Meet the Staff
The UCC is a united and compassionate team dedicated to social justice, equity, and inclusion. Our doors are open to serve and affirm students of color and students with minoritized identities. Every UCC staff member takes pride in providing a validating and safe space for all of our students who may experience discrimination, prejudice, or violence as a result of white supremacy and additional systems of oppression. Our UCC providers engage in regular staff-wide trainings, educational opportunities, personal introspection, and professional development to increase our cultural humility and advocacy on behalf of the Vanderbilt student community. We are here for you. We welcome you. You are valued.
Clinical Staff
Stacey Appiah-Opoku, MA, NCC
Therapist
I believe we all have parts of our identities that influence how we move through the world and process experiences. As such I believe an important part of therapy involves exploring and affirming all salient parts of your identity. I will support you in sharing your story, identifying your values, experiencing your emotions and building skills to work towards your goals.
Jillian Balser
Therapist
I believe in the inner wisdom and resiliency that exists within each individual and feel honored to walk beside my clients as they tap into their own inner resources and engage in their unique healing journey. I take a person-centered and integrative approach to care, weaving mindfulness and self-compassion into the fiber of my clinical work. I am committed to social justice and strive to provide care that is culturally responsive and prioritizes safety in the therapeutic relationship.
Vanessa Bell, Ph.D., HSP
Psychologist
I support students by providing psychological assessments to better understand various factors that may be adversely impacting their academic, emotional, social, and/or other areas of functioning. Working together, we will collect important pieces of the diagnostic puzzle and identify the most appropriate diagnoses, treatment recommendations, and supportive resources.
Heather Boyd
Therapist
I believe life is all about balance. In therapy, that often means balancing change with acceptance. I try to create a safe place where clients can fully explore areas of life they would like to accept and areas of life they would like to change.
Mary Clare Champion, Ph.D., HSP
Psychologist
My goal as a therapist is to meet students from all programs and identities and support them in their time at Vanderbilt, creating a safe space together in which to determine strategies to help navigate stressors and challenges that may have interfered with them succeeding in their academic or personal lives.
Sydnee Collins, Ph.D.
Sport Performance Consultant
I enter every therapeutic relationship with the intent of connecting from a place of authenticity, empathy, and respect. My goal is to provide a judgment-free, collaborative space that guides clients on their journey to holistic peace and wellness.
Nalini Conner, Ph.D., HSP
Psychologist
“It’s okay to feel what you feel- it’s what you do with those feelings that is the most important.” I believe that therapy is a space to learn how to better understand your emotions, what may be contributing to them, and how to respond to them. My goal is to provide a safe, collaborative space for all clients where they can learn the individualized tools they need to help them navigate through any difficulties.
Viviana Grice, LPC
Therapist
I strive to offer students a safe and confidential space where they are invited to a journey of self-exploration and growth. I work in collaboration with my clients toward unveiling and ending the cycle of self-defeating behaviors that have been barriers to reaching their full potential.
Ruth Howard, Ph.D., HSP
Psychologist
I strive to provide a warm, affirming, and safe space for students to reflect on their concerns, identities, and experiences with openness and compassion. I believe that trust is built through feeling heard, understood, and valued and that it is through these nurturing connections with others that we develop new ways of understanding ourselves as well as more creative ways of coping with the inherent stressors of life. I am humbled by the strength, resilience, and perseverance of the students at Vanderbilt, and it is a privilege to support them as they work to reach their goals.
Adriana Kipper-Smith, Ph.D., HSP
Associate Director for Clinical Services
My approach to psychotherapy is integrative and it is an amalgam of my training and experience working as a clinical psychologist in South America and in the U.S. I love having genuine and courageous conversations that spark curiosity and connectedness while helping students develop more resilience and insight into their lives. As a white Latina, cisgender female, I am committed to using my privilege and power to promote equality and justice.
Peg Leonard-Martin, M.Div., LCSW
Therapist
No matter who you are or where you came from, I will create a safe space for you to tell your story. I will work with you so that can you learn new skills to cope with whatever issue you bring and respectfully explore how to carry your story forward in a way that represents your integrity and authentic self.
Matias Massaro, PMHNP-BC
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
My goal is to provide a safe and welcoming environment to build genuine partnerships with patients while working together to determine and address therapeutic objectives. I appreciate and find inspiration in the uniqueness of each patient and aim to honor my patients’ authenticity. I provide evidence-based care and develop treatment plans that will address their mental, physical, and spiritual needs.
Amira Mohamad, LPC-MHSP
Therapist
It’s a privilege to be asked to enter the most vulnerable spaces with clients. As a Kurdish-American who resettled in the U.S. as a refugee, I prioritize recognizing the intersectional identities of each client in order to create a safe space where they can exist authentically. My hope is to continue playing a role in improving access to mental health services in the minority communities. I aim for a curiosity-oriented approach with my clients to help develop skills of self-observation and exploration.
Frances Niarhos, Ph.D., HSP
Associate Director for Training
I enjoy helping young adults identify potential barriers to their academic success using well-established measure of cognitive, academic and mental health functioning. I also have a passion for teaching and mentoring trainees across all mental health disciplines as they prepare for professional roles as psychologists, clinical social workers and professional counselors.
Brian Pollock, DNP, PMHNP-BC
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
My goal is to assist students by being authentically present and developing helping-trusting relationships.
Melissa Porter, Psy.D., HSP
Assistant Director for Clinical Operations
My goal is to provide a space where I can provide support and guidance on working through the various challenges that life brings, where a student can feel heard, validated, and challenged while making decisions that best fit their life.
Bhupendra Rajpura, M.D.
Psychiatrist
My approach to your care is to understand your concerns and help develop a plan of that is “YOU”-centric and encompasses most recent treatment guidelines within a holistic approach. I believe in working with you to achieve outcomes resulting in a healthy body and healthy mind.
Elise Scott, M.D.
Psychiatrist
I seek to support students through a partnership founded in compassion and mutual respect. My medical background provides me with a strong neuroscience foundation for treating mental illness — one which challenges dualistic views of mind and body. My approach combines open-minded listening, psychotherapy, lifestyle interventions, and medication management to help students gain resilience, discover their personal identity, and work toward authentic, value-driven lives.
Ciera Scott, Ph.D., HSP
Assistant Director for Community Engagement
While honoring your unique identities, I collaborate with clients in exploring how your background may impact your current thought patterns, your self-esteem, your mood, and how you experience your present relationships.
Kyle Shadrick, LMSW
Therapist
I enjoy assisting people in learning how to better navigate their stressors and difficulties in life by helping them to better understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. I also find great value in incorporating elements of mindfulness into therapy. My most forefront passion is working with LGBTQIA+ communities.
Tamaki Silver, Psy.D.
Psychologist
My goal is to create a space in which students can feel comfortable discussing challenging experiences and relationships, build resilience and learn how to cope, and develop their own individual identity. I hope to make this a collaborative experience, one where we can engage in problem solving and exploration around all aspects of personal and professional development, while also sharing in some laughter.
Stephanie Singer, M.Ed.
Therapist
As a therapist, I try to create a welcoming space for you to feel comfortable and safe exploring areas in your life that need support. I believe in the importance of allowing yourself to be vulnerable, working towards life balance, and creating boundaries with yourself and others. I hope to help you navigate these areas through a collaborative and unique approach, catered to your needs. My goal is to help you gain the confidence, skills, and tools to continue this growth.
Natalie Thomas, PMHNP-BC
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
In my practice I strive to be authentically present to provide a safe, person-centered, and collaborative space for students to explore their unique treatment needs. I welcome all without judgment and will support students utilizing evidence-based care, as they seek to strengthen their mental health and wellness.
Ash Weber
Therapist
Much of life is about acknowledging what is within or beyond our control, then developing the navigation tools to forge the path ahead. I believe that therapy should be an integrative, collaborative experience uniquely tailored to your identities and goals—as well as space where you feel empowered to bring your full self to the table. Whether you’re at the beginning of your journey or revisiting familiar patterns, I strive to offer a warm partnership conducive to self-discovery, healing, and growth
Todd Weinman, Psy.D., HSP
Director
All of us get stuck at different points in our lives and I believe counseling can be an important vehicle for helping us get unstuck and reaching our full potential. I really enjoy working as a psychologist within a diverse college community and come from a flexible, integrative, collaborative and culturally responsive perspective designed to help you build on your unique strengths and skills as you continue your journey as a student and beyond.
Sarah Jordan Welch-Moore, LMSW
Therapist
My goal when working with clients is to help them navigate the challenges that come from their experiences of trauma. As a systematic practitioner, I work with clients to recognize the ways their unique identities are essential in understanding their experiences and relationships, and this must be honored in the therapy room. I hope to foster autonomy and growth through the therapeutic process, and believe everyone is deserving of dignity and respect. Through a trauma-informed lens, I work to support students in their work towards healing, and realizing their own resilience.
Tim White, Ph.D.
Mental Health & Sport Performance Consultant
When I work with student-athletes and other clients, I adopt your goals as if they are my own. Whether you are pursuing excellence in your sport, in the classroom, or in other domains of life, I diligently support, encourage, and guide you toward the vision you have for your life. This process often involves developing a deeper understanding of your concerns as well as learning mental skills you can use to manage your challenges more effectively.
Zsanett Williams, PMHNP-BC
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
My approach to patient care is founded on developing a deep understanding of patients’ stories to provide a therapeutic environment that is culturally sensitive, inclusive, and celebrates all forms of diversity
Courtney Williams, Ph.D., HSP
Psychologist
Consistent with both my professional and personal identity, I find that my relationships are an integral part of my identity. My relationships help me better understand myself, others, and various aspects of my life. In the same way, my clients make sense of the world through their relationships, often finding that the challenges they confront are related to relational variables. In my work with diverse populations, one theme remained consistent-the desire to connect-to others, to feelings, to self. As such, my role as your therapist is to co-facilitate a therapeutic process that fosters that connection.
Anabella Pavón Wilson, Ph.D., HSP
Psychologist
I strive to provide an environment in which students can feel welcomed and safe. I will work with you to address challenges that may come up during your time at Vanderbilt, and/or address what may have impacted you in your past. I will also help you develop strategies to challenge unhelpful thinking patterns and to cope with difficult emotions.
Administrative Staff
Trainees
Cayla Leung, Psy.D
Post-Doctoral Fellow
When navigating some of life’s challenges, we find ourselves in need of someone to listen, validate, and empathize. I value honoring one’s intersectional identities and exploring how your background may influence wellbeing. I strive to build a trusting and safe relationship so that can we work together to overcome hardships and clients can live a life worth living. My approach to treatment is to listen and help clients identify skills that can make life less difficult.
Neva Murray
Post-Doctoral Fellow
In my work, I endeavor to create a warm, collaborative space in order to encourage authenticity and meaningful conversation. My role as your therapist is to help identify your experiences with behaviors, feelings, thoughts, relationships, and systems that are impediments to your flourishing and assist in exploring new ways of relating. I believe these are the beginning steps toward healing and growing to be our most empowered, resilient selves.
Jay Steinberg
Doctoral Intern in Psychology
My primary goal is to help clients overcome hardships by shifting towards more helpful ways of relating to their thoughts, feelings, identities, and to other people. In doing so, I strive to provide a validating environment through a calm, non-judgmental, curious, and collaborative approach.
Zainab Suara
Doctoral Intern in Psychology
My aim is to make therapy a more comfortable space, which can be a daunting task where an individual is asked to share their vulnerabilities with a complete stranger. Unconditional positive regard, as defined as the basic acceptance and support of a person regardless of what the person says or does, is integral to the work I strive to do. This viewpoint is valuable especially for those whose words, actions, and beliefs have been devalued and undermined in the past not only at the individual but systemic level as well.
Katharine Waldron
Doctoral Intern in Psychology
I view therapy as a collaborative, transparent relationship that encourages insight and a mindful approach to everyday life. I work to create a trusting and safe space in order to assist others in developing more self-compassion and ultimately reaching greater peace and harmony. Importantly, my intent is to provide an open and affirming space for each individual.