Mark LaSota, Ph.D.

Staff Psychologist and Director of Internship Training (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)

Dr. Mark LaSota received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2008. He has been a staff psychologist at the CUA Counseling Center since 2010, serving as the Director of Outreach until the fall of 2017 when he took on the role of Director of Internship Training. His theoretical orientation most closely resembles an integration of cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal therapies, while incorporating aspects of mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Dr. LaSota’s clinical interests reside in understanding and treating anxiety, with a specific emphasis on perfectionism, in addition to considering masculinity and aspects of privilege. Outside of work, in addition to spending time with his family and enjoying recreational offerings of the DC-Baltimore area, Dr. LaSota follows Chicago sports teams, especially the historically underachieving and 2016 World Series Champion Cubs.

Karen Miller, L.I.C.S.W.

Staff Social Worker (Washington University)

Karen Miller, LICSW received her Masters of Social Work from The George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis in 1999. She has been a staff member of the Counseling Center at Catholic University since January of 2008. Prior to her work at CUA, she specialized in working with at-risk children, youth, and families. Karen works with clients from a Cognitive-Behavioral perspective, though she integrates aspects of relational and humanistic theories as well. Her style is straight-forward and direct and she is strong believer of utilizing humor in therapy. Karen also supervises advanced graduate students in social work and psychology. Her particular areas of clinical interest are trauma, issues related to family of origin, individuation, relationships, and building self-awareness.

Ali Phillips, PMH-NP

Staff Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (Vanderbilt University)

Ali Phillips, APRN, is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She received her Master of Science in Nursing, with a specialty in psychiatry and mental health, from Vanderbilt University. As a Nurse Practitioner, she is trained and certified to take medical histories, conduct examinations, order and interpret diagnostic tests, diagnose and treat acute and chronic mental health conditions, prescribe and manage medication, and provide supportive therapies. Ali has treated patients facing a variety of clinical challenges, including anxiety, depression, stress, substance abuse, addiction and trauma among others. Ali has a special interest in interpersonal neurobiology. In her spare time, Ali can usually be found on a bike or reading a good novel.

Monroe Rayburn, Ph.D.

Director, Counseling Center (University of South Carolina)

Dr. Monroe Rayburn received his Ph.D. in Clinical-Community Psychology in 1998 from the University of South Carolina. He has been on the CUA Counseling Center staff since 1998, having served as the Director since 2003. He utilizes an integrative style in his clinical practice. He incorporates humanistic/existential elements as well as cognitive-behavioral approaches in his work as a therapist for CUA student clients as well as a supervisor for advanced graduate students in psychology and social work. His clinical interests include depression, anxiety (including OCD, panic, and phobias), trauma, and family of origin issues. He has been affiliated with the Behavior Therapy Center of Greater Washington since 2001, has served as the unofficial coordinator of the Washington Metro Area Counseling Center Directors (WMACCD) since 2005, and served on the International Accreditation of Counseling Services (IACS) Board of Accreditation from 2012-2018 and Board of Directors from 2015-2018.

Frances A. Mallari, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow & Director of Group Therapy (The George Washington University)

Dr. Frances Anolin Mallari earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from George Washington University. Her clinical experience includes The Meltzer Center for Psychological and Community-Based Services and The Capital Institute for Cognitive Therapy. She takes an integrative, collaborative approach to therapy, using empirically-supported cognitive-behavioral treatments with humanistic-existential elements. Multicultural issues are a passion of hers — both personally and professionally, and she is constantly searching for creative ways to adapt treatments and interventions to consider an individual’s multiple intersecting identities. She specializes in working with emerging and young adults who experience mood and anxiety disorders related to life transitions, identity exploration, relationship issues, and adjustment difficulties. In her spare time, Frances enjoys reading, crafting, exploring places through food, and creating playlists for very specific situations and moods. 

Allyson Shaffer, M.S.W, L.I.C.S.W.

Staff Social Worker & Director of Externship Training (Marywood University)

Allyson Shaffer, LICSW, received her Masters of Social Work from Marywood University in 1994. She has been at Catholic University since 2010, serving in Social Work education, Student Affairs and the Counseling Center. Allyson has over 25 years of clinical practice experience, with individuals, families and groups. She has a background in crisis intervention, trauma & emergency psychiatry services, grief & loss, and counseling with children, young adults & parents. Allyson is the Training Director for the Graduate Externship Program for Social Work & Psychology students.  She takes a collaborative approach to therapy, working with clients from a Cognitive Behavioral perspective, utilizing aspects of psychosocial and strengths based theories. Outside of work, She enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She can often be found at a baseball or swimming event, or out trying to keep up with her dogs. Her favorite days are at the beach with her family.

Sonja Kubota Johansson, Psy.D.

Staff Psychologist (The George Washington University)

Dr. Sonja Kubota Johansson received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The George Washington University in 2019. Four years after completing CUA's Counseling Center Externship Program, she (happily!) returned to CUA as a staff clinician in 2022. Sonja enjoys working with emerging adults who are exploring and developing their identities. Her clinical interests include anxiety, depression, and trauma, especially within college mental health. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Stanford University CAPS and her post-doctoral fellowship at Georgetown University CAPS. Before returning to CUA, Sonja was also a staff clinician at New York University Counseling and Wellness Services. Her style is integrative and based on a relationship-centered approach informed by psychodynamic theory and multi-cultural context. Off campus, Sonja teaches therapeutic yoga both privately and in groups, which influences the mind-body approach she sometimes integrates into treatment.

Deirdre Gaughan, Psy.D.

Staff Psychologist & Director of Outreach (Divine Mercy University)

Dr. Deirdre Gaughan received her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Divine Mercy University in 2021. She completed her externship at the Catholic University of America two years ago and is excited to return as a staff psychologist.  After training at CUA, Deirdre continued to work at university counseling centers. She completed her predoctoral internship at the Baylor University Counseling Center and her postdoctoral fellowship at Georgetown University CAPS. Additional clinical experiences during graduate school included working at the IPS Center for Psychological Services and Phoenix House Mid-Atlantic Counseling Center.  Her theoretical orientation draws primarily from a psychodynamic, interpersonal, and emotion-focused framework for therapy. She works to create a non-judgmental and trusting environment in order to help students address patterns, process their experience, gain insight into their relationships, and better understand themselves in order to reach their goals. Her clinical interests include working with anxiety and mood disorders, trauma recovery, identity development, spirituality and family of origin concerns. Outside of work, she enjoys frequenting coffee shops, going on adventures to find beautiful places, and trying new recipes.

Armahn Rassuli, M.Ed., M.Psy.

Doctoral Intern (The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.)

Armahn is a doctoral intern from George Washington University's Professional Psychology (Psy.D) program. Over the past few years, Armahn has served a diverse range of individuals at community mental health centers in Washington D.C. and Williamsburg, VA. His clinical interests include interpersonal and relational issues, anxiety, depression, and substance use. Armahn uses an integrative approach to therapy that is primarily rooted in psychodynamic psychotherapy while incorporating humanistic approaches and mindfulness-based interventions. In his spare time, Armahn enjoys reading, spending time with others, and playing video games.

Feven Fisseha, M.A.

Doctoral Intern (American University, Washington, D.C.)

Feven is a doctoral intern from American University in Washington, DC. She has had the privilege to work with diverse populations in college counseling, community health, private practice, and hospital settings throughout the greater DC Metropolitan area. Feven’s clinical style is integrative, consisting of cognitive-behavioral, relational, and client-centered strategies. She emphasizes the importance of creating a collaborative, authentic, and empowering space in order to build a strong therapeutic relationship with her clients. Additionally, she explores how clients’ identity factors and cultural backgrounds affect their current presentation. Her clinical interests include, but are not limited to, anxiety and related disorders, depression, OCD, life transitions, and acculturative stress. Her research focuses on exploring first-generation college students’ experiences and responses to stressors. Outside of work, you can probably find Feven reading, traveling, brunching, attempting to limit screen time on her phone, and spending time with her loved ones.

Brooke Haseltine, M.A.

Doctoral Intern (Fordham University, New York City)

Brooke is a doctoral intern from Fordham University's Counseling Psychology doctoral program. She has worked with a diverse range of clients in a variety of clinical settings, including community mental health centers, inpatient and partially hospitalized levels of care, private practice, and more recently at New York University's College Counseling Center and the Washington D.C. VA Medical Center. Brooke utilizes an integrative approach to therapy that incorporates both person-centered and cognitive-behavioral interventions. Brooke strives to create a warm, supportive, and collaborative environment that promotes personal exploration, self-compassion and healthy coping skills. Brooke's clinical interests include (but are not limited to!) anxiety, coping with health concerns, disordered eating, sleep challenges, academic/work stress, life transitions, and difficulties with interpersonal/family relationships; she also has a background and interest in working with health providers and health providers in training. In her free time, Brooke enjoys spending time with friends and family, watching documentaries, and hunting for her next favorite restaurant. 

Reem AlRabiah

Doctoral Extern (The George Washington University)

Reem AlRabiah is a third-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at GWU. She grew up in Saudi Arabia and moved to the United States for her studies. Reem’s clinical interests are in treating anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, and the impact of traumatic experiences.

Lydia Arnold

MSW Extern (The Catholic University of America)

Lydia Arnold is a clinical social work intern from the Catholic University of America National Catholic School of Social Service. Lydia is in her advanced year of the MSW program, with a focus on clinical practice. Lydia is particularly focused on working with young adults experiencing depression, anxiety, life transitions, and adjustments, and seeks to form a collaborative relationship in therapy with a strengths-based approach to assisting clients in meeting and managing their challenges and stresses. In addition to pursuing her MSW, Lydia also has close to 20 years of experience practicing and teaching law. In her free time she is a community health volunteer, and she also enjoys travel, swimming in the ocean, reading, and spending time with friends and family.

Lila Greenwood

MSW Extern (The Catholic University of America)

Lila is a clinical social work extern from the Catholic University of Social Services. Her previous experience includes working as a counselor with a diverse range of clients at Catholic Charities with the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team. Her interests include encouraging engagement in mental health care, especially among young people. She seeks to provide support specific to each client and where they are while harvesting a safe, thoughtful, and collaborative environment. Lila enjoys spending time with friends in her spare time and taking long walks around the city!

Donica Hilario

Doctoral Extern (Divine Mercy University, Virginia)

Donica is a doctoral extern from the Institute for the Psychological Sciences at Divine Mercy University. She received a Master of Psychology degree from DMU and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In therapy, Donica takes an integrative approach acknowledging the wholeness and dignity of the person in their suffering and desires to create a warm and empathic environment. She utilizes various techniques such as psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral therapy, and attachment-based approaches. Her clinical interests include depression, anxiety, and trauma, and has a passion for helping others explore their sense of self, relationship with others, and relationship with faith. During her spare time, she enjoys baking all kinds of desserts, doing anything outdoors, and spending time with friends. 

Molly Michael

MSW Extern (The Catholic University of America)

Molly is pursuing her Masters in Social Work from the Catholic University of America. She earned a BA in International Relations from Brown University and a MA from Columbia University in the same field. She comes to Catholic University after a long career in counterterrorism analysis for the U.S. federal government and the New York Police Department. Her clinical interests are in anxiety, depression, trauma, family systems, autism spectrum disorder and mindfulness/spirituality. Outside of work, Molly enjoys yoga, tennis, and learning to paint.

Blakely Murphy

Doctoral Extern (The George Washington University)

Blakely is currently a fourth-year student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at The George Washington University (GWU). Her experiences working with college students in both research and clinical settings have ignited a passion for supporting this population as they navigate the unique challenges of emerging adulthood. After obtaining her BA in Psychology from Adelphi University, she completed a research internship at Columbia University where she conducted a longitudinal study that explored the impact of traumatic events on the mental health of young adults in the New York area. Her primary clinical interests include trauma, anxiety disorders, and helping young adults cope with life transitions during emerging adulthood. In her leisure time, Blakely enjoys traveling, gardening, watching movies, and trying new restaurants!

Katie Rim

Doctoral Extern (University of Maryland)

Katie is a doctoral extern from the Counseling Psychology program at the University of Maryland. Her previous clinical experiences include working with students at the University of Maryland counseling center, co-leading an eating disorder group at the Eating Recovery Center, and doing long-term therapy at the Maryland Psychotherapy Clinic and Research Lab. Katie’s approach to therapy draws from psychodynamic, humanistic, and multicultural theories. She strives to create an empathic space in which clients feel safe to share their stories, work to understand themselves more deeply, and make changes to improve their well-being. Her clinical interests include loss/trauma, religion/spirituality, family-of-origin issues, interpersonal challenges, and group therapy. In her free time, Katie enjoys baking, visiting coffee shops, going on walks/hikes, and spending time with loved ones.

Ryann Siegel

Doctoral Extern (Loyola University of Maryland)

Ryann is a doctoral extern from the Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program at Loyola University Maryland. Over the past three years she has worked with diverse client populations in a variety of clinical settings including college counseling, private practice, a community mental health center, and Kennedy Krieger Institute. Ryann is passionate about helping adolescents and emerging adults navigate the stressors that may arise during this transitional time of the lifespan. Her clinical style integrates and draws upon acceptance-based, cognitive-behavioral, and client-centered methods. Her clinical interests include anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, identity development, academic concerns, grief, and body image concerns. Her research explores the relationship between emerging adult identity development and social media usage, particularly within college students. In her free time, Ryann enjoys being outdoors, cooking and baking, cheering on the Washington Capitals, and spending time with family and friends.   

Angelyn Wollen

MSW Extern (Columbia University, NY)

Angelyn is a third year student at Columbia University pursuing her Master's Degree in Social Work with a focus on Clinical Practice. Her desire to serve children and families is inspired by her amazing daughter, with whom she lives in Washington D.C.

Tracy Zimmerman

Doctoral Extern (The George Washington University)

Tracy is a doctoral extern from George Washington University’s Professional Psychology (PsyD) Program. Her previous clinical experience includes serving individuals diverse in personhood and presenting concern at a community mental health center in Washington, D.C. Her clinical interests include interpersonal concerns, trauma, life transitions, and identity exploration. Tracy predominantly uses a psychodynamic approach to therapy, supporting clients in better understanding their own behavioral and relational patterns to empower them to make desired changes in their lives. Creating a warm, collaborative, and trusting environment is foundational to Tracy’s approach. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking (and eating!) new recipes, and enjoying time outside with her dog. 

Evan Albury

Doctoral Student (The Catholic University of America)

Evan received her Bachelors of Science from Florida State University and is currently a doctoral student at Catholic University of America. She has experience working with individuals with bipolar disorder and those at elevated suicide risk. Additionally, she spent this past summer conducting neurocognitive assessments with individuals experiencing memory loss and other cognitive difficulties. Evan's hobbies include petting dogs, finding new coffee shops, and Taylor Swift.

David Choi

Doctoral Student (The Catholic University of America)

David is a doctoral student from Catholic University's Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. His clinical interests include depression, relationships, faith/spirituality, vocational discernment, and identity development, while his research focuses on suicide prevention and innovative therapies. In his free time, David enjoys listening to interesting audiobooks and playing tennis and pickleball.

Lillian Foote, M.S.

Doctoral Student (The Catholic University of America)

Lillian is a third-year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at Catholic University. Clinically, she is passionate about working with adolescents & emerging adults, particularly in navigating interpersonal relationships (eg, friendships, romantic partnerships, family). Long-term, Lillian plans to specialize in couples & family therapy. When she is not conducting research or working with clients, Lillian enjoys yoga, spending time with friends, and coaching the high jump.

Jessica Gerner

Doctoral Student (The Catholic University of America)

Jess is a PhD student in the clinical psychology program. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and completed a master’s degree in psychology from Louisiana State University. She has experience working with adults in inpatient and outpatient settings and is interested in the assessment and treatment of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Emily Mitchell

Doctoral Student (The Catholic University of America)

Emily is in her 2nd year of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at the Catholic University of America. After receiving her B.A. in Behavioral Neuroscience from Colgate University, she spent 2 and a half years as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Bronx VA Medical Center working with veterans with a diverse range of mental and behavioral health concerns. Her clinical interests include working with mood and anxiety disorders in young adults. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, painting, cooking, exploring new areas, and spending time with dogs. 

Lydia Smith

Doctoral Student (The Catholic University of America)

Lydia is a clinical psychology doctoral student at CUA. Her approach to therapy is rooted in mindfulness, self-compassion, and existentialism. Lydia is native to Boston, MA and enjoys cooking vegetarian meals, playing board/video games, and doing Crossfit.

Judith McDonald

Doctoral Student (The Catholic University of America)

Judy McDonald is a second-year doctoral student in Catholic University's Clinical Psychology PhD program. She is a member of the Positive Development Lab led by Dr. Kathryn Degnan. Prior to coming to CatholicU, Judy worked as a lab manager and research assistant at the Infancy Studies Lab of Rutgers University- Newark, where she aided in EEG and behavioral studies examining infant brain and language development. She hopes to continue learning about human development—both physiological and social emotional—through her research and clinical experiences. Judy is incredibly excited to help guide college students through what can be an exciting and difficult transition in their early adult lives. 

Morgan McDonald, M.A.

Psychometrist (Catholic University of America)

Mallory Marse, B.A.

Administrative Assistant (Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, LA)

Mallory is from South Louisiana and graduated from Nicholls State University with her Bachelor's in Liberal Arts. She majored in Sociology with concentrations in psychology and education. She is currently getting her MBA while working full-time at the Counseling Center. When Mallory is not at work, she is usually spending time with her son and fiance. She also enjoys SolidCore pilates and spending time in nature looking for waterfalls.