OUR TEAM
The people behind Kin Wellness
Kin Wellness is run by the four people on this page: two clinicians who cofounded it, the physician who directs medical care, and the cofounder who runs the business.
There is no waiting room to walk into, so here is who you would be working with, in their own words. You can also read how the program works and the conditions we treat. Referring a client? See our page for referring providers.
COFOUNDER AND CLINICAL DIRECTOR
Angelina DeSanto, LCSW, Ph.D Candidate
As Clinical Director, Angelina DeSanto, LCSW, brings over a decade of compassionate clinical experience, leadership, and supervision to our practice. In practice since 2014 and licensed since 2017, Angelina holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Depth Psychology, specializing in Integrative Therapy and Healing Practices.
Angelina’s approach is relational, warm, and deeply humanistic. She combines evidence-based techniques with depth, archetypal, and transpersonal psychology to help clients understand unconscious patterns, rebuild internal safety, and foster meaningful personal growth. She views remedies and symptoms not just as challenges to manage, but as valuable messages pointing toward deeper healing and self-discovery.
Her clinical specialties include PTSD and trauma, ADHD, mood disorders, dissociative conditions, men’s and women’s life transitions, and anomalous or spiritual experiences. Whether guiding clients through trauma recovery, practical strategies for ADHD, or exploring unique personal experiences with open curiosity, Angelina creates a grounded, safe space where science meets the rich depth of your individual journey.
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Dr. Joe DeSanto, MD
Dr. Joseph DeSanto is a Board Certified MD with over 12 years of addiction treatment experience. Graduate of Lafayette College and attended the State University of New York at Downstate in Brooklyn for his medical school training. He moved to California to complete his internship and residency training at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. His early career centered around emergency and urgent care, but he soon developed a special love and passion for his current career as an Addiction Physician. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is the Founder of Desanto Clinics. He spends his free time in and around the coast of Newport, Huntington, and Laguna Beach with his family and French Bulldog, Bella. He practices daily yoga, Transcendental Meditation, hiking, and body-boarding.
COFOUNDER AND LEAD CLINICAL THERAPIST
Paola Mercado Demeza, AMFT
Paola’s work has centered around healing and she believes it is possible to build a meaningful life after trauma. Her approach is guided by Jungian depth psychology. Trauma can settle below conscious awareness and may show up as anxiety, in dreams, and in relationships that keep taking the same shape, so the work goes beneath the symptoms to the patterns underneath them. She is EMDR trained and working toward certification, and she offers sand tray therapy for individuals who find talking difficult, since what cannot yet be spoken often surfaces in images and symbols. She also draws on Bowen family systems theory, mindfulness, DBT, and ACT for tools a patient can use during the week.
Paola works with the whole person, recognizing that we are shaped by the families, cultures, and communities we come from, and that those parts of a person’s story deserve a place in the therapy room. She began her career in addiction treatment and now works primarily in mental health. In session, she follows the individual’s pace and builds safety first, then encourages movement when she sees readiness.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Fullerton, and a Master of Arts in Marriage, Family, and Couples Therapy from The Chicago School in Anaheim. Outside of work, she is usually horizontal, at the beach, at a concert, or hunting down a new taco spot.
Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #15190. Supervised by Angelina DeSanto, LCSW, Ph.D Candidate.
COFOUNDER AND CEO
Dakota Gripp
Dakota has spent more than twelve years working in mental health, with experience across nearly every side of the field. He began as a behavior technician, working directly with patients, before moving into revenue cycle management and operational leadership. That experience gave him a unique perspective on both the experience of care and what it takes behind the scenes to make quality treatment possible.
As one of the Co-founders and CEO of Kin Wellness, Dakota believes effective care starts with seeing the whole person and understanding their individual needs, experiences, and goals. He built Kin to create an environment where patients feel supported and clinicians have the resources and space to do meaningful work. At its core, his vision is simple: mental health care should be thoughtful and individualized.
Outside of work, Dakota enjoys making music, spending time in the gym, and enjoying a good cup of coffee.
LET US HELP
Tell us how to reach you
Tell us how to reach you and someone from our team will call you back. The first conversation is short and confidential: what has been going on, what your questions are, whether this is the right level of care for you, and what it would cost with your insurance. There is no obligation to enroll, and if it is a fit you can start right away.
Prefer to call?
949.706.8610
Office hours Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 8 PM Pacific. In person care at 8780 Warner Ave, Ste 11, Fountain Valley CA 92708.