See also our 2012-2013 Counseling Interns.

Our Staff

Lori Abbott, BSW

While she sometimes works at the CAPS Redstone office, Lori can usually be found at the Jacobs House front desk, greeting students, scheduling appointments, and making sure the office runs smoothly. She is a recent graduate of the Social Work Program at the University of Vermont.

Amy Boyd Austin, MSS

Amy oversees Safer Sex and Sexual Health Education and Training for the Center for Health & Wellbeing and coordinates the Collegiate Recovery Community at UVM. She and her team of health educators strive to raise awareness around issues of college health and wellness issues, services and resources. She is also the Director of the Health and Wellness Residential Learning Community (HWRLC) at UVM. Amy has a B.A. degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Delaware, and a Master's of Social Service Management from Bryn Mawr College.

Walter Brownsword, MA

Walter is a Senior Staff Psychologist at CAPS and earned his Master's in Counseling Psychology from Antioch New England Graduate School. He is a Licensed Psychologist-Master in Vermont and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor. Walter's areas of interest include graduate students, supervision and training, substance abuse, learning differences and disabilities, psychological trauma, and diversity and social justice. Prior to joining Counseling and Psychiatry Services, Walter worked with youth at risk, probationers/parolees, and domestic violence offenders.

Cara Chinchar, MS

Cara is a Senior Staff Counselor at CAPS Redstone. She has a Master's degree in Mental Health Counseling from UVM and dual in Visual Art and Psychology from Rutgers University. Cara is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Certified Apprentice Substance Abuse Counselor. She has worked with individuals on issues related to mental health and substance use in a variety of treatment settings. Her areas of interest include family systems and substance use, women and substance use, mindfulness, and developmental issues of college students.

Anne Clegg, MD

Anne Clegg, M.D. is a clinical Staff Psychiatrist at Jacobs house. She is board-certified in Psychiatry. Her interests include anxiety disorders, mood disorders and the treatment of eating disorders. She serves on the UVM HOPE Team which provides integrated care for students with eating disorders. She attended UVM College of Medicine for medical school and completed her residency in Psychiatry and Family Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City.

Paul Cotton, MD

Dr. Cotton is a Psychiatrist at the CAPS Jacobs House. He is a graduate of Columbia University and Tufts University School of Medicine. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in the specialty of Psychiatry and the subspecialty of Forensic Psychiatry, and is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Attending Physician at the University Of Vermont College Of Medicine.

Annie Cressey, MEd

A health educator, Annie advises the Active Minds student group and provides Mental Health and Life Skills Education and Training. Aside from Active Minds, her focus is on assessing, developing, and coordinating awareness programs on the intersections of eating disorders/disordered eating, body image, nutrition and fitness. She collaborates with students, staff and faculty to address the needs of the UVM community and promote safe, inclusive and supportive dialogue around health and wellness. Annie has an M. Ed from the Interdisciplinary Studies Program at UVM.

Mary Beth Curry, MS, LCMHC

Mary Beth is a Senior Staff Counselor at CAPS Redstone. She received her Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology at Northeastern University and is a licensed mental health counselor. She has counseled individuals with substance abuse and eating disorder concerns in college counseling, hospital and community mental health settings. Mary Beth's clinical interests include: eating disorders, substance abuse, co-dependency and individuation, resiliency, and spiritual development. She has co-created a speaker-series for students to tell their AOD (Alcohol and Other Drugs) stories. Mary Beth speaks statewide about AOD recovery and serves as chair of VCAN, the Vermont College Alcohol Network.

Beverly Davis, BA

Beverly is the Office Manager of Counseling & Psychiatry Services and currently at the Redstone Campus office. She has worked at UVM for over 20 years, including previous positions in the Department of Social Work and in the Family Practice Department of the College of Medicine. She has enjoyed her work in the CAPS front office for the past 13 years. Bev earned her Bachelor Degree in Sociology with a Concentration in Social Work from the University of New Hampshire.

Derek George, MDiv, MSW

Derek is a Senior Staff Counselor at the Jacob's House. He received a Master's in Social Work from Rutgers University and a Master's in Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. Derek is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor. Derek enjoys working with students. His special interest areas include relationship issues, drug and alcohol use and abuse, substance-affected family experiences, and issues related to diversity. In addition to his clinical work, Derek serves as a liaison between CAPS and religious communities on campus.

Christine Germano, MS

Christine is the Triage Coordinator for Counseling and Psychiatry Services. She works with students accessing CAPS services for the first time and provides crisis services for students in distress. Christine received her Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling at the University of Vermont and her undergraduate degree from Boston University. Prior to her work at CAPS, she spent several years in nonprofit administration, working with individuals making educational and life transitions. Areas of clinical interest for Christine include: anxiety, depression, mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, and wellness.

Diana Gonzalez, MA

Diana provides Alcohol and Other Drug Education and Training for the campus and coordinates the "Think.Care.Act" campaign. She collaborates with students, staff, and faculty to create, coordinate, and present campus-wide educational programs and events. Diana has a B.A. in literature and American cultural studies from Western Washington University and a M.A. in conflict transformation and training from The School for International Training in Brattleboro, VT.

John Paul Grogan, MS, NCC

John Paul is the Clinical Case Manager for Counseling & Psychiatry Services. In this role, John Paul assists students with community referrals and coordinates the medical withdrawal and re-entry process. He also works with students accessing CAPS services for the first time and provides crisis services for students in distress. John Paul received his Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling at the University of Vermont and his undergraduate degree in history from Hendrix College. Prior to his work at CAPS, he spent several years working in alternative education with young adults. Areas of interest for John Paul include anxiety, depression, mindfulness, academic issues, family systems, and LGBTQ concerns.

Jeanne Hawke

A loyal employee of UVM's Center for Health & Wellbeing, Jeanne has worked in the Jacobs House front office for the last couple of years. She works there alongside Lori Abbott, greeting students, scheduling appointments, and making sure the office runs smoothly.

Jessica Ley, MA, MS, PsyD

Jessica is the CAPS Assistant Director for Training and coordinator of the CAPS satellite office at Redstone. She is a Licensed Psychologist-Doctorate in Vermont and former Director of the Student Counseling Center at Green Mountain College. Her professional interests include the developmental challenges of college students, identity development, relationships, stress management, mindfulness-based interventions, the mind-body relationship, supervision and training, and the role of wilderness and other outdoors experiences in personal growth and healing. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Skidmore College, an M.A. in Physiological Psychology from the University of New Hampshire, and her M.S. and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Pacific University.

Miriam "Miv" London, PhD

Miv is a Senior Staff Psychologist at the Counseling and Psychiatry Services. Miv earned her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Yale, and her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Stanford. She has had a variety of positions prior to coming to UVM including staff psychologist at two psychiatric hospitals, a faculty member at Northern Arizona University, and Director of Adult Outpatient Services at Washington County Mental Health Services in Montpelier, VT. She enjoys helping UVM students from all walks of life. Her greatest interest is in the practice of mindfulness, and its application to address anxiety, depression, and other life difficulties. In 1999 she co-founded the UVM Mindfulness Practice Center, and continues to be involved in its growth and development.

Jennifer Hughes Phillips, MSW, LICSW

Jennifer is a Triage Counselor for CAPS. She works with students accessing Counseling and Psychiatry Services for the first time and also provides crisis services for students in distress. Jennifer is a Licensed in Vermont as a Clinical Social Worker. She received her undergraduate and Master's degrees in Social Work from the University of Vermont. Prior to her work at CAPS, Jennifer was a Mental Health Counselor and Alcohol & Drug Educator at Champlain College. She has mental health experience working with adolescents and young adults in a variety of treatment settings. Areas of clinical interest for Jennifer include: identity development, grief & loss, substance abuse, sexual violence, and healthy relationship development.

Denise Pickering, PhD

Denise is a Senior Staff Counselor at CAPS Jacobs House. She has a MS in Community Counseling from the University of Dayton and a PhD in Counselor Education from The Ohio University. Denise has 18+ years of clinical experience and is a licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Ohio. Before coming to UVM from Ohio, she worked for non-profit agencies that assist the underserved and maintained a small private practice. Her specialty areas include addictions, trauma, and diversity issues—especially gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues. Denise is an active member of the Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Counseling (ALGBTIC), a division of the American Counseling Association (ACA). She also is an adjunct instructor in the Graduate Counseling Program at UVM.

Martha Racine

Martha is the Administrative Assistant for the CAPS Outreach and Education Team in the Living Well at the Davis Center. Martha graduated from Champlain College with an Associates Degree in Business Management.

Mark Reck, PsyD

Mark is a Senior Staff Psychologist at CAPS. Mark earned a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Pacific University and is a Licensed Psychologist-Doctorate in the State of Vermont. He also has additional training from the Gestalt Therapy Training Center-Northwest, in Oregon. Before coming to UVM, Mark worked at the counseling centers at Portland State University, Reed College, New Mexico State University, and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Among Mark's clinical interests are gestalt therapy, therapeutic uses of mindfulness and meditation, racial/ethnic diversity and identity development, issues of men and masculinity, psychodiagnostic and neuropsychological assessment, and psychotherapy philosophy and practice.

Jeff Rettew, PhD

Jeff is a per diem staff counselor at CAPS Redstone and earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in counseling psychology from the University of Kansas. He completed his doctoral internship at the University of New Hampshire’s Counseling Center and joined the UVM staff in August 2012. Trained as a generalist, Jeff has worked with clients in several university counseling centers, as well as a VA hospital. Along the way, Jeff has developed expertise working with anxiety concerns (e.g., generalized anxiety, OCD, test anxiety, panic attacks), as well as a range of issues related to the college adjustment process. Jeff has a passion for helping students grow and succeed in and out of the classroom.

Jennifer Shasberger, MA

Jennifer Shasberger is the Marketing Director for the Center for Health & Wellbeing at the University of Vermont, and she is a key member of CHWB's Education and Outreach team. She produces publicity for events and programs, CHWB communication materials including ads, and many other promotional materials. Jennifer holds a BA in English from the University of Texas at Austin and an MA in Writing & Publishing from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts.

Keith E. Smith, MS, LCMHC, NCC

Keith is the Men's Outreach Coordinator and a Senior Staff Counselor at CAPS. Since 2006 he has served in the role of Men’s Outreach Coordinator (MOC). He has expertise as a men’s counselor, and works with college men in numerous capacities and on many issues of masculinity, including sexual violence prevention. The position of MOC is innovative and unprecedented in a university setting in that it provides general counseling, clinical assessment, and referral and case management services specifically geared toward male students. It also provides advocacy, support and resources to men involved in judicial hearings, including alleged perpetrators of sexual and relationship violence. Keith also provides consultation, education, training, and programming to the UVM community on issues related to healthy masculine identity, violence prevention as well as assisting in coordination of the campus-wide response to violence. Among the programs implemented by Keith are the Men’s Awareness Week, and Mentors in Violence Prevention, a leadership training program geared primarily toward student leaders. Keith can be reached at the Counseling & Psychiatry Services, 802.656.3340, or keith.smith@uvm.edu.

Kelly Thorne, PsyD

Kelly is the CAPS Assistant Director for Prevention & Community-Based Services, and is a Licensed Psychologist in Vermont. She received her Master's in Sport Psychology from Purdue University and her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Denver. Her professional interests include developmental issues of college students, stress management, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse on college campuses, sport psychology, couples therapy, and wellness.

Michael Upton, MD

Dr. Upton is a CAPS Staff Psychiatrist who has worked at the Center for Health and Wellbeing at UVM since 2004. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College where he majored in comparative religion. After teaching French for 2 years he returned to school at UVM and graduated in 1994 from the College of Medicine. He completed his psychiatric residency at Dartmouth and returned to Burlington to begin his practice 1998. He is a native Vermonter whose family includes 4 generations of UVM graduates. His clinical interests include diagnostic evaluation, medication management and brief psychotherapy models. He has worked in a number of settings including inpatient psychiatry, substance abuse treatment centers and community mental health.

Todd Weinman, PsyD

Todd is the Director of UVM's Counseling and Psychiatry Services. He is dedicated to creating a safe, welcoming environment for all students who visit CAPS, an environment that breaks down barriers for students who may otherwise be hesitant to seek professional help. In addition to extensive experience working directly with college students, Todd has many years experience in counseling center administration and leadership. Todd received his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Widener University and his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia. Prior to coming to UVM, he worked as the Director of Counseling and Psychological Services at Montclair State University. Todd's professional interests include training and supervision, diversity, brief counseling approaches, and Positive Psychology.

Prachi Bhargava

Prachi is a counseling intern at CAPS. She earned an undergraduate and a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology at university in India and is currently working toward a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology at Saint Michael's College. Prachi has previous experience working with a psychiatrist in India, where she also worked with individuals suffering from depression, suicidal ideation, and trauma; with children who had experienced trauma; and at a suicide prevention/awareness organization. Part of Pratchi’s practicum training in her current program was with children at a school in Winooski where she provided Play Therapy. Her interests include: Working with people in trauma, PTSD, depression, as well as incorporating mindfulness in therapy for patients experiencing anxiety.

Cricket Braun, MA

Cricket is in the process of completing her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University New England. She earned her undergraduate degree from Middlebury College and her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University New England. Cricket enjoys working with diverse students with a wide range of concerns and has a special interest in identity development, the mental health and well-being of medical professionals, trauma and group psychotherapy.

Dominic Foti

Dominic is a counseling intern studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Johnson State University. He has dual undergraduate degrees in Philosophy and English from the University of Vermont. In addition to interning at CAPS, Dominic provides yoga workshops to the greater Burlington area and is involved with the Mindfulness Practice Center at UVM, offering mindfulness-based relaxation stations on campus. As a yoga acharya, wilderness therapy guide and martial arts instructor, he employes various methods that range from western psychotherapy to eastern philosophy, which he uses in session to help clients examine their environment and how to flourish within it, in the here and now.

Jen Phillips

Jennifer is in the final stages of earning her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Union Institute and University. She currently holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology and a Bachelor of Science Degree from Green Mountain College. Jennifer has an interest in working with clients with eating disorders, identity development, and members of the LGBTQA community. She also is committed and dedicated to working with clients with diverse backgrounds and addressing issues related to social justice and personal development.

Kristin Reilly

Kristin is a counseling intern at CAPS, in the final stages of completing her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from James Madison University. She has a BS in Music Therapy from Duquesne University, and before coming to CAPS worked in hospice care with patients and families at the end-of-life. Kristin’s areas of interest include spiritual development, eating disorders, grief and loss, diversity, and creativity in the counseling relationship.

Cody Rounds

Cody is a counseling intern at the CAPS Redstone office. He earned a B.A. in Psychology and Anthropology from the University of Vermont. Currently, he is completing his Master’s degree at Saint Michael’s College in Clinical Psychology. Prior to coming to UVM, Cody served as a counselor-trainee with Howard Center developmental services.

Michael Sheppard

Michael is a counseling intern in UVM’s Graduate Counseling Program. He is a UVM Alumni with at BA in History. Michael’s professional areas of interest include substance abuse, depression, anxiety, LGBTQ issues, diversity and social justice. In addition to several years working as a UVM Student Financial Services Counselor, he also has experience working with youth in crisis and LGBTQ youth.