Faren Akins is a psychologist and attorney licensed in Arizona and California with more than 40 years professional experience. He completed his doctorate in psychology at the University of Arizona graduating Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his law degree with Honors at Santa Clara University. He has taught at the University of Arizona, San Jose State University, and Santa Clara University. He is a published author and has received grants and fellowships. As an attorney he represents clients with licensing board complaints and provides consultation about law and ethics issues. His forensic psychology practice is devoted to work in family and juvenile law matters where he routinely provides evaluations and expert testimony.

Carisa Authier is a licensed clinical psychologist working in private practice. She is a person centered, trauma informed, gender affirming therapist working with persons in young adulthood through the elder years. Prior to working in private practice, she worked in a variety of settings including community mental health, residential addiction treatment, methadone treatment, partial hospitalization, and conducted home visits to help elders “age in place.” Her focus is to treat the person and not the “disorder.” Areas of particular interest include complex trauma and dissociation, life transitions, identity development, grief and self-care. Prior to psychology, Dr. Authier worked in the field of industrial chemicals as both a research and development chemist and regional sales representative.

Patrick J. Barrasso, LCSW, resides in Tucson, Arizona, and is the founder and co-owner of In Balance Continuum of Care. He has over 25 years of extensive training and experience in adolescent and adult substance abuse and mental health treatment. His vast experience makes him a frequent presenter at both local and national conferences, including presenting for U.S. Journal Training (USJT) national conferences and Family and Addiction Conferences and Educational Seminars (FACES) events. He was recently a member of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) Board and served as its liaison to the Best Practice Committee. He has served on the Pima County Commission on Addiction, Prevention & Treatment to improve services in the greater-Tucson community for individuals who have drug and alcohol issues. Additionally, he is the founder of FreshStart Today: Making Futures Possible, One Step at a Time, LLC, a not-for-profit that was born to combat addiction and mental health concerns for those who otherwise cannot afford treatment.

Dr. Belton earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Arizona State University in 2003, and a master’s degree in Professional Counseling from Ottawa University in 2006. After working full-time for a few years, she returned to school and earned a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Argosy University, Phoenix, graduating in 2013. She went on to complete a 2-year postdoctoral residency in Neuropsychology with placement at Neuropsychology Ltd. Dr. Belton also consulted regularly for an inpatient acute rehabilitation facility that serves patients in recovery from traumatic brain injury, cerebrovascular accidents, and other neurological conditions. Dr. Belton worked in private practice for a few years, prior to taking on a new assessment role through a contract with the Department of Economic Security. At present, Dr. Belton is a clinical neuropsychologist at A-Z Neuropsychology. She regularly completes assessments for the Department of Economic Security, and also on a part-time basis at the Pinnacle Center.

Dr. Belton is trained in the neuropsychological assessment of individuals 16 years and older. Her primary areas of clinical interest include neurocognitive disorders, traumatic brain injury, and stroke. Dr. Belton enjoys taking part in the training of postdoctoral residents and is an active member of multiple state and national organizations focused on the development and advancement of Psychology as a profession. Dr. Belton serves as the secondary supervisor to postdoctoral residents that are placed at A-Z through an affiliation with the Arizona Psychology Training Consortium.

Dr. Evelyn Burrell is a licensed clinical psychologist in Arizona. Dr. Burrell is the clinical training director at Northern Arizona University allowing her to focus on training the next generation of psychologists in diversity and inclusion. She is also the owner of Arise Consultation and Training Services (ACT), LLC, providing trainings in cultural awareness to mental health professionals, students, and educators. Through her practice, Dr. Burrell has facilitated community events, bringing mental health practitioners and the Black community together to discuss mental health awareness with a focus on trauma; to include inter-generational trauma, racial trauma, and systemic trauma. She has also aligned with agencies and organizations to assist in fundraising opportunities for marginalized communities. She has worked with probation and police departments, developing training focusing on childhood trauma and racial disparities within the legal system.

Dr. Burrell is the president-elect and Federal Advocacy Coordinator (FAC) for the Arizona Psychological Association (AzPA), she is the first Black person to serve in these roles in her state. As the FAC, Dr. Burrell visits Washington DC annually to lobby on behalf of the American Psychological Association (APA). Prior to becoming president-elect, she held the position of Diversity Representative. During this time, she was able to offer stimulating conversation, continuing education, and training to psychologists, leaving a sustaining foundation for continued education and learning in diversity and inclusion. Dr. Burrell also acted as a diversity delegate for the APA for two years. Due to her advocacy efforts, she was recently awarded the Distinguished Contribution to Diversity award by AzPA in 2020.

Dr. Burrell is an innovative speaker and trainer. She has focused on teaching diversity and inclusion for over 10 years. In her “free time,” she enjoys traveling, playing with her twins, and spending time with her husband and friends.

Michele Butler, MA, resides in Tucson, Arizona, and is the Program Director of In Balance Continuum of Care’s Intensive Outpatient and Individual Counseling services. In 2014, Michele received her MA in Community Counseling from Regis University in Denver, CO, with an emphasis on trauma and addiction studies. Michele has over a decade of professional and personal experience within the substance abuse and mental health field, in addition to direct and indirect client care, program development, and advocacy.

A life-long learner, Michele is pursuing additional post graduate studies dedicated to systematic research of evidence-based best practices geared towards closing the disparity gap within vulnerable communities. Her role at In Balance involves providing thoughtful programmatic services for the IOP program and individual counseling clients in order to maximize sustainable impact for those in search of long-term recovery.

Linda Carapellese has managed revenue cycle strategy and processes for over 25 years. She joined the ranks of women entrepreneurs in 2003 and has built Red House along with partners since 2016. She continues in executive and advisory roles within the company and as an industry expert in various professional settings. Linda's expertise spans both facilities and private practices. Her company, Red House, is entering their sixth year as an AzPA sponsor.

Larry J. Cohen is a certified specialist in injury and wrongful death litigation who has focused in his more than thirty seven years of law practice on serious medical injury and emotional damages cases, including especially brain injury claims. He received his J.D. from Northwestern University in 1985, and has been admitted to practice in Arizona since 1985. Mr. Cohen also has a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Syracuse University and has participated in a post-doctoral program in clinical neuropsychology. He has for many years been a member of the adjunct faculty at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University where he has taught courses in professional responsibility, pretrial practice, trial practice, professional liability and litigation ethics. He taught and did research at the University Michigan School of Law and at the University of Illinois-Chicago, taught on the adjunct faculties of Norwich University, the Arizona Summit School of Law, the Arizona School of Professional Psychology, now Argosy University, and Midwestern University. Mr. Cohen speaks nationally to groups of lawyers, other professionals, insurance companies, governmental entities, risk managers and other interest groups about litigation and trial practice matters, legal ethics, alternative dispute resolution, and issues in brain damage, law and medicine and law and psychology. He has received awards from the Maricopa County Bar Association, the State Bar of Arizona and the State Bar of New Mexico for excellence in continuing legal education. He also received a President’s Award from the State Bar of Arizona for contributions in continuing legal education. He has for many years been listed by Southwest Super Lawyers and Arizona’s Finest Lawyers as among the best lawyers in Arizona and has been recognized by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel as among the top one percent of lawyers in the United States.

Dr. Sylvia Cohen is a licensed psychologist in the state of Arizona with a specialty in the area of School Psychology. Dr. Cohen was the Lead Psychologist in Scottsdale Unified School District for 20 years. She has been the President of the Arizona Association of School Psychologists, the state elected delegate to the National Association of School Psychologists and the Clinical Director of Internship Training for the Arizona Psychological Association APPIC Training Consortium. In addition. Dr. Cohen is or has been Adjunct Faculty in graduate training programs in school psychology at Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University and Argosy University.

Dr. Stevie Mae Douglas is a graduate from Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ where she earned her doctorate in clinical psychology in 2021. She is currently a postdoctoral resident at Psychological Counseling Services, Scottsdale, AZ where she works with trauma and addiction. Dr. Douglas is also a military veteran, serving as a medic during two tours to Afghanistan with the U.S. Army. She has been a guest on the podcast “The Mind of a Therapist,” advocating for the need to build stronger, more effective therapeutic relationships with military veterans seeking mental health services.

Dr. Marcus Earle is a graduate of Virginia Tech University, where he earned a doctorate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy in 1988. He is the Clinical Director at Psychological Counseling Services, Ltd., a group private practice in Scottsdale, AZ. Dr. Earle is a licensed Psychologist and Marriage and Family Therapist in Arizona. He specializes in working with addictions and difficult relationships. He has also co-authored the book “Sex Addiction: Case Studies and Management” with his father, Ralph H. Earle.

Melissa Flint, Psy.D., FT, CCTP received both her masters and doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from The Arizona School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University. Dr. Flint serves as a tenured associate professor in the Clinical Psychology Program at Midwestern University in Glendale, AZ. Her primary area of interest is grief and loss, particularly working with families who have experienced the death of their child/children. Other specialty areas include trauma/ abuse and depression. She also has a special interest in Marfan Syndrome and related disorders with a focus on improving the quality-of-life following diagnosis. Dr. Flint currently serves as the chair of the Area Agency on Aging DOVE’S Program Board of Directors (serving older adults who are survivors of domestic abuse) as well the chair of the Advisory Board of Directors for the MISS Foundation (serving families who have experienced the death of a child). She also serves as a member of the Marfan Foundation’s Quality of Life Expert Panel. Dr. Flint is one of few professionals worldwide to have her Fellow in Thanatology: Death, Dying and Bereavement. She also has a private practice, Koru Psychological Services, in Glendale, AZ where she serves the needs of the traumatically bereaved.

Y. Evie Garcia, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Doctoral Training Director of the Counseling/School Psychology PhD Program in the Department of Educational Psychology at Northern Arizona University. Dr. Garcia is co-editor of the Psychology of Race and Ethnicity book series, the Psychology of Inequity 3-volume book set (contracted by Praeger and due out in late 2022), and the 2016 book, Emotions, Technology, and Health (Elsevier). Along with colleagues, Dr. Garcia has numerous publications that reflect her current research areas of diversity and health. She was co-investigator on an NIH grant re: ADRD caregiver health disparities and an American Heart Association grant regarding stroke caregiving dyads and co-PI on a grant by the National Latinx Psychological Association and the National Urban League to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on Latinx communities.

Dr. Korey Hawkins is a Licensed Psychologist with over 25+ years of experience working in the mental health field. She is currently Manager, SMI Eligibility Clinical Operations for the non-profit Solari Crisis & Human Services. There she provides clinical oversight for the psychologist team who makes SMI determinations. Prior to this, she was a Program Chair, Director of Clinical Training, and Professor at Argosy University for the CACREP Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Program. Historically, Dr. Hawkins has provided individual and family therapy and assessment to diverse populations in various clinical settings, including hospitals, private practice, community mental health, juvenile detention, and schools. In addition, she worked as an advocate of mental health and educational services.

Dr. Vanessa Hintz is a licensed clinical psychologist, workshop leader and keynote speaker. She currently serves as the Senior Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Engagement and Outreach for the American Psychological Association. In her career, Dr. Hintz has worked in various clinical settings with children, adolescents and adults with a wide array of presenting issues. She is an active proponent of multicultural practice and theory and works dynamically to understand how individuals make meaning of the world within their various cultural contexts. Dr. Hintz is also a self-proclaimed “Psych Geek” and incorporates elements of popular culture into her work when beneficial. Dr. Hintz has engaged with practitioners and scholars in the fields of academia, consultation, and training, utilizing expertise in psychology and human behavior to provide insights focused on principles of equity, diversity and inclusion.

Gurjot Kaur, MS, is a fourth year doctoral student in the Combined Counseling/School Psychology PhD Program at Northern Arizona University. She has several collaborative publications that reflect her research in the areas of the impact of traumatic brain injury on neuropsychological functioning of children and adolescents, identifying clinical competencies and best practices when working with children diagnosed with autism spectrum, health disparities and impact of Covid-19 on children with autism living in the rural region of northern Arizona, as well as addressing academic difficulties resulting from Covid-19 related change in education delivery. Furthermore, Gurjot has also served as a co-author on an NIH grant project investigating the emerging biomarkers in autism spectrum disorder, a systematic review which was published in the Annals of Translational Medicine journal.

Chesleigh N. Keene, PhD, MA, is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at Northern Arizona University. She is an affiliate of the Southwest Health Equity Research Collaborative (SHERC) and The Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention (NACP). Dr. Keene has contributed to interdisciplinary field manuals such as the American Psychological Association guidelines for psychological practice with girls and women and the Navajo Nation Cancer Control Plan. She has also published web-based tutorials. Her peer-reviewed publications have been in medical, counseling, and school psychology journals. Dr. Keene is co-investigator on three NIH grants and was a National Cancer Institute diversity fellow. She is current primary investigator on a Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) funded grant.

John B Martin PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist with Northern Arizona Healthcare, Flagstaff AZ, and Chair of the AzPA Rural Psychology Committee. In that capacity, he has worked to provide care to underserved rural communities through Primary Care Behavioral Health in Northern Arizona Healthcare’s primary care clinics. Previously, he was Senior Psychologist for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical and Surgical Weight Loss Program. He has worked in private and group practices, and in hospitals and free standing clinics. He has served in the academic world and as an executive in the health insurance industry. He received his BA from Dartmouth College, and his Ph.D. from McGill University.

Elizabeth Mathers is a second-year master's student at Arizona State University. She completed her undergraduate degrees in psychology (forensic) and biology (pharmacology/toxicology). Her interests are seated within psychology-law and neuropsychology along with their clinical applications. She is interested in legal decision-making, expert and lay judgment, perceptions of psychological assessment evidence, and expert bias.

Dr. Diana Medina is the Chief of Clinical Education and Director of Training at Copa Health in Mesa, Arizona and a bilingual (Spanish and English) licensed psychologist in the State of Arizona. She received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Arizona State University and her Master’s degree in School Counseling from Purdue University. She completed her doctoral internship and post-doctoral training in outpatient psychotherapy and clinical services at Southwest Behavioral & Health Services. Upon completion of her post-doctoral training, Dr. Medina went on to become the Director of the Erickson Outpatient Clinic, part of Southwest Behavioral & Health Services. Dr. Medina is a strong advocate of “strengths-based” approach to therapy. She specializes in gender issues, working with Transgender and Non-Binary (TGNB) clients, and in providing clinical supervision (at the master’s, doctoral, and post-doctoral level). Dr. Medina has served as Adjunct Faculty at GateWay Community College and teaching assistant at Arizona State University. Dr. Medina is an active member of the American Psychological Association, Arizona Psychological Association, and a Certified Member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

Tess Neal is an associate professor of psychology at Arizona State University and a founding faculty member of ASU's Law and Behavioral Science Initiative. She is a scientist, a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist, and a parent of two young children. She studies the nature and limits of expertise. Her basic work focuses on understanding and improving human judgment processes – especially among trained experts, and her more applied work focuses on improving forensic experts’ judgments in particular. Her work has been funded by multiple grants from the National Science Foundation, and she has been awarded numerous research and teaching awards. She serves as editor for the Journal of Personality Assessment and Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, and as an Open Science Advisor for Clinical Psychological Science. She was selected as a Fulbright Scholar in 2022 to conduct a project about how the different evidence laws of the U.S. and Australia lead to similar and different patterns of judicial decision making about psychological evidence, with the potential to inform revisions to laws governing the admissibility of expert evidence in both countries. Website: https://psych-law.lab.asu.edu/

Heidi Herbst Paakkonen has served the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners as its Executive Director since November of 2019. She was previously the Continuing Competence Programs Manager for the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT), and also served for nine years as the Executive Director of the Arizona Board of Physical Therapy. Her 20 years of regulatory and public policy experience includes agency executive management, regulatory policy development and implementation, data-driven decision making, and fostering stakeholder relationships. Additionally she has served on a multitude of national regulatory committees for the FSBPT and the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. Heidi earned her Master of Public Administration from the University of Wyoming.

Deborah Partington, PsyD earned both a masters and doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at the Arizona School of Professional Psychology. She currently has a full-time private practice in Phoenix, AZ From 2006 through January 2015 she directed the psychology training and internship program at Southwest Behavioral Health Services. She developed he program which achieved APA accreditation in 2015. She has been a member of the Arizona Psychological Association Ethics Committee for the past seven years. Between 2013 and April 2017, she served as chair of the committee. Dr. Partington is the recipient of the 2016 Distinguished Mentor Award from the Arizona Psychological Association. Dr. Partington completed training in humanistic-existential psychology through the International Institute of Humanistic Studies, and has a chapter included in Unearthing the Moment: Mindful Applications of Existential-Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychotherapy, edited by Myrtle Heery, PhD. She is also member at large for the Arizona Psychoanalytic Society. Dr. Partington holds a Master’s Degree from Goddard College, VT, and a Master’s of Fine Arts/Creative Writing from ASU. Her first novel, Telling Stories, was published in 2015.

Dr. Michael Redivo, a licensed clinical psychologist for 25 years, has extensive experience in working with parents, families, children, and organizations. Throughout his career, he has served in several leadership roles, including executive director of a private school for children and teens with emotional and behavioral issues. Dr. Redivo has provided training and consultation for parent groups, school districts, private schools, and business organizations. Through this work, he has empowered families, school districts, and organizations to grow and transform their culture to embody values grounded principles. Additionally, Dr. Redivo has served as director of clinical training for doctoral and post-doctoral students in psychology, providing supervision and oversight to emerging professionals. The most rewarding and meaningful role he has served is being a father. He lives in Arizona, with his wife and children.

Dr. Ruggiero received her B.A. in psychology from University of Colorado – Boulder in 1996, master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Northern Arizona University in 2012, and a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from NAU in 2015. She works in the primary care setting for NAH helping patients better manage mental and physical health symptoms with an emphasis on weight management, mindfulness, mood, and anxiety.

Professional activities include president for Northern Arizona Psychological Society, and on several committees (e.g. NAH Ethics, AzPA Ethics, Rural Psychology, Leadership Development). She enjoys hiking, kayaking and art endeavors.

Daniel Schulte, Ph.D. is a psychologist in Arizona, and currently provides psychotherapy and counseling services to adult individuals and couples in his practice in Mesa. Dr. Schulte is licensed as a Psychologist in Arizona, and is credentialed both as a National Register Health Service Psychologist and a National Certified Counselor. Besides clinical practice, training has been a major focus of Dr. Schulte’s work. He is currently an adjunct faculty member in the Counseling Program at Ottawa University, co-chairs the planning committee for the Arizona Psychology Training Conference, and for the last 10 years has served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Arizona Psychology Training Consortium. He also spent several years as the Director of Training at Arizona State University’s Counseling Services. Dr. Schulte also has done public speaking on topics including suicide prevention, mindfulness engagement, and diversity management. He has been active in volunteer work and with professional organizations, and has served on numerous professional boards and committees in Arizona. He is a past president of the Arizona Psychological Association, current chair of the Arizona Psychological Association Leadership Development Committee, and a member of the AzPA Diversity Committee.

Dr. Sherlin has had an extensive career in providing patient services, academic research and instruction, and entrepreneurial endeavors in mental health care. He is an expert in the research and use of neuroscience for improving human performance. He has led research partnerships with Red Bull North America’s High-Performance Center, USA Track & Field, US military Special Operations Forces, local and federal level law enforcement agencies, Fortune 500 companies and professional teams in multiple sports in many countries. He has published this work in the academic literature and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, BBC, Sports Illustrated, CNN, ESPN, CBS, Popular Science, Outdoor Magazine and more.

He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychology, and PhD in Psychology. He later completed a PhD re-specialization and post-doctoral fellowship in Sport & Performance Psychology. He completed a PhD in Clinical Pastoral Counseling and a Master of Arts degree in Professional Counseling with an emphasis in Expressive Arts Therapy. He is currently finishing a Master of Fine Arts in Photography.

Dr. Sherlin is a licensed associate counselor in the state of Arizona. He is listed in the United States Olympic Committee Sport Psychology and Mental Training Registry. He is certified at the Diplomat level in by the International Board of Quantitative Electroencephalography (QEEG), is Biofeedback Certification International Alliance Board certified in Biofeedback and Neurofeedback (BCN, BCB). He is certified as an equine certified professional by the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (ECP), a Certified Mental Performance Consultant by the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (CMPC) and Nationally Certified Counselor by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NCC).

He provides services in clinical counseling as well as sport and performance psychology consulting to individuals, families, teams and organizations. In academia, he has previously held positions of the Associate Dean of Academics, Lead Faculty for the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Disability Services Coordinator at Ottawa University, Surprise, Arizona. He is a Senior Doctoral Adjunct Dissertation Chair and Adjunct Faculty at Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, Arizona. He is Adjunct Associate Professor at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona and Adjunct Research Faculty at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona.

When not pursuing academic and professional career goals, Dr. Sherlin is an adult amateur equestrian in the discipline of dressage with his Dutch Warmblood, Electra KF. He is an instrument rated private pilot, a PADI scuba diving instructor and a semi-professional photographer (www.sherlin.photography).

Dr. Shrader is a graduate of the California School of Professional Psychology in Los Angeles, where he received his Ph.D. in 1992. He completed his internship at the University of Arizona’s Counseling and Testing Services and did a post-doc fellowship at Biodyne of Arizona in Tucson. He then worked for many years at Counseling and Consultation Services at Arizona State University, while teaching part-time. In 2006, he began teaching full-time at the Arizona School of Professional Psychology @ Argosy University until the school ended in 2019. He then returned to ASU’s Counseling Services until 2021, when he began teaching for the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at Northern Arizona University, at the North Valley campus in Phoenix. Much of his training and early experience was in community mental health, which has greatly informed his approach to teaching, training, and supervision, expanding his view of the impact of psychosocial and political issues that impact the mental health of diverse populations. He was a trainer for the APA’s HIV Office for Psychology Education for 18 years and has been on Division 44’s Training and Education Committee since 2012. He has a small private practice in Tempe, AZ, focusing on the developmental issues of young adulthood for diverse populations.

Neil Stafford is a licensed psychologist working for Axis for Autism as the Clinical Director. He is married with 2 boys, ages 6 and 9. They are all Arizona natives living in the Litchfield Park area.

Dr. Stafford worked at Avondale Elementary School District (AESD) for the past 16 years providing psychological services to children ages 5 to 15. He is board certified in School Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He also was the Special Education Director for 5 of those years.

Dr. Stafford has served on several community service and professional association governing and advisory boards. Currently, he is the 2021 Past President of the Arizona Psychological Association. AZPA has awarded him the Early Career Psychologist, Mentor of the Year, and Distinguished Service Awards. He is the training director for the internship program at AESD, which is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Joe is a psychologist, who has been practicing since 1977. He lives in Prescott, Arizona. He began practice as a school and counseling psychologist in the rural areas of Northern Arizona. Dr. Stewart has performed numerous psycho-educational evaluations on several of the Native American Reservations across the State of Arizona. His private practice also has included community and hospital work. Over the past 10 years he has been the Director of the Yavapai Restoration to Competency [RTC] program, which is housed in the Yavapai County Jail Infirmary in Camp Verde, Arizona. Dr. Stewart has a wealth of experience in his forensic psychology work and has presented in the Mental Health Training Conference sponsored by the Arizona Supreme Court. In addition to being licensed in Arizona he is a member of the NRHSP [National Register of Health Psychologists] and a member of the ASPPB [Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards].

Stephanie Vitanza, Ph.D. currently works at Solari Crisis and Human Services in Tempe, Arizona where she provides SMI determinations for the non-profit as contracted by the state of Arizona. Previously, she was a Professor and Program Chair for the CACREP Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree at Argosy University in Phoenix, Arizona for over 10 years. Dr. Vitanza was previously Chair of the Disaster Response Network for the Arizona Psychological Association and Western Regional Representative to the Disaster Response Network Advisory Committee for the American Psychological Association for 7 years in the past, is current member of APA Council of Representatives representing Arizona and is a Member of the APA Membership Board. She has been a volunteer with the American Red Cross for almost 20 years and responded primarily to local and national disasters. Her publications, presentations and clinical work focus on trauma, childhood abuse, witness to homicide and treatment of PTSD in children, adolescents, adults and veterans.

Ellen Williams, Ph.D. is a retired Clinical Psychologist living and working in Arizona since 1975. In addition to her private practice, Dr. Williams taught various Psychology courses at the Maricopa Community Colleges and Arizona State University. Ellen beleives strongly in volunteering and as such she has served in a variety of positions in AZPA and APA and has been a Red Cross Disaster Mental Health and Service to Armed Forces volunteer for over 25 years.

With a track record beginning in 2009, Jeanne has organized fundraising campaigns and conferences, managed digital media projects from audio production to large-scale text banking campaigns, and developed innovative programs like the national Trans Voter Protection Hotline. At Equality Arizona, she develops policy analysis and education for policymakers and the public, directs the organization’s communications strategy, coordinates the organization’s press and media relationships, and more!

John Woodman is an assistant professor of psychology at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ. Prior to joining the faculty at ERAU, he spent five years teaching at Nashville State Community College. He has degrees in psychology from Saint Louis University (BA), Middle Tennessee State University (MA - clinical) and Capella University (PhD - developmental). His research interests pertain to self-regulation, cognitive aging, and optimization of cognitive abilities.

Shirley Yang, PsyD is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in Arizona. She is the Assistant Director of Clinical Services at Arizona State University Counseling Services (ASU CS) where she provides crisis services and support to a diverse population of university students. Dr. Yang is also actively involved in training and supervision at ASU CS and has led trainings on diversity variables and intersectional identities in a supervisory relationship to onboarding trainees. Furthermore, Dr. Yang is a Health Psychologist with Banner Medical Group, conducting pre-surgical evaluations to patients seeking bariatric surgery.

Dr. Yang is a board member on the Arizona Psychological Foundation, a non-profit organization working to further the field of Psychology in Arizona. Dr. Yang is also the Diversity Representative of the Arizona Psychological Association (AzPA) and the co-chair of the Diversity Committee, organizing continuing education trainings and promoting advocacy on various topics of diversity. Within her role as the Diversity Representative for AzPA, Dr. Yang has the honor of being selected to participate in the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Diversity Leadership Development Program and serve as a Diversity Delegate for APA.

Andi Young is the co-chair of the GLSEN Arizona Board of Directors, a clinical social worker specializing in complex trauma and LGBTQ+ adolescent and adults, and a parent of a transgender child. In her role at GLSEN Arizona, Andi works to ensure every student has access to a safe, supportive, and LGBTQ-inclusive K-12 education by building supportive educators, empowering and supporting students, providing inclusive curriculum and library resources, and advocating for comprehensive policies that protect LGBTQ+ youth. As a social worker, Andi understands that not being affirmed, accepted, and supported for who you can have detrimental effects on mental health. Finally, as a mom, Andi has seen first-hand the regular stigmatization experienced by transgender youth and the resulting challenges and struggles they face.