¡BIENESTAR!

BIENESTAR Co-lab Leader

• Completed a M.Ed. in Educational Psychology Applied Cognition and Development
• Began doctoral program in Counseling Psychology at the University of Georgia in 2020

Research Interests: Latinx Psychology regarding Resilience, Systematic Trauma, Drug Abuse, Self-Perception, Racial/Ethnic Identity, and intersectionality within biracial communities. Mental health and academic success of marginalized communities with a primary focus on Latinx college students and Latinx Adolescents.

Leslie teaches the Drug and Alcohol Abuse course within the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services. Additionally, she provides bilingual counseling to the uninsured Latinx community of Athens in La Clinica in LaK’ech and college students at the Center for Counseling and Personal Evaluation.

BIENESTAR Co-lab Leader

• Completed a M.A. in Mental Health Counseling at Boston College
• Began doctoral program in Counseling Psychology at the University of Georgia in 2020

Research Interests: Mental health and wellness of marginalized communities with a primary focus on Afro-Latinx and Afro-Caribbean persons throughout the lifespan. Decolonized forms of wellness and healing. Evaluation of mental health interventions. Bilingual counseling, training, and supervision. Racial identity development.

Ammy teaches the Diversity and Helping Skills course within the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services. Additionally, she provides bilingual counseling to the uninsured Latinx community of Athens in La Clinica in LaK’ech and Mercy Health Center.

Clinic Co-Coordinator

• Completed a MSW in Children and Families and was a Title IV-E stipend recipient specializing in child welfare at University of California, Berkeley in 2016
• Completed M.Ed. in Child, Human, and Family Services with a specialization in Prevention Science at University of Oregon in 2014
• Began doctoral program in Counseling Psychology at the University of Georgia in 2019

Research Interests: Structural violence and its impacts on mental health and well-being on children and families, foster youth mental health, expanding culturally rooted sources of healing, and preventative, interdisciplinary, and intersectional mental health interventions

Jacky is currently serving as a Clinical Co-Coordinator, MSW field placement supervisor, and doctoral-level clinician at La Clinica in Lak’ech, a bilingual Spanish and bicultural community clinic dedicated to providing counseling to Latinx community members. Her advanced placement practicum is at the Grady Nia Project, an Emory University affiliated program, where she serves African American women who have experienced trauma across their lifespan.

Additionally, she is Goizueta Foundation Graduate Scholars serving as a research assistant within the Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education, which aims to improve the educational outcomes of Latinx and other culturally and linguistically diverse students within Georgia. Lastly, Jacky is a recipient of the American Psychological Association MFP Predoctoral Fellowship in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (MHSAS).

Clinic Co-Coordinator

• Completed M.S/Ed.S degrees in Mental Health Counseling at Florida State University
• Began doctoral program in Counseling Psychology at UGA in 2019

Charmaine’s research interests are focused on understanding the impact of trauma on the Latinx community. Specifically, childhood trauma, domestic violence, and suicidal behaviors. Additional research interests include BIPOC communities’ access to culturally competent mental health services.

Charmaine currently serves as the co-coordinator at La Clinica In LaK’ech, a bilingual and bicultural mental health clinic that provides counseling services to Latinxs in Athens, GA. She is completing her advanced practicum placement with the Nia Project at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, which provides behavioral health services to survivors of abuse. Charmaine serves on the Student Committee for NLPA, the liaison for the Georgia Psychological Association Graduate Student Committee, and the Social Chair for UGA’s Counseling Psychology Student Association. When Charmaine is not engaging in her academic and professional duties, she loves to spend time with family and friends, travel, dance, and eat (especially Mexican food)!

• Completed a M.Ed. in Professional Counseling, University of Georgia, Athens, GA.
• Began doctoral program in Counseling Psychology at the University of Georgia in 2018

Research interests: Multicultural counseling, Liberation psychology, Latinx psychology, social justice, and advocacy. More specifically, exploring complex trauma encountered in immigrant communities and intergenerational conflict due to mixed document status in families based on social-political climate. Elizabeth is interested in understanding social justice and activism in communities and in the counseling psychology field.

Currently, Elizabeth is working as a Graduate Assistant to Division 17’ s President Dr. Anneliese Singh. Elizabeth’s clinical practice extends to providing bilingual/bicultural counseling services to Latinx populations in Athens at La Clinica in LaK’ech, and Mercy Health Center.

• Completed an M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology at the University of Missouri- Columbia
• Began doctoral program in Counseling Psychology at the University of Georgia in 2021

Research Interests:

Trauma and Resiliency within the Latinx community, trauma among victims/survivors of domestic abuse and/or sexual assault, and the immigrant community

Jocelyn is currently an Academic Coach for the College of Agriculture under the Office for Student Success and Achievement. She also provides bilingual therapy for the Latinx community at La Clinica in LaK’ech in Athens, GA.

• Completed an M.S.Ed in Mental Health Counseling at the University of Miami
• Completed an M.S. in Third Generation Psychotherapies at Universidad Internacional Valenciana
• Began a doctoral program in Counseling Psychology at the University of Georgia in 2021

Research Interests: Latinx mental health (special focus on South Americans’), ethnic minorities within the Latinx community, intersectionality, identity development, acculturative stress, and resilience.

Alejandra currently works as a Graduate Assistant for Diversity Education at the Office of Institutional Diversity and provides bilingual psychotherapy for the Latinx community in Athens.

• Completed a M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Vanderbilt University
• Began doctoral program in Counseling Psychology at the University of Georgia in Fall 2020

Research interests include the intersection of chronic illness (specifically Sickle Cell Disease), access to mental health, and attitudes towards seeking mental health in Black identifying communities. Integration of culturally-relevant therapeutic interventions in behavioral healthcare settings. Training and education on appropriately identifying physical and emotional symptoms of race-based stress and trauma in communities of color.

Jasmine teaches the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Issues course within the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services. Clinically, she provides counseling to the greater Athens community in the Center for Counseling and Personal Evaluation at UGA and to the uninsured community in Athens at Mercy Health Center. Overall, she is passionate about making quality psychoeducation and counseling relevant and accessible to communities bearing some of the greatest needs.

• Completed M.Ed. degree in Counseling Psychology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
• Began doctoral program in Counseling Psychology at the University of Georgia in 2019

Research Assistant

Research interests: Transgenerational trauma within the Latinx community, immigration, stress-related to living in poverty, multicultural concerns, familismo, and acculturation.

Nancy facilitates individual bilingual (Spanish & English) and bicultural therapy with the Latinx community in Athens, GA. In her free time, Nancy enjoys watching Netflix, dancing, cooking, and practicing hot yoga.

• Completed MS degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Georgia State University
• Began doctoral program in Counseling Psychology at the University of Georgia in 2018

Her research interests focus on understanding complex trauma and post-traumatic growth that occurs within Latinx immigrant communities. More specifically, the pre-, in-transit, and post-immigration narratives of individuals and families from Mexican and Central American communities in Georgia. Her lived identities have informed her work, and she has also seen first-hand the need for culturally and linguistically competent mental health services. Overall, she is committed to serving underrepresented and marginalized communities, and through her work, she hopes to fight the stigma around mental illness one day at a time.

Ana Carina is a bicultural and bilingual practicing Latina therapist. Through her training, Ana Carina has gained clinical experience across the lifespan in counseling centers (Center for Counseling and Personal Evaluation), community mental health (La Clinica in LaK’ech and Mercy Health Center), and hospital settings (The Grady Nia Project). She is in her second appointment year with the American Psychological Association, Minority Fellowship Program: Doctoral Fellowship in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Currently, she is also working on all thing’s internship and dissertation.

• Completed an M.A. in Mental Health Counseling at Boston College
• Began doctoral program in Counseling Psychology at the University of Georgia in 2020

Research Interests: Latinx college student academic adjustment, psychological well-being, and mentorship. Healing and perseverance following traumatic events, suicidality, and strength-based interventions.

Alexina teaches the Career and Life Planning course within the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services. Additionally, she provides counseling to the uninsured Latinx community of Athens in La Clinica in LaK’ech and college students at the Center for Counseling and Personal Evaluation.

• Completed a M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling 2019
• Began doctoral program in Counseling Psychology at the University of Georgia in 2019

Research Interests: counselor attitudes towards disability, experiences of clients with disabilities receiving mental health counseling services, effectiveness of interprofessional care in integrative healthcare settings, disability affirmative therapy in integrative healthcare settings

Denise serves as the Program Assistant for the Mental Health Counseling M.Ed. program and teaches the experiential Helping Skills lab in the Department of Counseling and Human Services. She is currently a psychology extern at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Endocrinology department at the Center for Advanced Pediatrics where she works with children, adolescents, teens, and caregivers navigating mental health concerns related to Diabetes and endocrine disorders.

• Completed a M.A. in Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University
• Began doctoral program in Counseling Psychology at the University of Georgia in 2021

Research Interests: Mental health outcomes among BIPOC and historically disenfranchised individuals; intersectionality of ethnic and queer identities; bisexual erasure within LGBTQ+ community; feminist/womanist identity development among Latinx women; cultural gender role endorsement and perceived mental wellness; underrepresented college student experiences in higher education; mental health promotion/prevention, intervention, and sustainable collective wellness

Lucia is a Graduate Assistant at the Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education (CLASE) where she contributes to narrowing the achievement gap of Latinx and culturally and linguistically diverse students primarily through research that informs professional development and outreach initiatives for students and educators.

• Completed B.S. in Psychology at University of North Georgia
• Began doctoral program in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in School Psychology at the University of Georgia in Fall 2021

Research interests include expanding school mental health resources, supporting culturally and linguistically diverse students in academic settings, ethnic racial identity development and social supports impact on mental health. Additional research interests include understanding how culturally and linguistically diverse parents obtain ABA services for their children and how well those services are implemented.

Madison currently works as a Research Assistant for the Mary Frances Early College of Education. She is a member of the PRISMS Lab in the Educational Psychology department, which focuses on the prevention and intervention of mental health and substance misuse in low-resource minority service schools.

• Completed MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
• Began doctoral program in Counseling Psychology, Health Psychology Emphasis at the University of Georgia in 2020

Research Interests: Health psychology, culturally and linguistically appropriate behavioral healthcare, integrated behavioral healthcare and telemedicine/tele-behavioral healthcare.

Mandy is currently a research assistant in the towards health equities lab and a behavioral health clinician providing inter-professional consultation, SSRI medication management assistance, treatment planning, individual and group therapy. Her aim is to contribute to the improvement of the quality and access of integrated behavioral health care services in rural, underserved communities, and ethnic minority populations.