Counseling & Psychological Services

Professional Interests / Areas of Expertise

Sammi enjoys working with students with a variety of mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, familial concerns, trauma, identity exploration, and others. She is committed to supporting diverse identities and exploring intersectionality for those who are seeking increasing awareness of their experiences, growth, self-compassion, and personal change by offering a safe and supportive space. Sammi is specifically interested in supporting students with LGBTQIA+, first-generation, or other marginalized identities.

Approach to Counseling / Theoretical Orientation

Sammi's approach is tailored to each client's experience by utilizing inclusive collaborative and integrative approaches. She hopes to instill a courageous space that is authentic, trustworthy, and empowering where clients can explore their goals while identifying their strengths for promoting change. Sammi's style typically stems from strength-based and person-centered modalities, with an eclectic blend of interventions.

Personal Interests

Sammi enjoys spending time with her friends and family, going on walks, visiting the Greenway, petting dogs, caring for her succulents, and shopping at TJ Maxx.

Professional Interests / Areas of Expertise

Aaron is particularly interested in human emotion, eating and body image concerns and disorders, group therapy, and assessment and differential diagnosis. He is passionate about working with clients wanting to process and better understand their emotions and emotional experiences related to their therapeutic concerns, to explore the therapeutic effects of group therapy, and to develop their own unique identities.

Approach to Counseling / Theoretical Orientation

Aarons ideal therapeutic relationship is collaborative in nature, established with openness and honesty, and safety and trust by working through a culturally humble framework. In therapy, Aaron takes an integrated approach, often blending aspects of emotion focused therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy via an existential lens. He also emphasizes meeting the client where they are at in a client-focused, humanistic, multicultural approach.

Personal Interests

Aaron enjoys spending time with friends and family, whether it be playing board games, going on a hike, or escaping into the realm of Dungeons and Dragons. For self-care, youll probably find him reading or writing something not related psychology, listening to music or podcast, playing with his cats Pumpkin and Patches, or experimenting with a new recipe.

Professional Interests / Areas of Expertise

Heidi has worked at the Counseling Center in varying roles since 2004 and comes from a background in community and school-based mental health, where she learned to appreciate working in integrated, interdisciplinary health services settings. Heidi works with a wide range of issues, including depression and suicide, trauma, anxiety, womens issues, eating concerns, and relationship and attachment problems, and is particularly interested in the connection between mental health and nature. Heidi has a strong passion for working with underserved and marginalized populations and for many years co-facilitated the Gender Spectrum Therapy Group at the Counseling Center. Heidi was involved in the early development of a formal relationship between the Counseling Center and the Athletics Department, to improve access to services for student-athletes. More recently, Heidi has become interested in mental health training at the community level for prevention and reduction of stigma.

Approach to Counseling / Theoretical Orientation

Heidi has a holistic, collaborative approach to therapy. Her theoretical orientation is integrative, primarily drawing from humanistic, interpersonal process, and relational-cultural and feminist perspectives. Heidi frequently incorporates mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral, and dialectical behavioral techniques into her work. She has a strong belief in every person's capacity for growth and healing and views her role as therapist as creating an affirming, inclusive space to foster change and potential.

Personal Interests

Heidi cherishes spending time with her family and loved ones, especially going on outdoor adventures with her husband and two children. She is an avid runner, cyclist, and skier and takes any opportunity to get out in the mountains of the High Country. Heidi is also a keen traveler and especially enjoys experiencing different cultures. In her quieter moments, she enjoys yoga, reading, and gardening.

Professional Interests / Areas of Expertise

Scott likes to utilize "Strengths Based Perspective" to meet students where they are in their college journey, and assist them in connecting with community resources that will best meet their needs. In addition, he incorporates Cognitive-Behavioral therapy into his Individual Therapy practices when working with students.

Personal Interests

Scott enjoys anything outdoors, time with his family, video games, and traveling to new places.

Professional Interests / Areas of Expertise

Chris has a particular interest in the relationship between physical and mental health, men's issues, mindfulness, research in clinical settings, and program evaluation.

Approach to Counseling / Theoretical Orientation

Chris is respectful of each individual and focuses on the development of the whole person. He integrates interpersonal and cognitive-behavioral therapy into his work with students, while also emphasizing a client-centered, mindfulness, and multicultural approach.

Personal Interests

In his spare time, Chris enjoys spending time with his family; sports and exercise, whether it be heading to the gym, hiking a trail, or watching a game on T.V.; traveling and exploring new places; and the challenges of learning how to do new home improvement projects.

Professional Interests / Areas of Expertise

Kim works with a range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, identity development, eating and body image concerns, suicidality, self-harm, and interpersonal challenges. Kim is passionate about supporting young adults through the transition to college and increased independence.

Approach to Counseling / Theoretical Orientation

Kim brings a trauma-informed and humanistic approach to her therapeutic work, prioritizing emotional safety, transparency, and trust. She fosters a collaborative and empowering environment where clients are supported with choice and agency in their healing journey. Kim is attuned to the intersectionality of each client's identities, including one's cultural background, historical context, and lived experience, recognizing how these interconnected aspects shape one's sense of self and can serve as powerful pathways to healing. Taking an integrative approach to therapy, Kim tailors her work to honor the unique experiences of each client, blending elements of Emotion-Focused Therapy, mindfulness-based practices, and behavioral modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

Personal Interests

Kim loves spending quality time with family and friends, whether boating on the lake, hiking trails, or collecting rocks along the way. She also enjoys cooking yummy meals for others, listening to live music, and is currently learning to play the keyboard.

Professional Interests / Areas of Expertise

Julie works with a wide variety of concerns, but has a particular passion for working with trauma, sexual assault, identity development, LGBTQ issues, and emotion regulation difficulties. She has a strong interest in and passion for helping individuals explore their intersecting identities and the ways in which they move through the systems in place in the community and in the world. In addition to this, she also enjoys group therapy, supervision, and training.

Approach to Counseling / Theoretical Orientation

Julie's approach to working with clients is collaborative and integrative. Her approach is multicultural, trauma-informed, rooted in interpersonal therapy, and draws from existential, mindfulness-based, and Dialectical Behavioral therapy (DBT) modalities. She values the unique nature of each individual, as well as their values, goals, and strengths.

Personal Interests

In her free time, Julie enjoys spending time with her friends and family, cooking, reading good books, and watching puppy videos on YouTube.

Professional Interests / Areas of Expertise

Libia enjoys working with adolescents, young adults, and adults within the college setting. When it comes to her areas of competency, she is especially interested in helping students experiencing challenges with general and social anxiety, ADHD, interpersonal relationships, trauma, familial concerns, identity exploration, issues with transitions, and cultural concerns. Libia is especially interested in working with international students, students of color, and students who hold marginalized identities.

Approach to Counseling / Theoretical Orientation

Libia utilizes many different therapeutic approaches in her counseling practice. Libias main theoretical interventions are from a person-centered approach to ensure that the therapeutic relationship is holistic and collaborative. She provides individualized care for clients specific needs that focus on the clients internal and external systems through a feminist and multicultural lens. She also utilizes interventions from Expressive Arts therapy as a non-verbal focus of communication and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy to help clients plan solutions to their current concerns in a timely manner.

Personal Interests

Libia enjoys listening to music, going on long walks, cuddling with her cat, hanging out with friends, and watching YouTube videos on many different topics.

Professional Interests / Areas of Expertise

Julia enjoys working with students with a variety of mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, interpersonal relationship concerns, familial concerns, survivors of trauma, and eating concerns. Julia has a particular interest in the relationship between physical and mental health, connecting students to campus and community resources and decreasing the stigma around seeking help for mental health concerns. Julia is committed to supporting students with diverse identities offering a safe and supportive space that honors cultural differences and experiences.

Approach to Counseling / Theoretical Orientation

Julia's approach tailors to each clients wants and needs through an integrative model that encompasses a strength-based, client-centered, trauma informed, and interpersonal frameworks. She utilizes Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and mindfulness, and body-focused interventions. Julia values courage and authenticity and wants to create a safe space to work collaboratively with students towards their healing and growth while recognizing that counseling can feel hard and awkward at times.

Personal Interests

Julia enjoys spending time with family and friends, exercising, being outdoors, capturing photos of authentic moments and nature, strives to keep her plants alive and enjoys target retail therapy.

Professional Interests / Areas of Expertise

Joey enjoys working with students who may be experiencing a wide range of mental health concerns, such as anxiety, depression, identity exploration, familial concerns, life transitions, and more. He values helping clients identify and utilize personal strengths to foster resilience along with building insight to facilitate personal growth. Joey enjoys working with groups, individuals, and couples as well as engaging with the larger community through prevention and outreach opportunities.

Approach to Counseling / Theoretical Orientation

Joey approaches therapy through a person centered lens believing that every individual's identity and experience is unique. The foundation for a strong therapeutic alliance is creating a space of trust and personal relationship where clients feel able to share their story and emotional experiences. He utilizes an eclectic array of therapeutic interventions and modalities that are discussed collaboratively with clients to best meet their current needs and preferences.

Personal Interests

Joey enjoys all forms of physical exercise, but especially any that allow him to be outdoors or in nature. Joey further enjoys cooking, baking, video games with friends, and trying out new restaurants and coffee shops. Joey also makes it his mission to say hello to and/or pet every dog that he can.

Professional Interests / Areas of Expertise

Kendra specializes in being the first point of connection for students seeking mental health support. She believes in meeting each student exactly where they are, and guiding them toward the care that best fits their needs. Her approach is rooted in empathy and collaboration, helping students navigate their options and access the treatment that aligns with their goals. Whether someone is in crisis or simply exploring support, she strives to create a safe, welcoming space that empowers them to take the next step on their journey toward wellness.

Personal Interests

Kendra loves spending time with family and friends. She enjoys thrifting, planting seeds, chatting up strangers, and watching videos of other people cleaning. She hates driving after dark, but is not afraid to smell or taste dairy after its expiration date. She is crazy for summer, Janet Jackson, speaking Spanish and daily exercise.

Professional Interests / Areas of Expertise

I have an affinity working with students across a spectrum of mental health concerns, including social and general anxiety, transitions, identity exploration, relationships, depression, and Mens issues. I am specifically invested in supporting individuals from the African American community, first-generation, and other marginalized populations. My mission is to curate a space that is safe, empowering, authentic, supportive and challenges mental health stigmas.

Approach to Counseling/Theoretical Orientation

My approach to counseling is tailored to the specific needs of students and their experiences by utilizing my base approaches of person-centered therapy and motivational interviewing, and integrating those modalities with cognitive-behavioral, dialectical behavioral therapy, and solution-focused therapy. My goal is to transfer the balance of power to the clients to ensure they feel comfortable and safe to share their stories.

Personal Interests

Outside of the counseling center, I enjoy spending time with family, watching movies, shows, and sports. Also, I enjoy traveling and fitness.

Professional Interests / Areas of Expertise

Gayatri has training as a marriage and family therapist and also in the field of medical family therapy and has worked with people from different countries. Some of the areas of interest include mindfulness and meditation, dealing with health-related issues, coping with stress, life transitions, grief and loss, trauma, self-care, emotional well-being, self-esteem, communication, relational issues and helping people achieve a better balance in life.

Approach to Counseling / Theoretical Orientation

Gayatri is collaborative in her therapeutic approach and is interested in helping people discover and celebrate their uniqueness, gifts, and strengths to create more happiness and joy in their lives and in their relationships. She enjoys helping people figure out what their dreams are and how they can achieve them.

Personal Interests

Gayatri enjoys learning about different cuisines, traveling, baking, writing poetry, gardening, listening to music, reading, meditating, and painting.

Professional Interests / Areas of Expertise

Erin is passionate about working with university students in both individual and group therapy. She is also deeply invested in training and supervision for developing mental health therapists. Her areas of clinical interest include eating disorders, mood concerns, anxiety, developmental trauma, perfectionism, and nervous system regulation. She has specialized training in the full range of eating, exercise, and body image concerns. Erin strives to honor students unique histories and backgrounds and feels privileged to bear witness to their stories.

Approach to Counseling / Theoretical Orientation

Erins approach is engaged, relational, and highly collaborative. Her theoretical orientation is integrative, drawing from interpersonal, emotion-focused, and compassion-focused therapies. As part of the change process, she helps her students understand their mental health concerns within the context of family, community, and culture. She also incorporates mindfulness to help students become aware of and regulate their internal states.

Personal Interests

Erin loves staying connected to family, spending time with friends, and finding new outdoor adventures. She enjoys reading novels and travel blogs, and tries never to miss a day of Wordle.

Professional Interests / Areas of Expertise

Ilya enjoys working with students across various mental health concerns including anxiety, depression, interpersonal relationships, trauma, familial concerns, self-concept, and identity exploration. She is deeply committed to the work of bringing joy and awe into the everyday folds of life. Ilya is especially interested in supporting students through exploring their intersecting identities and how those identities may fit within their communities and within themselves. With Community and Belonging at the crux of Ilyas work, Ilya is committed to creating a space that honors and promotes the exploration of identity, culture, self-compassion, and growth. She finds great purpose in working with students with marginalized identities and multicultural backgrounds.

Approach to Counseling / Theoretical Orientation

Ilyas approach to counseling is rooted in authenticity, curiosity, and relationship building. She utilizes a collaborative and integrative approach to empower clients in identifying their strengths and while exploring their goals and desires for growth. Ilyas main theoretical orientations blend Interpersonal, Person-Centered and Strengths-Based modalities with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Expressive Arts Therapy (EXA). Ilya approaches EXA by deconstructing societal expectations and the intimidating nature of creating art while encouraging the innate human capacity to be creative through warmth and playfulness. Ilya believes in the power of storytelling, especially as a thread that helps weave the narratives written by experience, identity, systems, generational wisdom, and community.

Personal Interests

Ilya loves being outside, cooking elaborate meals, and spending time with her favorite human and non-human animals. She enjoys the smell of fresh laundry in the sun, collecting perfectly smooth rocks, and the warm hug feeling of getting into a hot car. She dislikes wearing shoes, restaurants with loud noise, and having to download new apps. You can find Ilya swimming in crystal clear waters, walking at the park, or digging in the dirt. Ilyas current passion project involves being the primary caretaker of a bucket of worms and waiting patiently to harvest their poop.

Izzy is part of a Pet Therapy Team with Dr. Chris Hogan. Izzy enjoys being around people, getting pets (especially belly rubs once she gets to know you!), playing fetch, chewing bones, and playing with her stuffed hedgehog. She likes to visit students in the Counseling Center lobby, during walks around campus, and at outreach events. Feel free to stop and give her a pet when you see her!