Counseling Center Staff
The Counseling Center staff is made up of licensed Clinical Social Workers, Psychologists, and Psychiatrists, and we train interns in social work, counseling, and psychology. We are committed to the emotional, physical and spiritual development of undergraduate and graduate students. All staff and interns have been trained to address a wide range of presenting concerns, though we each have unique clinical interests and specialties.
Director
Sherri Ettinger, PhD, LICSW
Sherri began working in the Simmons Counseling Center in the fall of 2000. Sherri received her BA in Sociology and Women's Studies at Brandeis University and her MSW and PhD at the Smith College School for Social Work. Prior to joining the staff at Simmons, Sherri worked with teenage parents at Children's Hospital; on a trauma team at Judge Baker Children's Center; and in the Counseling Center at Wheaton College. She is a member of the adjunct faculty at Smith College, School for Social Work, where she taught Clinical Practice and a course on GLBT identities for a number of years. Sherri has worked with adolescents and young women for 25 years, focusing on life-transitions, self-development, and resilience. Areas of particular interest include sexual identity, trauma, eating problems, parenting, and the impact of oppression on development and self-esteem. In addition to providing clinical services to Counseling Center clients, Sherri supervises interns and serves on various committees at Simmons.
Psychiatric Consultant
Donna Mathias, MD
Donna, the consulting psychiatrist at the Counseling Center, is an integral part of our counseling team. As the psychiatric consultant, Donna meets with staff and clients to develop counseling plans appropriate to clients' needs, with a special emphasis on the role that medication can play in assisting clients to cope more effectively with their concerns.
Staff Social Worker
Lisa Corrin, EdM, LICSW
Lisa is a graduate of Simmons School of Social Work and Harvard Graduate School of Education. Lisa joined the Counseling Center first as a graduate intern in 2002 and then joined the staff in 2005. Her professional experience includes a leadership role in an educational setting where she provided support to families, faculty and young children. She also has experience with women's health issues and worked with individuals and groups to assist with adjustment to and management of chronic and life threatening illnesses. Lisa offers an integrative approach to help students who struggle with a variety of concerns including depression, anxiety, adjustment and identity issues, as well as loss and grief and family and relationship issues.
Staff Social Worker
Elizabeth Alvarez-Nyante, MSW, LICSW
Elizabeth is a graduate of Simmons School of Social Work, and also attended Simmons as an undergraduate. Elizabeth joined the Counseling Center first as a graduate intern in 2005 and returned as a staff member in 2013. She returns to Simmons to continue in her interest of young adult development, feminist theory and trauma. Her professional experience includes a background in community mental health (South End Community Health Center, Advocates, and Wayside Metro West). Over the past 7 years she has worked with children, adolescents and adults struggling with depression, anxiety, as well as loss and trauma. In addition to providing clinical services to Counseling Center clients, Elizabeth supervises interns and is a member of the adjunct faculty at the Simmons School for Social Work.
Staff Social Worker
Bianca Blakesley, MSW
Bianca is a graduate of Smith College School for Social Work. She has prior clinical experience as a family worker at Faulkner Hospital inpatient psychiatric unit, and completed her second placement at the Simmons counseling center. In her practice, Bianca uses a trauma-informed approach and integrates psychodynamic, relational and social justice frameworks into therapy. She has interest and experience working with young adults with a variety of concerns including: trauma, depression, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflict, and gender, sexuality and racial/ethnic identity development. Her goal is to help each individual client move towards healing and liberation in their lives through a warm, curious and collaborative approach. Bianca believes it is a privilege to listen when others share their stories, and honors the unique strengths of each person she encounters.
Staff Social Worker
Seana Peterson, MSW, LCSW
Seana Peterson, MSW, LCSW is a recent graduate of Smith College School for Social Work. She received her B.A. in Communications and Gender Studies from Northwestern University. Her past clinical experience includes providing individual, family, and group therapy for adolescents and young adults navigating depression, anxiety, trauma, and psychosis. She completed graduate training at the Simmons University Counseling Center and is thrilled to return as a staff member. Seana has an interest in exploring the many challenges related to college and emerging adulthood, including race/ethnicity, gender, and sexuality identity formation, stress management, relationships, and issues related to oppression/bias. As a counselor, Seana values curiosity, transparency, creativity and humor as pathways to healing.
Staff Psychologist
Angela M. Borges, PhD
Angela holds a doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Boston College. She has done counseling with underrepresented groups since 2007, specializing in the effects of trauma across the lifespan and the psychological impact of societal oppression. She has experience working with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, food and substance addiction issues, and many other mental health challenges. Previously, she worked as a domestic violence victim advocate. She is the co-author of a number of peer-reviewed publications on violence prevention and intervention and the intersection of social justice and mental health issues and has worked as a consultant on these issues with local colleges and agencies. Angela is also a Lead Trainer with Prevention Innovations at the University of New Hampshire, where since 2003 she has helped adapt the Bringing in the Bystander© sexual assault prevention program for more than 35 national and international non-profit organizations, universities, and military organizations.
Counseling Center Interns
Lilian is a second-year Mental Health Counseling student at Boston College. As a licensed Clinical Psychologist in Brazil, she has worked with children and adults in outpatient and in a school setting. Lilian’s research and clinical interests revolve around identity development, multiculturalism, critical theory and contemporary psychoanalytic perspectives. Lilian is bilingual and bicultural and speaks Portuguese and English. In the US, she has worked as part of an In-Home Therapy team, as a Therapeutic Training and Support and Therapeutic Mentor for families and youth. In this field she experienced working with strength-based wraparound services and supporting families with resources and accessing care. Cultural competence and multicultural perspectives are highly important to Lilian’s practice. With that framework in mind she focuses on supporting clients in their growth, focusing on resilience, creative living and keeping in mind the intersection of race, ethnicity, class, religion, disability, and sexuality. Her personal interests are languages and art expression such as poetry, films, music and dance.
Siloh Cermak is a 2nd year mental health counseling student at Saybrook University, and received their BA in political economy and sustainable agriculture from The Evergreen State College. They have a long history of community organizing, and are inspired by the resilience and healing of collective trauma that is borne through construction of a shared story and resistance, in the endless ways that work can take place. Siloh's clinical experience and interests include working with young adults navigating interpersonal and systemic trauma, connections between individual and community mental, physical, and spiritual health, LGBTQ+ issues and coming out, and addiction and substance use. In their spare time, they play with their great pyrenees pup, practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and listen to many, many podcasts.
Laura Gonzalez is a third-year Ph.D student in Counseling Psychology at Boston College. She received her B.A. in Communication from Texas A&M University and her M.A. in Mental Health Counseling from Boston College. Her most recent clinical experience includes working at a community mental health center, where she worked with adolescents and adults facing depression, anxiety, relationship concerns, family conflict, traumatic experiences, and questions about identity. Laura has also worked at an eating disorder treatment center, as an advocate at a domestic violence program, with survivors of human trafficking, and with young adults who have been impacted by international acts of terrorism. Her clinical and research interests center around issues related to trauma and immigration, particularly how oppression and marginalization shape these experiences for young adults. In her spare time, Laura enjoys reading, biking around Boston, and attempting to watercolor.
Annie is a second-year MSW student at Boston University where she is completing a dual degree in Clinical Social Work and Public Health. She completed her BA at Wellesley College where she majored in Economics and Women and Gender Studies. During Annie's first year clinical placement, she worked in the Niteo program for young adults managing major mental health conditions at the BU Psychiatric Rehab Center. Before returning to school for her Master's degrees, Annie worked in non-profit fundraising and spent her free time volunteering on the Boston Area Rape Crisis Hotline. Annie's clinical interests include utilizing a Liberation Health Model to provide client-centered care to young adults. She loves biking, running, and talking about Harry Potter.
Noor is a second year MSW student at the Boston College School of Social Work. She received her BA in English from Douglass College and her MEd in Secondary English Education from Rutgers University. Her clinical experience includes providing wellness support in a transitional home for adults with mental health challenges, serving as a case manager for students with disabilities, and serving as an after-hours crisis support staff member for college students. Prior to pursuing a career in social work, Noor worked in Higher Education for over a decade, with experience in Residential Life, Academic Advising, teaching, programming and assessment. As the “neuro-architect” for her clients, Noor believes in helping others change their neuropathways towards more healthy and productive tendencies. Noor’s clinical interests include working with marginalized students by connecting them to their strengths and relationships. In her free time, Noor enjoys hiking, camping, reading non-fiction, and listening to Oprah’s Soul Sessions podcast.
Chomba Muwele is a second-year Mental Health Counseling student at Boston College. She received her B.S. from the University of San Francisco where she majored in Kinesiology, Psychology, and Child and Youth Studies. Her previous experiences involve supporting intercultural/cross-cultural programs and interning at a health clinic associated with the San Francisco Department of Health. Her clinical interests include identity formation, such as the navigation and influence of multiple intersecting identities, working with underserved populations, first-generation students, multiculturalism, immigration, and resiliency. In her free time, Chomba enjoys watching mystery thrillers, dancing, and exploring new restaurants.
