Meet Our Team
Jerry Bruns, MD
Medical Director
Dr. Bruns is a native of Southern California. He attended medical school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and finished his psychiatric residency and clinical fellowship at USC. Dr. Bruns is the founder of La Mer Integrative and Behavioral Medical Group and he has practiced Psychiatry in Ventura County since 1990. Dr. Bruns special interests include healthy aging and nutrition and their critical role in overall health for the active patient. He also specializes in anxiety, depression and behavioral management with the elderly and also the developmentally disabled young adults. Currently Dr. Bruns serves as Chairman of the Medical Advisory Board of the Alzheimer’s Association in Ventura County. He is a frequent leader in collegial continuing education programs and directing innovative clinical outpatient programs.
Debbie Herrera, CNS, NP
Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Debbie Herrera RN, BSN, MSN, CNS, ACNP-BC has been working with La Mer since 2007 as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) and Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). I graduated from ULCA with my Master’s in Nursing in 2006. I’m proud that I had chosen La Mer many years ago to start my NP/CNS career it has been very fulling and rewarding. Prior to joining La Mer I worked at Community Memorial hospital 8 years in the ICU/CCU which helped me to the become the caring and thorough practitioner that I am today. I have been treating a wide range of patients from 18 years old to Geriatric with Depression, anxiety and the Gut-Brain-Axis comorbidities. Helping men and women with hormone imbalances. Providing medical care to the TCRC clients with behavioral issues with complex co-morbid health problems, I enjoy treating the whole person not just an ailment. I aspire to help others feel better mentally and physically using my extensive “tool chest” containing multiple modalities. My hobbies consist of gardening, photography, birding, and making others feel better with Maurice (my therapy dog) which travels around with me.
Jeanne Hesse
Our Administrative Staff
Maurice
Office Pet
Meet Maurice, our office pet (Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen). He has been working with us since 2016 . Our patients adore him, and he returns their affection. Besides working at the office, he travels with Debbie to residential care homes for the elderly and intellectually disabled. He is very calming and supportive and takes his job seriously, just ask anyone that comes in the office upset or having a bad day, he puts a smile on their face and reduces their tension. If you don’t like dogs or are uncomfortable around them just let us know and we will make arrangements for Maurice to be in another area in the office during your visit. No worries, Maurice will not be offended.