Counseling and Psychological Services Staff
Counseling and Psychological Services staff is made up of experienced clinicians committed to providing compassionate and professional care to students and to following best practices in collegiate mental health. To that end, throughout the year, therapists participate in continuing educational opportunities (seminars, conferences, small group work) both on and off campus on a variety of topics including but not limited to diversity and multicultural issues, gender and sexuality, developmental issues, psychopharmacology, ethics, college mental health, and others. Therapists at CAPS have experience and/or special interest in working with young adults in the arts, exploring identity development, LGBTQI-affirming psychotherapy, ethic/racial minority mental health, social justice/anti-oppression approaches in mental health treatment, and working with underrepresented and underserved populations. The CAPS clinical staff is diverse with regards to gender, cultural background, age, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, theoretical orientation, and intervention approaches. The clinical staff includes a psychiatric nurse practitioner and several psychotherapists with backgrounds in social work and psychology. Please read the staff bios below for more information.
Samia Abbass
Samia Abbass (she/they) completed their MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Goddard College, where they built their own curriculum focused on multicultural counseling and community-based approaches to therapy. Samia is passionate about community liberation and decolonizing mental health work to create systems of care that uphold collective wellbeing. She self-identifies as a person of color, multiracial, and multiethnic with roots that wrap around the world and deep into the earth.
Lisa Carton
Lisa (she/they) embraces a very holistic approach to working with people, which encompasses exploring all aspects of ourselves. She incorporates cognitive/behavioral strategies as well as insight work in exploration of patterns that are causing distress. Lisa is trained in EMDR, and teaches relaxation techniques, breathing, and visualization exercises, as well as basic meditation practices to assist people in building space for transformation in their daily lives.
Kat Daley
Kat (she/her) received her BA in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Notre Dame and MA in Social Service Administration (Social Work) from the University of Chicago. She has postgraduate training in EMDR, play therapy, DBT, and TF-CBT. Kat also practices, studies, and teaches yoga, health coaching, and mindfulness.
Penny Owen ’87, LMHC
Penny (she/her) received a BA from Bennington College and a Masters degree from the Antioch New England Graduate School. She specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. She has a special interest in mindfulness based practice.
Ethan Therrien
Ethan (he/him) received a BA in psychology and Master of science in clinical mental health from the College of St. Joseph in Rutland Vermont, He has postgraduate training in TF-CBT, DBT informed and the ARC model. His recent work history includes working with humans in crisis, domestic violence victims, Individuals with autism, and students with learning differences.
Bryna Cofrin-Shaw
Bryna (she/her) is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor candidate at Antioch University New England. She graduated from Brown University with a BA in environmental studies, focusing on the intersection of climate change, psychology, and literature, and received her MFA in Fiction from Hunter College. She brings her experience as a teacher, writer, and activist to the field of counseling, and her clinical interests include creative, narrative, and relational approaches to therapy, as well as embodied and nature-based practices.
Keri Noel
Keri Noel is a Board Certified Advanced Practice Nurse with dual board certifications as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-C) and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) through the ANCC. She graduated with a masters in nursing and FNP degree through The Sage Colleges of Troy NY and obtained her PMHNP post graduate certification through Johns Hopkins University. Keri lives in Pownal, VT with her husband and children and enjoys the outdoors, hiking, biking, gardening and meditation.