Current Counseling Psychology Ph.D. Students

Kevin Antunes is a first-year student whose research interests revolve around mindfulness-based interventions. He is interested in working with those who experience clinical anxiety and depression and hopes to do a combination of practice, research, and teaching after graduating. Kevin is also a musician and enjoys playing the guitar.

Abisha Ebenezer is a first-year student who is interested in researching college student mental health and well-being, harmful supervision experiences, South Asian young adults' mental health, academic pressure and stress, and race-related stress and trauma. Her clinical interests relate to diverse student populations in college counseling, life transitions, grief work, and psychodynamic interventions. After graduating, Abisha wants to have a faculty position and do clinical work part-time. Something unique about Abisha is that she is a twin.

Christina Korotki is a first-year student who enjoys researching romantic partnerships and factors which influence their maintenance, rupture, and repair. Her clinical interests relate to working with clients dealing with the challenges of normative aging. After she graduates, she hopes to work for the CIA or be in private practice. Christina is a proud mom of a beautiful fur baby – a Border Collie named Clayton Marshall.

Olivia Lesley is a first-year student whose research interests include neuroqueer culture and well-being, sex education, and sex work community strengths and experiences. She primarily works with individuals who are neurodivergent or queer, as well as families and couples facing sexuality-related distress or challenges. After graduating, Olivia wants to continue her clinical work and create resources for sex education from a DEI perspective. She plans to be more involved in education and the dissemination of research and knowledge of the counseling psychology field. Olivia is skilled at navigation and always knows where north is.

Keyarah Quiroz is a first-year student whose research interests relate to mental health disparities within the Hispanic community, along with ethnic identity. Her clinical interests revolve around working with children and adolescents, depression, life transitions, developmental issues, and exploring DBT. After graduating, Keyarah wants to work with children and adolescents and teach. She enjoys theater and had the opportunity to perform on the Hamilton stage before the start of a matinee showing.

Flora Qiyue Wu is a first-year student whose research interests include AI in mental health and virtual reality for mindfulness/sports psychology. Her clinical interests include mind-body integration and using emerging technologies like AI/virtual reality to enhance well-being. After she graduates, Flora would love to pursue a career as a scholar in mental health research. She is also really into bodybuilding, and it is her favorite way to stay energized and focused.

Hanah Yi is a first-year student who is primarily interested in Asian American psychology, mainly how the Model Minority Myth affects the well-being of Asian American populations. She is also interested in how domestic violence is experienced in Asian American populations. Hanah wants to conduct clinical work in non-profit organizations, especially with domestic violence populations. She hopes to work in academia after graduating. Hanah has one cat in New Jersey, and five cats and one dog back home in Georgia.

Melody Young is a first-year student who is interested in researching ethnic and racial identity, bicultural identity, identity development, well-being, acculturation, and Asian American psychology. Clinically, she is interested in Asian American mental health and family relationships. After graduating, Melody hopes to obtain licensure in her home state of California and apply her counseling, research, and teaching skills to serve Asian American populations. In her free time, Melody loves baking and watching Asian shows.

Aliyah Brown is a second-year student whose research interests revolve around stress and well-being for Black individuals. Clinically, she is interested in working with individual and coupled adults in areas such as relational dynamics, trauma, grief/loss, maternal work, anxiety, and depression, among other concerns, from a holistic, integrative lens. After graduating, she hopes to earn her license as a psychologist and dive more into her creative ventures and produce more of the things she enjoys. Aliyah also played the violin for six years.

Chelsea Chen is a second-year student whose research interests relate to interminority racism, multicultural competency training, and activism. Clinically, she is interested in working with East and Southeast Asian populations, intergenerational trauma, and bicultural identity development. After graduating, Chelsea would like to pursue a career in academia so that she can invest in the future of the counseling psychology field through mentorship, research, and teaching. She loves cats and has a cat named Appa.

Jasmine Jackson is a second-year student who is interested in researching spirituality and psychology, along with canine-assisted psychotherapy. Her clinical interests are related to relationship issues, couples, intergenerational trauma, attachment issues, anxiety, and depression. After graduating, Jasmine wants to open up her own private practice, become a full-time professor, and do research. She loves the fall and winter seasons and sunflowers.

Manisha Janjikhel is a second-year student who is interested in researching acculturation and acculturative stressors among first and second-generation Indian American women. Her clinical interests focus on depression, anxiety, trauma, and acculturative stress among adults. After graduating, Manisha would like to practice in a hospital/community center setting as well as private practice. Manisha used to own two ice cream stores in her past career.

Serina Victor is a second-year student whose research interests relate to familial expectations and self-worth in second-generation Black Americans. Her clinical interests revolve around working with adults and couples and working in community mental health. After graduating, Serina hopes to travel. When she is at home, Serina enjoys taking care of her six chickens.

Sophia Shi is a second-year student whose research interests are in multilingual and multicultural populations, language, well-being, and identity. Her clinical interests relate to working with individuals across the lifespan, along with multilingual and multicultural populations. After graduating, Sophia plans to be a practicing psychologist implementing culturally attuned interventions with underserved populations. She loves to try new cuisines.

Jessica Strom, née del Rosario is a second-year student whose research interests lie in understanding how Filipina/o/x Americans draw from ancestral pre-colonial approaches in their healing and wellness practices, and which decolonial practices can be incorporated to help the therapeutic process. She also wonders if there are aspects of Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Philippine Psychology) that apply to the diaspora in the United States. Another area of interest is the experiences of Filipina/o/x Americans on having an undocumented parent. Clinically, she wants to step into the role of becoming a decolonial psychologist and is feeling particularly pulled toward grief work, especially for folks grieving losses that are not typically acknowledged, such as pregnancy loss and pet loss. After graduating, she hopes to incorporate her work as a counseling psychologist with the other arts she practices – writing, herbalism, and music. Her aim is to create spaces and offerings that have yet to be imagined to best meet the needs of the diverse communities around her. Jessica played synthesizer and keyboard in a touring band that performed at SXSW 2006 and Pop Montreal.

Mamona Butt is a third-year student who is interested in researching Muslim American parental socialization and mental health, along with parent-child relationships and filial responsibility. She is interested in conducting clinical work with people of color, immigrants, and marginalized populations through a psychodynamic orientation. After graduating, Mamona hopes to continue working in clinical settings and providing care to marginalized populations who do not feel represented in the mental health field. She strives to provide culturally competent care to clients in various settings (private practice, inpatient, etc.). Mamona prefers books over movies and shows.

Angela Cabble is a third-year student who is interested in researching mental health disparities among Black post-incarcerated men. Clinically, she is interested in substance use, trauma, forensic, and veteran populations. Angela hopes to go into private practice and consultation work, as well as work with forensic populations after graduating. She loves fashion and matches her accessories with her clothing every day.

Nicole Elyukin is a third-year student whose research interests focus on improving healthcare integration (particularly within reproductive health), help-seeking attitudes, and access to mental health services. Her clinical interests revolve around providing counseling services to individuals experiencing mental health concerns related to reproductive health across the lifespan, including menstruation, pregnancy, perimenopause, and more. After graduating, she would like to work within a reproductive health setting, preferably in an academic hospital where she has opportunities for teaching and research in addition to her clinical work. Nicole loves baking and trying out new recipes.

Tejasvini Mantripragada is a third-year student who is interested in researching South Asian American psychological well-being, specifically the intersection of gender and South Asian American identity with regard to constructs like cultural values conflict and shame. Clinically, she is most interested in working with South Asians/South Asian Americans and people with other marginalized identities. She approaches her clinical work with a liberation psychology framework because she believes individuals are impacted by their sociopolitical contexts, not just their childhood and interpersonal relationships. After graduating, Tejasvini wants to open up her own private practice, teach, engage in policy/advocacy work, and take on leadership roles in various APA divisions. Tejasvini has been a vegetarian her entire life and enjoys trying vegetarian-friendly restaurants.

Jayda Yizar is a third-year student who is interested in researching the  intersection between racial and athletic identity and how it impacts one's performance and well-being on and off the field. Her clinical interests are in sports psychology and marriage and family therapy. After graduating, Jayda hopes to work within an athletic department at a prestigious university, open her own private practice, and/or work for a sports agency such as Roc Nation Sports or Klutch Sports. Jayda completed her bachelor’s, master’s, and certificate at Seton Hall University.