Team Members

Jamez Amour Anderson is a second-year student receiving her Master’s in Mental Health Counseling. While pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre, and minors in Women’s Gender and Sexuality studies, and Psychology at Northeastern University, Jamez served as a volunteer for 3 years at the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. She is currently a clinical intern at Grace Abounds Counseling and Psychological Consultation where she supports individuals and families involved in the New Jersey Department of Child Protection and Permanency. In 2020 Jamez was awarded an APA STAY Minority Fellowship, an addictions training program federally funded through SAMHSA. Jamez is dedicated to working in Black and Brown communities and meeting their mental health and behavioral health needs. Through the CCMH project, Jamez hopes to offer her skills as a trauma-informed practitioner and gain competency in creating and facilitating therapy groups for children.

Eric C. Chen, PhD, is a Professor of Counseling Psychology at Fordham University. Born and raised in Taiwan, he was a high school teacher before coming to the U.S. to pursue his graduate degrees. He received his PhD in Counseling Psychology from Arizona State University. Since joining Fordham in 1995, he has served as department chair and as training director of the Counseling Psychology PhD program. He currently coordinates the master’s Mental Health Counseling Program program. His professional and research interests center on group counseling and stigmatized identities of marginalized individuals, and, in particular, undocumented immigrant students and LGBTQ individuals. He has served on the editorial board of several journals, including Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, for which he previously served as an Associate Editor. Eric serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy (Division 49 of the APA) where he also chairs the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Committee. He has been the recipient of several research grants and awards. He was awarded in 2016 Fellow status with APA, Division 49 and at the APA’s 2020 annual meeting, he was honored with the Presidential Award from APA Division 49.

Robert earned his BS in Public Health with minors in Biology and Urban Poverty studies from Saint Louis University. From 2017 to 2020, he was a science teacher and 9^th grade team leader in a public high school in NYC serving students from Washington Heights, Inwood, Harlem, and the South Bronx. In this role he served as a community member, communicating with staff, students, and families to build relationships and foster a space dedicated to the student’s socio-emotional and intellectual development. Robert is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Clinical Research Methods; he is interested in the physiological effects of trauma on the developing adolescent brain and the development of protective traits. He also hopes to attain the necessary skills to more thoroughly provide socio-emotional support to at-risk school age children. Robert’s passion for public health and organizational experience working as a teacher and 9^th grade team leader in a public high school in Washington Heights will play a vital role in the success of the CCMH project.

Laura Guy, LCSW-R, received her MSW from the Columbia University School of Social Work. She earned her undergraduate degree in Political Science and Studio Art from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Laura served for more than a decade as a Clinical Supervisor and Program Director at the Montefiore School Health Program, a multisite integrated health program in over 30 schools in the Bronx. In these roles, Laura demonstrated leadership through supervision of 10-14 full time mental health providers (e.g., social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, medical students and residents). In addition to her extensive clinical experience in providing individual and group counseling for children, adolescents and families, she has expertise in implementation of evidenced based treatment in, among others, dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, alternatives for families: cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and family therapy. Laura is committed to providing culturally competent, trauma-informed integrated care and programming to underserved communities.

Cindy is an advanced School Psychology PhD student. She was born in the Dominican Republic and came to the U.S. when she was ten. Prior to entering graduate school, she taught Spanish at a college and an elementary school in New Jersey. Over the course of her graduate training, she has worked with a broad range of child and adolescent populations in schools, hospitals, foster care, and private practice settings. Cindy is interested in family systems, culturally sensitive measures and treatments, and increasing access to quality mental health services. Her research interests include exploring the impact of intersecting microaggressions, racial and ethnic identities, and racial socialization. Recently, Cindy defended her dissertation topic titled, “Intersectional Microaggressions and Identities as Experienced by Psychology Trainees of Color.” She plans to apply for a pre-doctoral internship in the fall of 2021. Through CCMH Cindy hopes to continue empowering youth and families.

Gabriela Munoz De Zubiria is a third-year Counseling Psychology PhD student. She was born in Chile to Colombian and Peruvian parents and lived in Venezuela prior to moving to the United States. Her clinical interests include working with historically marginalized and underserved populations. Specifically, she is interested in counseling undocumented immigrants and individuals from mixed-status families. She has clinical experience working in two distinct college counseling centers providing short-term, individual psychotherapy to young adults. Her identity as a Latina immigrant has strongly influenced her educational, research, and career trajectories. As a member of the CCMH project, she seeks to expand her clinical experience working with at-risk school-age children, particularly BIPOC and immigrant youth. As a native Spanish speaker she plans to contribute to the project by connecting with children and their families while providing mental health services such as individual counseling, psychoeducational groups, and assessment.

Yangqian Shen is a second-year PhD student in the Counseling Psychology program. She received her MSW with a mental health concentration from Washington University in St. Louis. She is bilingual in Mandarin and English. As a mental health professional, Yangqian has clinical experience in outpatient, school, and community-based settings, providing assessment and individual, group, and family psychotherapy for children and youths from diverse backgrounds. Her interests include cognitive development, stigmatized identities, microaggressions, immigration, distress regulation, and mental disorders. Yangqian’s practice is highly in line with her personal and professional values regarding multiculturalism and social justice. As a member of CCMH project, she pursues further professional development in clinical skill application and comprehensive mental health care delivery. She is committed to provide emotional, behavioral, and social support for at-risk children and youths and connect them with available resources for living and mental health needs.

Jolene is an advanced School Psychology PhD student and certified school psychologist. As a NYC public school psychologist, Jolene frequently works with diverse families faced with a range of psycho-social barriers. Her experience includes conducting psychoeducational and neuropsychological evaluations, determining special education recommendations and providing CBT therapy for children and adults with learning, emotional and behavioral difficulties. Jolene’s research focuses on identifying cognitive and instructional factors that influence academic outcomes. She recently defended her dissertation titled “Working Memory Load and Automaticity in Relation to STEM Undergraduates’ Mental Multiplication Performance.” Jolene plans to apply for a pre-doctoral internship in the fall of 2021. Her ultimate goal is to become a licensed psychologist and researcher. She hopes to contribute and expand her therapeutic skills during the CCMH project. Jolene strongly supports the goals of this project in providing access to mental health services for children who are most at-risk.