UBC Counselling Services has a diverse team of mental health professionals and trainees who can provide a wide range of services while you attend university:
About the team
Wellness Advising Team
Sae Aizawa, MC, RCC (she/her)
Sae is a Registered Clinical Counsellor who completed her undergraduate degree at UBC and holds a Master of Counselling from City University of Seattle. Sae takes a student-centered approach and believes that the student is the expert in their lives. Through this approach, Sae supports students to be psychologically flexible towards their emotions and connect to their values. Sae also believes that being present and grounding ourselves in the current day is a helpful way to cultivate the here-and-now through mindfulness practice.
Jenna Borisevich, MSW, RSW (she/her)
Jenna is a Registered Social Worker holding an Master of Social Work in Social Work from the University of Toronto. Jenna offers a holistic and integrative approach as well as a warm and compassionate space for individuals to safely share their emotions and experiences. Jenna endeavors to leave students feeling heard, valued, and supported—equipped with practical tools and a collaborative plan that endorses their wellness goals.
Anna Ho, MA, CCC (she/her)
Anna is a Certified Canadian Counsellor registered with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. With an emphasis on compassion, Anna provides a warm and inclusive space for individuals to feel heard and cared for. Anna is dedicated towards providing a safe environment for students that cultivates acceptance and understanding through an integrative and humanistic approach.
Craig Lee, MCP, RCC (he/him)
Craig is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and a Professional Art Therapist. His approach to therapy is to create a safe and non-judgmental space for students to collaboratively explore their goals with the belief that people generally wish to improve their situation. He practices therapy through an integration of different techniques including a person-centered approach, asks students to foster a different relationship with their thoughts and feelings, and utilizes art-based approaches in healing. Additionally, he recognizes the intersectionality of diverse identities, and acknowledges the importance this has in the therapy process.
Doriana Pantuso, M.Ed, RCC, CCC (she/her)
Doriana is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, as well as a Canadian Certified Counsellor. Doriana offers a non-judgmental, empathic approach when working with students. She believes the therapeutic relationship is an important piece when helping students share their emotions and explore what is occurring for them. Her approach to therapy is integrative, which can include relational-oriented and person-centered approaches. Doriana also believes that self-awareness can help students reflect on certain patterns they would like to change. While encouraging self-awareness, Doriana works collaboratively with students to develop a plan and help set wellness goals.
Amman Shahi, BA, MSW, RSW (she/her)
Amman is a first generation Canadian-Punjabi practitioner. While English is her mother tongue, Punjabi and Hindi are her additional languages. Her practice philosophy is that everyone is the narrator of their own lived experience, and that the human interaction is one of interwoven story. She believes in an emotion-focused, narrative approach, and emphasizes behavioral activation through the lens of cultural humility, decolonization, and mindfulness practice. Amman holds a Master of Social Work from the UBC Okanagan Campus (Sylix Nation), a community in which she was born and raised in.
Counselling Team
Leslie Chesick, MA, RCC
Leslie is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with over 25 years of experience. Leslie is passionate about therapy and learning, so her counselling approach, which emphasizes the mind-body connection, uses a wide variety of modalities including compassion-based mindfulness. More importantly, Leslie works collaboratively and relationally with students. She feels privileged that her work is about having change-making conversations with people and witnessing them recover their rightful sense of freedom and wholeness.
Nate Edwards, Psy.D, R.Psych., Practicum Coordinator (he/him)
Nate is a Registered Psychologist who earned his doctorate in psychology from Pepperdine University in California. His work emphasizes the importance of one’s relational and cultural context towards the development of greater self-understanding and awareness. He further blends in a focus on expansion of emotional tolerance and regulation, as well as acceptance of the human experience. Additionally, Nathan attempts to foster safety through a collaborative approach that allows students to move at their own pace and take ownership of their healing journey. Nate also holds a role as the practicum coordinator within the clinic.
Hossein Eslami, PhD, R.Psych. (he/him)
Hossein is a Registered Psychologist with UBC’s Counseling Services. He graduated with a PhD in Counseling Psychology from Texas Tech University in 2021 and has been working with university students ever since. Hossein places a great importance on fostering a strong therapeutic alliance with his students. He values students’ unique experiences, perspectives, and strengths, and strives to create a safe and nonjudgmental space for exploration and growth. Hossein is committed to providing evidence-based interventions, integrating the latest research and best practices into his work. He offers therapy in both English and Farsi.
Karen Flood, PhD, RCC, R.Psych. (she/her)
Karen is a Registered Psychologist with over 25 years’ experience. Informed by her philosophy of life-long learning and the possibility of change, Karen works collaboratively to build a safe and supportive environment within which to create change. Therapeutic work is guided by presenting concerns and goals, but likely to include working with thoughts, emotions, and values. Therapy may involve increasing understanding of experiences and behaviours, mind-body connection, gentle challenges, mindfulness and compassion, revisiting strengths and supports, and learning new information, skills, and ways of being. Karen holds a special place in her heart for the graduate student experience.
Jacky Grüter-Andrew, MA, RCC-ACS (she/her)
Jacky works with her students to create a safe, welcoming space to explore their concerns and strengths. She recognizes the uniqueness of every individual and collaboratively tailors a therapy approach to support students to move towards their goals. She strives to practice cultural humility and her therapy style is based on attachment, trauma-informed approaches, the mind-body connection, acceptance, and mindful self-compassion. Jacky uses humor, warmth, and gentle challenges to help students move from feeling stuck to a sense of choice.
Rebecca Lalonde, M. Ed., R. Psych (she/her)
Rebecca is a Registered Psychologist holding a Master’s degree in School and Counselling Psychology from the University of Saskatchewan. She aims to create an atmosphere of openness and non-judgment where students can become more aware of their thoughts and feelings, connect to their strengths, and feel empowered to take action that feels meaningful in their lives. Her collaborative and practical approach is rooted in a humanistic and evidence-based framework to support students in navigating life’s challenges.
Brenda Lee, PhD, R.Psych. (she/her)
Brenda is a Registered Psychologist, a first-generation immigrant from Taiwan, and a UBC alumna. She is passionate about connecting students to self-knowledge and resources that will empower them. In her therapy work, she tailors her approach collaboratively in the way that best serves her students. She does that by drawing upon her students’ values and strengths, and working to identify and shift the habits and patterns that keep them stuck.
Sharon Lee, MCP, CCC (she/her)
Sharon is a counsellor who incorporates a strengths-based approach towards exploring the connections between thoughts, behaviours, and emotions. Sharon believes that students are the experts in their own lives, and that it is important to understand and acknowledge each student’s diversity and intersectionality. Sharon also believes that including mindfulness and grounding into counselling is important to keeping therapeutic work present focused. Collaboration with students is a key element within Sharon’s work as this creates opportunities for students to discover their own solutions to their concerns.
Karen Moss, MA, MC, RCC (she/her)
Karen believes that everyone deserves to have a safe space to explore who they are, their concerns, and their goals. She brings social justice concerns into the therapy room and strives to practice cultural humility. Karen uses an integrative therapy style which can include mind-body, attachment and trauma-informed approaches. She seeks to create a welcoming environment for students with her caring, creative, and person-centered approach to wellbeing.
Vanita Sabharwal, MSW, RSW (she/her)
Vanita is a Registered Social Worker with over 35 years of counselling experience, 20 of those at UBC Counselling Services. Vanita works within an intersectional, anti-oppression, social justice, and trauma-informed framework, encompassing a holistic experiential approach, collaborating with others to increase awareness of themselves within their environment, their social locations, values, goals, and identities, to find their voice and express their needs.
Alysha Chan Kent, PhD, CCC(she/her)
Alysha Chan Kent is a Canadian Certified Counsellor with UBC’s Counselling Services who holds a PhD in Counselling Psychology from the University of Calgary. Her therapeutic practice is rooted in the provision of a warm, non-judgmental space for each student to work through life’s challenges, helping them to uncover personal strengths and create meaningful change. In her practice, Alysha adopts an integrative approach, drawing from various evidence-based approaches. Navigating this process may include exploring students’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, identifying their values and strengths, and untangling narratives that might be holding them back.
Rachel Walker, Psy.D., R.Psych., HSP, CMPC(she/her)
Rachel is a Registered Psychologist who earned her doctorate at Springfield College in Massachusetts majoring in Counselling Psychology and a concentration in Athletic Counselling. Rachel places great importance on fostering a strong therapeutic alliance with her students and assisting them to understand what is no longer working in their lives. She invites students to explore challenging yet vital places of growth in the service of what is most important to them. Through humility, compassion, play, and curiosity, Rachel looks forward to supporting students on their journey towards healing, growth, and flourishing.
Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing Team
Kim Bayer (Métis), MA, MEd, RCC
Kim is a lifelong learner, offering the gifts, teachings, professional training, and wisdom she has gathered to Indigenous students. Kim draws from holistic Indigenous ways, being, and knowing, as well as Western therapeutic tools to help students create a wellness plan that meets their current needs.
Hali McLennan, MSW, RSW
Hali is a member of the Métiis Nation of British Columbia. She was born in the Yukon but as a child, moved to the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh. She completed both her Social Work degrees at UBC’s School of Social Work and is grateful to get the chance to support current UBC students through the challenges they may face while at school.
Embedded Counsellors
Nicole Adoranti, M.Ed., C.C.C. (she/her)
Nicole is a Canadian Certified Counsellor with an Master of Education in Counselling Psychology from the University of Toronto. Her counselling approach is based first and foremost on the clinician-student relationship, as she feels an authentic connection creates the platform for meaningful change. With years of experience working with people in different countries and from a variety of cultures, she aims to remain humble in her approach while integrating trauma-informed and decolonial practices into her work.
Asmae El-Bouhali, M.Ed, MSc, CCPA member (she/her)
Asmae is the Embedded Counsellor within the Faculty of Medicine (FoM) dedicated to the clinical care and support of FoM graduate students. She offers a collaborative, safe, compassionate therapeutic space in which students can explore self-awareness, mindfulness, and personal growth. Asmae facilitates change and goal attainment utilizing a trauma-informed lens and several theoretical and research-based methodologies. Asmae also has extensive experience in cross-cultural therapy and is able to offer services in Moroccan-Arabic and Dutch.
Serena Ewe, MA, CCC, RCC (she/her)
Having lived in five different countries during her formative years, Serena brings a unique richness to her practice. This international upbringing has instilled in her a deep appreciation for the complexities of human experiences and a profound sense of empathy, enabling her to navigate and embrace the intricacies of students’ identities and journeys. Serena seeks to foster a safe and inclusive environment and is committed to building a relationship of trust and collaboration for all. Depending on one’s needs and goals, she helps optimize strengths, build resiliency, and cultivate growth by drawing from an eclectic range of evidence-based therapeutic approaches.
Andrea Falco, M.Ed., RCC (she/her)
Andrea is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. Her clinical practice uses holistic and student-focused approach to help students feel supported and safe. She integrates different approaches to healing (creative arts, somatic, relational and behaviour therapy) depending on what resonates with the student.
Laura Harvey, MSW, RSW (she/her)
Laura is the counsellor embedded in the Faculty of Arts. She believes that meaningful connection with others is essential and that we can heal and grow in connection with community. She is committed to student success in all its forms. She strives to provide a safe space for students to show up just as they are. She works with each student to identify practical and effective coping strategies that are unique to them. Students have shared that they felt fully seen, heard and validated in their sessions with her. Laura also facilitates wellbeing workshops through the Arts Compass.
Lisa John, MEd., RCC (she/her)
Lisa is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with an Master of Education in Counselling Psychology from UBC. Lisa works from a person-centred and strength-based therapeutic approach which focuses on bringing awareness to thoughts and felt experiences. She works collaboratively and seeks to create a safe and supportive space in which students can share, reflect, and integrate their self-knowledge in ways that are helpful and aligned with their values, needs, and goals.
Gordon Lai, M.Ed., RCC (he/him)
Gordon is the embedded counsellor in the Faculty of Applied Science. He is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with a Master of Education in Counselling Psychology from UBC. Gordon’s therapeutic approach integrates acceptance and commitment while also taking a strengths-based and solution focused approach when working with students. While Gordon appreciates the outdoors and nature, he is described as an "indoor cat" who loves the modern conveniences that the indoors provide.
Michelle Lim, MSW, RSW (she/her)
Michelle is a Registered Social Worker with the BC College of Social Workers. With cultural humility, she strives to foster a welcoming, caring, and trauma-informed space where students can express themselves and feel heard. Her counselling approach emphasizes the mind-body connection, and is responsive to her students’ needs.
Sabina Lupasco, M.Ed, RCC (she/her)
Sabina is a Registered Clinical Counsellor holding a Master of Education in Counselling Psychology from UBC. Sabina’s focus in therapy is to create a space where students feel safe, validated, and accepted; where students feel comfortable to share and explore all the parts of their identities, as well as the internal and external barriers preventing them from reaching their goals. Sabina believes that people get hurt and healed in relationships with others, and her approach includes helping students develop a sense of connection and belonging within themselves and with others. Sabina’s counselling style integrates person-centered and strengths-based approaches.
Thoko Moyo, M.C., RCC (she/they)
Thoko is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with many years of experience supporting folks with a diverse range of lived experience and social locations seeking mental health support. Thoko’s counselling approach is strengths-based, anti-oppressive, intersectional and trauma informed. Their practice is influenced by evidence-based approaches that are adapted to be culturally relevant and provides support for each students’ unique needs. Thoko’s master’s research reviewed intervention methods for equity-deserving students navigating systemic oppressions and racial trauma. During sessions, she prioritizes transparency, collaboration, empowerment, and building trust. They would be honored to join your journey of self-discovery as a supportive co-pilot.
Whitney Sedgwick, Ph.D., R. Psych. (she/her)
Whitney is a Registered psychologist and the Mental Performance/Mental Health lead for UBC Athletics. She has degrees in sport and clinical psychology and has worked with various sport organizations. Whitney works collaboratively with students to clarify their concerns, identify their strengths and further their effective coping strategies. She believes that mental performance skills transfer outside of sport and assists students toward value-driven lives. Whitney is also committed to helping students increase their awareness of mental and physical interconnection. She strives to be compassionate, kind, and genuine and is grateful to work in this role.
Cassie Smith, MC, MBET, RP, CCC
Cassie is a Registered Psychotherapist and Counsellor who serves as the Embedded Counsellor in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in addition to her role within the main Counselling Services at UBC. She has spent over a decade working in post-secondary counselling services at multiple universities with a particular focus on supporting students studying in professional programs. She is passionate about taking a curious and collaborative approach to her work with students in creating meaningful and sustainable change.
Jen-Mai Wong, Psy.D., R. Psych. (she/her)
Jen-Mai is a Registered Psychologist in BC, receiving her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers University. Since 2004, Jen-Mai has been involved in counselling services across a variety of post-secondary settings in both Canada and the United States. Jen-Mai works from a number of evidence-based models of care, while also approaching counselling from a strengths-based perspective focusing on the unique needs of individual students. Jen-Mai enjoys working with students from a wide range of diverse backgrounds and experiences. Her love of travel is fueled by the belief that seeing more of the world makes for good mental health. Jen-Mai serves as a supervising psychologist and an embedded counsellor at Vantage College.
Nafiza Ali, MA, RCC (she/her)
Nafiza is the embedded counsellor for the Sauder School of Business. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Adler University. Nafiza is a first- generation Fijian-Canadian clinician who believes in authentic and genuine connections to create safety, belonging, and community. Nafiza takes a person-centered and strength-based therapeutic approach where she brings focus to mind and body and encourages student success to come from a place of healthy self-worth. Nafiza works collaboratively to create a safe space for her students to explore their wellbeing, ensuring they feel validated, heard, and accepted. Outside of work, Nafiza loves to explore other countries and cultures and play sports with her husband when she’s not chasing her two wonderful kiddos around.
Leadership Team
Kirby Huminuik, PhD, R.Psych, Director (she/her)
Kirby is a Registered Psychologist and the Director of Counselling Services at UBC. She also provides clinical supervision for doctoral trainees. As a clinical supervisor, she takes a developmental approach that is grounded in social justice and human rights principles. Kirby is active in the profession of psychology and has served on the APA Task Force on Human Rights and the executive committee of the Human Rights and Social Justice Committee at CPA.
Renée Avitan, MSW, RCSW, Associate Director, Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing
Renée is Shúhtaǫt’ine, Tulit’a Dene Band, and mixed settler heritage, and her practice is informed by Etuaptmumk, the Mi’kmaq word for Two-Eyed Seeing. Both Indigenous and Western practices are represented in her clinical work. Dedicated to realizing Indigenization and decolonization goals within the counselling field, her work is grounded in trauma-informed, person-centered practices connected to holistic wisdom traditions. Within supervision, she believes providing support in a compassionate way is vital to co-creating a safe and dynamic relationship. An important concept woven throughout Renée’s approach is upholding a reflexive practice, one that empowers those she is working with to gain their own insight and clarity regarding their professional development.
Kirk Beck, Ph.D., R.Psych., Associate Director, Director of Training (he/him)
Kirk is a Registered Psychologist in British Columbia and the Associate Director, Director of Training. Kirk has been at Counselling Services for the past 25 years and uses a collaborative, student-centered approach to help others achieve their identified goals. His clinical practice is grounded in evidence based approaches including cognitive behavioural, narrative, and compassion focused therapy. Kirk provides clinical supervision to staff and doctoral interns and he works within a developmental and strength-based model. Some of Kirk’s clinical and research interests are in ethics/legal issues in counselling, counsellor training and development, decision making, and grief and loss.
Anna Kline M.Psych, RCC-ACS, Associate Director, Embedded Counselling (she/her)
Anna is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and an Approved Clinical Supervisor with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. She has a Master of Psychology degree in Counselling Psychology from Monash University in Australia. As a counsellor, Anna uses a person-centered perspective believing in unconditional respect for the individual and their experiences. As a clinical supervisor, Anna works alongside counsellors in a collaborative way to encourage growth. Anna honours a trusting relationship and strives to build this in all aspects of her work.
Lauren McBride, Ed.D., R.Psych, Associate Director, Clinical Services (she/her)
Lauren is a Registered Psychologist in British Columbia. Lauren has been part of the UBC Counselling Services team for over a decade and is the Associate Director, Clinical Services. Her therapeutic approach is grounded in cognitive-behavioral therapy and draws upon principles of mindfulness and self-compassion. Lauren also provides supervision to clinical staff and pre-doctoral interns. Her clinical supervision style can be described as developmentally integrative, collaborative, and relational. Lauren approaches her work with compassion, curiosity and humour.
