Dr. Nguyen Nguyen (He/Him) is an Assistant Professor in the APA-accredited Counseling Psychology program at Texas A&M University. He is also a Licensed Psychologist in the state of Texas. He has a PhD in Counseling Psychology from Texas Tech University and completed his doctoral internship at the University of California, Berkeley, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).

Dr. Nguyen's research centers on the intersection of multicultural and health psychology, with a specific focus on promoting the health and resilience of BIPOC and linguistic minority communities in the face of racism and injustice.  His special interest lies in psychosocial factors that contribute to chronic pain outcomes among underserved communities. He has presented his research at many national conferences (e.g., American Psychological Association; American Academy of Pain Medicine) and has received multiple grants, funding, and accolades for his work.

In his clinical practice, Dr. Nguyen was trained as a generalist, utilizing a psychodynamic framework in both brief (one-at-a-time model) and long-term modalities. Dr. Nguyen’s therapeutic stance blends warmth, directness, empowerment, and humor. He sees the therapy room not just as a space for safety, but also for brave exploration, where clients are invited to meet themselves with compassion, curiosity, and radical ownership. He is deeply committed to honoring cultural complexity, addressing the effects of systemic injustice, and helping clients reclaim their voice, agency, and sense of meaning, even in the face of pain.

Apart from his research and clinical work, teaching and mentoring are Dr. Nguyen's lifelong passions. Previously, he served as an instructor at Texas Tech University for 4 years. He was also a fellow, later becoming a consultant, of the TEACH program, a competitive fellowship designed to enhance pedagogical skills for educators from Texas Tech University. In his current role at Texas A&M University, Dr. Nguyen has taught a range of doctoral courses (e.g., Psychopathology, Career Counseling, Group Therapy), provided clinical supervision, and offered individualized mentorship to research assistants in HEAL.

His training philosophy prioritizes collaboration over competition and encourages students to take initiative, think conceptually, and engage in honest self-reflection. He is committed to developing not just skilled technicians, but deep thinkers: scholars who can wrestle with complexity, hold nuance, and lead with clarity and purpose. With an emphasis on authenticity over perfection, he models and invites vulnerability, courage, and intellectual risk-taking in the service of growth. Above all, he believes that meaningful learning happens not in isolation, but in good company!

Born and raised in Vietnam, the Vietnamese culture is at the center of his values and identity. Coming from a country with a rich history of defying colonization, Dr. Nguyen believes in active defiance of oppressive systems, both within and outside academic settings, through civil discourse, advocacy, and, at times, civil disobedience. 

Being a Vietnamese immigrant, cooking Vietnamese food makes him feel at home. He loves cooking and sharing his food with friends and family, as sharing food is a profound expression of love in Vietnamese culture. Additionally, Dr. Nguyen is an avid horror movie enthusiast, and he loves seeing any horror movie the minute it is released. In his leisure time, he also finds solace in listening to classical music, with Rachmaninoff and Mahler as his all-time favorite composers. 

Dr. Nguyen’s Buddhist practice also deeply informs his work as a psychologist, researcher, and mentor. He regularly engages in meditation and co-facilitates weekly meetings with fellow Vietnamese-American Buddhists, where values such as the Four Noble Truths, loving-kindness, and No-Self are explored and embodied. These teachings shape how he approaches suffering, healing, and the human condition: not only in theory, but in relational, clinical, and research contexts. For Dr. Nguyen, the intersection of Buddhism and psychology is not theoretical, but it is lived, relational, and deeply political.

Nnenna Uche, BS, (she/her), is a Counseling Psychology doctoral student at Texas A&M University. She grew up in Houston, Texas, and received her B.S. in Psychology from Santa Clara University in the Bay Area, California. Her research aims are to examine key variables such as social support or lack thereof, personality, and individual experiences, as well as their potential effects on college student health and wellness, specifically regarding anxiety and depression. In her undergraduate senior year, she conducted research examining what predictors affect friendship quality within college students. As a member of the Health, Empowerment & Advocacy Lab, she has assisted in manuscripts exploring non-native accents and their effects on mental health and vocational aspirations. Nnenna is interested in community outreach, integrating psychological research and public health interventions to improve physical and mental health outcomes for underserved communities. In her free time, she enjoys practicing yoga, watching movies, and trying new restaurants. 

Nimra Ali Shah (she/her) is a first-year Counseling Psychology doctoral student at Texas A&M University. She received her B.S. in Psychology and Child Learning & Development, with a minor in Public Health from The University of Texas at Dallas. Before starting her doctoral program at Texas A&M, she worked as a research assistant at a cognitive development lab focusing on early childhood learning while advancing the accessibility and reproducibility of developmental research through online platforms. Her current interests include examining resilience in communities facing trauma, with a focus on how it shapes both psychological and health-related disparities. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, photography, and volunteering.

Christine Cao (she/her) is a first-year Counseling Psychology doctoral student at Texas A&M University. She received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. Prior to beginning her graduate studies, Christine worked as a research assistant at the Texas Heart Institute and served as a Qualified Mental Health Provider (QMHP). Her research interests center on strengthening mental health outcomes among ethnic minority populations through integrative health interventions. She is particularly focused on the role of lifestyle factors including nutrition, stress, social support, and sense of community in relation to psychological resilience. Outside of her academic work, Christine enjoys weightlifting, baking for her friends and family, and taking long walks with her dog.

Wajiha Masroor (she/her) is a second-year Counseling Psychology doctoral student at Texas A&M University. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2023. Her interests are rooted in health psychology and multicultural considerations in practice. She is passionate about integrative care, the overlooked psychopathology in medical diagnosis, and how patient-provider communication can be enhanced to address health disparities. Before joining the Counseling Psychology doctoral program, Wajiha served as a research assistant, looking at the physiological and psychological impact of language brokering on Mexican-American youth. In her free time, she enjoys scrapbooking, painting, and visiting family. 

Charlie Brunt (she/her) is a second-year doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at Texas A&M University, with a master’s degree also in Counseling Psychology from the University of Denver. She works part-time as a relational-psychodynamic psychotherapist and is passionate about research that explores the psychological impact of life transitions. Her work focuses on phenomena such as culture shock and reverse culture shock (returning to one’s sovereign country), the power of social connectedness and its link to longevity, and the pervasive effects of burnout. With over a decade of experience living and working in the Middle East and Europe, Charlie (originally from Australia) brings a global perspective to her academic and clinical practice. She balances her academic pursuits with a love for chess, discovering new coffee spots, and running alongside her dog, Ubu.

 Kristina Hall (she/her) is a second year Counseling Psychology doctoral student. She received her bachelor's degree at the University of California Davis in Psychology and Communication. She worked as a research coordinator at the University of Florida in neuromotor behavior research and health promotion prior to starting her doctoral program at Texas A&M University. She is interested in the intersections of physical and mental health. Specifically, Kristina aims to examine physical health behaviors such as eating habits and physical activity as determinants of mental health outcomes. In her free time, she enjoys nature walks, cooking, and spending time with friends.

Jay Choi (she/her) is a second-year Counseling Psychology doctoral student at Texas A&M University. She is from South Korea, and received her master’s degree in Child Development and Education from the University of Oxford in the UK and a bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature from Ewha Womans University in South Korea. In the past, she worked as a project assistant in the education sector for both governmental and nonprofit organizations. She also served as a research assistant and conducted research on immigrant families' acculturation stress trajectories and its predictors. Her research interests include immigrant family dynamics, acculturation, and protective factors in young racial/ethnic minorities such as belongingness. In her free time, she enjoys playing badminton, painting, and watching movies.

Nathan Craven (He/Him) is a Counseling Psychology doctoral student at Texas A&M University. He grew up in Southern Utah, in a city called Enoch, UT. Nathan received a M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI and received his B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Spanish from Southern Utah University in Cedar City, UT. His research interests involve neurodiversity and the assessment process. He has worked on a research team at the Medical College of Wisconsin as well as conducted his own research on the facial feedback hypothesis his senior year under the direction of Dr. Lynn White. In his free time he loves to play video games and board games with his wife, play with his two sons and eat delicious food.  

Meherun Nesa Khadiza (she/her) is a first-year doctoral student in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Developmental Science at Texas A&M University. She holds a B.S. and M.S. in Psychology from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Her research focuses on the interplay of emotional resilience, self-efficacy, and motivation in shaping academic and career outcomes among linguistically diverse and underserved populations. At the Health, Empowerment & Advocacy Lab (HEAL), Meherun contributes to the Accent and Vocational Outcomes Project. Her background spans clinical and educational contexts, including work with children with neurodevelopmental disorders at the Institute of Pediatric Neurodisorder and Autism (IPNA) and serving as a student counselor in a high school. Meherun is committed to bridging research and practice through a multicultural lens to advance inclusive education. In her free time, she enjoys music, reading, and spending time in nature with her family. 

Sruti Mohankumar (she/her) is a senior undergraduate student at Texas A&M, expected to graduate in Fall 2025. Her overarching research interest lies in improving the lives of underserved populations by identifying systemic, cultural, and psychological barriers that hinder well-being. She is especially interested in exploring multicultural counseling techniques and evidence-based interventions that are culturally competent and tailored to the unique needs of each individual. Sruti hopes to attend graduate school and ultimately become a therapist with a specialized focus on serving minority populations, particularly the South Asian community. In her free time, Sruti loves spending time with her dog, Cocoa, and her family. She also enjoys cooking and reading true crime books.