I completed my internship at Yale School of Medicine in the Substance Abuse Treatment Unit. I received my B.A. in psychology from Binghamton University in 2007, and previously did research in substance use, addictions, and mood disorders at both Yale School of Medicine and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. My current research interests revolve around outcomes of trauma, including substance use, resilience, and distress tolerance. I am interested in working with substance use and trauma, veteran populations, and severe mental illness. Eventually, I would like to pursue a career that allows me to both practice and do research. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I also love to cook, do yoga and listen to music. jtopf1@gmail.com
I completed my internship at UCLA-Semel Institute on the Adult Neuropsychology track. I received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and English from the University of Florida. My research interests center around biopsychosocial predictors of disease and drug use vulnerability, specifically focused on psychoneuroimmunology, stress dysregulation, and neurocognition. I also have clinical interests in assessment and neuropsychology. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, yoga, running, tennis, and spending time with my family and friends. luciacavanagh@gmail.com
I completed my internship at the University of California in Berkeley, CA, and am currently working at the University of California – Berkeley Counseling Center. My advisor is Dr. Arbona. I earned my MBA from McGill University, Canada and my MA in Psychology-Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. I have worked as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the Greater Houston area for the last six years. I am originally from Karachi, Pakistan and I have lived in Canada and UAE, before permanently moving to Houston, TX. My research interests include understanding couples and families of the South Asian origins in specific and ethnic minorities in general. My future goals are to be in a private practice setting, conducting research benefiting ethnic minorities, and being a part of the academia. Apart from English, I speak Urdu, Hindi, and Gujarati languages. I enjoy spending time with my family, friends, and my husband. Nadiadkhoja@gmail.com
I completed my internship at the San Bernardino Department of Behavioral Health working with a variety of populations, such as the persistently mentally ill, individuals from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds, ethnic minorities, and individuals on probation. My dissertation research is qualitative in nature and centers around the influence of external stress on African American married couples. My future goal is to open up a private practice focusing on psychological assessments and group psychotherapy. I enjoy reading, talking to family and friends, and writing in my free time. felicia.d.fisher@gmail.com
I received my Bachelors of Science in Psychology from THE Southern University and A&M College and my Masters in Education from the University of Houston. I am originally from Bastrop, Louisiana, and the last of 10 children.
I am Martinque "Marti" Jones and I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of North Texas. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. I also received my Masters of Education in Counseling and Doctorate of Philosophy in Counseling Psychology from the University of Houston. My research centers on applying an intersectional framework to the study of Black women's identity, mental health, and counseling processes. I am a Licensed Psychologist, and my clinical areas of concentration include group psychotherapy and concerns specific to women of color. In my spare time, I enjoy hobbies such as reading, working out, cooking, and scrapbooking. For more information about me and my experiences at the University of Houston, please feel free to email me at
I completed my internship at the University of Texas in Austin, TX. I grew up in South Korea and moved to Houston to attend this program. I received my B.A. in both British and American Culture and Psychology from Sogang University and my MA in Counseling Psychology from Ewha Woman's University. My current research interests involve international students’ adjustment from the attachment theory perspective. Furthermore, I am interested in how trauma influences an individual’s attachment system and affect regulation and what variables are critical to individuals working through their traumatic experiences. I am also interested in after-effects of trauma and their impact on attachment with significant others and community. I enjoy working with
I graduated from the program in 2020 after completing my internship at FCI Terminal Island in San Pedro, CA. I currently work as a psychologist in a correctional setting. My clinical/research interests include systems approaches to reducing marginalization and oppression, first responder mental health, substance abuse treatment, and clinicians' vicarious trauma/burnout. My dissertation examined the relationship between gender and sexual orientation-based discrimination and posttraumatic stress sequelae. In my free time, I like to spend time with friends and family, make and talk about art, and find a new place to hang my hammock.
I completed my doctorate at the University of Houston in Counseling Psychology in 2016, with a predoctoral internship at the APA-Accredited Washington State University Counseling and Psychological Services, and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Disability Resources and Educational Services. My clinical interests include psychoeducational assessment and supervision, and my research interests include twice-exceptional students and assessment supervision. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, running, and painting. kml536@comcast.net
My name is Amanda Long and I am a graduate of the University of Houston Counseling Psychology program. I completed my internship at the Atlanta VA. I earned my B.S. in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and my M.A. in Community Counseling from Loyola University in Chicago. I was born and raised in a southern suburb of Chicago, and I am a HUGE Chicago Bulls fan! I am very excited to be a part of the doctoral program at UH. My interests are focused on the empowerment of African Americans through research and community based initiatives. I am particularly interested in the role of social media on the racial identity development of African American adolescents, the mental health effects of colorism, and the factors that influence the current dynamic of the African American family. My career goals include becoming a faculty member at a collegiate level in order to continue to conduct research aimed at multicultural issues, while finding time to providing quality therapeutic services within my own private practice. along0388@gmail.com
I received my bachelor’s degree in psychology from Miami University (Ohio) and my master’s degree in counseling at Loyola University (Chicago). My current research interests involve post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in trauma-exposed populations (e.g., Veterans, firefighters, inpatient populations), as well as identifying mechanisms underlying the link between PTSD and suicidality. Specifically, my dissertation explored the role of emotion regulation difficulties in the association between PTSD symptom severity and suicidality. In past research
I am a graduate of the UH Counseling Psychology program and am originally from Phoenix, Arizona. I earned my B.S. in Psychology from Arizona State University and my M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling/Addictions from Marquette University. My clinical and research interests are in clinical health psychology, specifically in the treatment and evaluation of individuals living with cardiovascular disease (i.e., cardiac psychology). For my candidacy project, I examined depression as a moderator of the relationship between pain intensity and pain interference with a sample of Veterans. My dissertation focused on the illness intrusiveness model as it relates to Veterans diagnosed with chronic heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and/or anxiety and depression. I completed my predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa, Florida. Currently, I am a clinical health psychologist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and absolutely love working in an integrated hospital setting! I am hoping to become board certified in Clinical Health Psychology in the very near future. In my spare time, I enjoy alternating between high intensity interval training classes and yoga, in addition to spending quality time with my fiancé, family, and friends.
I completed my internship at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, TX. I am a fifth-year doctoral student in
My name is Alice, and I am passionate about helping individuals become the best version of themselves. I am currently working as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Southern California. Originally from Seoul, South Korea, I received my B.A. in British and American Culture at Sogang University and my M.A. in Psychology from Yonsei University. I completed my pre-doctoral internship at Arizona State University Counseling Services and did a postdoctoral training year at the University of South Florida Counseling Center. My clinical interests include anxiety disorders, trauma-informed therapy, and increasing emotional intelligence. In my free time, I enjoy reading, journaling, visiting local coffee shops, and having good food with friends and family. alicephang17@gmail.com
My name is Jordie Poncy and I graduated from the UH Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program in 2017. While at UH, I trained in various settings include a private practice, a university counseling center, and a federal prison. I completed my doctoral internship at Arizona State University in Counseling Services. Next, I completed a postdoctoral fellowship with an emphasis in heath psychology at the University of South Florida. In this fellowship, I spent part of my time in USF's Counseling Center and part of my time providing behavioral health consultation to medical providers in USF's student health clinic. I also completed a summer rotation in pediatrics at Tampa General hospital, where I provided mental health services to patients with complex medical traumas and chronic illnesses. Presently, I work as a licensed psychologist in USF's Counseling Center, where I provide individual and group counseling, coordinate the postdoctoral fellowship program, and teach a seminar in clinical consultation. I enjoy the variety in my work and appreciate the opportunity to provide services to USF's diverse student population. My training at UH prepared me well for my current role and I am grateful for my time in the Counseling Psychology doctoral program.
I completed my internship at
My name is Akilah Reynolds and I currently reside in Los Angeles, California where I am a licensed clinical psychologist. I completed my postdoctoral fellowship at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and currently work as a psychologist and adjunct faculty member in child psychiatry at a local hospital. My work also includes a private psychology and consultation practice, researching the impact of strength on Black women's mental health, and community wellness retreats and workshops that encourage self care and a holistic approach to mental health and wellness. I see my role as mental health educator, consultant, and advocate, helping busy women prioritize self care, self expression, and social support to achieve balance, emotional wellness, and live the life of their dreams. During my free time I love to travel, hike, write, film/photograph, and spend time with family and friends. E-mail: akilahreynolds@gmail.com. Instagram @sbw.selfcare.
I am a graduate of the program and completed my internship with the Houston Independent School District. I hail from the beautiful state of California, and am the eldest of three sisters. I graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from UCLA in 2007. I also have an M.A. in Research Psychology from California State University, Sacramento and an M.Ed. in Counseling from the University of Houston. My current research interests are centered on examining the influence of racial microaggressions from an attachment theory perspective. My future goals include working with high-risk adolescents and teaching undergraduates. In my spare time, I very much enjoy singing, reading and writing poetry, running, yoga, hiking, traveling, tennis, warm weather and languages! I speak English, Punjabi, Hindi, and Spanish. I love to spend time with family and friends when I can. Please feel free to contact me via e-mail if you have any questions about our program, or the PhD process in general! nthind12@hotmail.com
My name is Allison Verhaak, and I am from a small town in Downeast Maine. I graduated from Bates College in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in
I completed the Counseling Psychology program in 2020 after finishing my predoctoral internship at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado. Originally from Southern California, I moved to Houston to attend Rice University, where I received my undergraduate degree in English and Psychology. Before starting my doctoral studies I worked in the health and safety field. After completing my fellowship specializing in recovery from SMI and couples and family therapy, I hope to return to Texas to continue expanding on my interests in clinical work and research. My interests are broadly focused on multicultural issues and trauma recovery. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, rock climbing, traveling, art, and binging game shows. cwpao90@gmail.com
I completed my doctorate in the Counseling Psychology program at the University of Houston in 2020, with a predoctoral internship at the Vancouver Coastal Health in Vancouver, BC. I grew up in Houston but moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas where I received a B.A. in Psychology and Studio Art. After college, I worked as a research assistant and neuropsychometrist examining cognitive and emotional functioning in neurologically diverse populations. My current research interests include resiliency and emotional processing, cognitive functioning, and how individuals respond to social demands following trauma and trauma concurrent with brain injury. I enjoy cultural and adventure travel, scuba diving, white water rafting, hula hooping, and board games. samanthasciulli@yahoo.com
I completed my doctorate in Counseling Psychology at the University of Houston in 2020, with a predoctoral internship at the Tennessee Valley VA hospital in Murfreesboro, TN. My clinical and research interests focus on evidence-based care for posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, and OCD. In my free time I enjoy hiking, cycling, and spending time with my family, dogs, and friends. kelseemtucker@gmail.com
I am a sixth-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program. I completed my internship at Children’s Hospital Colorado in the Eating Disorders Track. I received my bachelor's degree in Psychology from Saint Louis University. Following college, I worked at a residential treatment center for eating disorders and trauma. My current research is focused on parental socialization of emotions, emotion regulation, eating disorders, and adult attachment orientations. I hope to pursue a career that allows me to practice, teach, and do research. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, practicing yoga, cooking and spending time with my husband, dogs
I completed my internship in women’s mental health at California Pacific Medical Center. I am currently completing my post-doctoral residency specializing in perinatal health at California Pacific Medical Center. I was born in Wichita, KS and I received my bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Kansas State University. My clinical interests center around maternal health in underprivileged and underserved populations. My research interests include couple/family dynamics and occupational and cultural predictors of suicidality. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family, traveling, hiking, trying new foods and reading. I can be reached by email at Brookewilliams0618@gmail.com
The Counseling Psychology doctoral program is a member of UH's Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences department.
Training and Program Director: Dr. Consuelo Arbona
UH College of Education
Stephen Power Farish Hall
3657 Cullen Blvd., Room 491
Houston, TX 77204-5023
Undergraduate: coeug@uh.edu or 713-743-5000
Graduate: coegrad@central.uh.edu or 713-743-7676
General: coecomm@uh.edu or 713-743-5010
