Meet Our Staff

We are staffed by professionally trained counselors.

• We have expertise and experience in working with college students.
• We take a holistic approach to each student, and value each person's unique identity.
• We welcome and respect diversity in all its forms, including racial, ethnic, and national backgrounds, sexual orientation and gender identity, mental and physical ability, language, age, spiritual belief, and socioeconomic status.

Counseling Staff

Julie S. Ross, Ph.D.

Staff Psychologist and Director of CMHS
Additional Roles: Oversight of Counseling and Mental Health Service; liaison to Dean of Student Affairs Office, TUPD, and others; mental health consultant to various campus committees including Common Concerns and TTAM.
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Mental health and development across the lifespan; mental health issues impacting first-generation college students; loss and grief; life transitions; relationships; family and cultural issues
Theoretical Orientation: Relational/cultural/developmental background; treatment approaches tailored to each student and situation (may include insight-oriented work, elements of CBT,etc.)
Language(s) Spoken: English
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Linda Shane Escoll, Psy.D., Ed.M.

Staff Psychologist and Associate Director
Additional Roles:  Liaison Program coordinator, Liaison to Residential Life, Ex College, Athletics; Advisor to Ears for Peers
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise:  College and graduate student mental health issues including anxiety and depression,  impact of sociocultural context, relationship concerns, coping with loss, family issues
Theoretical Orientation:  relational, psychodynamic, developmental, practical
Language(s) Spoken:  English
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Marilyn Downs, Ph.D.

Staff Clinician and Director of Outreach
Additional roles: Director of CMHS Group Program; facilitate the Survivors Support Group and the Returning Student Group; oversight of CMHS outreach programs for students, faculty and staff; research related to campus mental health; liaison to Active Minds, and ASE Undergraduate and Graduate Faculty; member of CMHS team supporting race dialogues. 
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: growing up with adversity (trauma, neglect, poverty, mental illness or addiction); sexual assault and interpersonal violence; enhancing relational skills; and managing mental illness. Marilyn is interested in how social class, gender, and culture influence identity and experiences, and is especially attentive to enhancing the capacities for reflection, emotional expression and authenticity in relationships. 
Theoretical Orientation: Eclectic and flexible, blending psychodynamic, relational, skills development and mindfulness-based strategies, depending on client needs and interests.
Language(s) Spoken: English
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Julie B. Jampel, Ph.D.

Staff Psychologist and Director of Training
Additional Roles: Continuing Education director, liaison to Student Accessibility Services 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
Theoretical Orientation: Psychodynamic, existential, eclectic
Language(s) Spoken: English
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Candyce Burke Auguste, Psy.D.

Staff Clinician
Additional Roles: Leading The Oasis Student Group, Co-liaison to The Africana Center, Liaison for Residential Life
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Women’s issues, intersectionality and identity development, working with minority students, mental health concerns impacting 1st generation college students, trauma informed care, resilience, spirituality and religious issues
Theoretical Orientation: Strengths-based integrative approach factoring in important elements of a multi-cultural context. Person-centered work where the therapeutic relationship is valued as a tool for change. Background and training in humanistic approaches, CBT skills, DBT, ACT, and mindfulness.
Language(s) Spoken: English
Pronouns: she/her/hers

B. Francis Chen, LICSW

Staff Clinician
Additional Roles: Liaison to the Latinx Center, Chaplaincy, and co-liaison to the FIRST Center including to Students with Undocumented Status. Facilitator of the Graduate Student Group.
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Undergraduate and graduate student mental health and wellness including concerns related to depression, loss and grief (including after suicide), relationships, couples/families/parenting, LGBTQIA+, spirituality/faith/religion, first-generation college students, family and cultural issues, being a POC in a PWI, wellness and resiliency, gender identity (including trans and gender non-binary individuals), sexual identity (including conflicts with religion), Asian and Asian American identity, impacts of systemic injustice, microaggressions, empowerment, inclusion, and cultivating a sense of belonging.
Theoretical Orientation: Collaborative, relational, person-centered approach integrating self-compassion, self-acceptance, mindfulness, and leveraging strengths and values.
Language(s) Spoken: English, basic Mandarin Chinese.
Pronouns: he/him/his

Jennifer Granquist, LMHC (Bio Coming Soon)

James Kane, LCSW
Care Manager/Staff Clinician
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
Pronouns: he/him/his

Jennifer Lawrence, LICSW
Staff Social Worker
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: College student mental health, suicide prevention and intervention, LGBTQ and identity, relationship issues, adjustment issues, depression and anxiety, grief and bereavement, trauma
Theoretical Orientation: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), psychodynamic, person-centered approach, improving distress tolerance and emotional regulation skills
Language(s) Spoken: English
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Sam Nathan, PsyD

Sophie Ricks, LICSW

Thelma Terrero, LICSW

Xuhua Qin, Ph.D.

Staff Psychologist and Multicultural Specialist
Additional Roles: Facilitator of the Connection: international student discussion group and for the Coping with Loss group, liaison to the International Center, presenter to workshops of “Decoding U.S. Culture,” “Lost in Translation,” “Secrets to Intercultural Friendship,” “Light at the end of Tunnel”
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: College student mental health; identity development and confusion; coping strategies to manage distress; working with international students, Asian American, immigrants and refugee, and non-traditional and minority students; cross-cultural adjustment, negotiation, balancing, and integration; interpersonal relationships; family of origin issues; grief and loss; sexual orientation; depression and anxiety
Theoretical Orientation: Integrative, person-centered, multicultural approach, CBT, mindfulness
Language(s) Spoken: Mandarin (Chinese), English
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Deborah Siegel, Ph.D.

Megan Tucker, Psy.D.

Staff Psychologist
Additional Roles: Co-Liaison to the LGBT Center and Residential Life; Facilitator for the Trans at Tufts group; Provider of animal-assisted therapy with Angel, the puggle.
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Anxiety, depression, and the biopsychosocial impact of trauma; interpersonal relationship struggles; empowerment, resiliency, and wellness;  growth and development related to sociocultural experiences and the intersection of various identities including ethnicity, race, gender identity and expression, and sexual orientation; and issues of power and oppression, multiculturalism, and inclusion. Megan greatly enjoys working with the LGBTQ+ population and has expertise in serving trans and gender non-binary individuals within a trans-affirmative framework. Megan identifies as a queer, cisgender woman.
Theoretical Orientation: Collaborative and person-centered framework informed by relational and cultural factors, interpersonal process, self-compassion and acceptance, mindfulness, and features of positive psychology.
Language Spoken: English
Pronouns: she/her/her

Postdoctoral Fellows

Jennifer O’Flynn

Postdoctoral Fellow
Additional Roles:  Training for Ears for Peers, Outreach
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise:  College student mental health, anxiety, identity development, sexuality, emerging adulthood, intersectionality and cultural issues, body image, relationship concerns, interpersonal issues, depression, stress management and life transitions.
Theoretical Orientation:  Integrative, collaborative and multicultural approach within a relational framework. Treatment is tailored for each client and may include elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), mindfulness, self-compassion, relaxation skills, interpersonal strategies and insight-oriented work.
Language(s) Spoken:  English
Pronouns:  she/her/hers

Natalie Russ 
Postdoctoral Fellow

Additional Roles:  Training for Ears for Peers, Outreach
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise:  Identity + culture, family dynamics, loss, interpersonal challenges, self-esteem, body image, academic difficulties, trauma, perfectionism, creative struggles, suicidality, self-harm, substance use, mental health impacts of oppression, and supporting those who are distrustful of counseling or have had negative experiences with mental health treatment.
Theoretical Orientation:  My style is warm, present, and clear. Together we will figure out what brings you in and how I can help. I am trained in many different modalities and will share with you what I offer as well as what is available elsewhere. The theories that most inform my practice are psychodynamic, relational-cultural, humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness, liberation psychology, and attachment.
Language(s) Spoken:  English
Pronouns:  she/her/hers

Kaleigh Tierney

Prescribing Staff

Nandini Talwar, M.D.

Senior Psychiatrist: Adult, Child and Adolescent
Primary Role: Diagnostic assessments and initial assessments for interventions with medications as a part of a comprehensive treatment plan; ongoing management and monitoring of psychiatric medication; consultation and support for students in crisis; working with students around primary and secondary relapse prevention for mental health problems
Clinical Interests and Areas of Expertise: Developmental issues of late adolescence and early adulthood: the influence of immigration, culture, sexual identity and gender identity/expression on identity development during college; and coping with concurrent medical illnesses.
Theoretical Orientation: Biopsychosocial model of care; relational, psychodynamic, and mindfulness-based stress reduction.
Language(s) spoken: English, understands Hindi
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Susan Mahoney, PMHCNS – BC

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
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Zara Konarski, PMHCNS, BC

Child and Adolescent 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; psychoeducation 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; concerns around emerging/evolving aspects of identity development and their various intersections for college-aged students and beyond; working with individuals that have been impacted by trauma; addressing family and relational concerns and the impact of this on mental health; and working with students that identify as LGBTQ+.
Theoretical Orientation:  Relational and integrative approach to address biological, psychological, and social aspects of health and wellness, integrating skills-based and mindfulness work.
Language(s) Spoken:  EnglishAngl
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Administrative Staff

Angel

Angel is an energetic pug/beagle mix who loves playing tug, taking long naps, and playing at the beach. She works with her human mom, Megan Tucker and visits Tufts CMHS on Thursdays.