DCC History

Discovery Counseling Center was founded in 1971 by a group of community members in San Ramon Valley…

In 1971 Peter Strauss, a high school school counselor, was approached by a group of residents concerned about drug and alcohol use among the troubled youth they were seeing downtown and on the streets at night. The residents didn’t have the money to start a substance-abuse education program, but they did have a desire to help the kids. A $300 grant organized by Danville Rotarians like Chuck Bloch got them a two-week contract with Peter Strauss, and a mission. 

Strauss’s nonthreatening approach allowed the kids he met with to open up to him. Word spread, and in those first few weeks, “a couple hundred” kids streamed into the Fosters Freeze parking lot in downtown Danville where Peter met with them. A few weeks later, community organizers including a local orthodontist Dr. Bob Brown who also saw many of these kids in his practice struggling with issues including depression, anxiety and drug and alcohol abuse, were able to organize enough financial support to open a counseling office on Linda Mesa Avenue. The Discovery Center opened its doors in June 1971.

While the community was generous, monetary donations alone were ultimately not enough to support the growing counseling needs. In 1973, women like Marge Early and Barbara Gibson stepped in, held garage sales and founded the “Friends of Discovery” as an auxiliary that organized sales of donated goods to provide a stable source of funding for the Discovery Center through the Thrift Station. 

Over the years as our staff and services grew, Discovery Counseling Center moved from Linda Mesa Avenue, to Rose Street, and in 1999 to the Town and Country Shopping Center in Danville and the office in Dougherty Station Arts Center where we are located today. 

Over 50 years later, Discovery Counseling Center’s community-based clinic is still in large part sustained through the incredible work and support of the over 100 volunteers that run the Thrift Station store. 

Discovery has expanded and evolved in the ways we serve our community but we remain committed to our founders’ mission of offering high quality mental health support that is accessible and affordable, and through our programs and partnerships in the community being an advocate and leader in raising awareness, resources, and tools for early intervention and treatment options.

50th Anniversary: 2021

Five decades ago, community members came together and hired a counselor to work with teens who were struggling with drug and alcohol issues. From that initial outreach to young people, Discovery has grown to be a thriving center for mental health support for the whole community.

Discovery Counseling Center proudly celebrated 50 years of service to the families, children, teens, and adults of all ages.

Out of the turmoil caused by the pandemic, Discovery has emerged stronger and more vital to our community than ever before.

Thank you to all who helped us celebrate this momentous milestone and to those who continue to show us your support!

Here are some photos from our 50th Anniversary celebrations held on August 21, 2021.

N. S. LEE

Retired Program Manager, Kaiser Permanente

Affiliations:

  • Project Management Institute

BRITTANY DOYLE RILEY

Trusts & Estates Attorney, Doyle Quane

Affiliations:

    • State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law
    • East Bay Trusts & Estates Lawyers, Member
    • Danville Area Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors

MIA LEONDAKIS

Former Vice President of Transformation at ServiceNow and VMware

Affiliations:

  • Former Board of Directors, Fostering Wishes
  • Thrift Station

ROBERT COMBS

Real Estate Advisor, Compass

Affiliations:

  • Town of Danville Planning Commissioner
  • Board Member, Leadership San Ramon Valley
  • President, Danville Rotary, Town of Danville Design Review Board Member
  • Board of Directors
  • League of California Cities, California State University at Chico Alumni Board of Directors
  • Parent Advisory Council
  • CSU
  • Past President

MICHAEL COPELAND

Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield

Affiliations:

  • San Ramon Valley Thunderbirds
  • San Ramon Valley Girls’ Athletic League Softball
  • Contributor to Alive Magazine

MARK DAVIS

Tri- Counties Bank- Senior Vice-President

Affiliations:

  • American Heart Association
  • United Way
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • St. Anthony’s San Francisco
  • San Francisco and Sacramento Food Banks
  • Sacred Heart Community
  • Past Board Member California Symphony
  • Past

JENISE FALK

Retired San Ramon Valley Unified School District Principal

Affiliations:

  • President of the Friends of Discovery(Thrift Station)
  • Kappa Kappa Gamma Alumni Association
  • San Ramon Valley Mental Health Advisory Council.

NEWELL ARNERICH

Town of Danville, Town Council Member, AD Architects, Inc., President & Co-founder

Affiliations:

  • Leadership San Ramon Valley
  • Board Member & Past President
  • Danville-Sycamore Valley Rotary Club- Member & Past President
  • AIA
  • American Institute of Architects
  • NACRB
  • National Council of Architectural Registration Board
  • Danville Area Chamber of Commerce
  • San Ramon Valley Mental Health Advisory Council.

KATHY CHIVERTON

Retired Executive Director Discovery Counseling Center

Affiliations:

  • Leadership San Ramon Valley Board of Directors
  • Danville San Ramon Rotary Club
  • Contra Costa County Measure X Community Advisory Board Member
  • San Ramon Valley Diversity Coalition

MARIE HALL

  • Licensed Social Worker; Retired Clinical Director
  • St. Anne’s Catholic Church

Affiliation:

  • Friends of Discovery

MITCHELL HOPSON

Vice-President of Finance, Zearn

Affiliations:

  • Diablo Black Men’s Group (past Treasurer)
  • San Ramon Valley Diversity Coalition (founding member)
  • Leadership San Ramon Valley
  • Board of Directors
  • Youth sports coach

DAVID KRAVITZ

Affiliations:

  • Director of Student Services
  • San Ramon Valley Unified School District

Claire Humphrey

Retired Pediatrician: Valley Community Health Center and Blackhawk Medical Group

Affiliations:

  • Marriage Mentor Community Presbyterian Church
  • Spiritual Mentor CityTeam Oakland

SCOTT LUCIA

Wealth Management at Andrews, Lucia Wealth Management LLC

Affiliation:

  • Tassajara Valley Little League

ANDY LI

Board Member, Contra Costa Community College District

Affiliations:

  • President
  • Civic Leadership USA
  • President
  • API Coalition, Board of Directors
  • Leadership San Ramon Valley
  • Steering Committee
  • San Ramon Valley Diversity Coalition
  • Rotary Club of Dougherty Valley/San Ramon

NEAL MITCHELL

Community Volunteer

Affiliations:

  • Hall of Fame Board Member Animal Rescue Foundation
  • Board Member Love for Margot Foundation
  • Past Board Member Mercator Medical Systems
  • Past Board Member Injoy Media Corporation

NISHI MOONKA

Chief of Staff/Head of Purpose and Culture at Blue Beyond Consulting

Affiliations:

  • Quail Run Learning Fund Vice President
  • PTA

SARAH NIX

Attorney, Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Law By the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization

Affiliations:

  • Past President, Board of Diablo Valley of Estate Planning
  • Iron Horse Mother’s Club
  • AAUW, Volunteer St. Isidore’s Parish
  • East Bay Trust &amp, Estate Lawyers

JILL PURCELL

Owner Purcell International – Food Importing Business

Affiliations:

  • San Ramon Valley YMCA- Past Board Member
  • Diablo Homeowner’s Association- Past Secretary
  • Dorris-Eaton School-Past PTA President
  • Green Valley School and Monte Vista High School- Past PTSA Member

PAT WILSON

Retired San Ramon Valley Unified School District Educator

Affiliations:

  • Sons in Retirement (SIRS)
  • 100 Club of Contra Costa County
  • Community Presbyterian Church (CPC) Sponsor Program
  • San Ramon Valley Mental Health Advisory Council.

MARY VERSTRAETE

Retired from Banking

Affiliations:

  • Member of the Friends of Discovery
  • Thrift Station

GARY RIELE

Affiliations:

  • Principal
  • Riele Commercial Real Estate

ANN WILLOUGHBY

Retired Chief of Staff, University of California Office of the National Laboratories

Affiliations:

  • Treasurer Friends of Discovery Board (Thrift Station)
  • Quest Science Center Advisory Board
  • Livermore Lab Foundation
  • Expanding Your Horizons
  • Agape Village Foster Family Agency
  • American Association of University Women