Lisa Adams, PhD, LPC

Director
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Dr. Adams is an experienced leader in higher education serving college students for 25 years, 17 in various leadership roles. Lisa serves nationally on the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) and is a past president of the American College Counseling Association (ACCA). Lisa was awarded Director of the Year in 2023 by ACCA. Lisa is an advocate for access to counseling for students from historically excluded groups. Lisa’s clinical focus is on training and supervision, clinical system design, mentoring and staff development. Lisa’s goal at UCC is to work with the UCC team to ensure a consistent high-quality experience that engages students and supports their life ambitions.

Stephanie Anifant

Administrative Assistant
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Stacey Appiah-Opoku, MA, LPC-MHSP, NCC

Assistant Director for Clinical Operations
Pronouns: she/her/hers

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.

Marlon Bailey, LCSW, Ph.D., HSP

Sport Psychologist
Pronouns: he/him/his

I approach counseling relationships by partnering with individuals to address the superficial and substantial parts of the obstacles to living and feeling well. This often includes managing the intricacies of identity, environment, hopes, and practical health indicators.

Stephanie Barboza, LPC-MHSP, NCC

Therapist/Practicum Coordinator
Pronouns: she/her/hers

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.

Vanessa Bell, Ph.D., HSP

Psychologist
Pronouns: she/her/hers

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, LCSW

Therapist
Pronouns: she/her/hers

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.

Sean Castady

Administrative Manager
Pronouns: he/him/his

Mary Clare Champion, Ph.D., HSP

Associate Director for Administration and Clinical Services
Pronouns: she/her/hers

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.

Ashley Clark

Administrative Assistant
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Nalini Conner, Ph.D., HSP

Assistant Director for Training
Pronouns: she/her/hers

“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.

Tara Duffie, MA, DNP, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Pronouns: she/her/hers

I believe that mental health is self-care. My goal is to promote a collaborative environment where we can build a genuine therapeutic partnership. I strive to promote an inclusive, safe space to welcome all students.

Julia Dyer, BSN, RN

Registered Nurse
Pronouns: she/her/hers

I recently heard, “if the conversation is boring, you are probably not listening.” I believe everyone has a story worth telling, and we can count ourselves privileged if we get to listen. It is an honor to be invited into the lives of others. Whether at work, the grocery store, or on a plane ride, it is my hope to see, delight in, and engage with the person in front of me. As a nurse, I believe much of physical health stems from mental health. Here at the UCC, I hope to assist students toward their mental health goals, allowing them to flourish in their studies, social settings, and overall wellness.

MacKenzie Enderwitz, Psy.D., LMFT

Postdoctoral Fellow
Pronouns: she/her/hers

I’m so proud of you for taking this step forward in your healing journey. ‘Putting in the work’ in therapy is a vulnerable and often challenging process, so my goal is to create an environment that feels authentic, affirming, and empowering. I believe that the societal and cultural systems built around a person heavily influence how they interact with their world (and how the world interacts with them). My hope for treatment is to provide a collaborative space to process these experiences, as well as highlight the client’s resilience.

Viviana Grice, LPC/MHSP, NCC

Senior Therapist
Pronouns: she/her/hers

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.

Fluent in Spanish.

Annie Holmes, MSN, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Pronouns: she/her/hers

I aim to provide compassionate, individualized, and evidenced-based care for all students. I strive to meet students where they are in their mental health journey and create a warm, welcoming space for them to share their story. I approach mental health care with an emphasis on seeing the whole person – mind, body, soul and empowering individuals to participate fully in their care.

Amber Hopkins, MSN, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Pronouns: she/her/hers

I strive to provide patient-centered care that is both compassionate and inclusive to all students. My goal as a psychiatric nurse practitioner is to support students through their academic journey by developing strong therapeutic relationships and using evidence-based medication management.

Ruth Howard, Ph.D., HSP

Associate Director for Training
Pronouns: She/Her/Ella

I am humbled by the strength and resilience that students exhibit every day, and it is a privilege to support them on their academic journey. In therapy, I strive to collaborate with students to create a warm, affirming, compassionate, and validating space for growth and healing to take place. As a provider who identifies as Latina and immigrated to the US as a child, my identities also inform my professional values, which are rooted in liberation psychology and include a commitment to empower students by honoring their unique lived experiences and strengths, exploring the impact of systems of inequity, and advocating for meaningful change.

Speaks conversational Spanish.

Leah Jesse, MD

Child, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatrist
Pronouns: she/her/hers

I consider it a privilege to be entrusted with the care of students as they embark on a journey of healing from some of life’s greatest challenges. My goal is to bring warmth, empathy, and a non-judgmental attitude to every encounter, so that each student feels empowered to be their truest self. I strive to provide patient-centered care through a treatment relationship grounded in mutual respect and guided by students’ unique values and goals. My training in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry has given me a breadth of knowledge on the presentation of mental health disorders across the lifespan and a recognition of how different life stages influence treatment goals.

Kristen Johnson, M.S., M.Ed.

Doctoral Intern
Pronouns: she/her/hers

I am deeply honored by the courage and vulnerability required to participate in the therapeutic process, and I strive to help students do so by creating a validating and collaborative space where they can explore and understand both themselves and the challenges that they are experiencing. My hope is that clients who work with me will leave therapy feeling encouraged and empowered to work toward personally meaningful life goals with intention.

Alexandria Littlejohn, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow
Pronouns: she/her/hers

I believe we heal and flourish in and through our connections with others. I place an emphasis on co-creating an egalitarian and collaborative therapeutic relationship where you feel respected and empowered. I’m dedicated to establishing a space where your unique identities, lived experiences, and needs are welcomed and appreciated. My approach to therapy is relational, anti-oppressive, culturally humble, feminist, and affirming. I blend elements of skill-building, attachment-based, emotion-focused, and somatic interventions to better understand your past experiences, explore relational patterns, and guide you toward healing and growth.

Shanice Martin, M.A.

Doctoral Intern
Pronouns: she/her/hers

My aim is to provide students with culturally sensitive tools and a safe space to navigate the challenges that come with life and personal growth. I believe in honoring salient identities and experiences throughout the therapeutic process, understanding that change is not a linear path but a complex journey requiring patience and perseverance.

Gavyn McCall, M.S.

Clinical Practicum Trainee
Pronouns: he/him/his

I view intrapersonal life and health as encompassing three interconnected areas: physical health, mental health, and intellectual growth. By intentionally nurturing these aspects, we can move towards fostering meaningful positive change. While the methods to achieve this growth may vary across individuals, my goal is to act as a supportive partner, helping to clarify the path toward your mental health goals.

Nora McNulty, M.A.

Doctoral Intern
Pronouns: she/her/hers

I believe in the healing power of personal insight. In understanding the why behind our struggles, I believe we are better equipped to influence how we cope with them. My goal as a therapist is to provide clients with a safe space to do the necessary self-reflection – exploring their thoughts, feelings, behaviors, recurring patterns, identities, prior experiences, etc. – to better know themselves, and ultimately, to lead more intentional and fulfilling lives.

Martez Nelson, LPC-MHSP

Assistant Director for Community Engagement
Pronouns: he/him/his

My goal is to provide you with a safe, welcoming, and empathic space to navigate your challenges and goals. I work from a strengths-based approach, and we will use this approach to help you find new ways of managing your academic, social, and emotional needs. I am passionate about serving individuals within the LGBTQ+ community, and other marginalized groups including, black and brown folx inclusive of all gender identities.

Frances Niarhos, Ph.D., HSP

Psychologist
Pronouns: she/her/hers

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.

Beccah O'Brien, M.S.

Clinical Practicum Trainee
Pronouns: she/her/hers

I am honored to collaborate with students throughout their therapeutic and diagnostic journeys. My approach is grounded in authenticity and empathy, providing a nonjudgmental space where each person’s unique story is heard and valued. Whether we are disentangling the impact of past traumas on daily life or developing effective coping strategies for everyday stressors, I am committed to supporting my clients with genuine presence and dedication.

Tanisha Owusu, Ph.D.

Psychologist
Pronouns: she/her/hers

I am excited to join you on your journey of self-discovery and personal growth. Every experience, circumstance, and perspective shapes who we are, and I hold immense respect for the diversity that each of you brings to our space. My goal is to help you explore and define what true wellness means for you, and to provide support and guidance as you work towards actualizing that vision. Together, we will create a safe and inclusive space where every aspect of your individuality is honored and celebrated.

Melissa Porter, Psy.D, HSP

Associate Director for Clinical Operations
Pronouns: she/her/hers

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.

Drew Scott, B.A.

Clinical Practicum Trainee
Pronouns: he/him/his

I believe that personal growth and transformation are inevitable consequences of any academic pursuit. But as you “dare to grow,” you might feel as though you’ve been thrown into a crucible, one that subjects you to trials, challenges, and pressures that can reopen old wounds or create new ones. While honoring your complexity as an individual, building on your strengths, and understanding that you’re the expert on your own experience, it’s my hope that we can enter into a relationship that illuminates a path forward.

Kyle Shadrick, LCSW

Therapist
Pronouns: he/him/his

Hi there! My name is Kyle Shadrick. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker(LCSW) in the state of Tennessee, and a therapist at the UCC. In addition to individual therapy, I am also currently the co-chair of the UCC’s diversity alliance, and co-facilitator of the Continuum support group. I am passionate about working with trauma and LGBTQIA+ individuals. I am also a Certified Transgender Care Therapist through ITCA.

Javionne Smith

Administrative Assistant
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Emma Snow, LMFT

Clinical Case Manager
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

I believe we are all capable of making change in our lives, but sometimes we need some help in doing so. As case manager, I will work as a part of a team to help students find the right path and access the resources they need. Together, we will make sure you have what you need to create healthy change in your life. 

Julie Sutcliffe, PsyD, HSP, CMPC

Assistant Athletic Director for Sport Psychology and Mental Performance
Pronouns: she/her/hers

As a therapist, I work collaboratively with clients to unlock their potential as humans and performers. I utilize an integrative, strengths-based and systemic approach to enhance student-athletes’ holistic growth and performance across social, academic and athletic spheres.

Susie Tharpe

Administrative Assistant, Medical Records
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Natalie Thomas, MSN, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Pronouns: she/her/hers

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, LPC-MHSP

Therapist
Pronouns: she/her/hers

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 a 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

Speaks conversational French. 

Sarah Jordan Welch-Moore, LCSW, DSW

Therapist
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

My goal when working with clients is to help them navigate the challenges that come from their experiences of trauma. As a systematic practitioner with a feminist lens, I work with clients to recognize the ways their unique identities, experiences, and relationships impact the way they move through the world. I hope to support autonomy and growth through the therapeutic process. Through a trauma-informed lens, I work to support students in their work towards healing, and realizing their own resilience.

Zsanett Williams, DNP, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Pronouns: she/her/hers

My approach to patient care is centered on collaborating with you to find solutions integrating information about your individual needs, psychosocial and cultural context with the most up-to-date, evidence-based, and person-centered treatment modalities. I aim to create a partnership in the therapeutic environment that focuses on building an individualized, holistic wellness plan that will empower you to flourish in all areas of life.

Anabella Pavón Wilson, Ph.D., HSP

Psychologist
Pronouns: she/her/ella

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.

Fluent in Spanish.

Fay Womer, M.D.

Associate Director of Psychiatry
Pronouns: she/her/hers