Officers

President: Daniel Clavin
M.A. Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness, LGBT Health, Education, and Social Services

Hi everyone! I am a second-year student in the dual-degree Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness program with an advanced certificate in LGBT Health, Education, and Social Services. I was previously a First-Year Representative for the SCA and am honored to serve as this year’s president. I’m originally from New Jersey, and I graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA with a B.A. in Spanish. People and psychology have always been my passions, but my previous work includes a background in Digital Media/ Content Marketing as well as several years as an English teacher in Galicia, Spain. I am currently an Advanced Clinical Intern at Expansive Therapy, an LGBTQ-affirming practice based out of Manhattan and San Francisco, where I see both individuals and couples. I look forward to working together.

Vice President: Elizabeth Mateer
M.A. Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness, LGBT Health, Education, and Social Services

I am a second-year student in the dual-degree Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness program with a post-master’s advanced certificate in LGBT Health, Education, and Social Services. I am originally from New York, and graduated from Hunter College with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Creative Writing. I am currently a clinical intern at Montefiore Medical Center at a substance abuse recovery center, where I lead individual and group therapy. In addition to clinical practice, I have a strong interest in research and have been a research assistant in the Families and Children Experiencing Success (FACES) lab in the Applied Psychology department here at Steinhardt under the supervision of Dr. Anil Chacko, where I have had the opportunity to co-facilitate Mindful Parenting groups, conduct assessments, and lead individual Behavioral Parent Training families of children with externalizing disorders. It has been rewarding to help families improve their functioning and access much-needed services through my work with FACES lab. Working with a variety of populations through both my clinical practice and research has solidified my commitment to social justice and advocacy in the field of counseling. I look forward to serving on the SCA this year!

Treasurer: Antonia Ciunci
M.A. Counseling for Mental Health & Wellness

Hi! My name is Antonia Ciunci, and I am a second year student in the Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness program. I am originally from Rhode Island, and graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Psychology. As an undergrad, I interned at South County Child and Family Consultants where I gained a copious amount of experience and knowledge about neuropsychological evaluations. Not only was I able to observe test administrations, but scoring and interpreting test results were my primary responsibilities as an intern. I loved working with kids and hope to be a counselor for children and adolescents in the future. Currently, I am interning at the Center for Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy in Midtown, where I specialize in treating OCD. Having this experience in CBT has been extremely rewarding and has helped me to gain skills to further my eclectic approach as a therapist. I am committed to creating mental health awareness and advocating for low-cost mental health services for the underprivileged. I believe that myself, my fellow classmates, and other budding therapists are the future of mental health and have a responsibility to raise awareness and reduce the stigma. Being a part of the SCA leadership team has helped me to join with other passionate and dedicated classmates to aid in the development of our program and field. I look forward to continuing this mission with my fellow SCA members and classmates in this coming school year!

Social Media Co-Chair: Stephanie Lynn Santo
M.A. Counseling for Mental Health & Wellness

I am a second-year student in the Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness program. I am originally from Illinois where I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, obtained a bachelor’s with a double major in psychology and communication, and minored in sociology. There, I also wrote a thesis involving the main tenets of cognitive behavioral therapy and spoke at several conferences about disability and mental health on campus. My time at NYU has not been my first time in New York, as I have obtained a certificate in human rights from Columbia University. I currently work at Hudson Psychological Services LLC where I counsel teenagers and children through a variety of tribulations on micro and macro levels. I firmly believe in the role of counselors as advocates, which is why I am also a graduate student intern at the International Council of Psychologists to the United Nations, a senator-at-large for graduate students and students with disabilities to our university’s student government, and the chair of our student government’s health and wellness committee. Outside of this, I enjoy learning new things and hope to one day find a job where I can combine my love for art, innovation, research, policy, and law with my love for mental healthcare. I look forward to being your social media co-chair this year!

2nd Year Student Representative: Christina Malatesta
M.A. Counseling for Mental Health & Wellness

2nd Year Student Representative: Arielle Iliana Soury
M.A. School Counseling

Hi! My name is Arielle Soury and I am a second year in the Masters in School Counseling Pre K-12 Program. I am from Long Island, New York. I graduated from SUNY Oneonta with a bachelor’s in psychology and a minor in Women and Gender Studies. When I was in undergrad, I was a research assistant, and studied moral and prudential transgressions in children 3- 5 years old, and the discipling techniques parents would use to monitor those transgressions. With this experience, I knew I wanted to work in a school with children to help them reach their full potential as students and school counseling was the way to do this. Joining SCA starting out as a first year and now taking on the second-year position has helped me in my track as a school counselor because I can help advocate for students in our current program. I look forward to being an advocate again this year for my classmates.

GSO Representative: Hannah Rikers
M.A. Counseling for Mental Health & Wellness

Hello! My name is Hannah Rikkers, and I am one of the GSO Representatives for the SCA this year. I am a first year student in the Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness program. I completed my bachelor’s degree at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. I graduated from undergrad with a degree in Psychology and a concentration in Education. I’m from Minneapolis, MN and recently moved to New York City in September. I look forward to serving as the Graduate Student Organization Representative this year!

GSO Representative: Tori Lloyd
M.A. School Counseling

1st Year Student Representative: Monica Culhane
M.A. Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness

Hi! My name is Monica Culhane and I am one of SCA’s first-year representatives for the Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness program. I am currently in my first year in the program. I graduated from the University of Texas, at Austin last year with a double major in Psychology and Sport Management and minor in Education. I am originally from the San Francisco/Bay Area and moved to New York City in late August. I am loving the city and the program so far and look forward to continuing my education in NYC!

1st Year Student Representative: Sanchana Krishnan
M.A. Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness, LGBT Health, Education, and Social Services

Hi! I’m a first year grad student in the Mental Health and Wellness counseling program. I graduated with a double major in Psychology and Literature from Christ University in Bangalore, India, in 2014. A fierce mental health advocate, I’ve been developing public engagement programs and psychoeducation for the past two years by using the various arts, storytelling, and activities to address the stigma surrounding mental health in my home country, India. I’m an insufferable nerd; you can find me buried in a book that addresses an aspect of mental health and illness, therapy or both. I was selected to be a participant in the first ever Obama Summit in Chicago in 2017, and to discuss my mental health advocacy with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Global Mental Health Summit in London in 2018, where I was invited to be a panelist. I am very vocal about her battles with her own mental illness and like to create a space for more people to open up and address their own mental health. I dream of building a world where mental health is taken seriously, addressed with care, and where people of all kinds have access to affordable and acceptable care. I’m determined to work with populations considered ethnic, socioeconomic, sexual and religious minorities, and use an integrated mix of established therapeutic approaches and cutting-edge techniques in providing holistic mental healthcare. Extremely energetic, I engage with the world through humour, and love honest and difficult conversations. Brought up near the ocean and extremely passionate about nature, I feel a little trapped in the concrete jungle of New York City. To compensate, I’ve been actively befriending the squirrels of Washington Square Park.

1st Year Student Representative: Mia Dong
M.A. School Counseling