Counseling Center

All are trained to help students with a wide range of personal problems, emotional and psychological difficulties, career questions, and relationship issues. The Counseling Center staff adheres to all relevant ethical codes of conduct and state and federal laws and regulations. The staff is committed to the highest standards of competency in meeting the needs of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including differences of culture, race, ethnicity, national origin, class, gender, ability, age, and sexual orientation. The Counseling Center's internship is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Meet Our Staff

Senior Staff

JENNA BAUER, Psy.D. (California School of Professional Psychology- Alliant International University, 2011)

Visiting Staff Psychologist

Areas of special interest: Eating disorders and body image; mindfulness meditation; multiculturalism; trauma; relational issues.

STEPHANIE BENEDICT, Psy.D. (Illinois School of Professional Psychology, 2006)

Interim Associate Director for Training, Staff Psychologist

Areas of special interest: Multicultural counseling, training, and supervision; gender identity and sexual orientation concerns; relational issues; grief and loss.

Liaison to: Campus Housing (South Campus), Native American Support, Office for Student Veterans, Pharmacy, Urban Planning and Public Affairs

LEANNA FORTUNATO, Ph.D. (Eastern Michigan University, 2010)

Assistant Director for Clinical Services, Staff Psychologist

Areas of special interest: Relational issues; women's issues; eating concerns and body image; identity issues; self-esteem.

Liaison to: Education, Financial Aid, Housing (West Campus), Nursing, Public Health

JOSEPH HERMES, Ph.D. (Loyola University Chicago, 1985)

Director, Staff Psychologist

Areas of special interest: Administration of mental health services in university settings; brief therapies; consultation and psychoeducational outreach; and supervision/mentoring of trainees.

Liaison to: Academic Center for Excellence, Campus Ministries, Campus Police, Family Medicine/Student Health, Legal Counsel, Neuropsychiatric Institute (NPI)/Campus Care, University Hospital/ER

SEUNGHEE KWON, Ph.D. (Indiana University, 2011)

Areas of special interest: Multicultural counseling and training; identity development; relational concerns; interpersonal and group dynamics related to racial/ethnic diversity; international students and immigrants; LGBTQ concerns; family of origin issues; grief and loss; crisis intervention; and group therapy.

Liaison to:Applied Health Sciences, AARCC/Asian American Cultural Center, Chancellor's Committee on the Status of Asian Americans, Engineering, Graduate, Language and Culture Learning Center

KAREN L. MADDI, Ph.D. (University of North Carolina, 1988)

Associate Director for Clinical Services, Staff Psychologist

Areas of special interest: Eating disorders; treatment of trauma; women's mental health; social justice; research and technology.

Liaison to: Architecture & the Arts, Campus Police, Dentistry, Family Medicine/Student Health, Legal Counsel, Neuropsychiatric Institute (NPI)/Campus Care, Office of Applied Psychological Services

NICHOLAS M. McCARLEY, Psy.D. (Illinois School of Professional Psychology, 2009)

Assistant Director for Psychoeducation/Outreach, Staff Psychologist

Areas of special interest: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer concerns/issues; experiencing and expressing emotion; understanding context and multicultural identity; teaching and training; relational concerns; couple's counseling; yoga; and film analysis.

Liaison to: Business Administration, Career Services, Chancellor's Committee on the Status of LGBTQ People and Allies, Gender and Sexuality Center, Honors College, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Student Development, Student Orientation Committee

YOKO MORI, Ph.D. (Lehigh University, 2010)

Assistant Director for Paraprofessional Training, Staff Psychologist

Areas of special interest: Multicultural issues in therapy and training/supervision; social justice activism; international students' adjustment issues.

Liaison to: Asian American Resource and Cultural Center, Children's Center, Library, Office of International Services, Psychology Department

LUIS G. SALAS, MSW (University of Illinois' Jane Addams College of Social Work - Chicago, 2009)

Areas of interest: Hotline Administration; Supervising/mentoring student volunteers; mental health issues; college adjustment issues; social justice; multicultural issues; relational issues; family issues.

MARISA SERRATO, M.D. (Baylor College of Medicine, 2001)

Areas of special interest: Psychiatric management of college mental health; women's mental health; mood and anxiety disorders.

Liaison to: Medicine, Family Medicine/Student health, Neuropsychiatric Institute (NPI)/Campus Care, University Hospital/ER

BENJAMIN SCHWARTZ, Psy.D. (Argosy University - Chicago, 2011)

Group Coordinator, Staff Psychologist

Areas of special interest: Men's issues; learning disabilities and ADHD; identity development; gender-based violence; group psychotherapy.

Liaison to: Athletics, Chancellor's Committee on the Status of People with Disabilities, Disability Resource Center, Campus Housing (East Campus), Medicine, Social Work

DANIELLE SIMMONS, Ph.D. (Iowa State University, 2010)

Areas of special interest: Multicultural counseling and training; supervision; relational concerns; Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersexed, and queer concerns; identity issues; consultation and psychoeducational outreach

Liaison to: AAAN/African American Cultural Center, Chancellor's Committee on the Status of Blacks, Commuter Center, Project Chance, Trio

JEANETTE SIMON, Psy.D. (Illinois School of Professional Psychology, 1997)

Interim Assistant Director for Training, Staff Psychologist

Areas of special interest: Training and supervision; relational issues (including couples, family and parenting concerns); gender issues; substance abuse.

Liaison to: Chancellor's Committee on the Status of Women, Children's Center, LARES/Latin American Cultural Center, The Wellness Center, Women's Affairs/Campus Advocacy Network, The Writing Center

Post Doctorol Fellows

Heather Frank, Psy.D. (Illinois School of Professional Psychology, 2012)

Areas of special interest: Body image and eating concerns; women's issues; identity development; multicultural counseling; supervision and training psychodynamic and feminist theories, outreach programming.

Benjamin Neale, Psy.D. (California School of Professional Psychology, 2012)

Areas of special interest: Multicultural, identity and social justice issues; relational concerns (including peer and familial contexts); outreach and education.

Allison Niebes-Davis, Ph.D. (Texas A&M University, 2012)

Areas of special interest: Identity development; women’s issues; multicultural counseling; group psychotherapy; supervision and training, first-generation college students.

Interns

Cristina Dorazio, Ed.M., Teacher's College at Columbia University, Counseling Psychology

Rebecca Hubbard, M.S., Virginia Commonwealth University, Counseling Psychology

Sonia Sampat, B.S., Illinois School of Professional Psychology - Schaumburg, Clinical Psychology

Sherry Wang, M.A., University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Counseling Psychology

Externs

Chih-Ting Chang, M.Ed., Loyola University Chicago, Counseling Psychology

Lauren Hussar, M.A., Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Clinical Psychology

Katharine Kharas, Adler School of Professional Psychology, Clinical Psychology

Brian Nalley, M.A., Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Clinical Psychology

Counseling Center