Choosing the right counselor is a personal and important step. Meet the counselors of UC San Diego’s Faculty, Staff, and Assistant Program (FSAP), and learn more about their approaches, specialties, and backgrounds. Read their bios below and schedule your appointment today.
Counselor Bios
Last Updated: June 22, 2026 9:43:53 AM PDT
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Crystal De Bell, Ph.D., LMFT, CEAP
License and Certification: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT38882); Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP47038)
Degree: Ph.D. in Education, specialty in Language, Policy and Cross-Cultural Communication; M.S. Education - Counseling
Professional Affiliations: American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT), Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA), Employee Assistance Programs in California Academics Association (EAP-CAA)
FSAP Emphasis Areas: Caregiver Support; People Leader Consultations; Work-Life Balance; Stress Management; Employee Lifecycle; Burn Out Prevention and Trauma Reduction Practices
Personal Interests and Hobbies: traveling, dogs, expressive arts, gardening and cooking
Languages: English
Campus Committee Work: Ad-Hoc Behavioral Consultation Team (BCT), Emergency Operations Council (EOC), Strategic Advising Team (HR-SAT)
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Jennifer Triana Tahbaz LCSW, CEAP
FSAP Counselor
(she/her/ella)
jtriana@ucsd.edu
Licenses and Certifications: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW88589); Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP75794250)
Degree: M.A. in Social Work, Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College
Professional Affiliations: Employee Assistance Professional Association (EAPA), Employee Assistance Programs in California Academics Association (EAP-CAA)
FSAP Emphasis Areas: Acculturation Stress and Bicultural Identity; Promoting Equitable Access to and Awareness of Behavioral Health Services Within Latin American, Latinx, and Hispanic Communities; Substance use; People Leader Consultations; Life Transitions; Grief and Loss; Women in Leadership; Organizational Support; Parenting (Adolescent); Ambivalence around parenting; Childfree Lifestyle; Couples’ Work; Relationships and Adult Attachment
Personal Interests and Hobbies: visual arts, reading, travel, yoga, game night with friends and family, the beach, baking, soccer
Languages: English/ Spanish
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Cathy A. Thompson (Cat), Ph.D., CEAP
FSAP Counselor
(she/her/hers)
cthompson@ucsd.edu
Licenses and Certifications: Licensed Clinical Psychologist (PSY17056)
Degree: Ph.D., California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP), San Diego
Professional Affiliations: Association for Women in Psychology (AWP) (Women of Color Coordinator (2007-2010; 2019-2023), American Psychological Association (APA) – Division 35: Society for the Psychology of Women (Past President (2010-2013) of Section 1 for Black Women)Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA); Employee Assistance Programs in California Academics Association (EAP-CAA)
FSAP Emphasis Areas: Multicultural and Women’s Issues; Racial Identity Development (especially among biracial/multi-racial/ethnic/cultural individuals); Sexual and Gender Identity Development; Adjustment and Transition Issues; Building Healthy Relationships Through Assertive Communication and Positive Self-Esteem.
Personal Interests and Hobbies: All things Prince, connecting with family and friends, dancing, traveling
Languages: English
Campus Committee Work: Co-Chair of the UC San Diego Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Issues, member of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on the Status of Women and the Black Academic Excellence Initiatives (BAEI) Recommendations Implementation Workgroup
UC Affiliations: UC San Diego Alumni; UC San Diego CAPS Provider (2001-2022)