Meet the Team Behind FIT
Grounded clinical experts and retreat facilitators dedicated to restorative healing.
FIT is led by an interdisciplinary team specializing in trauma-informed care, somatic practices, and burnout prevention for high‑stress professionals.
FIT stands apart in that our retreats are considered clinical retreats - led and facilitated by licensed clinical psychologists, pastoral staff, and sound healers. We do not operate utilizing volunteers and believe that our own team should be taken care of so that they can effectively provide care to our retreat participants.
Clinical Team
The clinical and somatic experts behind our retreats bring together collective experience in guiding participants through transformative journeys. We collaborate deeply to ensure every individual feels supported by evidence-informed care and compassionate facilitation.
Dr. Ashley Massimino, PsyD
EXECUTIVE Director
CLINICAL Psychologist
Ashley affectionately describes herself now as a "recovering psychologist", recognizing that she along with her entire profession, have martyred themselves at the cost of their own wellness. The term "recovering psychologist" was recently coined by author and teacher Báyò Akómoláfé, to describe when someone in a helping profession recognizes when their work is harming them, and pivots, and begins to live a life of wellness and balance.
Ashley graduated from Biola University - Rosemead School of Psychology with her masters and doctoral degrees, is currently licensed in California and New York State, and seeking licensure in Hawaii. Prior to working with law enforcement, Ashley received intensive trauma training with a variety of populations, setting the groundwork for her specialized work with first responders. She is EMDR Certified and also utilizes Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and Brainspotting in her sessions. Ashley specializes in treating complex trauma, sexual trauma, chronic pain and substance abuse. She tends to attract and work best with clients who have experienced a significant traumatic loss and also specializes in grief work.
As part of Ashley's journey, she has spent a considerable amount of time working for a variety of law enforcement agencies, including: Orange County Juvenile Drug Court, Patton State Hospital, Metropolitan State Hospital, California Youth Authority, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. In her private practice, she has directly treated department members/family members from the following agencies:
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Los Angeles County Fire Department
Orange County District Attorney
California Highway Patrol
Fire Department of New York
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Marin Probation Department
San Francisco Fire Department
El Segundo Police Department
Whittier Police Department
Modesto Fire Department
Fresno County Sheriff
U.S. Forest Service
Cal Fire
Ashley is also deeply committed to being well, and spends all of her free time in her garden, and in nature, enjoying the natural home that has been gifted to all of us. When not in nature, or immersed in water, you will find her with her husband and her two dogs.
Allison Hedgpeth
board president / pastor
Ali grew up in Huntington Beach, California, where she was rarely far from the water, whether surfing or in the pool. She served as a lifeguard for the City of Huntington Beach and spent as much time near the ocean as she could.
After competing in college water polo and earning her BA in Psychology, Ali pursued a career in the fire service and graduated from El Camino Fire Academy in 2005. Her path soon shifted as she stepped into the roles of wife and mother. During this season, her husband began his career in law enforcement, where he has now served for twenty years.
Along the way, Ali felt a calling into ministry, where she has led for the past fifteen years. After earning her MA in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, she was licensed as a pastor and now serves as the Care Pastor at a large congregation in Southern California.
Ali is passionate about caring for the whole person, soul, mind, and body, with compassion and curiosity. She offers pastoral counseling and guidance in spiritual practices that provide space for discernment and honoring the deepest human longing to be unconditionally loved. Ali also speaks in different settings, working with small groups, training leadership teams, and teaching and preaching in larger gatherings.
As a former athlete, a law enforcement spouse, and someone well acquainted with the personal cost that comes with offering care and overachieving, Ali feels a particular call to invite others into a life of wholeness and restoration.
Ali and her husband reside in Southern California with their four children, two dogs, a turtle, and plenty of laundry. In her free time, you will usually find her where there is sunshine and water.
Rosie Velasquez
board vice-president
sound healing practitioner
Rosie Velasquez is a holistic practitioner based in Big Bear Lake, California, specializing in hypnotherapy, spiritual coaching, and sound healing. Her work centers on guiding individuals—especially women—through deep personal transformation, healing, and self-discovery.
With experience as a hospice chaplain, Rosie brings a compassionate, grounded presence to her practice, supporting clients through life transitions, grief, and spiritual awakening. She combines intuitive guidance with practical coaching to help others reconnect with their inner wisdom and purpose.
Rosie also facilitates women’s circles, creating safe and nurturing spaces for connection, empowerment, and collective healing. Through her work in life and spiritual coaching, she is dedicated to helping women cultivate balance, resilience, and a deeper sense of alignment in their lives.
Leadership Board
Each board member was thoughtfully selected due to :
Their own history of service as a first responder
Their heart for service and community leadership
Their love for their brothers and sisters in the field
Their shared professional background fosters a culture of accountability, teamwork, and mission-driven leadership.
Ken Chapelle
Board treasurer / retired sergeant instructor
Ken Chapelle is a retired sergeant/academy instructor who took great pride in mentoring and teaching cadets at the Richard McGee Correctional Training Center in Galt, CA, serving for twenty five years with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, also working at Mule Creek State Prison. He is also a law enforcement chaplain, who has worked with the California Chaplain Corps and the Law Enforcement Chaplaincy of Sacramento.
Tim Fisher
Board member / fire fighter
Timothy Fisher is a dedicated first responder, leader, and advocate for mental health within the public safety community. With 18 years of service in the fire service, he has held the ranks of Firefighter, Firefighter Paramedic, and currently serves as a Fire Apparatus Engineer Paramedic with the Orange County Fire Authority. Timothy is an active surfer, cyclist, and skydiver who embraces life with intensity and purpose.
Dr. Sarah Long, PsyD
Board member / licensed psychologist
Dr. Sarah Long is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in trauma, grief, and ketamine-assisted therapy for first responders, veterans, military families, and those navigating high-stakes work and loss. She grew up in a military family, and her father's service shaped a deep respect for those who serve — and the families who carry it alongside them.
Before her doctorate, Sarah was a wildland firefighter on the Bridger-Teton National Forest helirappel crew, working alongside Grand Teton National Park/BTNF Search and Rescue. She brings steady presence, a real understanding of the weight this work leaves behind, and an unshakable belief that people can come through extraordinarily hard things. Outside of being a therapist, Sarah is happiest in the mountains or near the ocean, and lives in Colorado with her husband and their pups.
Donald Hudson
Board Secretary / attorney-at-law
Donald Hudson is described lovingly by friends and family as a curmudgeon with a big heart. Don is an attorney practicing in California, a former policy expert, and a former correctional officer. As a policy expert for the state of California, he advocated for equitable and affordable access to healthcare. Before law school and policy work, he was as a correctional officer where he witnessed the effects of high-stress burnout firsthand, developing a passion for mental health as he began addressing his own.
Steven Gonzalez
Board member / correctional officer
Steven Gonzalez is a California State Correctional Officer who carries on a legacy of service and sacrifice. As the son of a fallen officer, he wears his father’s badge proudly honoring that legacy through the way he lives and leads. He is also the Founder and President of the Manuel A. Gonzalez Jr. Foundation, committed to making a meaningful impact while keeping his father’s legacy alive.