Our Staff

Core Staff

 

Photo of Robin Cook-NoblesRobin Cook-Nobles, Ed.D., Associate Dean and Director of  Counseling Services

Robin has been working at the College since 1986.  She has a particular interest in Black female development, in human development in general, and in a variety of ethnic/cultural issues and concerns.  She received her undergraduate degree from Boston College, her masters degree from Teachers College, Columbia University and her doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology from Boston University.  Previously, Robin has worked at the Boston University, and Howard University Counseling Services  She has taught the Psychology of Women at Wheelock College and has taught, Human Growth and Development, Cross-cultural Psychotherapy, and Group Psychotherapy at Antioch New England Graduate School.  Robin loves art and interior design and almost went to art school instead of Boston College as an undergrad. Pronouns: She/her/hers. Email: rcooknob

 

Martha Bergeron, LICSW, Assistant Director of Counseling Services & Coordinator of the Clinical Training Program

Martha is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with a M.S.W from Simmons School of Social Work, and a B.S.W. from Eastern Nazarene College. Martha worked at Becker College to supervise and train the graduate counseling students as well as manage the on-site counseling center for the community. Before venturing into higher education, Martha worked for 11 years at Riverside Community Care in home–based family therapy, six of those years as Program Director. In her current position, Martha will be providing individual and group therapy, along with consultation, as well as train and supervise the graduate student interns.  Through the use of strength-based, structural, narrative, and family systems, she brings an integrated therapeutic approach and values the importance of creating an encouraging environment to help facilitate growth. As a clinical social worker, Martha works to help individuals address their needs based upon the connections in the relationships they have developed throughout their life. As a clinical supervisor, Martha’s training and experience in Reflective Supervision empowers interns to analyze their own strengths and vulnerabilities through open and consistent collaboration. Outside of work, Martha enjoys running, hiking, cooking & baking, as well as traveling. Pronouns: She/her/hers. Email: mb112

 

Alex Prior, LICSW, Staff Social Worker

Alex is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with a M.S.W. from Simmons School of Social Work and a B.A. in English from Northwestern University.  Prior to coming to the Stone Center, she worked in an outpatient trauma clinic with individuals and families.  Her experience there included working with children and adults with histories of sexual violence, difficulties with depression, anxiety and substance abuse.  In her private practice, Grove Street Counseling in Wellesley, Alex works mostly with young adults and adults in individual and couples therapy.  Her primary interests include sexual assault, gay/lesbian issues, parenting, and cross-cultural differences in identity development.  Alex enjoys running on the trails in the woods, watching great blue herons soar, robins busily hopping and occasionally, sighting deer. Pronouns: She/her/hers. Email: aprior

 

Wendy Huang, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist

Wendy is a licensed psychologist and received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Iowa. She received her BA in Psychology with a minor in Philosophy from Occidental College, and her M.S in Counseling Psychology from the University of Oregon.  Prior to coming to the Stone Center, Wendy was at the Counseling Center at the College of the Holy Cross.  She has also worked at Cambridge Eating Disorders Center, Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Counseling Center at Arizona State University.  Wendy provides individual and group therapy, consultation, and supervision of psychology interns.  She works collaboratively with clients to help them feel more empowered and authentic in their relationships and life.  Her clinical interests include women's issues, eating disorders, multicultural and feminist therapy.  Wendy balances her work life by spending time with her family and friends, and playing bar trivia at least once a week. Pronouns: She/her/hers. Email: whuang2
 

Photo of Jan ParkJan Park Ed.D., Psychologist, Assistant Director of Group and Outreach Activities

Jan is a licensed psychologist with an M.Ed. and Ed.D. in Counseling Psychology from Boston University.  She earned a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Women’s Studies, from the University of Massachusetts in Boston. Just prior to coming to the Stone Center in 2015, she worked at Rhode Island College for many years, with a predominantly first gen, low income population of students. Jan is commited to lifelong learning and growth. As a psychologist, consultant, and supervisor of therapists in training, she strives to help people feel and perform at their best, in a way that is personally sustainable. She believes the relationship in therapy is foundational for helping people grow and develop, and can be a a starting place to address the disconnections one might experience with others. Jan approaches therapy in a way that helps people develop greater ease through practices like mindful awareness of inner experience.  It is especially important to her to value the complex, intersection of the identities of our students and to support the LGBTQ+ community.  In her leisure time, she craves being in nature and all it offers. Pronouns: She/her/hers. Email: jpark23

 

Sandra Acevedo, LICSW, Student Care Coordinator

Sandra came to the USA after completing her Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from the University of Puerto Rico.  Sandra is an Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and earned a Masters degree in Macro Social Work from Boston University with a concentration in community organizing and human service management.  Prior to coming to the Stone Center, Sandra worked for 10 years in the field of emergency crisis intervention for Metrowest Medical Center, Advocates, and the Lipton Center.  Sandra also worked as an adoption social worker for Bright Futures Adoption Center with children in the custody of the Department of Children and Families.  As the new Student Care Coordinator she hopes to help Wellesley students and their families make smooth transitions between providers and secure additional services as needed.  Areas of interest for Sandra are adoption, child welfare and neurobiology.  Sandra is open to learn about the cultural experiences of others and to share her own experience as a native Spanish speaker and a woman growing up in Puerto Rico. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, dancing, and baking. She is passionate about animal welfare and the preservation of the environment. Pronouns: She/her/hers. Email: sacevedo

 

photo of Dericka Canada Cunningham, PhDDericka Canada Cunningham, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist, Cross-Cultural Specialist

Dr. Dericka Canada Cunningham is a licensed psychologist with 10+ years of clinical training and practice. She completed her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at Boston College and earned both her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in areas of psychology from the University of Louisville. Dericka’s areas of focus are centered at the intersection of psychotherapy, teaching, training, and community engagement. Her work encompasses various topics relevant to race, culture, and the unique experiences of BIPOC communities—including racial-cultural identity, racial trauma and healing, colorism, intersectionality, and mental health awareness and stigma. In her current role as a staff psychologist and the Cross-Cultural Specialist at the Stone Center, she serves as a liaison to the Office of Intercultural Education and promotes initiatives that cultivate the holistic wellbeing of students from diverse backgrounds. As someone who is committed to challenging systems and working with historically underrepresented communities, she engages in all her work from a social justice perspective and is passionate about decolonizing the field of psychology/mental health and the process of therapy. At the heart of her work, she appreciates joining folks in whatever space they’re in and honoring the multiple aspects of who they are. She believes that empowered people empower people and hopes to inspire students as they amplify their voice and share it with others and the world. She enjoys finding liberation through rest and meditation, watching 90s sitcoms (Martin and Fresh Prince are favorites), and spending quality time with her partner and daughter. Pronouns: She/her/hers. Email: dericka.cunningham

 

photo of Athena DavosAthena Davos, MSN, PMHNP-BC, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Athena Davos is a board certified, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.  She received her bachelor's degree in nursing from Simmons College and worked as a registered nurse, at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago before returning to Boston to pursue her master's degree in psychiatric nursing at Northeastern University.  After receiving her graduate degree, she completed a psychiatric nurse practitioner residency program at The Boston VA Healthcare System, where she gained invaluable experience providing care to veterans with severe mental illness, PTSD, and substance abuse issues.  In recent years, she has transitioned her clinical focus to working with college students, first as a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Northeastern University Health and Counseling Services and most recently, as the primary psychiatric provider at Optum Student Health Services in Boston (serving Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wentworth Institute of Technology, and Massachusetts College of Art).  She maintains a clinical interest in the treatment of trauma related disorders, substance related issues, and depression and truly enjoys working in a college mental health setting.  She approaches her clinical work with an open and compassionate mind and works to tailor treatment to the specific needs of each client.  When away from her work, she enjoys travelling, spending time with family and friends, and walking with her sweet dog.  Pronouns: She/her/hers. Email: ad100

 

Photo of Ebele Okpokwasili-Johnson

Ebele Okpokwasili-Johnson, M.D., MPH, Supervising Psychiatrist

Dr. Ebele Okpokwasili-Johnson is a Child & Adolescent & Adult Psychiatrist. She completed her training at Harvard Medical School’s Massachusetts General and Mclean Hospitals’ psychiatry residency and child & adolescent psychiatry fellowship programs. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology at Columbia University and completed her dual medical and masters of public health degrees at the University of Illinois. Prior to joining Wellesley’s Stone Center Counseling Team, she was medical director of the Behavioral Health Department at the South End Community Health Center. She currently also serves as medical director of the behavioral health center at NEW Health Charlestown, supervises MGH psychiatry residents in psychotherapy and has a private practice in Brookline. She is an alumna of Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Festival Chorus where she was a soprano for 9 years. She received the 2016 Freedom House Next Generation Award for her work in providing mental health services to youth in the community. Dr. Okpokwasili-Johnson has a special interest in supporting youth through the dynamic transition of adolescence to young adulthood. She is experienced in treating a wide array of mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety and trauma related disorders. She is particularly excited to help students progress and thrive even in the midst of challenges. She serves as a member of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and has published in the accompanying Journal, JACAAP as well as JAMA Psychiatry. Dr. Okpokwasili-Johnson loves to read fiction and non-fiction alike, hike, canoe, make music, cross country ski and head to any beach with her family and friends in her leisure time. Pronouns: She/her/hers. Email: eo104

 

Stone Center Interns & Trainees

 

Photo of Ebele Okpokwasili-Johnson

Ellen Yang

Ellen Yang, M.A., is a fifth-year doctoral intern from the clinical psychology (Psy.D.) program at William James College (formerly MSPP). She graduated cum laude from Boston College with a B.S. from their Arts and Sciences and Psychology Honors programs. 

Her doctoral studies include a concentration in Children and Families with areas of emphasis in Asian and Global Mental Health, and she is the program assistant of the school’s Asian Mental Health Program she helped create and launch. 

She is passionate about serving underserved and underrepresented communities (including communities of color and the LGBTQ+ community) and has received specialized training in these areas as a recipient of the STAR Fellowship. Prior to joining the Stone Center, she trained at diverse community mental health clinics, therapeutic schools, and worked as the multicultural intern at Clark University’s Center for Counseling and Personal Growth. 

She operates with a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, inclusive, and social justice lens to work collaboratively with clients on treatment that is tailored to their uniqueness, goals, and well-being. Areas of interest include racial identity, intersectionality, and family acculturation conflict. In her leisure time she finds joy in hikes with her happy dog, learning to ice skate, gaming on her Switch, and strumming her ukulele. Ellen is supervised by Dericka Canada Cunningham, Ph.D. and Jan Park, Ed.D. Pronouns: She/they. Email: ey102

 

Photo of Ebele Okpokwasili-Johnson

Paulina Prieto Paz

Paulina Prieto Paz, M.A. is a PsyD Clinical Psychology student at William James College currently in the 4th academic year with a concentration in Latinx Mental Health. After she earned her bachelor’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Universidad de Especialidades Espiritu Santo in her home country of Ecuador, she completed her en route Master’s degree in Professional Psychology and is progressing towards her PsyD. Paulina’s areas of focus are centered at the intersection of psychotherapy, advocacy, research, women’s studies, and social justice. As a fun-loving and energetic dog mom, Paulina enjoys the adventurous side of life and prides herself on bringing an upbeat personality to every session. Paulina seeks to cultivate self-determination and empowerment in every client through an eclectic blend of the major treatment styles. Paulina is supervised by Wendy Huang, Ph.D. and Dericka Canada Cunningham, Ph.D. Pronouns: She/her/hers. Email: pp107

 

Photo of staff namePearl Weggler

Pearl is a masters social work (MSW) student in the clinical mental health program at Boston College. They received their undergraduate degree in Gender Sexuality and Women’s Studies from the University of Vermont in 2016. Pearl began their career in mental health as a wilderness therapy guide for trans, nonbinary, and cis-female youth in Vermont's backcountry. After leaving the wilderness, Pearl counseled high school students at a therapeutic boarding school in Montana, coordinated foster care for adolescents within the Vermont Department of Children and Families, and most recently, they cared for patients at McLean Hospital's eating disorders center in Belmont, MA. This past year for their MSW internship, Pearl co-led PLEASURE, a sexual violence prevention program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Pearl’s clinical interests include trauma, substance use, anxiety, major depression, and eating disorders. They have a passion for young adult gender identity development and feminist sex education. As a clinical intern, Pearl’s therapeutic approach draws upon modalities such as DBT, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, CBT, and IFS. In their free time, Pearl enjoys walking their two dogs, canoeing, and listening to live music. Pearl is supervised by Alex Prior, LICSW and Martha Bergeron, LICSW. Pronouns: They/them/theirs

 

Photo of Ebele Okpokwasili-Johnson

Jennifer Tarm

Jennifer Tarm, M.S., is a second-generation Asian American psychologist-in-training, educator, and community organizer. She is a third-year Counseling Psychology doctoral (Psy.D.) student at Springfield College and received her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at the University of Southern California. Tarm comes from training experiences supporting marginalized communities in community mental health, school-based agencies, and group private practice. Her recent training site was at an outpatient clinic at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst at the Psychological Services Center. Her area of focus includes BIPOC mental health, gender/power-based violence, first and second-generation experiences, and social justice issues. She also enjoys personal and identity development with youth and young adults to shape them into critically-conscious leaders. Tarm’s healing philosophy is informed by a systemic perspective, liberation psychology, collective/cultural healing, and a relational lens. She honors the contexts of her clients and works collaboratively with them to tap into their “main character energy” to move towards their values, goals, peace, and rest.

Outside of clinical work, Tarm serves as the Director of Partnerships for the Asian Mental Health Project. She energizes and centers herself through healing activities such as her matcha tea ritual, spending time with loved ones, movement (yoga, volleyball, cycling), watching K-dramas and anime, eating comfort food, and naps. Tarm is supervised by Jan Park, Ed.D. and Wendy Huang, Ph.D. Pronouns: She/they. 

 

Photo of Ebele Okpokwasili-Johnson

Harita Koya

Harita is a second-year masters student at Smith College School for Social Work, a fellow Seven Sisters institution. She received her bachelor’s degree from New York University, where she concentrated in South Asian Studies. Harita’s previous clinical placement was at Ivy Street School, a therapeutic high school in Brookline, MA. Before beginning her MSW, she volunteered as a medical advocate at the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC). Harita also currently serves as a resident scholar at Mather House at Harvard College.

Harita approaches her work from an intersectional, trauma-informed, and social justice-centric perspective. She is particularly interested in queer/trans health, disability justice, immigrant experiences, and racial identity. Outside of work, Harita enjoys reading speculative fiction (sci-fi and fantasy), crafting, learning to climb, and taking long walks. Harita is supervised by Alex Prior, LICSW, and Martha Bergeron, LICSW. Pronouns: She/they

 

Office Staff

 

photo of AlmaAlma Colina-Catalli, Office Manager

Alma brings the Counseling Service over 20 years of office management experience. She provided management support to the Treasury and Financial Services at McKesson Corporation, a global pharmaceutical solutions and distribution leader. Alma also served in various administrative roles in the nonprofit sector and banking industry. She is an appointed Massachusetts Notary Public and a member of the National Notary Association. Alma completed three years of Psychology Studies at the UNAM in Mexico City and earned an Associate Degree from City College of San Francisco where she was honored as a recipient of the Faculty Latino Educational Association Scholarship. Alma enjoys traveling, good music, fun people, and time with her amazing grandkids. Pronouns: She/her/hers. Email: ac124

 

photo of Cindy Verdelli

Cindy Verdelli, Office Assistant 

Cindy has been working at Wellesley College since 2003.  Prior to Wellesley, she was the Assistant Personnel Manager at the Boston Herald.  She left the Herald after 10 years​ to raise her three daughters.  Cindy is a Reiki Master and enjoys practicing on her family, and her   friends.  In her spare time, she enjoys catching beautiful sunsets, venturing on outdoor walks, and exploring new restaurants. Pronouns: She/her/hers. Email: rverdell