders. “It was here I fell in love with social work, therapy, family work and the field of addictions.” Jody went on to receive her Bachelors in Social Work from California State University of Northridge (CSUN) in 1982 and her Master’s from University of Southern California in 1985. Throughout her studies she chose therapist positions that focused on brief and long term psychotherapy, families and couples, group work, addictions, trauma and allowed for collaboration with other professionals with the same goal of helping others. “I knew clearly that my lifework was to help people understand their pain and identify the obstacles that kept them from attaining their life goals and dreams. I want to help others find hope, learn that they have choices and begin to envision the possibilities.”

25 years ago Jody began her partnership with Cindy Busto. “We recognized rather quickly that our professional goals, ethics, and mutual respect were congruent. We both love being therapists and helping clients find happiness.”

Cindy Busto, LCSW

After receiving her Bachelor's Degree from the University of California, Berkley and her Master's Degree from the University of Southern California, Cindy began her career at the San Fernando Valley Child Guidance Clinic, where she provided Individual and Family psychotherapy. She also ran parenting groups and multifamily groups. Cindy served as co-coordinator for the Child Sexual Abuse and Family Treatment Program and was an Adjunct Staff member at UCLA. Cindy had the opportunity to work with UCLA medical and psychiatric residents on their six week rotations. Her job, which she loved, was to train the residents to listen to the needs of their patients and to learn how to treat them with dignity, respect and compassion. The residents left the Center with a better knowledge of how to treat their patients holistically.

During her years at the clinic, Cindy began a private practice and immersed herself in learning Family Systems Therapy. This experience, coupled with her psychodynamic training, helped her work more effectively with individuals, families, and couples.

It is Cindy’s passion to help clients discover and develop their “best selves” and to value the unique contributions that they make to their relationships and to their community. In therapy, as clients heal their wounds and begin to know and honor their self worth, they are better able to achieve the goals they desire.

In 1985, Cindy met Jody and realized that they shared similar values and goals for their clients. Together, they created West Coast Counseling Center. Now, at the 25th anniversary of WCCC they continue to thrive as business partners and friends.

Frieda Anheier, LCSW

Frieda received a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology while living in Europe, as well as a Masters Degree in Social Work from Columbia University. She has a post- graduate certificate in psychodynamic counseling from Oxford University and a certificate in early childhood intervention. Frieda loves to work with children and families and the interface between psychological issues and spirituality. She facilitates coed and women's groups that are long running and popular.

Niki Moore, MFTI

A southern California native, Niki completed her undergraduate studies at USC and received her Masters degree in Marital and Family Therapy from the Graduate School of Psychology at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena. She has extensive training in Family Systems therapy, and has worked with a mixture of individuals, families, and groups focusing on issues such as life transitions, relational stress, addiction, impulse control, and sexual trauma. Niki approaches her work from the holistic perspective that healing involves the mind, the body, and the spirit. She works with clients on identifying strengths, promoting resiliency, and cultivating balance in their daily lives.

Amy Margolis, MSW

Amy has a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education and a received her Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work from Salem State College in Massachusetts. Amy has worked as a child/family crisis therapist, an adoptions social worker, and an eating disorders therapist. Amy is psychodynamic in her approach with a little cognitive/behavioral thrown in. She believes in going deep, and helping clients understand and heal unresolved pain while utilizing practical tools to have a more joyful life in the process. Though her specialty lies in treating eating disorders and families of addicts, Amy enjoys working with a wide range of clients and is especially fond of group work in the psychotherapy process. Amy’s hope for her clients is that they may lead a happier, more conscious life and that they choose and develop healthier relationships.