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
Seana Peterson, MSW, LCSW
Seana Peterson, MSW, LCSW is a graduate of Smith College School for Social Work. She received her B.A. in Communications and Gender Studies from Northwestern University. Her 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 be on staff. Seana has an interest in exploring the many challenges common to young adulthood, and is particularly interested in identity development and treatment of trauma-related concerns. She practices counseling through a feminist, social justice lens and incorporates psychodynamic, Internal Family Systems, mindfulness and dialogic approaches in her work. As a counselor, Seana values curiosity, transparency, creativity and humor as pathways to healing.
Staff Social Worker
Jennifer Shiiba, MSW, LICSW
Jenny is a licensed independent clinical social worker and former graduate of the Simmons School of Social Work. She received her B.A. in Women’s Studies and Communicology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her clinical training includes providing individual, group, and family therapy to children, adolescents, and young adults in school-based, home, hospital and outpatient settings. Jenny is passionate about helping people navigate anxiety, depression, shame, productivity, relationship dynamics, family conflict, complex trauma, substance use and immigration experiences. Her recent work involves providing intensive support to families who have experienced homelessness and other systemic challenges. Her warm, curious and collaborative approach offers an opportunity to foster healthy emotional and reparative attachments to sustain a life of joy, healing, liberation and purpose. She views counseling as a co-created space and uses client reflections to build new narratives for the future. She honors each person's infinite capacity for growth to gain a deeper sense of empathy, resilience, and compassion for themselves and others. Jenny returns to Simmons as a staff member eager to continue her interests in identity development using intersectional feminist theory and social justice frameworks through a culturally-responsive lens. As a counselor, she is interested in unraveling intergenerational trauma and collective legacy burdens. She appreciates exploring decolonized, self-healing processes for all gender identities/expressions and orientations.
Staff Social Worker and Violence Prevention and Education Outreach Case Manager
Anne Hamilton, MSW, LCSW
Annie MSW, LCSW is a graduate of Boston University Social Work School. She completed her training at the Simmons Counseling Center and at the BU Psychiatric Rehab Center. She's spent time volunteering at the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center 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.
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.
Administrative Assistant
Nina Williams
Nina is a Simmons alumna and is looking forward to being part of the Simmons Community again. During her time here at Simmons, Nina studied Psychology and Education. She has always been drawn to helping others, and finds that every moment can be a teaching moment. She has worked with diverse and underrepresented populations from teenagers who experienced emotional, neurological, behavioral or learning difficulties to helping inmates of all ages navigate through the most difficult time in their life. She believes that everyone has their own unique journey, and should be honored for where they are at now and how far they have come. After graduating Simmons, Nina worked in the Restaurant Industry. She spent many years managing at the well-known pizza restaurant here in Boston, Area Four. During her time at Area Four she learned to expand her gift of helping others. She developed her own managing style that no only honored herself, but her staff and guests. During her time here at the Counseling Center she hopes to create a safe environment where students can learn, have fun and feel supported throughout their journey with counseling. She has learned to embrace change with grace, positivity and patience and this is a skill she brings to the Simmons Community and Counseling Center. On her free time, she loves to stay active with a Kickboxing or Zumba class, explore the newest restaurants in Boston, and paint while listening to her favorite vinyl records.