Meet Our Staff
Xi Bi, Psy.D. (pronounced See Be)
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Staff Clinician and Post Doctoral Fellow
Additional Roles: Trans Care Team, Training for Ears for Peers, Outreach
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Multi-identities exploration and expansion including acculturation and adaptation for international students; racial and cultural dilemmas encountered by Asian young adults in the U.S.; gender and sexuality exploration; and life stage transitions. Interpersonal concerns such as the impacts of family and intergenerational relationships on individuation in groups on campus; learning to be assertive and cultivating motivation of self-care as marginalized students who experience micro-aggressions and overt racism. Trauma-induced repetitive symptomology and mood disturbance, including but not limited to racial and cultural trauma, gendered trauma, attachment, and emotional trauma.
Approaches to Treatment: I am a culturally sensitive generalist clinician with a background focusing on contemporary psychodynamic and analytic training under a relational, multicultural, intersectional, and postmodern framework. I have clinical passions in applying gender and queer theories, group theories, and object-relations theories to individual and group work. My clinical background allows me to see an individual as a psychological being and a relational being, alternating their sets of selves depending on the relative socio-political positions as well as the historical and spatial context they are in. In treatment, I am attentive to experiences of “invisibility” and “misattunement,” thus will utilize and encourage non-verbal and metaphorical communication with students from all backgrounds. I consider it an honor to participate in your journey of knowing yourself and to facilitate you recognizing and getting out of the “sand-stuck” situation in college life.
Personal Interests: I enjoy living with my beloved dog, cat, fish, and plants, practicing archery, learning and mastering new skills every day (such as skateboarding as of recently), and expecting Boston winter to come to have a sweating snowball fight with friends then lie on the thick snow.
Language(s) Spoken: Mandarin, English
Candyce Burke Auguste, Psy.D.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Staff Clinician and Assistant Director of Racial and Cultural Engagement
Additional Roles: Liaison to Africana Center and Residential Life; Facilitator of OASIS Student Group for Black-identified students; Race Dialogue Committee Member
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Mental health concerns impacting 1st generation college students; students with historically marginalized identities; social justice; racial trauma; interpersonal relationship concerns; women’s concerns; intersectionality; resilience; identity development; graduate student mental health; spirituality and religious integration.
Approaches to Treatment: My therapeutic style is warm, empowering and collaborative. I view it as an honor to walk alongside individuals and bear witness to their experiences. It is a priority of mine to cultivate a supportive, safe and liberated space for people of all backgrounds to be their authentic selves. As an integrative clinician, my work is influenced by a relational, humanistic and social justice lens and based on the specific needs and preferences of the person. I frequently utilize motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral, dialectical behavioral, self-compassion and mindfulness skills to foster meaningful change. In addition to making room to explore challenges, I believe that it is essential to focus on an individual’s strengths and both internal and external resources.
Personal Interests: I enjoy spending quality time with friends and family, art and crafts and cuddling with my dog. I am super proud of the prayer and meditation space I have created in my home and try to spend time there regularly. I am a self-proclaimed “foodie” and enjoy cooking. About once or twice a month, I upload videos to my YouTube cooking channel! I enjoy listening to jazz, R&B and gospel music and love podcasts that speak to my identities and/or culture.
Language(s) Spoken: English
Marilyn Downs, Ph.D., LICSW
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Staff Clinician and Director of Outreach and Group Program
Additional Roles: Liaison to Active Minds, CARE Office, and AS&E Faculty. Member of CMHS team supporting race dialogues. Facilitator of the Survivors Support Group.
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Growing up with adversity (trauma, neglect, poverty, mental illness, or addiction): sexual assault and interpersonal violence; family and relational conflicts and challenges; living with mental illness.
Approaches to Treatment: I strive toward a style that is warm, non-judgmental, respectful, and active. I use a blend of therapeutic approaches aimed at helping you gain clarity and develop strategies to feel better. I am interested in seeing you as a whole person; understanding your experiences within your personal, cultural, and social contexts; and supporting your strengths and resilience.
Personal Interests: Connecting with others for meaningful conversation and shared activities; painting and other forms of artmaking. I read a lot, keep a journal, and try to meditate. I love walking in beautiful places. I’m involved in community-based racial justice work. Having a sense of humor helps me keep things in perspective.
Language(s) spoken: English
Linda Shane Escoll, Psy.D., Ed.M.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Staff Clinician and Associate Director
Additional Roles: Liaison Program Coordinator, Liaison to Residential Life, Ex College, Athletics, Staff Advisor for Ears for Peers
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: College and graduate student mental health issues including adjustment, anxiety, and depression; impact of sociocultural context; identity exploration; addressing relationship concerns and enhancing skills; coping with loss; family issues; increasing self-esteem and authenticity
Approaches to Treatment: I try to create a safe counseling space to allow for honest communication and open expression of thoughts and feelings. I am interactive and collaborative as I work to understand the experience of the person I’m seeing. I take a practical approach and help with skill building, while I am also interested in all the complexities that make us who we are including family experiences, social and culture contexts, relationship experiences, and day to day life.
Personal Interests: Being with friends and family and dogs, spending time outdoors to walk or run, watching a good movie or series
Language(s) Spoken: English
Jennifer Granquist, LMHC
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Staff Clinician and Urgent Care Specialist
Additional Roles: Liaison to Career Center and Residential Life.
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: My primary interest is making mental health resources, knowledge and skills for navigating life accessible to everyone, especially in times of crisis. Areas of interest and expertise include crisis intervention and risk assessment, trauma-informed care and response, grief, emerging adult mental health, first generation student experience and adjustment, identity development, interpersonal concerns, adjustment and life transitions. I am interested in supporting students in developing resiliency skills to support self-efficacy and advocacy. I am also trained in Expressive Arts Therapy and Koru Mindfulness.
Approaches to Treatment: My approach is collaborative, relational, person-centered, and strength-based. I integrate self-compassion, mindfulness, knowledge of neuroscience and cognitive behavioral therapy including DBT and ACT into practice. Students often leave our sessions with skills for prioritizing mental well-being and bouncing back from life stressors.
Language(s) Spoken: English
Stefan Jadaszewski, Ph.D.
Additional Roles: Support to CMHS Liaisons to the LGBT Center and Africana Center, Trans Care Team
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Life transitions and adjustments of undergraduate and graduate students, chronic depression, anxiety, emotional intelligence, mental health stigma, interpersonal relationships, identity development, supporting LGBTQIA+ students (including support or referrals for gender affirmation processes), and the intersection of masculinity and mental health.
Approaches to Treatment: I use a therapeutic style that is collaborative and builds on students’ existing strengths. My therapeutic approach integrates elements of various theories of psychotherapy based on the goals we identify together. I often bring attention to what is happening “here and now” in the therapy room, and how that can inform the questions or concerns that bring a person to therapy. I strive to infuse a multicultural orientation and gender-aware/LGBTQ+-affirmative perspectives into my work.
Personal Interests: Outside of work, I enjoy reading, baking, backpacking, kayaking, and whatever gets me outside.
Language(s) Spoken: English
Julie B. Jampel, Ph.D.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Staff Clinician and Director of Training
Additional Roles: Continuing Education Director, liaison to the StAAR Center and liaison to the Fletcher School
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Developmental issues of late adolescents and young adults, coping with disabilities, family conflict, relationship concerns, loss
Approaches to Treatment: Having a space for honest communication and reflection about oneself and one's life can lead to growth and change. My approach emphasizes creating that space to facilitate problem-solving, to generate insight and understanding of one's struggles, and to know oneself as well as possible.
Personal Interests: Taking long walks, reading fiction, talking and laughing with friends and family.
Language(s) Spoken: English
James Kane, LICSW
Pronouns: he/him/his
Staff Clinician and Care Manager
Additional Roles: Liaison to Residential Life
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Substance use; Grief and bereavement; Family and relationship difficulties; Depression and anxiety; Working with LGBTQ+ students; Students who are adjusting to life transitions/navigating academic barriers.
Theoretical Orientation: Collaborative and relational; Solution-focused approach; Motivational interviewing; Helping to empower the student.
Language(s) Spoken: English
Zara Konarski, PMHCNS, BC
Jennifer Lawrence, MSW, LICSW
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Staff Clinician
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: College student mental health, suicide prevention and intervention, crisis intervention
Approaches to Treatment: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with a person-centered approach working to improve distress tolerance and emotional regulation skills.
Personal interests: Hanging out with my pup, Link. Watching the Red Sox. Running.
Language(s) Spoken: English
Cheryle Lee
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Office Coordinator
Donna Madarese
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Receptionist
Susan Mahoney, PMHCNS – BC
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Adult Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist, Board Certified
Primary Role: Diagnostic assessment and evaluation for medication treatment; ongoing assessment and management of medication for a range of mental health problems; education related to mental health problems, medications, and other treatments; consultation/support for students in crisis
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Developmental issues of late adolescence/early adulthood and the influence of social class and culture on the student’s experience; students who have experienced trauma/sexual assault, coping with both physical and mental health problems
Theoretical Orientation: Eclectic, integrating bio/psycho/social, relational, and mindfulness based approaches to treatment
Language(s) Spoken: English
Dominique McCoy, LCSW
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Staff Clinician
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Dominique graduated from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Sociology and a Minor in Women Studies and has a Masters in Social Work with a certificate in Trauma Practice from Simmons University. Dominique is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has experience working with individuals who are experiencing esteem issues, transition, trauma, depression, and anxiety. Dominique is passionate about creating change in her community and has dedicated most of her life to helping people overcome their personal struggles and traumas.
Approaches to Treatment: Dominique utilizes an array of treatment modalities including solution focused, CBT, persons centered and strength based to facilitate growth, healing and transformation in her clients. Dominique uses a collaborative process with her clients as well as holistic modalities in support of emotional integration, wellbeing relaxation and mindfulness.
Identities: Black, Woman
Language(s) Spoken: English
*Dominique is working with us through our partner Mantra Health. Initial appointments are made through our office and follow-up appointments are made through Mantra’s portal at app.mantrahealth.com
Samuel J. Ocasio-Domínguez, Ph.D.(pronounced Samwell)
Staff Clinician
Additional Roles: Liaison to the Tufts Latinx Center
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Emotional dysregulation; trauma; racial trauma; 1st generation students; challenges associated with English as a second language; Latinx and Afro-Latinx students; BIPOC students; LGBTQ+ students; Dialectical Behavior Therapy; Cognitive Behavioral and mindfulness-based therapies.
Approaches to Treatment: I approach therapy with curiosity, humbleness, respect, kindness, humor, and collaboration. I believe that students are the experts on their lives, and as a therapist I support them to identify issues they want to work on, and to facilitate their journey to a more fulfilling life. My therapeutic approach is grounded in social justice, multicultural, multiracial, feminist and culturally informed developmental theories, integrating cultural practices and spirituality when important to the students.
Personal Interests: I enjoy spending time with my dog, my partner, friends, and family. One of my favorite things to do is cooking and sharing my Puerto Rican-Caribbean culinary skills with friends from different cultures. I love music, exercising and reading.
Language(s) Spoken: Spanish, English
Cate Petrowski, Ph.D.
Pronouns: they/them/theirs
Staff Clinician and Post Doctoral Fellow
Additional Roles: Trans Care Team, Training for Ears for Peers, Outreach
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Trauma, serious mental illness, family (broadly defined) and relationships, working with LGBTQ+ students, identity exploration and development, grief and loss, arts-based interventions, advocacy and empowerment, and mutual help/peer support.
Approaches to Treatment: My approach is collaborative, affirming, and relational. I utilize a feminist and interpersonal process-oriented lens, and I seek to co-create a space where students feel seen, heard, and empowered. I believe it’s important to understand and discuss how social and cultural contexts influence our lived experience and mental health, and I aim to collaborate with students to explore and build their own personal definitions of wellness and recovery.
Personal Interests: Watching movies and TV shows, thrifting and visiting vintage stores, drawing and other creative activities, learning new things, and spending time with my dog, Frances, and my cat, Theodore.
Language(s) Spoken: English
Xavier Quinn, LICSW
Additional Roles: Trans Care Team
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: PTSD, trauma (including experiencing or witnessing violence, sexual assault, partner abuse, hate violence, child abuse/neglect, and accidents/injury), trans, nonbinary, and gender diverse identity development and transition, LGBTQIA+ communities, depression, anxiety, neurodivergence (ADHD, Autism Spectrum), grief, substance use, coping with systemic oppression such as racism, classism, sexism, transphobia, biphobia, and homophobia, resolving inner conflict, and accepting parts of oneself that have previously been suppressed, hidden, or denied. I also have experience working with polyamorous, BDSM, and kink communities.
Approaches to Treatment: I use a strengths-based, non-judgmental, collaborative approach to therapy and incorporate the following modalities, as needed: EMDR (Eye Movement Reprocessing and Desensitization), IFS (Internal Family Systems therapy), DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy), mindfulness, and empowerment theory.
Personal Interests: Board games, tarot cards, musicals, spending time outdoors, Buddhism, Sci-fi books, TV and movies
Language(s) Spoken: English, conversational Spanish
Sophie Ricks, LICSW
Helen Rivera Medina, Psy.D., LMHC
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Staff Clinician
Approaches to Treatment: My approach to treatment is integrative, drawing from a variety of approaches to best meet the unique needs of each client. My background includes working in private practice, conducting community outreach, being a professor of Social Sciences, providing forensic evaluations, and also being a human being. I welcome this opportunity to work with Tufts students!
Language(s) Spoken: Spanish, English
*Helen is working with us through our partner Mantra Health. Initial appointments are made through our office and follow-up appointments are made through Mantra’s portal at app.mantrahealth.com
Julie S. Ross, Ph.D.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Staff Clinician and Director of CMHS
Additional Roles: Liaison to DOSA office, various ongoing and ad hoc committee memberships
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: I have always been drawn to understand how people become who they are within the environments of family, community, and culture. It is within these contexts that I seek to understand the mental health challenges faced by university students. I have worked with students dealing a wide variety of issues including life transitions, family and relationship concerns, grief and loss, trauma, anxiety, and depression. In my role as Director, I focus on college mental health administration, mental health issues in higher education, suicide prevention, staff development, and consultation.
Approaches to Treatment: In meeting with students I aim to co-create a space of genuine and open communication in which trust can grow. My style is relational and interactive, and tools used in treatment vary according to the individual situation. These may include exploration and expression of thoughts and feelings, expanding skills in areas such as stress coping, communication, boundary setting, and more, providing support in problem solving, or some combination of these.
Personal Interests: I love a good psychological mystery novel, growing things indoors and out, spending time with family and friends, all animals (but especially dogs!), cooking gluten free foods, and relaxing walks in the woods.
Language(s) Spoken: English
Gabrielle Roy, Psy.D.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Staff Clinician and Post Doctoral Fellow
Additional Roles: Trans Care Team, Training for Ears for Peers, Outreach
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Anxiety, trauma, eating and body image concerns, interpersonal concerns, adjustment, identity formation, life transition, crisis intervention, and outreach programming. I also enjoy working with students who are distrustful of therapy or may have had a previous negative experience with mental health services.
Approaches to Treatment: My therapeutic approach is collaborative, relational, emotion-focused, and non-judgmental. I work from primarily an interpersonal/use-of-self framework and believe the therapeutic relationship/dynamic between client and therapist is instrumental in the change process. As a therapist I strive to create a supportive and encouraging space for clients, while also balancing providing authentic and directive feedback when appropriate. In my work with clients struggling with body image and food related concerns I use a similar approach while also incorporating a body positive, or body neutral, and anti-diet perspective. I also enjoy incorporating mindfulness in sessions and helping clients identify ways they can integrate these skills into their everyday life.
Personal Interests: Outside of work you may find me wandering Barnes and Noble searching for yet another book to add to my never ending “to be read” list, clipping into a spin class, or spending time with family, friends, or my pug, Cookie.
Language(s) Spoken: English
Erica Schonman, MPH, CHES
Mental Health Promotion Specialist
Priya Sehgal, MD (Bio coming soon!)
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Staff Psychiatrist
Deborah Siegel, Ph.D.
Staff Clinician, Medford and SMFA
Personal Interests: Spending time with family, friends and my sweet dog, watching documentaries and movies that are “so bad they’re good,” collecting vinyl records, comedy, and exploring art museums.
Language(s) Spoken: English
Bela Skorska, LICSW
Staff Clinician
Additional Roles: Trans Care Team; Liaison to the FIRST Resource Center
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Working with college and graduate students, first generation students, LGBTQIA+ identified folks, historically minoritized groups, immigrants and refugees. My clinical interests include: healing from trauma; understanding the impact of intergenerational, community, and racial trauma; identity development including coming out, exploring gender, sexual orientation, and sexual identity; gender affirming care and providing evaluation and letters for GAHT and GAS; navigating relationship dynamics; managing anxiety and depression; breaking cycles of abuse and violence; building a healthy relationship to body and self; socio-economic and social justice work; integration of spirituality in counseling (when desired); existential therapy around meaning making and resolving inner conflict.
Approaches to Treatment: My approach to treatment is holistic, relational, intersectional, and psychodynamic. I draw on theories from feminist, queer, and developmental frameworks. I believe in the integration of mind, body, and spirit and understanding an individual in the greater social/relational context. I also incorporate mindfulness, skills-based, and cognitive-behavioral approaches in treatment. I aim to create a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental space where we can explore the things that are challenging, as well as celebrate successes and growth. My belief is that you are the expert on your life, and I am honored to join you on your journey (even if briefly) to work collaboratively on building your strengths, fostering self- empowerment, and increasing self-compassion.
Personal Interests: Buddhist philosophy. Hanging out with my dog (and cat when he allows it). Taking walks. Swimming. Reading. Meditation. Art. Drag. Comedy. Indie comic books. Putzing around bookstores and record shops.
Language(s) Spoken: English, Polish
Kyla White, LMHC, LADCPronouns: she/her/hers
Staff Clinician
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: College student mental health, substance use, depression, anxiety
Approaches to Treatment: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with a person-centered approach working to improve distress tolerance and emotional regulation skills.
Personal Interests: Hiking, skiing and watching the Bruins
Language(s) Spoken: English
*Kyla is working with us through our partner Mantra Health. Initial appointments are made through our office and follow-up appointments are made through Mantra’s portal at app.mantrahealth.com
Andrew Yuen, Psy.D.
Pronouns: he/him/his
Staff Clinician
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: I help students manage concerns with anxiety, depression, emerging adulthood, relationship conflicts, grief & loss, family of origin issues, men’s issues, and more. I have a specific interest in working with international students, first-generation students, and graduate students. I enjoy helping people explore their identities (gender and sexuality, racial and ethnic, cultural, etc.).
Theoretical Orientation: I am a generalist clinician who draws from Person-Centered/Humanistic, Interpersonal, ACT, and DBT theories. I prioritize creating a safe, warm, and non-judgmental therapeutic space. I strive to be culturally informed in my work with all my students. My style emphasizes authenticity, compassion, and collaboration. I help students build coping skills and harness their existing strengths.
Personal Interests: I am interested in running, photography, and learning to cook vegan-friendly versions of my favorite recipes. I enjoy reading both American and world history, and science fiction. My favorite video game series are the original Mass Effect trilogy, Fire Emblem, and Legend of Zelda.
Language(s) Spoken: English