Practitioners You Can Trust
Westside Behavior Therapy was established in 2015 initially providing home-based services to just a few clients. After recognizing the increasing need for services in our community, we opened the doors to our center-based clinic in 2016. We continue to be committed to the highest standards of care.
Kelsey Townsend, M. Ed., BCBA, LBA
Executive Director
Kelsey earned a Master of Education specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis from Arizona State University in 2013 following undergraduate work at the University of Oregon. She has been practicing ABA since 2012. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®) and a Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) in the State of Oregon. She is a participating member of Oregon Association for Behavior Analysis (ORABA) where she serves on the Public Policy and Leadership Committees. She is also a participating member of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) and the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA). Kelsey has acquired a wide range of experiences with evidenced-based interventions in a variety of settings including center, home, community, and school-based environments. Her primary area of expertise is providing early intervention, ABA-based services to children on the Autism Spectrum. Although the ABA needs of the community are great, she feels it is important to keep her practice private and locally owned in order to provide an extremely child-centered, individualized ABA experience. When she's not at work, she spends her time with family including her husband and three children.
Serena Rivard, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA
Clinical Team Supervisor
Originally from California, Serena graduated from Menlo College in California with a BA in Communications. After having worked in various child-centered environments including preschools, elementary schools, and private in-home care, Serena happened upon Westside in the Spring of 2016 and felt she had finally found her calling as a behavior therapist. She went back to graduate school to further her career and support her passion for ABA. After graduating from Arizona State University with a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction of Applied Behavior Analysis, Serena became a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst® in the winter of 2018. She feels truly fortunate to be a piece of every child’s puzzle that comes through the Westside doors. In her free time Serena enjoys exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her Beagle in the passenger seat.
Melissa Pollard, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA
Clinical Team Supervisor
Growing up in Iowa, Melissa attended Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D. where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services. During college, she worked with at-risk adolescent girls, at a residential treatment facility. While working directly with residents on self-management and daily living skills, she discovered a love for helping people and working closely with them to discover their full potential. After graduating and moving to Oregon, she took some time off to start a family. Melissa joined the Westside team in the Fall of 2016. At that time, she chose to focus her career on ABA and further develop her skills by attending Arizona State University’s ABA Graduate Program. She graduated in the Spring of 2018 with a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction of Applied Behavior Analysis. When she isn’t working, Melissa can usually be found in the stands at a ball game or spending time with her husband and her three children.
Julia Linton, B.S., RBAI
Lead Therapist
Julia started working at Westside in March 2021. Julia moved from Indiana in March 2021, but originally grew up in Chicago, Illinois. She received her undergraduate degree from Ball State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a focus on art and ABA. Westside Behavior Therapy is Julia's third ABA clinic and she is thrilled to bring her 3 years of experience to all her new learners. She hopes to put her ABA training to good use and return to graduate school to earn her BCBA certification in the future. In her spare time you can catch Julia hanging out with her husband and dog, cooking, and exploring her new home state of Oregon.
Hannah Burford, B.A., RBAI
Lead Therapist
Hannah started working at Westside in December of 2022. She moved from The Dalles to Portland in 2017 in order to pursue her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice with a minor in Child, Youth, and Family Studies at Portland State University. During her studies, Hannah found a love for working with children and families and knew she wanted a career working in the community to help support personal growth and development. After graduating, Hannah discovered ABA and it was immediately a perfect fit! She then became a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) and is licensed through Oregon as an RBAI. In the future, she hopes to return to graduate school in order to obtain her masters in Social Work or to become a BCBA. In her free time, Hannah enjoys spending time with her Fiance and pets, creating art, and playing video games.
Rachel Sandin, B.S., RBT, RBAI
Line Therapist
Rachel started working at Westside in August 2022. She has been working with children in one way or another for the last 10 years, starting as a swim instructor for preschool-age kids. She has also worked as an aide in middle school classrooms before transitioning to providing ABA services full time. Working in ABA has affirmed her passion for working with children as a way to provide support for the growth and development of the clients she serves. In the future, she hopes to return to graduate school to obtain her BCBA certification. In her free time, Rachel is an avid reader and enjoys outdoor adventures with friends.
Ann Eby, RBAI
Line Therapist
Ann started working at Westside in April of 2022. She was born and raised in Oregon and spent time after high school volunteering in her local community. She then spent a year in FEMA Corps which involved her traveling to Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, and Louisiana to help the communities before and after natural disasters. This experience confirmed Ann's passion for wanting to help others so she later became certified as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT). Ann worked as an RBT for a year before beginning her career at Westside. During her free time, Ann enjoys spending time with her significant other, going on hikes, and playing with her two cats.
Jodi Shiraishi, B.Ed., RBAI
Line Therapist
Born and raised on the island of Oahu, Jodi graduated from the University of Hawaii with a bachelor's degree in elementary education. She was a fifth grade teacher for two years before discovering the field of ABA. In August 2022, she moved to Oregon and joined Westside with almost 2.5 years of experience as an RBT. Her career goal is to either become a BCBA or Speech Language Pathologist in the next 5 years. When not working with kids, Jodi enjoys reading books, watching Netflix, doing yoga and cooking.
Bryce Roberts, B.S., RBAI
Line Therapist
Bryce started working at Westside in December 2022. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Oregon, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Psychology. A born and raised Oregonian, he eagerly wants to give back to those in the community and help those in need. He is beginning his career in the psychology field, hoping to be a positive influence on those with whom he interacts. He believes that one individual can make a significant impact in someone's life. In the future, he aspires to return to school to pursue a graduate degree in higher education. During his free time, Bryce enjoys reading, playing video games with friends, and exploring the Pacific Northwest.
Sean Bangs, B.A., RBAI
Line Therapist
Sean started working at Westside in June of 2023. He has lived in several different places around the world on account of his father's military career, but Portland has always been home. He completed his undergraduate degree at Pacific University, earning a B.A. in History. Sean volunteered in several capacities helping children with special needs over his school career, including Special Olympics. Upon discovering ABA, Sean knew he had found a field in which he could give back to the community and help people every day. In the future, he plans to pursue a graduate degree to become a BCBA. Sean enjoys playing video games, reading, and spending time with family in his free time.
Sadie Cook, B.A., RBAI
Line Therapist
Sadie started working at Westside in June of 2023. She grew up in Southern California and completed her first two years of college there, at Mt. SAC. Then, in 2021 she moved to Portland to complete her schooling at Portland State University. She graduated Spring of 2023 with a BA in Psychology and an emphasis on American Sign Language. Sadie has always had a passion for helping others, and wanted to find a rewarding career that could impact the lives of others. Westside was a perfect fit. In the future, Sadie plans to return to graduate school to pursue a master's degree in trauma therapy. In her free time, she trains for ultra marathons and enjoys exploring the Pacific Northwest.
Erika Alvarez, B.A., RBT, RBAI
Line Therapist
Bio coming soon!
Amalie Hodges, B.A., RBAI
Line Therapist
Amalie started working at Westside in July of 2023. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Willamette University, with a double major in Women’s and Gender Studies, and French and Francophone Studies. After graduating she was staying with family in her home state of Montana, but jumped on the chance to move back to Oregon as soon as possible. She loves the climate and landscape of the Pacific Northwest, and of course wanted to be as close as possible to Powell’s City of Books! When she’s not working, Amalie likes to hike, read, play video games and ttrpgs, and spend as much time around animals as possible.
Will Townsend, MBA
Strategic Business Manager